Google is already telling you what's working. Are you listening?
Google gives every business owner free access to incredibly valuable data — who's finding your site, how they got there, and what they did next. Most businesses never look at it. That's a missed opportunity, and an easy one to fix.
Turn your data into decisions.
Most business owners make marketing decisions on gut feel. They spend more on what they think is working. They fix what they think is broken. And often, they get it wrong — through no fault of their own.
You don't need a degree in analytics. You just need to know which numbers matter, and what they're telling you. I'll show you, in plain English.
Google Search Console.
This free Google tool shows you which searches your site appears for, how often people click through, and whether there are technical issues holding your rankings back. If you don't have it set up, that's the very first thing to sort out.
I use Search Console in every client review, every month. It's not optional — it's essential.
Google Analytics 4 — what happens after the click.
GA4 tracks what happens once someone arrives on your site — where they came from, what they looked at, and whether they took action. Three reports matter most:
Where they come from
Organic search, paid ads, social media, direct — which channels are actually bringing people to your site?
What they do
Which pages do people visit? How long do they stay? Where do they drop off?
Whether they convert
Are visitors actually calling you, filling in forms, or buying? That's what matters.
Google Merchant CenterMerchant Center — for online sellers.
If you sell products online, Merchant Center connects your product catalogue to Google Shopping. The quality of your product data directly affects how visible your products are.
I sell on Takealot and Amazon myself, so I deal with product feeds, listings, and Shopping campaigns every day. It's not theory for me — it's daily practice.
20–30 minutes a month. That's all.
The insight you get is worth far more than the time. Here's what to look at.
Search Console
This is where you check whether Google is actually finding your website and showing it to the right people.
- Are you ranking for the right searches?
- Any new technical errors?
- Is your average position trending up or down?
GA4
This is where you check whether the people landing on your site are actually becoming customers — and if not, where you're losing them.
- Is organic traffic growing?
- Which pages bring the most visitors?
- Are conversions increasing?
Merchant Center
If you sell products online, this is where you check whether Google is showing your products correctly — and whether anything is stopping them from appearing in Shopping results.
- Any disapproved products?
- Which products get the most clicks?
- Is your feed complete and accurate?