How to Setup Google Search Console
There have been several questions about how to set up Google Search Console and if it is difficult. Anddddd, actually is not; what makes it daunting is the technical aspect of it. But we will give you a step-by-step guide on getting Google Search Console Set Up. You might be asking what is the purpose of Google Search Console and if it is useful. The short answer is, Yes! is it useful and Google Search Console (GSC) is a powerful tool provided by Google that helps you monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot your site's presence in Google Search results. In a nutshell, it's Google's own tool that tells what needs to be done to optimize your website. Also, it provides you with the keywords your potential customer is searching for and your website showing up for. If this is your first time here, Hi! We are Alterior Digital, a Premier SEO Company offering LA SEO Services; even though we are located in Los Angeles, we assist companies nationwide. We've put together this guide to help you get Google Search Console up and running. Ok, let's get started.
Why Use Google Search Console?
Google Search Console provides invaluable insights into your website's health and performance in Google search results. It allows you to:
- Understand your site's search traffic: See how often your site appears in Google Search, which search terms your site shows for, how often searchers click through for those queries, and more.
- Identify and fix issues: Learn about any problems that might prevent your site from performing well in search and get suggestions on how to solve them.
- Submit sitemaps and individual URLs for crawling: Submit new and updated content to ensure that Google has the latest view of your site.
Step-by-Step: Setting Up Google Search Console
Create or Log into Your Google Account
Before you can use Google Search Console, you need a Google account. So go ahead and create an account if you haven't already, or use an existing one if you already have one. Now, since this will be for your business, we recommend you create a new one so you can separate your personal vs your business email.
Go to Google Search Console
Visit the Google Search Console website at search.google.com/search-console and click 'Start now.'
Add a Property
You will now see a pop-up like the image below. This is where you are going to add the 'property'. You are going to want to choose the one that says "Domain". Type in your domain that you bought. DO NOT type in 'HTTPS' or 'WWW'. For example, we will not type it 'https://www.alteriordigital.com', we would simply type if 'alteriodigital.com'. You are now ready to hit 'continue' and go to the verification process.
Verify Ownership
Verification is a critical step that proves to Google that you own the website you're trying to add. You will need to go to your hosting platform to add the DNS record before hitting the 'Verify' button on the image below.
Web Host DNS Set Up
Okay, now you have to go to your hosting platform. I am using Godaddy.com, but the process should be the same once you find the location for managing the DNS.
You will 'Create New Record' and get the image below. Under 'Type', make sure to have this as 'TXT'; under 'Name', add the '@' symbol. Ok, so far so good. Under the 'Value' you will add the DNS configuration that Google Provided. Refer to the previous image, which will be number 3; Copy that link - you will see it highlighted on the previous image. Once you copied it, paste it under 'Value' on the DNS record and then hit 'SAVE'.
Okay, the last step is to hit the 'VERIFY' button, which is located in the lower right-hand corner of the previous image.
Guess what!? You are done. The verification process should be quick, but if you do not get the green light from Google, just give it about 30 minutes and you should be all set.
Set Up Email Alerts
Configure Google Search Console to send you email alerts when issues are detected with your website. This is to ensure you can address issues as they arise. Remember, keeping this clean will help with the overall SEO strategy.
Integrating Google Search Console with Your SEO Strategy
With Google Search Console set up, integrate its insights into your SEO strategy. Regularly review the performance and coverage reports to understand how your site is doing and where improvements can be made. Use the data to optimize your website's content and technical SEO aspects. Use the keywords you are seeing to create blog post to solidify your position within those keywords. We will have a dedicated post this, so stay tune.
How Alterior Digital Can Help
Optimizing your SEO strategy with tools like Google Search Console can significantly improve your online visibility. If you need expert guidance on leveraging these tools to enhance your SEO, you definitely know you can reach out to us, your reliable LA SEO Service provider. We're here to help you navigate the complexities of SEO and ensure your website reaches its full potential.
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