Improving Site SEO via Google Search Console Data

[Pigoo]

Hello Folks,

I'm trying to use Google Search Console data more to help with site SEO.

Specifically I'm looking in the "Performance" area:



Then this area:



I'm thinking the top "Queries" and top "Pages" areas are good places to look into.

Can folks offer advice how you would go about using this info to help with improving site traffic/SEO? Basically what would you do to leverage/improve this info to help with SEO?

Thanks

 

[Harvey]

I use GSC to see what I am ranking (positions 2-20) for and modify my content to improve ranking.

You can't easily do that in a forum - ie editing members content for SEO.

Be great if there was a XF addon that let you modify thread title tags and meta descriptions. Then you could make use of that info.

 

[Pigoo]

Hello Harvey...thanks for your reply. Can you give more details please?

For example:

1. Where are you looking in GSC for the ranking info (exact area)?
2. How are you then adjusting members content for SEO?

An example (real of hypothetical) would be awesome.

Thanks

 

[Harvey]

I use GSC for the rest of my site (the non-forum part). Like I said IMO it's not cool to edit members posts for SEO, so I don't use GSC on the forum. I'd recommend against it I think you could piss off members.

I use the "search results" section, it's at the top of the left hand vertical nav.

 

[Pigoo]

Sorry...I misunderstood your first reply. Yes I agree...modifying forum member posts without their permission can lead to problems.

I'm mostly trying to figure out how to use data from GSC to improve the site.

For example...if I go to one or both of these areas in GSC:



Each of these displays a list of "top queries" or "top pages" (in descending order). I think this data is supposed to be important...and was wondering how to best leverage this data?

Thanks

 

[Harvey]

Those are the two sections I use.

Does your website have any part to it that is not part of the forum? If so then you can make plenty of use from those sections.

If your site is only a forum then you are very limited in how much use you can get out of GSC.

Not sure how to say this any clearer:

If there was an add-on that allowed you to change title tags and meta descriptions on threads and subforums that would REALLY help you use GSC.

Without that there is almost nothing you can do. I have tried to convince AndyB (famous XF add-on guy) to do it, but he has no interest.

Go into top pages, set the date range for 16 months. Which page has the most clicks?

Post the link for the top 2 or 3. Number one is probably your homepage if you have a lot of members and being doing it for a while.