January 31, 2025
You don’t have to use Google Search Console. However, in order to implement an effective SEO strategy, you need to understand your current position and presence in the search results. Google Search Console can help you leverage the necessary data to do this.
Using GSC, you can:
Now you know what GSC is and why it’s useful, here’s how to get started.
Setting up Google Search Console is relatively simple. All you need to do is follow our step-by-step process:
First things first, you need to log into Google Search Console using your Google Account. If you don’t yet have a Google account, you can set one up here.
You will be given the option to add a domain or a URL prefix. We recommend setting up Google Search Console with a domain as this will connect all aspects of your site. A URL prefix is just a specific section of your site.
However, to set up a domain on GSC, there is only one verification option - DNS verification. If you don’t have access to your domain provider, you can’t verify your domain. In this case, you can opt for adding a URL prefix instead, as there are multiple ways of verifying this.
Setting up a URL prefix means you will only have a view of that version of your site, although you can verify as many URL prefixes as you wish.
If your provider isn’t included in the dropdown, you will have to verify your domain manually. Here’s how:
Each host is different, so if you’re unsure where to find or manage your DNS records, you can follow the steps for your specific registrar provided by Google’s help centre.
Whether you do it automatically or manually, DNS records can take a few hours or days to update. If verification fails at first, try again in a day or so.
Whilst we recommend setting up a domain-level property, if you can’t access your domain registrar, you will need to set up GSC with a URL prefix as there are multiple verification options available.
Google recommends this method of verification for URL prefix properties and it is relatively simple. However, it does require the ability to upload a file to the root directory of your website. If this isn’t possible, try a different method of verification, such as:
This is a straightforward method but you should only opt for it if you are comfortable editing the HTML source code of your site’s homepage. If you don’t know how to do this, try a different verification method, such as:
Verifying through Google Analytics (GA) is incredibly simple provided you already have a GA tracking code, have access to the account associated with it, and have ‘edit’ permission for the GA property.
Verifying through Google Tag Manager (GTM) is similar to Google Analytics. As long as you already have a GTM snippet with access to the account linked to it and have ‘publish’ permission for the Tag Manager container, it’s very straightforward.
Once you have verified your domain with Google Search Console, you’re set up and ready to go.
At this point, it’s likely you will have other team members or an external team who will require access to GSC. So, here’s how to share access to Google Search Console:
GSC offers different levels of access depending on the user's permissions.
Your options are:
How much permission you give a user is entirely up to you and dependent on your individual situation. For example, an external marketing team may require full access but an internal team member may only need restricted access.
Once verified and all the relevant permissions have been granted, you’re ready to get started with Google Search Console!
If you’d like expert help managing Google Search Console and making use of the data provided, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our digital experts.
