What if Google could give you a free report card on your website's performance, telling you exactly what your customers are searching for and how to improve your visibility?

It can. It's called Google Search Console, and it's arguably the most valuable and underused tool for any local business owner.

At first glance, Search Console can look like a complex dashboard full of graphs and data designed for developers. But for a local business, it holds the direct answers to your most important marketing questions. Think of it as the "back office" of your online presence - the raw data from the source, telling you exactly how you're performing on Google.

This guide will skip the jargon and show you three simple, actionable ways to use Search Console to attract more local customers.

First Things First: Getting Set Up

Before you can access the data, you need to tell Google that you own your website.

1. Go to the Google Search Console website and sign in with your Google account.

2. Add your website address (e.g., www.yourbusiness.co.uk) as a new "property."

3. Verify ownership. If you already use Google Analytics, this is often a simple one-click process. If not, Google provides a few easy ways to prove you own the site.

Once you're verified, Google will start collecting data. Now for the good part.

1. The Goldmine: Find What Customers Actually Search For in the "Performance" Report

This is the report you should visit most often. It answers the crucial question: "What are people typing into Google to find me?"

Click on the "Performance" tab in the left-hand menu. Here you’ll see a list of "Queries" - the real-life search terms that have led people to your website.

Your Action Plan:

• Find New Content Ideas: Look for questions in your query list. For example, a local plumber might see "emergency plumber market harborough weekend." If you're getting seen for this but not getting clicks, it means Google thinks you're relevant, but you haven't answered the question well enough. Write a new page or blog post titled "Weekend Emergency Plumber in Market Harborough" that directly addresses this need. Google is literally giving you a free to-do list for new content.

• Optimise Your Existing Pages: Look for queries where you have high "impressions" (people see you) but a low "click-through rate" (people don't click). This is a clear sign that your SEO title and meta description aren't compelling enough. Rewrite them to be more attractive and directly match the search query.

2. The Health Check: Find and Fix Errors with the "Pages" Report

This report is your website's mechanic. It answers the question: "Can Google find, read, and show all of my important pages to customers?"

In the left-hand menu, click on "Pages." This shows you which pages are "indexed" (in Google's library and ready to be shown) and which aren't.

Your Action Plan:

• Fix "Not Found (404)" Errors: In the "Why pages aren’t indexed" section, look for 404 errors. These are broken links. If you see an important service page listed here, it means customers and Google are hitting a dead end. You need to either fix the page or set up a redirect.

• Check Your "Mobile Usability": Within the "Experience" section, there's a Mobile Usability report. This is Google telling you directly if any of your pages are difficult to use on a phone (e.g., "Text too small to read"). As we know that a poor mobile experience is a ranking killer, this report gives you a direct, prioritised list of what to fix.

3. The Local Connection: Combine GSC Data with Your Google Business Profile

While Search Console focuses on your website, you can use its data to supercharge your Google Business Profile - your most important asset for local search.

Your Action Plan:

• Look at the queries in your Performance report that contain your town name (e.g., "best sourdough market harborough" or "local electrician Kibworth").

• Now, go to your Google Business Profile and create a Google Post using that exact phrase. Write a short update about your sourdough or your services, using the keyword your customers are already searching for. This creates a powerful alignment between your website's search performance and your local listing's promotional activity.

Your 15-Minute Monthly Marketing Plan

You don't need to be a technical expert to benefit from Google Search Console. Spend just 15 minutes a month looking at these reports. It will give you more clarity on your customers, your content, and your website's health than any other tool available.

Understanding the data is one thing; having the time to act on it is another. At Brand Canyon, I use tools like Google Search Console to provide data-driven local SEO and website strategies for my Market Harborough clients. If you want an expert to handle the technical side so you can focus on your business, get in touch.