{"id":37052,"date":"2015-06-10T11:39:20","date_gmt":"2015-06-10T18:39:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bruceclay.com\/blog\/?p=37052"},"modified":"2019-07-25T15:42:26","modified_gmt":"2019-07-25T22:42:26","slug":"set-up-google-search-console","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bruceclay.com\/blog\/set-up-google-search-console\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Set Up Google Search Console \u2013 Free Search Engine Optimization & Webmaster Tools for Your Website"},"content":{"rendered":"
If you have a website, then you ought to know about Google Search Console. Formerly known as Google Webmaster Tools, this free software is like a dashboard of instruments that let you manage your site. Seriously, unless you prefer running your online business blindfolded, getting this set up should be any webmaster\u2019s SEO priority.<\/p>\n
In this article, you learn step-by-step how to set up a Google Search Console account.<\/p>\n
Search Console\u00a0is free software provided by Google that reveals information you can\u2019t find anywhere else about your own website<\/strong>. Google Search Console used to be called Google Webmaster Tools. They changed the name to make the tools sound less technical and more inclusive. <\/p>\n For any search engine optimization\u00a0project we undertake, we make sure Google Search Console is set up. Google\u2019s tools work for apps, as well, so app developers also benefit from the data.<\/p>\n These webmaster tools tell you how the search engine sees your site<\/em>, straight from the horse\u2019s mouth. Here you can see site errors, check for broken pages, confirm site indexing, and more.<\/p>\n Plus, this is where you pick up any messages sent directly from Google. Whether it\u2019s a malware warning, a detected hack on your site, or a notice that you\u2019ve been dealt a manual penalty \u2014 the search engine alerts you through Google Search Console.<\/p>\n In addition, these tools show you how people interact with your site in search results<\/em>. It\u2019s like a private keyhole letting you spy on your website\u2019s behavior in the larger world of search. For example, you can see data such as:<\/p>\n Side note:<\/em> You may have set up Google Analytics<\/a> for your site already. While there\u2019s some overlap between the two products, they work best hand-in-hand to give you a more complete picture of your website traffic. For monitoring your SEO efforts and maintaining your website, set up Google Search Console as your primary tool.<\/p>\n Google wants to connect the dots between your website (or app) and you, so first you must log in to your Google account. You can sign in through Gmail or anywhere you have a Google account.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t have a Google account, you must set one up. Go to Google.com and click Sign in<\/em>. Then choose Create an account<\/em> and complete the form. (Bonus: You now have access to Gmail and all other Google applications.)<\/p>\n While signed in to your Google account, navigate to this page in any browser: https:\/\/search.google.com\/search-console\/about<\/a>. Click the Start Now button. Type in your website (the domain URL, such as http:\/\/www.example.com\/<\/em>) or app (for example, android-app:\/\/com.eample\/<\/em>) and then click Add Property.<\/p>\n Note:<\/em> If you already have at least one property set up, you will see that display instead of the URL entry shown below. To add another website or app, just click the Add a Property button and then enter the new site\u2019s URL.<\/p>\n Next, Google needs to confirm that this website or app belongs to you. To verify that you are the site owner, you have several choices. Click the \u201cAlternate Methods\u201d tab to view them all.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve set up Google Analytics for your website AND you have \u201cadministrator\u201d permissions, you can verify your site ownership instantly. This is the preferred method of SEOs and webmasters alike because it\u2019s usually the easiest one. Here\u2019s what to do:<\/p>\n If you DO NOT have Google Analytics, there are three methods to verify your site ownership. Read on to decide which will be the easiest verification method for you.<\/p>\n If you have access to edit your site\u2019s HTML code, choose the \u201cHTML tag\u201d option.<\/p>\n Copy the text line that Google displays in the shaded box (beginning with <meta name=<\/em>). Now open your home page in your preferred website editor and paste that text into the Head section (near the top) of your home page. This creates a new meta tag. Save your changes in the editor program.<\/p>\n Next, back in the Google Search Console setup page, click the Verify button. That\u2019s it!<\/p>\n If you cannot use the first two methods, try the \u201cDomain name provider\u201d option.<\/p>\n From the drop-down list, choose the company where you registered your domain name. Then follow the instructions Google gives you, which vary. When you\u2019re finished, click the Verify button.<\/p>\n The last option for verifying your website works for people who have a Google Tag Manager account (and the \u201cmanage\u201d permission). If that\u2019s you, choose the fourth radio button and click the Verify button.<\/p>\n Once Google verifies your site or app ownership, you can log in and start using your newly set up Google Search Console. Keep in mind that data takes time to collect, so it may be a few days before your new account has data worth looking at. This is an excellent time to take care of a basic but important search engine optimization<\/a> task:\u00a0creating a sitemap<\/a> that will help Google find and index your pages faster.<\/p>\n To access the tools, go to http:\/\/www.google.com\/webmasters\/tools\/<\/strong><\/a>. Sign in, then click the name of the website or app you set up in Google Search Console. Once inside, explore the left-hand menu to try out the many tools and reports. Here are some Google Help resources to help get you started:<\/p>\n Have questions? <\/strong> If you have a website, then you ought to know about Google Search Console. Formerly known as Google Webmaster Tools, this free software is like a dashboard of instruments that let you manage your site. Seriously, unless you prefer running your online business blindfolded, getting this set up should be any webmaster\u2019s SEO priority. Follow the step-by-step instructions (with screenshots) for how to set up a Google Search Console account<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":37064,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1232],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Start by Signing In to Google<\/h2>\n
Set Up Google Search Console<\/h2>\n
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Method #1: Google Analytics<\/h3>\n
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Method #2: HTML tag<\/h3>\n
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Method #3: Domain name provider<\/h3>\n
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Method #4: Google Tag Manager<\/h3>\n
Get Started Using Google Search Console<\/h2>\n
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\nCheck out FAQs on How to Use Google Search Console<\/a> for help!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"