Search Console basics: what to fix first

What Search Console is

Google Search Console (GSC) shows how Google crawls, indexes, and surfaces your site in search [1]Source 1 . It reports errors, coverage issues, performance (clicks, impressions), and Core Web Vitals.

You do not need to fix everything at once. Focus on the issues that block indexing or hurt real users first.

For more on SEO foundations, see search engine optimisation basics and technical SEO: the foundations that matter.

What to fix first

1) Coverage and indexing

In the “Pages” or “Indexing” report, check for errors: “Page fetch error,” “Redirect error,” “Blocked by robots.txt,” “Not found (404).”

• Fix broken or blocked pages: If important pages are not indexed, fix redirects, remove bad robots.txt rules, or fix 404s so Google can reach them.
• Do not worry about “Excluded by choice”: Pages you intentionally noindex (e.g. thank-you pages, duplicates) are fine.

For more on crawlability, see technical SEO and robots meta [4]Source 4 .

2) Core Web Vitals and Page Experience

The Page Experience report shows how your pages perform for real users (LCP, INP, CLS) [2]Source 2 .

• Prioritise “Poor” URLs: Fix the pages that get traffic and are in the “Poor” bucket first.
• Use the “Need improvement” list: These are the next best candidates. “Good” pages can wait.

For more on what those metrics mean and how to fix them, see how to read PageSpeed Insights and Core Web Vitals for business owners.

3) Titles and snippets

The Performance report shows which queries and pages get clicks and impressions. Use it to spot pages with weak titles or descriptions [3]Source 3 .

• Low click-through rate: If a page gets impressions but few clicks, the title or description may be unclear or unappealing. Improve the title and meta description.
• Duplicate or missing titles: Every important page should have a unique, descriptive title. Fix duplicates and blanks.

4) Mobile usability

If the Mobile usability report shows errors (e.g. “Content wider than screen,” “Clickable elements too close together”), fix them on the affected pages. Mobile usability affects both users and how Google evaluates your site.

What to check regularly

• Coverage: Any new “Error” or “Valid with warnings” that affects important URLs.
• Page Experience: Whether “Poor” or “Need improvement” URLs are growing or shrinking.
• Performance: Big drops in clicks or impressions for key pages (could be algorithm, technical, or competition).

What to ignore (for now)

• Every minor warning: Focus on errors and “Poor” Core Web Vitals first. Minor warnings can wait.
• Day-to-day fluctuations: Search traffic moves around. Look at trends over weeks, not single days.
• Impressions for pages you do not care about: If a page is excluded by choice or low priority, you do not need to fix it for Search Console.

Summary

Use Search Console to fix coverage and indexing errors first, then Core Web Vitals and Page Experience, then titles and snippets. Check coverage, Page Experience, and performance regularly; ignore minor warnings and short-term noise.