What Is GSC
Google Search Console (GSC), formerly known as Google Webmaster Tools, is a platform that allows you to monitor vital information on your web pages. You can view your site’s search data, impressions, clicks, page loading speed, mobile compatibility, internal linking, and so much more. All you have to do is register your site, and you will have all the data at your fingertips.
Why Do You Need to Add the Website to GSC?
To measure your brand’s success, you need to access your site’s metrics. And there’s no better way to do this than on GSC. Here are other reasons why you should register your site on GSC.
- Collect information from your pages
- Monitor the performance of your site
- Find bugs in your page
- Optimize your page
How to Register GSC
An important step in registering your site to GSC is to prove your ownership of the website. This will ensure that Google will not be giving away sensitive data of web pages to hackers or cybercriminals. Only the owner will have access to its GSC data by proving his/her ownership through a secure process.
To make it easy for you, we will include the various steps on how to verify your domain and register it in GSC. Follow these instructions to get your site set up.
1. Go to the Google Search Console page and log in.
2. The welcome screen will greet you if there are no projects added to your account. You can add your website in GSC via two options: Domain and URL prefix. We will discuss each property type in the next section, so you can choose which one to use.
After choosing which property type to use, enter the web property in the box, then click the “CONTINUE” button below it.
3. Now, you will have to verify ownership of the property.
If you choose the Domain Property method, you will be asked to prove ownership via DNS record. In a separate browser window, sign in to your domain name provider. Then in the pop-up box in GSC, copy the TXT record and paste it into the DNS configuration of your site and hit “Add an entry.” Afterward, click the “VERIFY” button in GSC. Wait for GSC to scan and verify it.
If you choose URL prefix verification, you will have more options to prove ownership. Here are the four other methods:
- HTML file
Download the HTML file from the GSC verification wizard. Next, upload it to your site. This file should stay on your site to keep it verified even after this initial verification. Then press the “VERIFY” button in GSC.
- HTML tag
Copy the meta tag in the pop-up, then paste it on the home page of your site. It should be placed under the <head> section just before the opening <head> section. Keep this line of code to stay verified after this step. Then hit the “VERIFY” button in the GSC pop-up.
- Google Analytics
You should possess the “Edit” permission in Google Analytics to do this method. Enter the analytics.js or gtag.js snippet on your home page. Place the tracking code under the <head> section of your site. After that, hit the “VERIFY” button in GSC.
- Google Tag Manager
You should possess the “Publish” permission in the Google Tag Manager container to do this method. Use the container snippet and place the code on your page after the <body> tag. Then click the “VERIFY” button in the GSC pop-up.
After verifying your property ownership, your website is added to your projects in Google Search Console. You can now view data and edit settings in the account.
If you encounter difficulties proving your ownership, you can still request another property owner to give you permission to the property. This will grant you access as an owner, so you can add the site to your GSC account.
What Is the Difference Between Domain and URL Properties?
Domain Property
Choose this method if you have a custom domain name, and have access to the Domain Name System (DNS) of your account.
With this property type, you will have the ability to track the subdomains of your website with just one property. GSC will collect all data from subdomains (www, m, and others) and multiple protocols (HTTPS, HTTP, and FTP) of your domain.
Examples:
Property visiblewebs.com/
| ✅http://visiblewebs.com/white-label/ | This subdomain will be tracked because the domain matches. |
| ✅https://visiblewebs.com/services/ongoing-seo/ | This subdomain will be tracked because the domain matches. |
| ✅https://www.visiblewebs.com/testimonials/ | This subdomain will be tracked because the domain matches. |
URL Prefix Method
Select this process if you do not have access to the DNS account of your website. This is usually the case for sites made using a website builder or a web hosting platform.
This property is suited for tracking only one domain with no subdomains. You can only include specified URLs that GSC will track.
Examples:
Property https://visiblewebs.com/
| ✅ https://visiblewebs.com/white-label/ | This page will be tracked because the URL prefix matches. |
| 🆇 https://visiblewebs.com/white-label/ | This will NOT be tracked because the prefix lacks the s in https. |
| 🆇 https://www.visiblewebs.com/white-label/ | This will NOT be tracked because there is www in the prefix. |
Final Tip
Adding your website to Google Search Console will provide you and your hired SEO agency with valuable data. You can also use tools available on the platform to improve your site’s performance.
To better optimize your domain, get an experienced SEO agency such as Visible Webs. We offer specialized services designed to boost your site’s search rankings. Consult with our experts today to know how your brand can grow with us.