Google Search Console (previously called Google Webmaster Tools) helps you track search rankings and keep you in-the-know about site errors, security issues, and indexing problems that may impact your website’s search performance.
In this post, we will show you how to easily add and verify your site in Google Search Console.
Google Site Verification: How to Get Your Website Verified
- Here are the five different ways to verify your website with Google Search Console
- Yoast also offers ways to verify your site
- Advanced Search Console Verification: Property Types
When you verify your website, it gives you and Google a secure channel for sending and receiving information. It will allow you to do things like submit a sitemap, make sure pages are being indexed, and even test your site. If you are planning on doing Internet marketing such as SEO or social media marketing for your website, webmaster tools can be a great asset.
As a first step, go to Google Search Console.
Once you are there, click “Add Property” in the dropdown navigation menu. Add your website by selecting a property type. Make sure you use the correct version of your website when you add it. Keep in mind—if you have different versions of subdomains, you’ll need another account to add them.
Assuming that you’ve already added Google Analytics to your site, it should automatically connect. Once it has connected successfully, click “Go to Property.” Now your site is verified on Google Search Console! Let’s go over five more ways to verify your website with Google:
1. Verify Your Website with Google Search Console Using the Domain Name System (DNS) TXT Record Verification
A TXT record is a type of resource recorded in the Domain Name System (DNS), which tells other servers about your domain, how it’s set, or what other services it uses. Google uses this to establish ownership to websites.
How to Find Your TXT Record
In this step, when in the Alternative Methods tab, you should select “Domain Name Provider.” In the dropdown, your provider may already be listed. But, if you don’t see your provider name, don’t panic. Just select “Other.” You’ll see the verification TXT record that you’ll need in the next part.
Access your Domain Host Account
Next, you’ll need to sign into your domain host account in a separate window so that you can add your TXT. Your provider may have specific instructions on doing so. The page to find your TXT record may read “DNS Management,” “Name Server Management,” “Control Panel,” or “Advanced Settings.”
Once you have that taken care of, the rest is simple. Return back to your Google Search Console where you’ll finish the process by selecting “Verify.”
2. Verify Your Website with Google Search Console Using HTML File Upload
This is an easy option, but not the easiest. All you need to do is take a piece of code and add it to your root directory. For example: https://example.com/your-file-here/
Download Verification File
In Google Search Console you have an option to download an HTML verification file in the Recommended Method tab. You’ll need to download this file on your computer and upload to your website’s root directly and click Verify to complete the process!
3. Verify Your Website with Google Search Console Using an HTML Meta Tag
The HTML meta tag is an incredibly easy, and straightforward option. All you need to do is place this piece of code in the <head> section of the website. Once you’ve added that bit of code, return to your Google Search Console and select Verify.
4. Verify Your Website with Google Search Console Using Google Analytics
This is another easy way to verify a website in Google Search Console. If you are already using Google Analytics, you can fly through this method.
Simply select the Google Analytics option in the Alternate Methods tab in Search Console and hit Verify. That’s it for this method!
5. Verify Your Website with Google Search Console Using Google Tag Manager
Similar to Google Analytics, if you’re also utilizing Google Tag Manager, your website can be verified easily. Head back over to the Alternative Methods tab and select Google Tag Manager and then complete by hitting Verify.
Alternative Verification Methods Are Available Through Yoast’s WordPress SEO Plugin Verification
If you’re trying to verify Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools on WordPress, then good news—it’s pretty straightforward!
In the WordPress backend, go to “SEO,” then “Dashboard,” and select “Webmaster Tools.”
Here, you’ll see there are three different form fields to choose from. Remember the HTML tag I mentioned earlier in this post (number two)? Copy that value and enter it below.
Once you’ve added the tag, click “Save Changes.” Then, go back into the Search Console and click “Verify” using the HTML tag method.
Verify Your Website with Google Search Console Using Yoast’s All In One SEO Pack
For those who prefer the All in One SEO Pack, you’re in luck as the process isn’t that much different.
Just go to “All In One SEO,” then “General Settings,” and scroll all the way down to the “Webmaster Verification” section. There, you will see that the same two fields are available for Google and Bing Webmaster Tools.
Once you’ve done this, continue scrolling all the way down. With several features displayed on one page, it might be easy to miss the “Update Options” button. Clicking it will ensure that all your settings get saved
Advanced Search Console Verification: Property Types
With Google’s domain properties, you can consolidate your http, https, www, non-www, m-dot, ect.. into a single property.
This will allow you to get an aggregated view of your site’s performance in a single Google Search console property versus more than one — meaning you can view all URLs under the domain name.
If you would prefer Google not automatically combine the data and you want to segment the Domain properties yourself — by subdomain, path or protocol — then you can create additional URL-prefix properties for those segments.
Site owners, webmasters, developers and SEOs will appreciate this automated way to view site data into one Google Search Console property.
