Setting up Google Search Console
Step 1: Go to Google Search Console
- Visit Google Search Console.
- Click Start Now and sign in with your Google account.
Step 2: Add Your Website Property
- Choose a Property Type:
- Domain Property (Recommended): Tracks all subdomains and URL variations (e.g.,
https://example.com,http://example.com,https://www.example.com).
- URL Prefix Property: Tracks only a specific URL (e.g.,
https://example.combut nothttp://example.com).
- Domain Property (Recommended): Tracks all subdomains and URL variations (e.g.,
- Enter Your Website URL and click Continue.
Step 3: Verify Ownership
You must verify that you own the website. GSC provides multiple verification methods:
For Domain Property (Recommended)
You will have to contact and place a ticket in IT for the following options:
- Copy the TXT record provided by GSC.
- Go to your domain registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare).
- Find the DNS settings and add a new TXT record.
- Paste the copied TXT code and save the changes.
- Go back to GSC and click Verify (it may take a few hours to verify).
For URL Prefix Property
- HTML File Upload (Recommended): Download the HTML file and upload it to your website’s root directory.
- HTML Meta Tag: Copy the meta tag and paste it inside the
<head>section of your homepage. - Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager: If you already use GA or GTM, you can verify through those accounts.
Once verified, GSC will start collecting data.
Step 4: Submit Your Sitemap
- In GSC, go to Sitemaps (left menu).
- Enter your sitemap URL (usually
https://example.com/sitemap.xml). - Click Submit.
Step 5: Monitor Performance
- Check Performance Reports to see clicks, impressions, and rankings.
- Use Coverage Reports to fix indexing issues.
- Monitor Core Web Vitals to optimize page speed and user experience.
Step 6: Set Up Search Console & Google Analytics 4 (Optional)
- Go to GA4 Admin > Product Links > Search Console.
- Click Link, select your property, and confirm.