How To Add Your WordPress Site To Google Search Console

Google Search Console (GSC) is a free tool that allows website owners to monitor and analyze their site’s presence in Google’s search results.

The data provided by GSC is going to help you determine how you can improve your site’s performance.

We strongly recommend adding your WordPress site to GSC because you’ll be able to make more informed decisions in the future.

Here are the steps you need to follow to submit your site to Google Search Console:

1. Go to Google Search Console and add a property.
2. Pick the property type. Google offers two:
   • Domain: type the domain without http:// or www (for example example.com). One Domain property covers http:// and https://, www and non-www, and every subdomain. It can only be verified with a DNS record at your domain provider.
   • URL prefix: type the address exactly how it’s displayed in your browser bar, including https:// and the “/” at the end. It covers only the addresses that start with that prefix, so https://example.com/ and https://www.example.com/ are two separate properties.

   Search Console no longer has a preferred-domain setting. If your site answers on both www and non-www, the Domain property shows the data for both in one place.

3. Verify your site. In this step, you’ll need to choose one of the verification methods suggested to you. Until you confirm the ownership, you won’t be able to use that site in Google Search Console.

Verify a URL prefix property with Squirrly SEO

For a URL prefix property you can pick the HTML tag method and let Squirrly SEO add the tag to your home page:

1. In Google Search Console, choose HTML tag and copy the meta tag.
2. In WordPress, go to Squirrly > Technical SEO > Connect Tools and open the Place Trackers tab.
3. Paste the tag in the Google Search Console field. Squirrly keeps only the code from content=”…”.
4. Click Save Settings, then go back to Google Search Console and click Verify.

The Google Search Console field shows when the Webmaster Tools feature is on in Squirrly > All Features. If your Google account is already connected to Squirrly, the Get GSC Code button next to the field fetches the code for you. Webmaster Extras explains the field.

A Domain property needs the DNS record, so this step doesn’t apply to it.

Connect Search Console to Squirrly SEO

Once the property is verified, connect it to Squirrly so the plugin can read your clicks and impressions. Go to Squirrly > Technical SEO > Connect Tools, click Sign in next to Google Search Console, pick the Google account that owns the property, then click Check connection. Connect Tools has the full steps.

The data collection for your property will start as soon as you add it in your GSC account – even before you verify it.