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Measurement guide NK–003 · fact-checked 13 September 2026

Google Search Console. See how your website appears.

Search Console shows whether Google knows your pages and which searches lead to clicks. This guide helps you understand the figures without confusing clicks with customers.

About 10 minutes to read20-minute check routineFor website owners
Run the first check Interpret the signals

Short answer · Google Search

Discovered, indexed and shown are not the same thing.

Google Search works in several stages. A page can be discoverable but not yet retrieved, retrieved but not indexed, or indexed without appearing for the search you follow. Start with the right stage rather than guessing about rankings.

  1. 01Discover

    Google discovers a web address through standard links, a sitemap or other known pages.

  2. 02Crawl

    Googlebot retrieves the page if it is available and crawling is not blocked.

  3. 03Index

    Google analyses factors including visible content, title, links and which version is canonical.

  4. 04Display

    For a particular query, Google chooses whether and how to display and rank an indexed page.

No guarantee between stages

A sitemap does not guarantee crawling. Crawling does not guarantee indexing. Indexing does not guarantee the page appears or receives a particular position for a particular query.

Routine · about 20 minutes

Check an important page from URL to search query.

Choose a page that should help a real visitor. Follow the same page all the way through before jumping between reports.

  1. 015 min

    Inspect an important web address

    Enter the exact URL in URL Inspection. Read Google’s stored index status first. Then run the live test if you need to know whether the current version can be retrieved.

    □ Done   □ Follow up
  2. 024 min

    Open page indexing

    See which page groups are not indexed and why. Start with pages that should actually be public, rather than trying to index every technical URL.

    □ Done   □ Follow up
  3. 034 min

    Check the sitemap

    Confirm that the correct sitemap has been submitted and can be read. An accepted sitemap helps discovery but does not guarantee indexing.

    □ Done   □ Follow up
  4. 045 min

    Read the performance report

    Compare clicks, impressions, CTR and average position. Then break down the data by query, page and device before drawing a conclusion.

    □ Done   □ Follow up
  5. 052 min

    Record the next check

    Note the date, page, metric, period and what to check again. A single day’s change rarely provides enough evidence for a decision.

    □ Done   □ Follow up
Index status and the live test answer different questions

The main URL Inspection result describes the version Google knows in its index. The live test checks whether the current page can be reached and read now. A passed live test does not mean the page is or will be indexed.

Interpretation · question before number

A signal always needs a period and an explanation.

The performance report becomes useful when you compare the same type of data and break it down by query, page, country and device. Small datasets and short periods can fluctuate substantially.

  • ImpressionsHow often a website result was shown within the report’s scope.
  • ClickHow many times someone clicked from Google’s search results to the website.
  • CTRClicks divided by impressions. The percentage needs context from the query and position.
  • Average positionThe average highest position of the website’s results, not a fixed ranking.

Five common observations

URL is not on Google

Check whether the page is new, linked, accessible and intended for indexing.

Crawled — currently not indexed

Google has retrieved the page but chosen not to index it at present. Review the content, duplication, canonical page and actual usefulness.

Impressions but few clicks

Review query, page, device, title and snippet. CTR must always be read alongside position and search intent.

Clicks without enquiries

Search Console stops at the Google click. Check the landing page, contact journey and your own visitor measurement.

No query row

The report does not necessarily show every query for privacy and data reasons. Interpret missing rows cautiously.

Nolera recommends a simple log entry

Record: date, selected period, page, query or page group, observation, possible explanation and next check. Do not call an increase an effect until the same change can be followed through several stages over a reasonable period.

API · measurement, not a shortcut

API access makes follow-up repeatable, not rankings stronger.

The Search Console API can read clicks, impressions, CTR and average position, grouping data by dimensions including query, page, country and device. It can support recurring reports using the same definitions.

What the API can help with

Consistent periods and groupings, trend tables and clear separation between Google impressions and your website’s own conversions.

What the API cannot do

Buy rankings, guarantee complete query data, run URL Inspection’s live test or prove that a click became an enquiry.

Separate five levels of evidence

  • Google impression
  • Click to the website
  • Verified form submission or contact action
  • Confirmed meeting
  • Agreed client project