Google Webmaster Upgraded

Google Webmaster is a nice tool for getting some data, but it has not been a great place in the past for getting top rankings.  With Webmaster you are able to see the links Google has pointing to your page, any crawler issues Google has had, and even the ability to submit your XML SiteMap.  The point of Google Webmaster Central has been to make things easier on you when you have a larger site.  Now Google has decided to update it to be more useful to you.  The first thing you will discover in the Webmaster Central is that the data Google has is more relevant to the users.  It will show information the users are most interested in.  This information can be found in your Dashboard when you log into Google Webmaster Central. 

For example you will see Top Search Queries, Crawl Errors, Links to your site, and SiteMaps on the dashboard.  Underneath top search queries you have the number one word and what position it is in.  For example if the number one word is astronaut and position is 20 you know where that stands.  In crawl errors it will show HTTP, In SiteMaps, Now Followed, etc.  All of this information will help pinpoint where you need to work on your site. 

The search query data that is displayed will show you the top 100 queries now. This is a great update as it lets you see the accuracy of the data you will be using.  Overall the best tool in this site is the crawl errors and links that Google sees.  This is because you can determine what you need to fix or change to increase your site traffic and usability.

As you know you get a lower ranking from Google if the bots cannot get through your site.  So by showing you exactly what is wrong you can go back and figure out what happened.  This will help stop the problem in the future.  It will also display how your site configuration is working or not working.  With the links you want Google to see how many links you have.  You also want to know which links are working better for you.  In this way you can start searching for links with similar keywords to help you get more traffic to your site.  Of course some of this may change, so the more links you can generate the better.