If you have a small business with a site up and running you should take a look at Google Webmaster Central. What is Google Webmaster Central? It is a set of tools offered by Google at no charge that can help Website owners improve their sites. The tools are geared towards use by “Webmasters” –those responsible for creating and maintaining the site — so if you are using outside help to maintain your site you’ll want to get them involved in determining whether or not these tools can help you.

Why Should I Use Google Webmaster Central

It is hard to imagine why anyone would not want to make use of the tools available through Google Webmaster Central. First, it’s free. There are those who think there is no such thing as a “free lunch” so the tools can’t be any good if you don’t pay for them. So why would Google give good stuff away for free? They do not do it out of the goodness of their hearts. If you use Google Webmaster Central, the improvements you might make to your site often include Google services like Adwords or Adsense. Both generate revenue for Google. If it helps, think of Google Webmaster Central as a “loss leader” that gets you into the Google market where you will be exposed to other Google products and services you will use.

Second, the ultimate goal of these tools is to learn what’s happening on your site so you can improve it. Improving the Website itself is the part of Internet Marketing that frequently gets lost in the clutter of tips and tricks designed to increase traffic. All the traffic in the world won’t help if you have a lousy site! If you really want to get more visitors start by making sure you have the best site possible. And Google Webmaster Central can help you. You can learn what keywords are working for you, where your visitors are coming from, who’s linking to your site, and what errors the Google Search Engine is encountering as it “crawls” your site.

The final reason for using Google Webmaster Central is probably the most compelling. Google controls approximately 80% of the Search market. Despite repeated attempts to crack market share from the likes of Yahoo and Microsoft, Google is still the King — by a gigantic margin. Obviously their tools are designed to help your site through Google searches — which gives you better results from that massive 80%. If you want to improve your piece of the pie, go where the market is.

Getting Started with Google Webmaster Central

The process is simple. Go to Google and register your site. You’ll be guided through the application step by step. It will take a day or two for Google to gather enough data for you to begin digging into the reports available on your Dashboard. It might make some sense for you to get a preview of the tools before you register. Google Webmaster Central has a dedicated YouTube channel where you can find basic introductions and overviews as well as more detailed discussions of the tools available. In addition, Google maintains a Webmaster Blog and an extensive Help application. Invest a little time and effort here and you’ll have a better idea of what to expect from Google Webmaster Central before you sign up. Give it a try. You’ll be glad you did!