New Search Console Brings More Data and Better Integration

Google have begun rolling out the new version of Search Console – formerly Webmaster Tools – to all sites this year after many months of Beta testing.

The new Search Console features a much cleaner, modern appearance with the data laid out in a more interactive way. For those who use Adwords, you will notice the similarity in how the graphic data has changed compared to previous versions.

One of the key changes is the extension of the data available for the Search Analytics, with the new Search Performance report showing accurate data from up to 16 months prior. This will be useful in analysing search trends along with more data for smartphone searches which can be used to enhance the mobile experience of users.

Another key change is the way Google displays indexing information, with the new Index Coverage report giving further insight into the URLs that are indexed along with warnings for issues and explanations into why some URLs aren’t indexed.

There is now also the ability to share this report with colleagues, making it a useful tool to send to the correct department to fix any issues. Once the fix is in place there is now a ‘Verify Fix’ tool which will instruct Google to re-crawl the URL and feedback on whether the fix has worked.

The rise of AMP and the impending expansion of Job Postings via Google have also been incorporated into the update, with a similar issue identification/verify fix combination as the Index Coverage report allowing sites who have AMP and potentially Job Postings to get quick feedback on the performance of their pages.