See how Google finds your website

Search Console reports Google Search visibility. Google Analytics reports activity on the website. They answer different questions.

1. Open Google Search Console and add a Domain property.
2. Enter the domain without https or a page path, such as example.com.
3. Copy Google's TXT verification record into the domain's active DNS provider.
4. Keep existing DNS records. Return to Search Console and select Verify after the record is available.
5. Keep the verification record in place after success.

A Domain property covers protocols and subdomains. If DNS access is unavailable, use a URL-prefix property with an available verification method.

• Open Search Console
• Google ownership verification

A sitemap lists pages for search engines to discover. It does not guarantee that Google will index every page.

1. Open https://example.com/sitemap.xml, with the business's domain in place of example.com.
2. Check that the file lists the live HTTPS domain and intended public pages.
3. In Search Console, open Sitemaps. Submit that sitemap URL.
4. Check the reported status and any fetch errors.

If the URL returns 404 or HTML, ask the host or developer to provide an XML sitemap. Do not submit a preview-domain sitemap.

• Google Sitemaps report

The URL Inspection tool distinguishes Google's stored information from a live test. A live test alone does not prove indexing.

1. Paste the full live homepage URL into URL Inspection.
2. Read the indexed status and Google's selected canonical URL.
3. Use Test live URL if the page recently changed or the report shows an access problem.
4. Fix any access or indexing issue, then request indexing where available.
5. Repeat for the main service page.

On hosted sites, check the page and whole-site hide-from-search switches in SEO. Save and publish changes before testing again.

• Google URL Inspection guide

Excluded by noindex: check whether the page should stay out of search. Remove the setting only for intended public pages.

Page with redirect: inspect the destination. Google normally indexes the final page rather than the redirect.

Alternate page with proper canonical: check that the preferred URL is correct.

Discovered or crawled, currently not indexed: improve the page's usefulness and internal links. Repeated requests do not guarantee inclusion.

Not found: restore a useful page or redirect it to a relevant replacement. Removed pages can legitimately return 404.

• Google Page indexing report

Open Performance → Search results. Compare similar periods and inspect queries and pages, rather than one day's average position.

1. Check which relevant searches show the website.
2. Find useful pages with impressions but few clicks. Review their titles and descriptions.
3. Compare search visits with qualified enquiries in the lead record.
4. Record one improvement and the date. Review after enough visits accumulate.

Search clicks and analytics sessions will differ because their definitions, consent handling, and measurement coverage differ.

• Google Search performance report