Verifying Google Search Console Just Got Easier

For quite a while now, I’ve had issues adding properties to Google Search Console. Not every time, but often. It’s actually been going on for months, and it’s gotten a lot worse lately. Verification with Google Analytics used to work pretty well for a while, but lately it’s often not been working. As first I thought it was the type of access I had – not a full admin – but I found that even on full Anamytics admin access sites it sometimes fails, and I’m not the only one…

As a result, I’ve used the alternative methods, either inserting a meta-tag, which sometimes inexplicably didnt work either, or by uploading the verification file.

That’s a real pain because you cant just upload it via WordPress – you have to FTP it,  which in some cases means forwarding it to an IT department.  A couple of times, we’ve had access to the domain owner, but not FTP, so we’ve verified by enting a TXT record into the domain’s DNS. There shouldn’t be so much guesswork and failure to do something that should only take a moment.

Now though, it looks like those days are behind us, and after being granted access to an Analytics account on Friday, and visiting Google Search Console, I added the domain name, and “Boom” I was INSTANTLY verified – pretty neat – and long overdue, don’t you think?

Why Should You Verify with Google Search Console?

If you have to ask why, then you’re probably a domain owner, rather than an internet marketer – and that’s exactly the reason why.  Because you’re the owner. Yes you have google Anaytics, but as the owner you have so much more information and control.  As the verified owner, Google will alert you to important things:

• “You’ve been Hacked” warnings for your site
• Suggested improvements on your site
• Penalty notifications about your site
• Broken links in your site
• Structural errors on your site
• Links from others pointing to your site
• Mobile Friendliness of your site
• Performance & Speed of Your site
• Changes in Googles quality guidelines & more.

You also have the power to:

• Request Google to look at specific pages
• See how Googlebot is crawling your site
• See, repair, and examine errors
• See keyword specific information about your search clicks

 

Add Search Console in a Snap

If you’re already an admin for google Analytics, just log into Google Search Console here

In the top left, click in the search box, then choose “Add a Property”

 

Copy / Paste the full URL for your website

 

That’s it!

You should see this:

 

Is it Fixed for Good?

Only time will tell, but this fix was LONG overdue… Thank you Google!