Google Search Console.

What is Google Search Console?

Google Search Console is Google's free tool for website owners that shows how a site performs in Google Search: which queries it appears for, how many impressions and clicks each page gets, and whether Google can crawl and index the pages properly. It also flags security issues, manual actions and technical problems. Its data comes directly from Google's side of the search.

Why it matters

It is the most direct view you have of your visibility in Google. When enquiries dip, Search Console tells you whether rankings fell, whether a key page dropped out of the index, or whether impressions held while clicks fell, which often points to AI Overviews answering the query. Without it, a business owner is relying on guesswork or on whatever an agency chooses to report.

The reports that matter

• Performance report Clicks, impressions, average position and click-through rate by query, page, country and device, going back 16 months.
• Page indexing Which pages Google has indexed, which it has left out, and the reason for each.
• Core Web Vitals Real-user speed and stability data, grouped by similar URLs.
• Generative AI reports Since June 2026, Google has been testing dedicated reports on appearances in AI Overviews and AI Mode with a subset of sites.
• Sitemaps and URL inspection Submit your sitemap and see exactly how Google views any individual page.

What to do about it

Check that the business itself owns the Search Console property, ideally as a Domain property verified through your DNS so it covers every version of the site. Submit your sitemap. Then spend twenty minutes in the Performance report: sort pages by clicks, compare the last three months with the same period last year, and note any page with rising impressions but falling clicks. Make it a monthly habit.