Google has announced that a beta version of the new Search Console, released a few months ago to select users, will now be available to everyone.
The new Search Console will be rolled out gradually, and webmasters will be individually notified when they receive access.
Still in beta, the new Search Console will live side by side with the old version. Users can toggle between them in the navigation menu.
As it was the most consistently requested new feature, site owners should be happy to know the public beta has the same 16 months of data that was available in the private beta.
In addition to more data within the Search Performance report (previously Search Analytics report), the new Search Console has been completely rebuilt. It has been designed with a renewed focus on helping site owners identify and fix and pending issues.
With the updated Index Coverage, AMP status, and Job postings reports, site owners will be guided through a simplified process of optimizing their website’s presence in search results.
Index Coverage Report
Google has added “issue tracking functionality” to the Index Coverage report, which alerts site owners when new issues are detected. Search Console will then provide information on fixing a specific issue, as well as verify when it has been fixed correctly.
Recognizing that fixing webpage issues can often involve a team of individuals, Google has added share buttons within the Index Coverage report. Now a direct link to a specific issue can be shared with whomever it concerns.
AMP and Job Postings
Issues can also arise when creating AMP versions of web pages, or implementing Job Postings markup. The new search console will identify issues related to these two types of “search enhancements,” with more to be added in the future.
In addition to providing information about how to fix an issue, the AMP and Job Postings reports have two unique features. When validating a fix, Search Console will run several instantaneous reports to provide site owners with more immediate feedback.
If you’re testing multiple URLs, then at the end of the process Search Console will provide a validation log. This document will detail which URLs have been identified as fixed, as well as the ones that failed.
As Google works to improve on the beta release of the new Search Console it will be continuously listening to user feedback. The new version does not have all the functionality of the classic version, which is why the two will live side-by-side until the beta is complete.
