Do you think it’s intimidating to set up Google Search Console? Don’t worry! With this easy step by step visual tutorial, we’ll walk you through the process.
1. Go to the Google Search Console page
First go to search.google.com/search-console to get started and click on “start now”.
2. Start the setup process
If you haven’t used Google Search Console before, you’ll see a popup screen that invites you to choose between two options. If you have used Google Search Console, scroll to the next part below. Choose the domain option and enter your domain name (the address of your website f.e. chunkysquirrel.com). Next click on “continue”.
Important note: Make sure to enter the correct domain url!! Keep in mind how you’ve set up your website.
- https://yourwebsite.com
- https://www.yourwebsite.com
A quick way to check how your domain is set up, is to double click your domain in the address bar of a browser. Google considers these urls to be two different websites, with one canonical to the other (pointing towards the other) so you want to make sure it’s set up right!
If you’re already using Search Console for another website, you can add a property by clicking in the upper left corner on the arrow next to your existing domain to add another one. It will lead you to a similar popup as shown above. Enter your website address (yourwebsite.com) and click on continue.
3. Add the TXT record to the DNS configuration
The next step is to connect your website with Google Search Console. The way this works is as if you’re writing some information on a sticky note (TXT record) that you’re adding to your domain. The DNS (Domain Name System) is a large public database with all the information about domain names (website addresses) etc.Your TXT record with information about your domain will be visible in there too.
Back to our setup! After you click on “continue” when entering your domain name, a new screen pops up and provides you with a TXT record.
Here is where things get a bit more advanced, because this step will look different for everyone. There are many different domain name providers and all of them have their own backend panels. Your best bet to find the exact way to add a TXT record to your domain name provider is to do a search for that. F.e. Google “how to add TXT record to dns Bluehost” (or Godaddy or … whomever your domain name provider is)
All panels will have a similar process. You first go to the DNS records, which is sometimes also named zone records.
3.1 Add record
There will be a button to add a record. (example in screenshot below 3.5)
3.2 Choose record type
The record type you’re adding is TXT.
3.3 Name
This is where you enter your domain, f.e. chunkysquirrel.com. If your domain name doesn’t allow for the literal domain name, you can enter an @. Make sure to omit the https://
3.4 Record/Value
Sometimes this part is called record, sometimes it’s called value. This is where you paste the text that Google Search Console created for you. (See step 3 above)
3.5 Time To Live (TTL)
We generally recommend leaving this on the default setting.
Don’t forget to press “save” after filling everything out!
In our case it looked like this, but again, there are hundreds of different looking backend panels depending on the company you’re working with. If you get stuck at this part, don’t hesitate to contact us and we can help you set it up. It’s a quick process!
Once you’ve added the TXT record to your DNS records, click on verify in the Search Console popup window. Keep in mind that it might take a bit of time before this can be verified. This depends on your provider. Some can be fast (within minutes) and others might take a day (or two). There’s no problem with closing Google Search Console and opening it up again later to click on verify.
4. Ownership verified
If done correctly, after clicking on verify in the “verify domain ownership popup”, Google will now show you a new popup that confirms your ownership is verified.
5. You’ve now set up google search console
That’s it! You’re all done with the setup. We do recommend adding another owner email address to your domain for good measure. Because if something were to happen with your email address, you will lose all access to your data. We always add both a business gmail and a personal one. Here’s our post on how to add and admin to Google Search Console, that will help you add an owner!
Right after the setup it can take up to a day before you see data.
6. I don’t want to do it myself!
We’ve got an affordable and easy service to help you set up Google Search Console for your website if you don’t want to do it yourself.
