Search performance tools show CMOs what is happening between their website and search engines. They reveal which queries create visibility, which pages receive clicks, whether important content is indexed, where technical problems exist and increasingly whether content appears inside AI generated answers.
For most companies, Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools should be mandatory. International companies should also pay attention to regional search ecosystems.
Google Search Console: Best first party Google data
Google Search Console is the most important first party search performance tool for most CMOs because its data comes directly from Google.
The Performance report shows queries and pages generating impressions and clicks, together with CTR and average position. Results can also be segmented by country, device, search appearance and date.
Search Console also helps teams understand whether Google can discover and index their content. Marketers can submit sitemaps, inspect individual URLs and monitor indexing issues.
Bing Webmaster Tools: Best for Bing and Copilot visibility
Bing Webmaster Tools deserves more attention because it now covers more than conventional Bing search.
Its Search Performance reporting includes impressions, clicks, CTR, average position, crawl requests and indexed pages. Microsoft has also expanded AI related reporting, making the platform increasingly relevant to GEO measurement.
For any company actively working on AI visibility, Bing Webmaster Tools should sit alongside Google Search Console.
Siteimprove: Best for enterprise website governance
Siteimprove is useful when search performance needs to be connected with broader website governance.
Its platform combines analytics, SEO, accessibility and content quality. SEO capabilities include technical auditing, competitive intelligence, content optimization and reporting.
Siteimprove is particularly relevant to large companies operating many websites, brands or regional sites, where CMOs need visibility across thousands of pages while maintaining standards.
Ahrefs Free: Best for added technical and backlink insight
Ahrefs Free gives verified website owners access to capabilities including web analytics, site auditing and site exploration.
This makes it a useful companion to Google Search Console. Search Console tells you what Google is observing, while Ahrefs can help explain the wider SEO environment surrounding those results, especially backlinks and technical issues.
For smaller companies that cannot justify a full enterprise SEO subscription, it provides a practical starting point.
Yandex Webmaster: Best for Yandex markets
Yandex Webmaster is the search engine's first party tool for monitoring website performance, indexing and technical health.
It provides query statistics including impressions, clicks, CTR and position. Website owners can also monitor indexing, crawl activity, internal and external links, technical problems and sitemap status.
For companies with meaningful visibility in markets where Yandex matters, relying only on Google Search Console creates an incomplete picture.
Baidu Search Resource Platform: Best for China
International CMOs entering China need to understand that Google Search Console cannot tell them how their website performs inside Baidu.
Baidu's Search Resource Platform provides website owners with tools for submitting content, monitoring data and managing search presentation. It is especially important for companies operating Chinese language websites or building a dedicated China search strategy.
For international technology companies entering China, this should be part of the search infrastructure from the beginning.
Explore Baidu Search Resource Platform
Naver Search Advisor: Best for South Korea
Naver Search Advisor is Naver's webmaster and search optimization environment.
Its Webmaster Tools provide information about crawling and indexing while offering diagnostic reports designed to help site owners make their websites easier for Naver Search to understand.
For a global CMO, the important lesson is broader than Naver itself. Search infrastructure should follow the markets where customers actually search.
Which search performance tools should a CMO use?
For most companies, the starting combination should be Google Search Console plus Bing Webmaster Tools. These provide first party visibility into the two major Western search ecosystems.
Companies that need additional technical and organizational visibility can add Ahrefs Free or Siteimprove. International companies should then add the first party platform relevant to each strategic market, such as Baidu for China or Naver for South Korea.
The larger lesson is that search performance can no longer be represented by a single Google ranking report. Buyers discover companies through traditional search, AI generated answers and regional search ecosystems.