Search Console is Google's free tool that shows how your practice's website appears in Google Search: which searches show it, how many people click, and which pages Google hasn't indexed. Most tutorials on how to use Google Search Console are written for SEO professionals. This one covers the few reports a practice owner or manager needs, with practice examples, and ends with a 15-minute monthly routine.
Search interest is modest but steady: "how to use google search console" gets 260 searches a month and "google search console tutorial" 50 (Google Ads Keyword Planner data via DataForSEO, US, 12-month average to Sep 2026).
What Search Console tells a practice
Google describes Search Console as "a free service offered by Google" (opens in a new tab) that helps you confirm Google can find and crawl your site, fix indexing problems, review search performance, and get alerts about issues.
For a practice, that translates into four questions it can answer:
- Which searches show my site? For example, "pediatric dentist [town]" or "knee pain physical therapy."
- Which service pages earn clicks, and which never appear?
- Is a page missing from Google, and why?
- Did something break after a website change?
What it can't tell you: what visitors do after they click, or whether they became patients. That's what analytics and your practice-management system are for. Search Console is one source among several for measuring marketing ROI.
Verify your website with a domain property
Search Console needs proof you control the site. Choose a domain property. Google's help says it "aggregates data for all subdomains, protocols, and subpaths" (opens in a new tab) and includes both www and non-www addresses, so one property covers the whole site.
Steps:
- Go to Search Console and add a property. Choose Domain and type your domain without "https://" or "www" (for example, example-practice.com).
- Search Console gives you a TXT record. Google's help says the domain name provider method, which adds a DNS record, "is the only way to verify a Domain property" (opens in a new tab).
- Sign in to your domain registrar or DNS host, add the TXT record, save, and click Verify. DNS changes can take time to take effect, so retry later if it fails at first.
- Add your office manager or marketing lead as a user so access doesn't depend on one person.
If DNS access is a problem, a URL-prefix property covers one version of the site and can be verified with an HTML file upload, an HTML tag, your Google Analytics tracking code or Google Tag Manager. Make sure the property and the domain are owned by the practice, not a former agency.
The Performance report: queries, pages and clicks
This is the report you'll use most. Google's help lists its four metrics (opens in a new tab):
| Metric | What it means for a practice |
|---|---|
| Clicks | Visits from Google Search results to your site |
| Impressions | How often your site appeared in results |
| CTR (click-through rate) | Clicks ÷ impressions |
| Average position | The average rank of your top result |
Below the chart, tabs regroup the data by Queries, Pages, Countries, Devices, Search appearance and Dates. The report shows the past three months by default; change the date range at the top.
How to read it:
- Turn on all four metrics.
- Open the Queries tab and sort by clicks. These are the searches that bring people to you.
- Open the Pages tab and sort by clicks. These are the pages doing the work.
- Set the date range to compare this month with last month (or with the same month last year, if your services are seasonal).
Illustrative example. A fictional dental practice filters the Queries tab for "implant" and sees 1,200 impressions but 9 clicks, at an average position of 14. People are searching, Google shows the site, but rarely on page one. A second filter for "near me" shows most of those searches happen on mobile.
Finding service pages patients can't find
Here's the practice-specific use. Your site should have a page per service, and each should earn impressions for that service's searches.
- List your services: implants, Invisalign, emergency visits; or sports injuries, vestibular rehab, dry needling, whatever you offer.
- Filter Queries for each service word and note impressions and clicks.
- Open the Pages tab and find each service page. Compare clicks across them.
- Mark the gaps:
- High impressions, low clicks: the page shows up but doesn't tempt people. The title and description in results likely need work.
- Few impressions at all: Google isn't showing the page for that service. The page may be thin, missing, or not indexed.
- No page for a service people search for: you need one.
The fixes belong to your website, not to Search Console. For what a strong page per service includes, see pages a medical website needs; for speed and technical health, see website performance.
Indexing: why a page isn't on Google
If a page isn't indexed, it can't appear in search at all. Two tools tell you why.
The Page indexing report shows how many URLs are indexed and not indexed (opens in a new tab), with a reason for each group. Common reasons you'll see:
| Reason (as Google labels it) | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| URL marked 'noindex' | The page tells Google not to index it, often left over from a site build |
| Page with redirect | The address forwards elsewhere; only the destination is indexed |
| Not found (404) | The page is gone, often after a redesign changed addresses |
| Duplicate without user-selected canonical | Google chose a different page as the main version |
| Crawled - currently not indexed | Google saw it but hasn't indexed it yet |
| Discovered - currently not indexed | Google knows it exists but hasn't crawled it yet |
Google notes that some non-indexed URLs are fine (old addresses that redirect, for example). Focus on service pages, provider pages and location pages that should be indexed but aren't.
For one page, use the URL Inspection tool: paste the address at the top of Search Console to see its status and test the live page. After fixing a problem such as a stray noindex tag, use Request Indexing.
A 15-minute monthly Search Console routine
Put this in the calendar for the first week of each month:
- Minutes 0–3: Overall trend. Performance report, last 28 days vs previous period. Note clicks and impressions.
- Minutes 3–7: Top queries. Any new service searches appearing? Any brand searches dropping?
- Minutes 7–10: Service pages. Check clicks for your three most important service pages.
- Minutes 10–13: Indexing. Open the Page indexing report. Any new "not indexed" reasons affecting important pages?
- Minutes 13–15: Record and act. Copy clicks and impressions into your monthly report and write one action.
Then add it to your monthly report next to your Business Profile and analytics numbers. Search clicks and impressions are two of the KPIs to track every month. For what happens after the click, pair this with GA4; see GA4 vs Search Console.
Search Console data is aggregate and contains no patient information, so it's safe to share with an agency or consultant.
Medfy's Google reporting brings Search Console, Google Analytics and Business Profile into one view, and technical and local SEO fixes are part of the base plan. To see your site's current SEO and visibility scores before you start, run a free marketing audit.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Search Console free?
Yes. Google describes Search Console as a free service. You need a Google account and the ability to prove you control the website, usually by adding a DNS record at your domain registrar. There are no paid tiers, and the data covers how your site appears in Google Search: the searches that show it, the clicks it earns, and the pages Google has or hasn't indexed.
What is the difference between Search Console and Google Analytics?
Search Console shows what happens on Google before someone reaches your site: which searches showed your pages, how often, and how many people clicked. Google Analytics shows what visitors do once they arrive, from every source, such as which pages they read and whether they tapped your phone number. A practice benefits from both, read side by side each month.
Why is my page not indexed on Google?
Open the URL Inspection tool in Search Console and paste the page's address; it shows the index status and why. Common reasons in the Page indexing report include a noindex tag, a redirect, a 404 error, Google treating the page as a duplicate, or a page Google has discovered or crawled but not yet indexed. Fix the cause, then use Request Indexing.
How often should I check Search Console?
Once a month is enough for most practices: about 15 minutes to compare clicks and impressions with last month, review your top queries and service pages, and check for new indexing problems. Also open it after a website redesign or any change to page addresses, because that is when pages most often drop out of Google's index.