Search Resources
SEO involves search engines, websites, structured data, performance,
analytics, crawling, indexing, and many other systems.
This page collects useful official documentation, webmaster platforms,
testing tools, and reference resources that can help website owners,
publishers, and marketers better understand how search works.
AF Search is not affiliated with the organizations or services listed
below unless specifically stated otherwise.
Search Engine Documentation
When a question involves how a search engine works, official
documentation is often the best place to begin.
Google Search Central
Google’s official documentation for website owners, developers,
publishers, and SEO professionals.
It covers crawling, indexing, structured data, search appearance,
technical requirements, spam policies, and many other search topics.
Bing Webmaster Guidelines
Microsoft’s documentation for understanding how websites can be
discovered and evaluated through Bing search.
Website Search Performance
Google Search Console
Google Search Console provides information about how a website appears
in Google Search.
It can help you review:
- Search queries
- Clicks
- Impressions
- Average search position
- Indexing status
- Sitemap submission
- Crawling issues
- Search enhancements
Bing Webmaster Tools
Bing Webmaster Tools provides search performance, indexing,
crawling, keyword, and website diagnostic information for Bing.
Crawling and Indexing Resources
Crawling and indexing problems can prevent otherwise useful pages from
appearing in search.
Google URL Inspection
The URL Inspection tool inside Google Search Console can help determine
whether Google has indexed a particular URL and provide information
about the page’s status.
URL Inspection is available from within
Google Search Console
.
Robots.txt Documentation
Robots.txt provides crawling instructions for compatible web crawlers.
It is useful to understand the distinction between controlling crawling
and controlling indexing.
Read Google’s Robots.txt Documentation
XML Sitemap Documentation
XML sitemaps can help search engines discover important URLs and
understand which pages a website considers relevant for crawling.
Structured Data and Schema
Schema.org
Schema.org provides a shared vocabulary for structured data used across
the web.
It includes structured data types for articles, organizations, products,
events, people, local businesses, reviews, and many other entities.
Google Structured Data Documentation
Google’s structured data documentation explains supported search
features and implementation requirements for eligible markup.
Read Google’s Structured Data Guide
Rich Results Test
Google’s Rich Results Test can be used to check whether structured
data on a page may be eligible for supported rich search features.
Website Performance
PageSpeed Insights
PageSpeed Insights analyzes webpage performance and provides information
related to loading behavior and Core Web Vitals.
Chrome Lighthouse
Lighthouse is an auditing tool that can evaluate areas such as
performance, accessibility, web best practices, and SEO.
It is available through Chrome DevTools and other development workflows.
Search Trends and Topic Research
Google Trends
Google Trends can help compare relative search interest across topics,
keywords, locations, and time periods.
It can be particularly useful when evaluating seasonality or changes in
public interest.
Google Keyword Planner
Keyword Planner is primarily designed for Google Ads, but its keyword
discovery and search demand information may also provide useful context
during keyword research.
Search volume figures from keyword tools should generally be treated as
estimates rather than exact measurements of future traffic.
Website Analytics
Google Analytics
Google Analytics can provide information about how visitors interact
with a website after they arrive.
Search Console and analytics platforms answer different questions.
| Platform | Main Focus |
|---|---|
| Google Search Console | Search visibility before and around the search result click |
| Website Analytics | Visitor activity after users arrive on the website |
Useful Technical References
MDN Web Docs
MDN Web Docs is a useful reference for understanding HTML, CSS,
JavaScript, HTTP, and other technologies that form the technical
foundation of websites.
Technical SEO often becomes easier when you understand the underlying
web technology being analyzed.
HTTP Status Codes
Understanding HTTP status codes is particularly useful when diagnosing
redirects, missing pages, server errors, and crawling problems.
| Status | Common Meaning |
|---|---|
| 200 | Request completed successfully |
| 301 | Permanent redirect |
| 302 | Temporary redirect |
| 404 | Requested resource not found |
| 410 | Resource intentionally removed |
| 500 | Internal server error |
| 503 | Service temporarily unavailable |
Do Not Depend on a Single SEO Metric
SEO tools frequently provide proprietary metrics for estimating
authority, keyword difficulty, traffic, links, or visibility.
These metrics can be useful for research and comparison, but they are
not interchangeable and should not automatically be interpreted as
direct search engine ranking factors.
A stronger analysis usually combines several types of information:
- Search platform data
- Website analytics
- Technical inspection
- Content analysis
- Link information
- Third-party competitive estimates
A Simple SEO Research Workflow
You do not need to use every tool for every SEO question.
| Question | Useful Starting Point |
|---|---|
| Is the page indexed? | Google Search Console |
| What queries generate impressions? | Google Search Console |
| How are visitors using the website? | Website analytics |
| Is structured data valid? | Rich Results Test |
| How is the page performing technically? | PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse |
| How should a search feature be implemented? | Official search engine documentation |
| How is search interest changing? | Google Trends |
More From AF Search
These AF Search pages can help provide additional context when using
the resources above.
Resources Change Over Time
Search engines and web platforms regularly update their documentation,
tools, interfaces, and features.
AF Search may update this page when resources move, change, or when new
reference material becomes useful.