How to use Google Webmaster Tools for technical SEO checks | Lillian purge

How to use Google Webmaster Tools for technical SEO checks

From experience, technical SEO is the part of search optimisation that causes the most anxiety and the most misunderstanding, especially for people who are not developers. I have worked with business owners who assume technical SEO is some dark art that requires code, specialists, and expensive tools, when in reality one of the most powerful technical SEO tools is already sitting there for free in Google Webmaster Tools, now known as Google Search Console.

The problem is not that people do not have access to the tool. The problem is that they do not know how to use it properly. They either ignore it completely, or they obsess over every warning and number without understanding what actually matters. In my opinion, both approaches lead to wasted time and poor decisions.

This article explains how to use Google Webmaster Tools for technical SEO checks in a calm, structured, and practical way. I will cover what to look at, what to ignore, how to spot real problems versus noise, and how to use the tool as a diagnostic aid rather than a source of panic. Everything here is based on hands-on SEO audits, long-term site management, and years of translating Search Console data into sensible actions.

What Google Webmaster Tools is actually for

Before looking at any reports, it is important to understand what the tool is designed to do.

From experience, Google Webmaster Tools is not a performance optimisation tool and it is not a ranking control panel. It is a communication channel between Google and your website.

Its primary purpose is to tell you whether Google can access your site, how it is crawling and indexing it, and whether it is encountering technical obstacles. That is it.

In my opinion, the moment you stop treating it like a scoreboard and start treating it like a diagnostic dashboard, it becomes far more useful.

Why technical SEO starts with access not optimisation

The most important technical SEO question is simple, can Google access and understand your site.

From experience, many SEO problems are not about optimisation at all. They are about blocked pages, broken links, server errors, or indexing confusion.

Google Webmaster Tools is excellent at highlighting access issues. It is not designed to tell you how to rank higher, but it is very good at telling you whether Google can even see what you want it to rank.

Technical SEO checks should always start here.

Using the Pages report to understand indexing

The Pages report, previously called Coverage, is the foundation of technical SEO checks.

From experience, this report tells you how Google categorises the URLs it has discovered on your site. It groups them into indexed pages and non-indexed pages, with reasons for exclusion.

The key here is understanding that not all excluded pages are a problem. Many exclusions are expected and healthy.

Your goal is not to get every URL indexed. Your goal is to ensure that important pages are indexable and indexed.

Understanding indexed pages properly

Indexed pages are pages Google has added to its index and may show in search results.

From experience, this does not guarantee rankings or traffic, it simply means Google has accepted the page.

If an important page is indexed, that is a baseline success. If it is not indexed, that is where investigation begins.

Do not assume indexed means optimised, and do not assume not indexed means broken.

Common non-indexed reasons that are normal

Many exclusions are perfectly normal.

From experience, reasons such as duplicate without user-selected canonical, crawled currently not indexed, or alternate page with proper canonical are extremely common.

These usually relate to URL parameters, sorting variations, pagination, or CMS behaviour.

Trying to fix all of these often causes more harm than good.

Technical SEO is about prioritisation, not perfection.

Non-indexed issues that do matter

Some exclusions deserve attention.

From experience, important pages marked as blocked by robots.txt, noindex, or server error indicate real problems.

If key service pages, category pages, or content pages fall into these categories, they should be investigated immediately.

Google Webmaster Tools tells you what Google sees, not why it happened, so you must cross-check with site settings.

Using the URL Inspection tool correctly

The URL Inspection tool is one of the most powerful but most misused features.

From experience, it should be used for spot checks, not mass analysis. It shows how Google sees a specific URL at a specific time.

It can tell you whether a page is indexed, whether it is eligible for indexing, and whether Google can fetch it successfully.

It cannot tell you whether the page is good or competitive.

When to use URL Inspection

Use URL Inspection when something specific looks wrong.

From experience, this includes pages you expected to rank but do not, newly published content, or pages that suddenly lost visibility.

It is also useful after fixing a technical issue to confirm that Google can now access the page.

Do not use it to check dozens of pages randomly.

Understanding crawl status versus index status

Crawled does not mean indexed.

From experience, many people confuse these two concepts. Google can crawl a page and still decide not to index it.

This decision is often based on perceived value, duplication, or relevance, not technical failure.

Google Webmaster Tools shows crawl status clearly, but it does not explain index selection decisions in detail.

Why requesting indexing is not a solution

The request indexing button is often misunderstood.

From experience, people think requesting indexing forces Google to rank or include a page. It does not.

It simply asks Google to re-crawl the page sooner than it otherwise might.

If the page has quality or duplication issues, requesting indexing repeatedly will not change the outcome.

Using the Sitemaps report responsibly

Sitemaps are helpful but not magical.

From experience, a sitemap tells Google which URLs you consider important. It does not force Google to index them.

In Google Webmaster Tools, the Sitemaps report shows whether your sitemap was processed successfully and how many URLs were discovered.

A difference between submitted URLs and indexed URLs is normal.

What sitemap errors actually mean

Sitemap errors usually relate to formatting or accessibility.

From experience, errors such as could not fetch or invalid format should be fixed promptly.

Warnings or lower indexed counts are not errors. They are information.

Do not panic when indexed numbers are lower than submitted numbers.

