On Monday, August 5th, 2024, Google introduced a brand-new feature for Google Search Console (GSC) called Recommendations.
As the name implies, the feature ‘recommends’ SEO optimizations and opportunities that it determines are relevant for your website.
GSC is a staple SEO tool that’s pretty much universally used by digital marketers trying to improve search rankings on Google. It gives you an inside view into how Google views your website, including if key web pages are indexed or not.
The new feature promises to provide site owners with effective SEO recommendations to improve their experience marketing through Google’s search engine.
For example, if you haven’t uploaded your XML sitemap to GSC, the Recommendations feature will remind you.
It also provides helpful recommendations for:
- Trending keywords in your niche
- Rich results (like featured snippets and knowledge bars)
- Using structured data
- Getting rid of indexing errors
These are only a few recommendations that the tool can spit out, and it’s bound to evolve over time.
However, it’s crucial to note that the feature is still experimental at the moment.
While some site owners will already see recommendations popping up on their GSC dashboard, it will take several months for the feature to completely roll out.
So, there’s no reason to panic if you don’t see the feature yet; just remain patient.
There’s quite a bit to unpack here, so stay tuned to learn more about the Recommendations feature.
The Basics of the Recommendations Feature
When asked about the purpose of the feature, Google notes “The data was already available to you on Search Console, but now we’re helping to make it more accessible by providing direct recommendations.”
This means that instead of digging through GSC to gain insights and discover opportunities, the platform will streamline that information through the Recommendations feature.
Google’s hope is that this will save users time and brain power, as they won’t have to brainstorm ways to improve their SEO.
A noticeable plus is that GSC’s data is straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. Rather than dealing with data from a third-party tool, you’re getting SEO recommendations straight from Google.
The Recommendations feature will appear in the Overview tab, but it’s important to remember that it’s still in the experimental phase.
Here’s the example photo Google provided on its website:
As you can see, the SEO recommendations appear at the very top of the Overview report.
In the photo, the recommendations deal with indexing, using structured data to qualify for rich results, and an update on a relevant keyword. The feature also notifies the user that GSC only shows 35% of their performance data and provides a link for bulk exporting the rest of it.
It’s meant to be a helpful feature that streamlines SEO tactics for users, saving them the time and headaches involved with strategizing.
Google says there are three types of recommendations you can see, which are:
- Issues. These are problems affecting your performance on Google’s SERPs (search engine results pages). It could be an indexing error, a crawling error, a lack of structured data, or about a million other things.
- Opportunities. These are chances for you to improve your traffic or boost your rankings. An example would be notifying you about trending keywords in your industry that you can use to create thought leader content.
- Configuration. Lastly, the tool will make suggestions for improving technical factors like loading speed and site architecture.
Since the tool is still in its experimental phase, Google may choose to add new types of recommendations in the future. For now, the tool will notify you if there are any problems that need fixing, golden opportunities for traffic, or technical factors in need of configuration.
Stipulations
You should know that Google won’t always provide recommendations.
This means if you don’t see any suggestions, it could be that Google simply has nothing to recommend (you could have picture-perfect SEO that doesn’t need improving).
Another crucial factor to note is some recommendations will have expiration dates.
Google promises it will update recommendations regularly so that it always provides site owners with accurate, up-to-**** SEO advice.
Whenever a recommendation expires, it simply won’t appear anymore.
This makes sense, as keywords fall in and out of popularity, and opportunities for things like backlinks and guest posts won’t stick around forever.
That’s why the team at Google chose to make the Recommendations feature time-sensitive, knowing full well that most SEO tactics aren’t evergreen (meaning they stay fresh forever).
How is This Feature Useful for SEOs?
Now that you’re familiar with how the feature works, what can it do for you?
In other words, how will the Recommendations feature improve your SEO strategy?
Here’s a look at the top ways you can use the feature to enjoy a better performance on Google Search.
Save time
Just like Google said, all the data used to make recommendations can already be found in GSC, it’s just streamlined.
As a result, the feature is a great way to save time.
For example, the Overview report is the default on GSC, meaning it’s always your starting point. This is where the Recommendations feature lives, and it provides you with a rapid series of recommendations to speed things up.
Let’s say you discover that you have an indexing error and an opportunity to target a trending keyword through the Recommendations feature.
To find this data manually, you’d have to A) pull up the Index Coverage Report and B) do research on relevant keywords.
Learn more about what Google wants
The insights found in GSC are from Google itself, so you’ll get to know what it likes to see in SEO campaigns.
This will help you better appeal to Google’s search algorithms to achieve better rankings.
The more you understand Google, the easier it will be to reign over your competitors from the #1-ranked organic position.
Quickly identify trends and opportunities
It can take a while to uncover trending keywords and content opportunities, but the Recommendations feature negates that.
Instead, you’ll be able to instantly know if there are any relevant trends you can target, and the tool will provide plenty of other opportunities to boost your rankings.
Making the Most of the Feature
Like any SEO tool, it’s only as powerful as the one wielding it. Since the feature is in its infancy, we’ve yet to see how useful it actually is during a real SEO campaign.
However, it’s undeniably convenient and time-saving, so keep an eye on your Overview report to see if you have any recommendations to peep.
Do you need help forming a comprehensive SEO strategy for your website?
HOTH X, our managed SEO service, is the answer to your prayers. We’ll put your SEO on autopilot so you can focus on other things while you reach the top of the rankings, so don’t wait to get in touch.
