Google Webmaster Tools Adds Access To Search Analytics Data, Giving Webmasters More Site Performance Information

Google Webmaster Tools is a suite of tools designed to help webmasters get their sites indexed and give them more information about their website performance. Webmasters may use this free suite of tools by signing up for a Google account, and then adding their website URLs to the console for indexing. In addition to allowing sites to be indexed in the Google search engine, webmasters may add analytics code to their websites to help them gather information about who is visiting their sites, and where visitors are coming from. This data is also available from within the search console.

Google has long provided a wide array of free tools for small business owners to use to build and market their businesses, as well as organize their businesses and collaborate and connect with their employees or teams. These tools include Google Calendar, Gmail, and Google Docs. Google also offers additional free tools to help businesses grow, which include Google Pages and Google Hangouts. With the acquisition of sites like YouTube and Blogger, Google offers just about everything a small business needs to get started, and all of these tools are free.

Recently, Google Webmaster Tools launched a new search analytics element and added it to the Google Search Console, as reported in Venture Beat. Renamed Google Search Console from the original Google Webmaster Tools, the new search console is a free service that allows webmasters to determine how their sites are indexed in Google. Search analytics reports are generated to tell webmasters how their sites are doing. Google is the largest search engine in the world, and currently controls 80 percent of the search market share.

Google hopes that the new release will encourage developers to create their own apps and add-ons, based on the search performance data. The news came five months after Google announced that it was phasing out its support of the previous Google Webmasters API.

The new addition to the Google Webmasters Tools, the Search Engine Analytics reports, includes a few significant algorithm changes that help digital marketers and SEO experts. This includes additional information of about search queries, clicks, and impressions, information Google began hiding from users several years ago.

The new addition to Google Webmaster Tools now offers marketers and SEO experts more reliable data in their reports. The use of multiple filters and the ability to segment data helps webmasters find the information they are looking for.

What do you think of the new Google Webmaster Tools? Does the new data help you understand your visitors better?

[Photo Credit: Awesomely Techie]