Like most things SEO-ey, Google’s recent introduction of the new Recommendations feature within Google Search Console (GSC) has sparked a fair amount of debate in community. Whilst some see it as a helpful tool that might aid SEO strategies, others (including myself) view it with a degree of scepticism.

My prediction? These recommendations are likely to become more of an annoyance than an assistance for credible SEO suppliers.

More Flimsy SEO Recommendations

We have all most likely had to deal with clients making their own SEO recommendations over the years. Whether they are the automated recommendations from the likes of SEMRush or Ahrefs, or even the rudimentary “SEO” suggestions from Lighthouse, these are rarely suggestions that are going to move the needle. As much as these “H1 Tag is Missing is Empty” recommendations for archive or tag pages are nice, we all know these are unlikely to drive additional revenue from your organic channel.

Similarly, many SEO professionals are already familiar with the monthly cycle of GSC notifications. Around the second or third of each month, inboxes flood with emails from clients often filled with panic and confusion.

These notifications usually concern minor structured data warnings or coverage reports about pages that were likely to be intentionally deindexed. For those of us managing multiple accounts, this can exacerbate an already hectic reporting week as we repeatedly explain warnings that are either irrelevant or under control.

Now, with Google adding a “Recommendations” label to some of these notifications, the situation is likely to get more complicated. These aren’t just alerts anymore; they’re direct suggestions from Google. And while they might sound helpful, clients who are understandably not SEO savvy are bound to want swift answers and maybe even worry that their SEO supplier is not in full control of site health.

What Kind of SEO Recommendations Will GSC Offer?

From what we’ve seen so far, these recommendations are fairly basic. They tend to focus on the kind of ‘bread and butter’ issues that any competent SEO provider would already be monitoring through regular audits or a decent Looker Studio Dashboard. In essence, they’re suggestions that a diligent SEO professional should have already addressed, or have in their roadmap already.

The challenge will arise when these suggestions are taken at face value by clients who might not have the SEO knowledge required to critically evaluate their relevance. The “Recommendations” will instantly carry weight, they’re from Google, after all. We could then end up having to rectify minor structured data warnings rather than map content, meet search demand or improve site architecture; which will ultimately slow down progress in terms of organic visibility and revenue.

Alongside the unnecessary panic and aforementioned client services time and demand for explanations, these Google Search Console recommendations could just end up costing all parties unnecessary time and money.

Manage Client Expectations Sooner Rather Than Later

So, how should should we navigate what could potentially be yet another pain in the backside for SEOs courtesy of search’s favourite monopolists?

First and foremost, it will be essential to educate clients swiftly about the nature of these recommendations.

Clear communication will be key to ensuring that clients understand that not every suggestion from Google requires action, especially if it doesn’t align with the broader SEO strategy that has been developed for their business. Staying true to your strategies will be key, and if you can show that many of these lower impact recommendations are already in the roadmap, that should do the job.

Additionally, account managers may opt to be more proactive in their communication. Instead of waiting for clients to ask about the recommendations, it could be beneficial to address them preemptively in monthly reports or meetings, explaining which recommendations have been considered and why they may or may not be relevant. Again, adding time and cost, but this is still probably better than any growing frustrations that these “recommendations” haven’t been considered.

Google Search Console’s SEO Recommendations: The Pros & Cons

Pros

• Good for lazy, low budget SEOs who will be able to copy and paste these into reports and pass them off as their own SEO “recommendations”.
• Good for clients who do not see SEO as an investment and instead, an annoying cost. They will now be able to do all their own SEO with the help of Google Search Console’s wizardy recommendations, albeit with little impact.
• Some nice confirmation for credible SEOs that they have the basics covered, and the ability to export this data with ease.
• Another shiny new addition to Google Search Console, to replace the useful ones that have been sunsetted such as International Targeting.

Cons

• Yet more notifications from Google Search Console that as SEOs we are most probably already aware of.
• Panicked clients resulting in additional time and budget required for client services and account management.
• Clients looking to do their own SEO based on these recommendations, overlapping work and even implementing things incorrectly, undermining a more focussed SEO strategy.
• Minor SEO issues likely to be prioritised by clients over high impact tactics that no tool or crawler can tell you, such as content strategy or site architecture.

Use as Supplementary Insight

In conclusion, while Google’s new Recommendations feature in Search Console might be well-intentioned, it’s likely to create more confusion than clarity for both clients and SEO professionals. As with many of Google’s tools, the key to making the most of these recommendations will be understanding when to take them seriously and when to dismiss them as unnecessary noise.

The real test will be in how SEO professionals adapt to this new feature and how effectively they can communicate its value, or lack thereof, to their clients. As with any tool, its value will ultimately depend on how it is used, and in this case, these recommendations should supplement your broader SEO strategy.