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How often should you check Search Console?
Once a month is enough for most business websites. Google's getting started guide says you don't need to log in every day, because it emails you when it detects issues. It suggests checking your account about once a month, or whenever you change the content of your site.
For that visit to be useful, the property must be verified and the sitemap submitted. Google says it can find your pages without a sitemap, but submitting one may speed things up and lets you see its data. Do it once, then check that the Sitemaps report shows no errors.
How to read the Performance report without getting lost
The Performance report shows how often your site appeared on Google and how many people clicked through. An impression means your site was shown in the results and a click is a visit. CTR is clicks divided by impressions. Average position is worked out from your site's topmost result in each search.
By default the report covers the last three months. Switch the chart to the monthly view and daily ups and downs, such as weekends or holidays, matter less, so the trend is easier to read. Then open the Pages tab and see which pages gained or lost clicks compared with the previous month.
This check won't tell you whether your site shows up in Google's AI Mode, which you measure in a different way. Here the focus is on regular searches that send visitors to your service pages.
Do I need to check Search Console every day?
No. Google says there's no need to log in daily, because it emails you when it finds new issues on your site. It suggests checking about once a month, or whenever you change your content. If you're migrating or redesigning the site, it's worth looking more often that month.
Separate branded searches from those that bring new customers
The most telling figure is how many clicks come from people who didn't know you yet. Someone who types the name of your clinic was already looking for you. Someone who types dentist in Girona has just found you. If only branded searches grow, the site serves existing customers but doesn't bring in new ones.
On 20 November 2025, Google announced a branded and non-branded queries filter for the Performance report, and since 11 March 2026 it has been available to all eligible sites. Google says an internal AI-assisted system sorts the queries and also catches typos in your name. A new card in the Insights report shows how clicks are split.
It only appears for top-level properties and for sites with enough queries and impressions. If your site is small and you don't have it, filter the queries that contain your company name by hand and compare them with the rest.
Why can't I see the branded queries filter?
Google only offers it for top-level properties, not for a folder or subdomain property, and only for sites with enough queries and impressions. A small site may not get it. In the meantime, filter the queries that contain your company name to separate them yourself.
Not sure how many of your visitors are new? Leave us your details and we'll look at the searches that bring you customers.
Let's lookAre your key pages indexed?
Make sure the pages that bring you customers appear on Google. Google's help page says that if your site has fewer than 500 pages, you probably don't need the Page indexing report. Search Google for your key pages and, if they don't show up, open the report to find out why.
Some unindexed pages are normal. Google explains that duplicates shouldn't be indexed, and neither should pages with a noindex tag or deleted pages that return a 404 error. What matters is that your home page and service pages are in. If you fix an issue and click Validate fix, Google says validation typically takes up to about two weeks, and sometimes much longer.
If many of your service pages are missing, it's worth checking whether your business can be found and understood before you publish anything else. A new blog post won't help much while the pages that explain what you do are still missing from Google.
Is it bad to have pages that aren't indexed?
Not necessarily. Google says you shouldn't expect every URL on your site to be indexed. Duplicates, pages with a noindex tag and deleted pages should stay out. What you should watch is that your home page and service pages are indexed.
Note on the chart what you changed on the site
Three months later, nobody remembers why a chart dropped. On 17 November 2025, Google added custom annotations to the Performance charts in Search Console. Right-click the chart, choose Add annotation, pick the date and write a note of up to 120 characters.
Google suggests noting template changes, migrations, new plugins, hiring an agency or outside events such as holidays. For a business on the Costa Brava, the start and end of the season are worth noting too. Everyone with access to the property can see the notes, so leave out sensitive personal data.
Who can see the annotations I add to the chart?
Everyone with access to the Search Console property can see them, such as your agency or whoever manages the site. That's why Google advises against adding sensitive personal information. Each note can be up to 120 characters long and is tied to a specific date.
The monthly check in one table
The table sums up what to look at in each report and which signal means you should act. If the same alerts keep coming back or non-branded searches don't grow, it's time to bring in an SEO service that looks at content and technical issues together.
| Report | What to check | When to act |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | Monthly clicks and impressions, and pages gaining or losing clicks | When a service page loses clicks two months in a row |
| Branded queries | Branded and non-branded clicks | When only searches for your name are growing |
| Page indexing | Home page and service pages indexed | When a key page doesn't appear on Google |
| Annotations | Changes made to the site that month | Every time you change something |
| Search Console emails | Alerts about new issues | When one arrives |
