Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool from Google for site owners. It shows which queries bring impressions and clicks to your site, how many pages are indexed, and which pages have problems such as errors or mobile issues. Data comes directly from Google, which is why it's more trusted than third party estimates.

You verify ownership of your site, then explore reports for performance, indexing, sitemaps, links and Core Web Vitals. The Links report shows some of your backlinks, though not a complete list. The URL Inspection tool lets you check a single page's indexing status.

Practical point: set it up on day one and look at it monthly. Watch impressions and clicks by page and query, and check for indexing drops or new errors. When you earn links, watch whether impressions for the linked pages change over a few weeks. Remember it samples and delays some data.