When you invest time and effort into optimising your WordPress site for search engines, it’s only natural to want to see tangible results. Are your rankings improving? Are users clicking through from search results? Which pages are performing best – and which need a little more love? That’s where Google Search Console comes in.
For those who don’t know, Google Search Console (GSC) is a free, powerful tool that gives you insights straight from the source – Google itself. Whether you’re running a blog, an eCommerce store or a business website, tracking your SEO performance with GSC is essential for making data-driven decisions that drive growth.
This guide walks through how to track your WordPress SEO progress using Google Search Console, from setup to interpreting key metrics. And if you’re using tools to streamline your optimisation efforts, you may also find these WordPress plugins handy for integrating SEO features right into your dashboard.
Contents
- 1 Step 1 – Set Up Google Search Console for Your WordPress Site
- 2 Step 2 – Understand the Performance Dashboard
- 3 Step 3 – Track Specific Keywords and Queries
- 4 Step 4 – Monitor Top-Performing Pages
- 5 Step 5 – Check for Indexing Issues
- 6 Step 6 – Submit Sitemaps and Monitor Coverage
- 7 Step 7 – Track Improvements Over Time
- 8 Here are Some Final Tips for Tracking WordPress SEO Progress
Step 1 – Set Up Google Search Console for Your WordPress Site
Before you can start tracking your progress, you’ll need to ensure your site is connected to Google Search Console. Here’s how to do it:
- Go to Google Search Console.
- Click ‘Start now’ and sign in with your Google account.
- Choose your property type. For most WordPress users, we recommend using the URL prefix option (e.g. https://www.yoursite.com) for easier verification.
- Verify your site. You can do this in a few ways:
- By uploading an HTML file to your website’s root directory
- By adding a meta tag to your site’s <head> section
- Via your domain name provider
- Or (easiest of all) by using your WordPress SEO plugin (such as Rank Math, All in One SEO, or Yoast) to insert the verification code
Once your property is verified, Google will start collecting data. This may take a few days, so don’t worry if you don’t see much activity right away.
Step 2 – Understand the Performance Dashboard
Once data starts flowing in, the Performance report is the best place to track your SEO progress. Key metrics you’ll see here include:
- Total Clicks: The number of times users clicked your site’s link in Google search results.
- Total Impressions: How many times your site appeared in search results.
- Average Click-Through Rate (CTR): The percentage of impressions that led to clicks.
- Average Position: Your site’s average ranking position for all queries.
Use the Filters at the top of the report to narrow your view by date, query, page, country, or device. This helps you uncover trends and focus on the most valuable segments of your traffic. For example, if you notice that one blog post is ranking in position 6 with lots of impressions but few clicks, improving the meta title and description could help boost your CTR.
Step 3 – Track Specific Keywords and Queries
SEO is ultimately about being discovered through the right search terms. In GSC’s Queries tab (within Performance), you can see the exact phrases people are using to find your website. Here’s how to make the most of this feature:
- Look for keywords you’re ranking well for, and ensure the corresponding content is strong and up to date.
- Identify opportunities – as in queries where you’re ranking on the second or third page of results (positions 11–30). These are low-hanging fruit for improvement.
- Spot high-impression but low-click queries. This could signal that your titles and descriptions aren’t enticing enough, or that your page isn’t meeting the search intent.
You can also export this data to Excel or Google Sheets if you prefer working offline or sharing reports with your team.
Step 4 – Monitor Top-Performing Pages
The Pages tab under Performance shows which individual URLs are getting the most visibility and engagement in Google Search. This helps you:
- See which pages are driving the most traffic
- Monitor how blog posts, landing pages or products perform over time
- Pinpoint underperforming pages that may need updated content, better targeting or improved internal linking
It’s also a great way to measure the impact of SEO campaigns. For instance, if you launched a new service page and promoted it with fresh content and backlinks, checking its performance over 30-60 days will show whether those efforts paid off.
Step 5 – Check for Indexing Issues
In addition to performance, Google Search Console provides valuable feedback about indexing – whether or not Google is able to find and understand your pages. Visit the Pages section in the sidebar to see:
- Which URLs are indexed and appearing in search
- Which are excluded (and why)
- Whether there are errors, like crawl issues or blocked resources
Fixing these errors can ensure your entire site is discoverable and properly optimised for search. If you’re frequently publishing new content, it’s a good idea to check this report weekly.
Step 6 – Submit Sitemaps and Monitor Coverage
A sitemap helps Google crawl your site more efficiently. If you’re using an SEO plugin (such as Yoast, Rank Math or All in One SEO), your sitemap is usually auto-generated at /sitemap_index.xml. To submit your sitemap in GSC:
- Navigate to Index > Sitemaps
- Enter your sitemap URL (e.g. https://yoursite.com/sitemap_index.xml)
- Click Submit
Once submitted, GSC will update you on how many pages were discovered, how many were indexed, and whether any errors occurred. This is a foundational part of good SEO hygiene.
Step 7 – Track Improvements Over Time
SEO is a long game – that’s why tracking your progress over time is so important. Here’s how to do it in GSC:
- Use the Compare feature in the Performance report to track changes week-over-week, month-over-month, or year-over-year.
- Combine this with Google Analytics data to track how organic search contributes to conversions or goal completions.
- Keep an eye on trends like:
- Rising rankings
- Improved CTRs
- Reduced crawl errors
- Indexing increases after publishing new content
If you’re regularly adding fresh, relevant content and fine-tuning your site, these trends should point in the right direction.
Here are Some Final Tips for Tracking WordPress SEO Progress
- Use GSC in tandem with other tools. Tools like Google Analytics, SEMrush, or Ahrefs can offer complementary insights.
- Integrate with your WordPress dashboard. Many top SEO plugins make it easy to see Search Console data right in your admin area.
- Stay consistent. Check your Search Console data weekly or fortnightly to stay informed, catch issues early, and respond to emerging trends.
Tracking your WordPress SEO progress with Google Search Console is one of the smartest things you can do to grow your website
It gives you clear, actionable insights into how your content performs in search – and what you can do to improve. Combined with the right WordPress plugins and a consistent content strategy, Google Search Console is your secret weapon for boosting visibility, increasing clicks, and turning search traffic into real-world results. If you’re serious about search engine optimisation, don’t just set and forget – measure, refine, and grow.
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