How to connect your website to Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool from Google that shows you how the search engine sees your website: which searches it appears for, how many clicks it gets, which pages are indexed and whether there are technical problems. It does not change anything on your site: it only gives you information. That is why it is worth connecting it the same day you publish your website.

In this guide we explain, without jargon, how to connect your website to Google Search Console in four steps and what to look at afterwards. You need a Google account and access to your domain (or to whoever manages it).

What Google Search Console gives you, and what it does not

What it does give you:

• The real searches your website appeared for on Google and how many people clicked.
• The indexing status: which pages Google found and which ones it cannot show, with the reason.
• Problem alerts: loading errors, pages that fail on mobile, security issues.
• A direct channel to send Google the map of your site.

What it does not do: it does not rank you by itself or speed up results. It is a control panel, not a magic button. The data does not show up immediately either: the first figures can take a few days.

Step 1: choose the type of property

The first time you enter Google Search Console it asks you to add a "property", which is your site. There are two types:

• Domain: it covers every version of your address (with and without www, http and https, subdomains). It is verified by adding a piece of data to your domain settings (a DNS record).
• URL prefix: it covers only the exact address you type (for example, https://www.yourcompany.com.ar). It offers more verification methods, some of them simpler.

If you can access your domain settings, choose Domain: it is the most complete view. If you do not know who manages your domain, first take a look at our guide on domain and hosting: who owns what.

Step 2: verify that the site is yours

Google needs to check that you are the person who manages the site before it shows you its data. The method depends on the type of property; Google details them in its help page on how to verify your site ownership. The most common ones are:

• DNS record (TXT): you copy a text that Google gives you and paste it into your domain settings. It is the method for the Domain property.
• HTML file: you download a file and it is uploaded to the main folder of your website.
• HTML tag: a line is added to the code of your home page.
• Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager: if you already use them on your site, Google can verify you through them.

If we built your website, write to us and we will get it done for you. Once you have added the data, go back to Search Console and tap Verify. If it does not work right away, wait a while: changes to a domain can take time to show up.

Step 3: submit the sitemap

The sitemap is a file that lists the pages of your website so that Google finds them faster. Google explains what a sitemap is and how to use it. It is almost always located at yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml.

To submit it:

1. In the menu on the left, go to Sitemaps.
2. Type the address of the file (for example, sitemap.xml).
3. Tap Submit and check that the status says Success.

Google's help page on the Sitemaps report lists the possible statuses and what to do with each one.

Step 4: check the first data

Once the site is verified, look at these three sections, in this order:

• Search results (Performance): clicks, impressions and the queries you appeared for. It is the most useful section to learn what people are searching for.
• Page indexing: how many pages are indexed and which are not. A "not indexed" page is not always a problem; read the reason before you worry.
• Experience: warnings about the mobile version and speed. If you want to understand those warnings, we have a technical guide on Core Web Vitals.

How to use it every month

You do not need to look at it every day. A ten-minute monthly review is enough:

• See which queries go up or down and whether new searches you did not expect show up: they are ideas for your next pieces of content.
• Look for pages with many impressions and few clicks: maybe their title or description does not invite people in.
• Review the alerts that Google has sent you by email or in the panel.

To complement this data with what happens inside your website, take a look at the guide on how to read your website statistics.

Common mistakes

• Verifying only the version with www (or only without www) and missing the other one. With a Domain property this does not happen.
• Submitting a sitemap with pages that no longer exist. The file has to be up to date.
• Removing the verification method afterwards. If you delete the record or the file, Google may lose the verification. Leave it where it is.
• Expecting immediate results. The data builds up over time.

Frequently asked questions

Is Search Console free?

Yes, it costs nothing. You only need a Google account.

Do I need to connect it if I already use Google Analytics?

They are different tools. Analytics shows what people do inside your website; Search Console shows how they arrive from Google and whether the search engine can read your site. It is best to use both.

Can I give access to someone else?

Yes. From the settings you can add users with different permissions, for example the person who helps you with the website, without sharing your password.

What to do next

If you would like us to review your setup or leave everything connected, take a look at the website tune-up or get in touch. And if you are just starting out, on the blog we explain local SEO to show up on Google in your area.