Week 5 · 3–4 hours
Google Search Console
Understand the most important first-party source of Google organic-search performance data.
Average position is not a universal rank. Impressions can rise while clicks fall, and more traffic is not automatically better traffic.
Learn
Complete only the named pages or lessons below. Links inside them are optional unless the task says otherwise.
Performance report
Why this: Learn core metrics and filters from their source.
Pay attention to: Dimensions, filters, anonymised queries and why totals may differ.
URL Inspection tool
Why this: Understand what indexed and live-test views can and cannot tell you.
Pay attention to: Index status, canonical selection and indexed data versus a live test.
Page indexing report
Why this: Read indexing patterns without assuming every excluded URL is a problem.
Pay attention to: Reasons, examples and validation—not chasing a 100% index rate.
Check your understanding
You should be able to explain these without relying on course terminology.
Practise
Apply this week’s learning through a guided practical exercise.
Scenario
Use four supplied cases: clicks have fallen by 50% while impressions and average position are stable; impressions have risen while CTR has fallen; a three-day-old article is absent from Google despite being in a valid sitemap; and a page is appearing for unexpected template-related queries.
Your task
Use the practice export for the performance cases and the case notes above for indexing. For each case, list plausible explanations, the report or evidence you would check next, assumptions you would avoid and one proportionate next action. If you have access to a real property, you may use an anonymised example from it instead.
Good work should contain
- Several hypotheses
- Specific report checks
- No unsupported diagnosis
- A next action for each case
Common mistakes
- Blaming an algorithm immediately
- Reading average position as one fixed rank
- Treating exclusions as automatic errors
Search Console Investigation Exercise
Review and refine the exercise to a client-facing standard, then save the finished version as portfolio evidence.
Suggested filename 05-search-console-investigation.pdf
Skill demonstrated First-party search performance diagnosis
An interviewer may ask “Why might impressions rise while clicks fall?”
Career task
Alongside the SEO exercise, complete one small job-readiness task each week. These tasks build towards confident junior applications.
Use three suitable roles from your job tracker to compare against your CV. Highlight honest gaps to work on—not reasons to self-reject.
Notes
Personal notes stay separate from the questions intended for Chris.
Personal notes
Capture useful observations, definitions and reminders.
Question for Chris
Use this for uncertainties or points you want to discuss.
Finished this week?
Mark the week complete once you have finished the learning, exercise, portfolio output and career task.