Google Search Console: the first things to check on a new site
By Hamza Rivera, updated
Short answer: Verify ownership first, preferably as a Domain property through DNS so it covers every protocol and subdomain. Then open Page indexing to see which URLs are not indexed and why, Performance to see clicks, impressions, CTR and average position, and Security issues to confirm Google has not flagged hacking. Read the alerts Google emails you.
Search Console is free and shows how Google sees your site. Opening it for the first time can feel like a wall of charts. These are the pieces worth looking at first.
If the reports show problems you cannot trace, our team can help with technical SEO services.
1. Verify the right property
Google's help page says a Domain property includes data for all protocol (http and https) and subdomain variations, and that DNS record verification is the only way to verify one. A URL-prefix property covers only the exact prefix you enter and can be verified with an HTML file, an HTML tag, Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager. If you can add a DNS record, a Domain property is the simpler choice.
2. Page indexing
Google describes Search Console as the place to fix indexing problems and request re-indexing of new or updated content. The Page indexing report lists URLs that are not indexed and the reason. Two statuses cause the most worry: crawled, currently not indexed and discovered, currently not indexed. They mean different things, and neither is an error by itself.
3. Performance
The Search results performance report shows clicks, impressions, CTR (clicks divided by impressions) and average position, which Google defines as the position of the topmost result from your site. You can group the table by queries, pages, countries, devices, search appearance and dates. The default view is the past three months. A new site will show little, so check back after a few weeks.
4. Security issues
The Security Issues report shows whether Google found that your site was hacked or behaves in ways that could harm visitors. A green check mark means none. Anything else needs attention soon. Our post on spam pages from a hacked WordPress site covers one common case.
5. Alerts
Google says Search Console can send alerts when it finds indexing, spam or other issues on your site. Make sure the email address on the property is one you read.
What to do with a new page
If you only published something and want to know when it shows up, see how long a new page takes to appear in Google.
Where to go from here
If the reports show problems you cannot explain, see our technical SEO services. Passieon is an independent agency and is not affiliated with Google.
Sources
- Search Console Help: About Search Console, read November 11, 2026.
- Search Console Help: Verify your site ownership, read November 11, 2026.
- Search Console Help: Performance report (Search results), read November 11, 2026.
- Search Console Help: Security Issues report, read November 11, 2026.
- Search Console Help: Page indexing report, read November 11, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Search Console free?
Yes. Google describes it as a free service that helps you monitor and troubleshoot how your site appears in Search.
Domain property or URL-prefix property?
A Domain property covers all protocol and subdomain variations and needs DNS verification. A URL-prefix property covers only the exact prefix you enter.
What do clicks, impressions and CTR mean?
Clicks are the times a user clicked your site from Google Search results, impressions are the times your site appeared, and CTR is clicks divided by impressions.
What date range does Performance show first?
The default view covers the past three months.
What does the Security Issues report check?
Whether Google found that your site was hacked or behaves in ways that could harm visitors. Without issues you see a green check mark.
Does Search Console tell me when something breaks?
Google says you can receive alerts when it encounters indexing, spam or other issues on your site.
Want this done for your site? See what our technical SEO services page covers, or read the client results.
Read next
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- Multi-location business SEO: how to structure the site and profiles One profile per real location, shared naming rules and no duplicates. What Google Business Profile guidelines say about businesses with several locations.
- City service pages without crossing into doorway pages Google lists pages aimed at specific cities that funnel users to one page as doorway abuse. Here is what that means for a service business with several towns.