Maybe you have a new site and want to set up Google WebMaster Tools, Google Analytics, Pinterest or are setting yourself up with a new affiliate. All of these are going require that you verify that you are the domain owner of your website.
I am going discuss some of the areas that you will have to verify your website, and then provide you with simple steps on how to verify your website with a video to help you with any site verification you might come across.
Google Search Console Verification
If you have a website and aren’t using Google Search Console yet, you really should set it up. It is a free service to use, and helps website owners to optimize their sites for search engine ranking as well as detecting errors or issues with your site. In order to get set up with Google Search Console, you will need to verify your website.
Benefits Of Google Search Console
- Lets you add a sitemap. This is one of the best ways to ensure that Google and Bing can find your content on your site. There are many free plugins to help you create a sitemap.
- Check for crawling errors. Sometimes search engine’s crawler will encounter a problem. It may be blocked from crawling your page or find coding errors. Some of the errors might not be anything to worry about like categories or no index, but if there is something unusual, the program will show you how you can remedy the problem.
- Request indexing of your post.
Google Search Console also provides you with detailed information on how your website is performing.
- What search queries are bringing you traffic.
- See top performing posts.
- What countries your traffic is coming from.
- What type of device visitors are using, (desktop, mobile or tablet).
- External and internal links to your site.
- Total numbers of clicks.
- Total impressions.
- Average CTR – (click through rate)
- Average position.
The best way to know how your website is performing is to use Google Search Console.
This will take you to the point of needing to verify your website. Follow the directions towards the bottom, for an easy verification.
Bing Webmaster Tools
The Bing Webmaster Tools is similar to Google Search Console. If you think there is no point to putting your information into Bing, since Google rules the search engines, you are incorrect. While Google does have the lion share of the traffic, there are still many of internet users that are using Bing.
Bing search engines are what come already pre loaded on many computers along with some of the phone search engines. The numbers are definitely lower, but there is still great traffic that you can receive from Bing.
Bing Webmaster will let you submit your URL’s, submit sitemaps, check for errors, check your traffic, request indexing and much more.
You will need to verify site domain ownership with Bing Webmaster Tools as well.
Google Analytics Verification
Google Analytics is another free tool offered by Google. This tool will help you see the amount of traffic that your website is receiving, where the traffic is coming from, how long someone is on your site, the location of the traffic, the behavior of your traffic and much more.
If you haven’t already signed up for Google Analytics, I recommend doing it today. The information is going to help you analyze your website to help you know what is working and what isn’t working.
The procedure I am going to share with you, will work for verification of Google Analytics as well.
Where Else You Will Need To Verify Your Website
- As you are building out your website, you might decide you are going to add some type of pay per clicks to your website like Adsense.
- Certain affiliate programs that you join will require you verify your website.
- Are you putting your website on Pinterest? You can always join Pinterest, but if you have a website, you will need to verify your website. Pinterest can bring lots of traffic to your website and is well worth joining by verifying your website.
My Recommendation For Website Verification
There are many ways that you can verify you website, but the way I recommend using is the following method. Watch the video for the simple steps on how to verify your website. I recommend this method because if you ever decide to change your theme or when you do certain updates, you might lose your information with the other methods.
You might be required at a later date to verify your websites again when certain changes are made, but with the following method, you will do it once and it will be done.
Summary
Uploading an HTML file is the most permanent method for verifying your website. That is why I recommend you following the simple steps on how to verify a website for whichever tool that requires you to prove ownership of your website. There will be no more guesswork as to where you need to place the codes with this method and you don’t run the risk of losing the codes if something gets changed on your website at a later date.
Along the way of building your website, you will come across many different tools that will require you to verify your website besides the ones I have listed above. This method will work for all of them, and will save you time and effort. It is using a plugin for this application, but once you have added your codes, you can always deactivate the plugin and only active when you need to verify your website.
The HTML files will still work, even if you have deactivated the plugin.
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below and I will get back with you. Do you have a better method for verifying your website? Leave that information below as well. I am happy to share it with everyone.
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~Marla