Using the Experience section for technical insights

The Experience section includes Core Web Vitals and mobile usability.

From experience, these reports show aggregated user experience data over time, not live testing.

They are useful for identifying systemic issues that affect many users, such as slow loading or layout shifts.

They are not precise enough to diagnose individual page problems.

Interpreting Core Web Vitals calmly

Core Web Vitals often cause unnecessary stress.

From experience, failing scores do not mean your site is broken or penalised. They indicate areas where user experience could be improved.

Improvements here can support SEO indirectly by reducing abandonment and improving engagement.

Chasing perfect scores at the expense of content or clarity is rarely worthwhile.

What mobile usability reports can reveal

Mobile usability issues matter because Google uses mobile-first indexing.

From experience, errors such as clickable elements too close together or content wider than screen indicate real usability problems.

These issues affect real users and should be addressed when they appear on important pages.

Fixing mobile usability often produces noticeable engagement improvements.

Security and manual actions reports

These are the most definitive sections of the tool.

From experience, if you have a manual action or security issue, Google will tell you clearly.

These situations are rare but serious.

If these sections are clear, you can usually rule out penalties or hacks as causes of ranking changes.

Using the Links report for technical context

The Links report shows internal and external linking data.

From experience, it is useful for understanding which pages are most linked internally and which external sites link to you.

For technical SEO, internal linking insights help identify orphaned pages or pages that may be under-supported.

This report is not a full backlink analysis tool, but it provides helpful context.

Identifying orphaned or weakly linked pages

Pages with few or no internal links often struggle.

From experience, important pages that lack internal links are harder for Google to prioritise.

The Links report can highlight this imbalance.

Improving internal linking is a technical and structural fix, not a content rewrite.

Why performance drops are not always technical issues

One of the most common mistakes is assuming a performance drop is technical.

From experience, Search Console does not distinguish between technical problems and demand changes.

Seasonality, competition, SERP changes, and user behaviour can all affect performance without any technical fault.

Technical SEO checks should confirm access and health, not explain all fluctuations.

Using date comparisons properly

Date comparisons are essential.

From experience, comparing week to week is misleading. Month to month can also be misleading.

Year over year comparisons provide far more reliable insight, especially for seasonal sites.

Search Console allows easy comparison, but interpretation is still required.

Understanding sampling and data limits

Search Console data is sampled and delayed.

From experience, it does not show every query or every click. Low volume queries are often hidden.

Do not assume missing data means missing traffic.

The tool shows trends, not exact totals.

Why Search Console does not show rankings accurately

Search Console does not show true rankings.

From experience, average position is an aggregated metric that hides variation.

Personalisation, location, device, and SERP features all affect real rankings.

Use Search Console to understand visibility trends, not exact positions.

Technical SEO checks should follow a fixed routine

Consistency matters.

From experience, the most effective approach is a regular technical check routine rather than reactive investigation.

This might include monthly review of indexing status, mobile usability, and errors.

Regular checks catch problems early and prevent panic.

What to ignore safely

Knowing what to ignore is as important as knowing what to fix.

From experience, warnings about excluded pages, parameter URLs, or low-impact issues can usually be ignored unless they affect key content.

Fixing everything wastes time and creates risk.

Technical SEO is about protecting important pages.

How to prioritise technical issues

Prioritisation should follow impact.

From experience, ask whether the issue affects important pages, affects users, or blocks indexing.

If the answer is no, it is probably not urgent.

Search Console does not prioritise for you, that judgement is yours.

Combining Search Console with real-world checks

Search Console should not be used in isolation.

From experience, combine it with site audits, user testing, and analytics.

Sometimes a page is indexed and technically fine but performs poorly because it does not meet user expectations.

Technical health does not guarantee SEO success.

Using Search Console after site changes

Any major site change should be monitored.

From experience, migrations, redesigns, or CMS changes can introduce indexing or access issues.

Search Console helps confirm whether Google is processing changes correctly.

Early detection prevents long-term damage.

How long it takes for changes to show

Patience is required.

From experience, technical fixes can take days or weeks to reflect in Search Console.

Immediate checking often leads to false conclusions.

Google works on its own schedule.

Teaching teams not to panic

One of the biggest values of understanding Search Console is emotional control.

From experience, teams that understand the tool panic less and make better decisions.

SEO improves when reactions slow down.

Technical SEO is about stability not tricks

Technical SEO is defensive.

From experience, it protects visibility by ensuring access, clarity, and consistency.

It is not about clever hacks.

Search Console supports this protective role well when used correctly.

Why technical SEO checks should be boring

Boring is good.

From experience, when technical SEO checks become exciting, something is usually wrong.

Most months, there should be little to fix.

Stability is success.

Final reflections from experience

From experience, Google Webmaster Tools is one of the most valuable technical SEO tools available, not because it tells you everything, but because it tells you the right things if you listen carefully.

It can tell you whether Google can access your site, whether important pages are indexable, and whether technical barriers exist.

It cannot tell you why users behave a certain way, whether content is persuasive, or whether your strategy is sound.

In my opinion, the best way to use Google Webmaster Tools for technical SEO checks is calmly, consistently, and with context.

When you treat it as a diagnostic tool rather than a verdict, it helps you protect your site’s health, avoid unnecessary changes, and focus your energy where it actually matters.