Set up Google Search Console (simple guide for beginners)
Google Search Console, formerly Webmaster Tools, is the best monitoring and analysis tool for your search engine optimization (SEO). This free tool shows you the click-through rate, indexed pages, mobile usability and broken URLs.
Why you should definitely use the Google Search Console, how you can set it up and what you have to pay attention to, we explain in our new post.
What is Google Search Console?
Google Search Console is a free tool that allows you to monitor and analyze users' activities on your website. Website operators should definitely use this tool to better understand the needs and behavior of users. Setting up Google Search Console is relatively easy and doesn't require extensive background knowledge.
What can Google Search Console do?
The Google Search Console has many helpful functions and shows the operator where there is a need for optimization. In addition to many other features, the tool offers the following options:
Findability and indexing: it is ensured that the website is found and indexed; the operator may arrange for indexing.
Indexing problems are visible: the operator of the website can see whether the pages have been indexed or not. Problems can be, for example, links to non-external content or lack of access rights.
View crawl statistics: See if Google bots have been active on your own page within the last 90 days.
Data analysis for search queries: They help to gain a better understanding of user needs.
Recognize backlinks: The operator can see which websites link to their own website.
A problem-free indexing and an error-free website without broken links is important on the one hand for the customer experience or user experience and on the other hand for the visibility in the Google search results pages (SERP).
Why use Google Search Console?
The Google Search Console gives you many insights into the functioning of your website and shows the user behavior and sources of error. With the help of this free tool, you can see how your website performs on Google and where your site needs optimization.
What do I need to set up the Google Search Console?
In order to set up the Google Search Console, you must first have a Google account and log in. It is also possible to access Search Console through the Google Analytics account.
Google Account or Google Analytics Account
Access to the DNS entry of your website: If you want to register a domain, you need the DNS entry
For the URL setup you can use the following options:
1 Upload an HTML file to the server via FTP access
2 Implement meta tags in the header through the website template
3 Use the Google Tag Manager to determine the property. Verify.
4 Through the Google Analytics account, the ownership of the website
How to: Set up Google Search Console
To set up a Google Search Console, you must first:
Create or sign in to a Google Account.
Log in to Search Console and add property.
Confirm ownership of the website.
Wait for the confirmation message.
Make the last settings.
The first step in setting up Google Search Console is to choose the property type. Here you can choose between the following criteria:
Domain (domain property): You have to confirm that you are the owner of a domain including all protocols. After that, you can monitor all directories or subdomains as property. The advantage is that you only have to confirm the domain once and can then monitor different protocols and subdomains.
Subdomain (URL prefix property): This option is suitable for you if you want to choose a single subdomain. Useful for distributing pages spread across subdomains for specific languages or countries.
URL with protocol: Basically, most pages are encrypted via HTTPS, but you can also choose different protocols with or without www.
Subfolders of the domain: This is used to analyze individual directories (e.g. for different landing pages of an online shop).
Confirmation of domain ownership
In the next step, you have to verify that the domain belongs to you. Domain ownership can be verified via the DNS record. To learn more about the different verification methods, visit the Google Community page.
At the same time, you will receive instructions for specific hosting providers via the drop-down menu. You have the possibility to select them and start the confirmation process. The account is then automatically linked.
Then you log in to your domain host and go to the DNS Records section, select a new TXT record and enter the domain name in the "Domain" or "Host" field and add the TXT record of the search console to the "Response" or "Destination" field.
You can enter 86400 in the Validity period field. In the last step, you go back to the Search Console and confirm the process.
Among other things, Google compiles a step-by-step guide for the most well-known hosting providers.
URL Prefix Property Confirmation
If you want to confirm a URL prefix property, you can carry out the verification in various ways. You have the following options to choose from:
Upload HTML file to website.
Add an HTML tag to the Start screen.
Through the Google Analytics account.
The Google Tag Manager account
Link the DNS record to Google.
Upload HTML file
Google recommends this method to set up Google Search Console. An HTML file is provided, which must be downloaded and integrated on the website via the FTP client. For this you can use FileZilla or Cyber duck to integrate the file into the root directory of the domain. Google recognizes the file and verifies ownership.
Embed HTML tag on the website
Search Console can be set up using a meta tag that is included in the HTML code of the start page. This tag is inserted into the main index.html or index.php file. The text snippet is placed between the tags <head> and </head> .
It is also particularly easy with a good content management system (CMS) such as WordPress. Here you can automatically insert the code of the Google services.
This approach has the advantage that you only have to include the tag once and the registration for Search Console does not depend on other implementations.
Use a Google Analytics account
Another way to set up Google Search Console is through your Google Analytics account. It is particularly important that both tools run on the same Google account. To connect Search Console to Analytics, you need to click on Product Link via the gear icon in the dashboard and select Search Console under "All Products".
The gtag.js tracking code is integrated here analogous to the HTML tag at the same place on the website.
Use Google Tag Manager
To do this, you must first have set up the Google Tag Manager. Then you can enter the container snippet on the website. You insert the no script part of the snippet into the <body>HTML code at the beginning of the tag.
Waiting for confirmation of ownership
Depending on the verification method, verification may take some time. The fastest way should be to upload the HTML file to an FTP access, so this method of confirming ownership by Google is recommended. Likewise, the way via the Google Analytics account is quite uncomplicated and fast. After the ownership has been confirmed, you can make the last settings.
Add more users in Google Search Console
You can also add more users in Google Search Console if needed. This may be necessary, for example, if several people are working on a website, or if you want to have access to a customer project. Access can be set up in three simple steps.
1. Select property
The property can be found in the left column of the Google Search Console.
2. Open Settings and select "Users and Permissions"
Via the tab Settings in the left column, you can create a new user. To do this, click on "Users and Permissions".
3. Enter your email address and add users
Enter the email address of the new user in this window and assign the corresponding authorization. By clicking on "Add" the new user is already created.
Further information & sources
On YouTube, Google Search Central has provided a multi-part and very detailed tutorial to help you set up Search Console.
Another interesting YouTube video on the subject is from Ahref.
If you want to deal with the topic in more detail, you should take a look at the book "SEO with Google Search Console" by Stephan Czysch.
Even more comprehensive is the manual "Google Analytics – the comprehensive manual. incl. Search Console and Google" by Markus Vollmert and Heike Lück.
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