Google Search Console (formerly known as Google Webmaster Tools) is a necessary toolset for every webmaster, blog owner, and website manager. It is a significant tool for a productive and creative search engine optimization (SEO) endeavor, as it enables you to comprehend Google’s view of your site or blog and gives you numerous data points, information, and recommendations for fixing issues and achieving improvements.
With Search Console, Google has really accomplished a great goal by providing a blend of important reporting, tools, education, and a wealth of useful data all in a tool.
If you are yet to start using this extremely useful tool, I'd advise that you start doing so. In that regard, let me show you how you can set up Google Search Console and later reveal to you some remarkable things you can achieve with it.
How You Can Set Up a Search Console Account
Leveraging the Search Console is simple. All that is needed is a Google account (Gmail account). If you own an existing Google account, you would just need to log into that account and set up Search Console.
To get started, just go to the Search Console page. Below are the steps to follow:
- Provide a Search Console property (i.e, your website or Android app)
- Verify your site
- Connect GSC to Google Analytics
- Provide an XML Sitemap
- Validate your robot.txt file
Once you have logged in with your Google account, locate the red button that says "Add a Property". Input your website’s URL and click the Add button.
After this, Google will ask you to first verify that you own the domain you are about to use Search Console on before you're given access to the dashboard.
NOTE: Do not forget to add all site versions of your site (HTTPS and HTTP, WWW and non-WWW versions) as unique properties to track all traffic and obtain the most data.
Linking and verifying your website can be achieved in more than a single method.
One of the methods is making use of Google Analytics. So, if you’re already a user of Google Analytics, just select "Google Analytics" as your choice of verification method. Since your Google Analytics tracking code is still in the section of your homepage, your site would get linked and verified.
Another method is, if you're using the Yoast WordPress SEO plugin, you can get your website linked and verified with it rather.
To use the Yoast WordPress SEO plugin, simply go to the Yoast dashboard and click on the “Webmaster Tools” tab. Paste the code into the box meant for it. After this, go back to the Google Search Console dashboard and press the “Verify” button after which you’ll find the green tick icon.
You wrote "NOTE: Do not forget to add all site versions of your site (HTTPS and HTTP, WWW and non-WWW versions) as unique properties to track all traffic and obtain the most data."
My properties at Google Analytics and Google Search Console are all listed with https://
When I go to a browser window and type in one of my properties as http://, it finds the property, but it is shown as https://
Is it really important to add all site versions as you suggest above?
RVsRock
Reply
I tried to find it so I can past the link to verify my domain but no luck.
The Google Search Console is indicating that my .png format for images is slowing down the loading of my pages.
Over the last few months, I resorted to use .png images on my websites in place of .jpeg images.
I was either advised by someone, or read something that convinced me to make the switch to .png images to enable my pages to load faster on the Internet.
Now, I am finding all kinds of conflicting information regarding image formats, particularly on the desired or recommended image format to use here at WA.
As an example, I uploaded 2 identical color images to one of my websites at WA. One was in a .png format and the other in a .jpeg format.
When I opened my Media Library in the WordPress Dashboard, the .jpeg image is indicating a file size of 45kb. The same, identical image in the library in a .png format indicated a file size of 125kb.
Based on what I had read, the .png format file size should have been smaller.
To make matters worse, or at least more complicating, is that PageSpeed Insights is recommending for me to switch to the new WebP image format to decrease the loading time of my pages.
The WebP image format is not supported in Apple devices.
What is your recommendation regarding the image format to use?
