Google Search Console is a free tool that lets you see how your site performs in Google Search. It shows how your site is indexed and its performance in Google Search properties. You can submit your site to Google search console in 5 different ways.
Some people get confused between Google Search Console and Google Analytics.
Let me clarify here.
Google search console is a free tool for webmasters. It shows how Google sees your site and measures its performance. It also finds technical issues.
Google Analytics, on the other hand, shows how many users visit your site. It also shows how they spend their time there.
GSC welcomes all kinds of websites. Whether you have a WordPress blog, a business website, or an ecommerce site, you can verify it on Google search console.
As a blogger, my main goal is to get my blog indexed quickly. This way, I can get organic traffic.
I focus on the top search engines like Google and Bing. I don’t worry about less popular ones like Yahoo, Bing, Yandex, or others but its beneficial if we verify our website on their webmaster tools too.
Once my site is verified, I can see how it performs in search results. I can also see what queries searchers use to visit my site. Plus, I can find and fix technical errors quickly.
From an SEO perspective, Google Search Console is a great free tool. It shows immutable data on your site’s indexing, search ranking, and more.
Simply put, Google site verification proves you own your website. The first step is to verify your website property with Google Search Console. This way, you can access valuable data later.
The verification process is easy, and there are many ways to do it. I’ll share 5 authentic easy to do Google site verification methods in this blog post.
Let’s get started!
How to Verify Website in Google Search Console
The updated version of Google Search Console allows website owners to verify their website property in 2 ways (screenshot below):
- Root Domain Property Verification
- URL Prefix Property Verification
Let’s see first,
Root Domain Property Verification
This method of verification only needs DNS access. It shows metrics on all domain properties. This includes subdomains, https vs. non-https, and more.
I personally don’t like this method to verify your website property on Google Search Console. It’s through your DNS.
Why I say no is because it’s defined without the protocol (http:// or https://) and path string (/some/path/). It can include subdomains.
After verification, it’s hard to understand the data in the search console.
There’s only one way for this method. You just need access to your domain provider. You’ll need to add a TXT record to your domain’s DNS configuration. And by the end of this step, you’ll do this even if you have no idea what a DNS record is.
1. DNS Record Verification
In order to verify domain ownership, complete the following steps:
Step 1. Go to Google Search Console.
Step 2. Click ‘Add Property’.
Step 3. Enter your domain name without www. in the domain property section.
Click ‘Continue’, you’ll be redirected to the next step.
Step 5. Log into your web hosting.
I’ll be using cPanel as an example since I’m with Green Geeks hosting. You can find more info based on your hosting in the guide.
Step 6. Find Zone Editor under Domains section inside the cPanel:
Step 7. Choose the domain you need to verify in Google Search Console and click ‘Manage’.
Step 8. Add a record and select TXT as a record type.
Step 9. Fill in the rest of the fields with the following information:
- Valid zone name – your domain name
- TTL – 3600
- Text – your verification text copied in step 3.
Step 10. Once you’ve filled in all the fields, click ‘Add record’ to save it.
Step 11. Go back to Google Search Console and click ‘Verify’.
And wait up to 1-3 minutes for the changes to take effect. Here’s what that verification window looks like:
I have mentioned some of the most common DNS providers guide to adding a TXT record.
Depending upon your Domain Registrar, Google Search Console also offers verification via your login credentials. So, all you need to do to verify your site in Search Console is login to your provider.
Here’re some of the following DNS providers can verify directly with Google Search Console:
- Gandi.net
- GoDaddy.com
- Namecheap.com
- Name.com
- Hostinger.com
Hopefully, you knew how to get verified by DNS Verification method which clearly mentioned above.
Bloggers don’t use this verification method because it’s too complex. One of the biggest issues is it matches any property with any protocol with any domain.
Instead, if you need to limit your data by URL path segments (example.com/in/, example.com/en/, and so on) or by protocol (http/https), then create a URL-prefix property verification.
URL Prefix Property Verification Method
This method tracks only one version of your domain. It supports several verification methods:
2. HTML Verification File
You must upload an HTML file to your website’s root directory. It’s easy but requires server access. You can use FTP/SFTP clients or cPanel File Manager.
WordPress users rarely use FTP. We might use it once to install WordPress.
We mostly use the WordPress admin dashboard for uploads. This includes pictures, themes, and plugins.
Now, let’s guide you through adding a HTML File to your website’s root directory. This will verify your Google Search Console.
Step 1. Click ‘Add Property’.
Step 2. Enter your domain name without www. in the domain property section.
After adding your site to Google Search Console, you’ll see a download option. It’s in the Recommended verification method tab:
Click the button next to Download the file. Save it somewhere you’ll remember. You’ll need it soon.
After downloading the HTML file, upload it to your site’s root directory. Check if it’s uploaded correctly by adding the file name to your domain.
(Ex: https://www.yourdomain.com/googleb1e0f5f297ef434e.html). It should show something like this.
Step 3. After uploading the file, go back to Google Search Console. Click the VERIFY button to finish. Google will find the file and verify your website ownership.
3. Adding HTML Tag
This method is simple but needs you to edit your site’s HTML code. It’s easier than other methods for many site owners.
Verifying your site with an HTML meta tag is straightforward. Most people can do this without much trouble.
To verify your site, add a meta tag to your site’s <head> section. It’s a simple step.
Search Console will give you an HTML meta tag. It looks something like this:
Copy the meta tag and paste it into your site’s <head> tags. Then, save it.
After adding the code, go back to Google Search Console. Click the VERIFY button.
If you did it right, Google Search Console will find it in a few minutes.
4. Google Analytics
If your page has a Google Analytics tracking code, you can use this method. You need to access the Google Analytics account.
If there’s no tracking code, you’ll need to add one. This might mean creating a Google Analytics account first. Check out this Google Analytics setup tutorial for help.
If you’ve added Google Analytics to your site, you can use this method. Just make sure the tracking code is on your homepage.
Before starting, make sure you use the same Google account for both Search Console and Google Analytics.
Log in to Search Console with the same Google account you use for Google Analytics. Then, add or select the property to verify.
Choose Google Analytics on the verification details page. Click “Verify”.
Google Search Console will look for Google Analytics accounts linked to your email. If your email is verified, you’ll get ownership of your Search Console property.
5. Google Tag Manager
If you’re using Google Tag Manager, verifying your site is easy. Just make sure the container snippet is active on your site.
There’s no complicated process here. Just follow these steps:
- Select Google Tag Manager under Other verification methods.
- Click on VERIFY as shown in the screenshot below.
Now you know all about Google Search Console site verification methods. They’re easy to do.
It’s time to start verifying your Google site. This lets Google bot crawl your site and share insights about your site’s performance. You’ll also get information about errors and validations to fix.
Remember, Google will check your site’s verification periodically. Choose a method and keep it in place. You can’t remove it after confirming.
Do you have any questions about Google Search Console verification? Just leave a comment, and I’ll help!
