Google Search Console (GSC) is an essential tool for website owners and digital marketers, helping them monitor and improve their site’s presence on Google Search. It provides detailed insights about website performance, crawling errors, indexing issues, and more. In this guide, we’ll cover how to verify ownership in Google Search Console and explain how the tool works, along with its key features.
Why Verify Ownership in Google Search Console?
Verifying ownership of your website in GSC is crucial because it ensures you can access important data about your site and make necessary adjustments. Verification proves that you have control over the website, allowing you to:
- Monitor performance.
- Fix indexing issues.
- Submit sitemaps.
- Get alerts when your site has problems.
How to Verify Ownership in Google Search Console (Step-by-Step)
Here’s a simple guide to verify your website in Google Search Console:
Step 1: Sign In
Go to Google Search Console and sign in with your Google account. Once logged in, click “Add Property” to start the verification process.
Step 2: Choose Property Type
You have two options:
- Domain: Covers all subdomains and protocols (HTTP, HTTPS).
- URL Prefix: Covers only URLs with a specific prefix.
Enter your website’s URL and hit Continue.
Step 3: Choose a Verification Method
You can choose from several verification methods:
- HTML File Upload: Download the file and upload it to your website’s root directory.
- HTML Tag: Add a meta tag to your website’s
<head>section. - Google Analytics: Use your linked Google Analytics account.
- Google Tag Manager: Verify ownership using the installed tag manager.
- DNS Verification: Add a TXT record to your domain’s DNS settings.
Step 4: Verify Ownership
After using one of the methods above, click on Verify. Google will confirm ownership within seconds. If successful, you’ll get access to your site’s data.
How Google Search Console Works
Once you’re verified, Google Search Console offers multiple features to improve your site’s performance.
1. Performance Report
The Performance tab shows how well your site is doing in Google search results. You’ll see:
- Clicks: How many people clicked on your site.
- Impressions: How often your site appeared in search results.
- Average CTR: Click-through rate, which is the percentage of clicks from impressions.
- Average Position: Your site’s rank in Google search.
Use this data to find the most popular keywords and improve your SEO strategy.
2. Coverage Report
The Coverage section helps you track:
- Indexed Pages: Pages that Google has indexed and shown in search results.
- Errors: Pages with issues that prevent them from being indexed.
- Excluded Pages: Pages that were intentionally left out of the index.
This report helps you fix technical problems that might affect your ranking.
3. Sitemaps
Submit your website’s sitemap to help Google find and index all your pages faster. Go to the Sitemaps section and enter your sitemap URL (e.g., https://example.com/sitemap.xml).
4. Mobile Usability
Since most people use mobile devices for browsing, GSC’s Mobile Usability report highlights issues affecting mobile performance, such as:
- Text too small to read.
- Clickable elements too close together.
- Mobile viewport not set correctly.
Fixing these issues will boost your site’s performance on mobile search results.
5. Core Web Vitals
Google’s Core Web Vitals report shows important metrics related to your site’s user experience, such as:
- Loading Speed.
- Interactivity.
- Visual Stability.
Improving these factors can give you a higher ranking in Google.
6. Manual Actions
If your website violates Google’s guidelines, you may receive a Manual Action. GSC will alert you in this section and provide steps to resolve the issue.
Why You Should Use Google Search Console
- Improve SEO: Get insights on what’s working and what needs improvement.
- Track Performance: Monitor how your keywords and pages perform.
- Fix Issues: Solve technical problems that may hurt your ranking.
- Mobile Optimization: Make sure your site is mobile-friendly.
Conclusion
Google Search Console is an indispensable tool for anyone managing a website. By verifying ownership and using its powerful features, you can track your site’s performance, fix issues, and improve your search rankings. Start using GSC today to boost your website’s visibility and drive more traffic.
