Adding your WordPress website to Google Search Console is an essential step to ensure that your website gets indexed by Google and appears in search results. By following a few simple steps, you can submit your website to Google for indexing and start monitoring its performance in search engine rankings. In this article, we will guide you through the process of adding your WordPress website to Google Search Console and provide techniques to help your website get indexed as soon as possible.
Step 1: Sign up for Google Search Console
The first step is to sign up for Google Search Console. If you don’t have a Google account, you will need to create one. Once you have an account, visit the Google Search Console website and sign in using your Google credentials.
Step 2: Add your WordPress website
After signing in, you will be prompted to add a property to your Google Search Console account. Enter the URL of your WordPress website in the provided field and click on the “Add Property” button.
Google Search Console will then ask you to verify ownership of the website. There are several methods available for verification, but the recommended method for WordPress users is to use the “HTML tag” option.
Step 3: Verify ownership using the HTML tag method
To verify ownership using the HTML tag method, copy the provided HTML tag code. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Theme Editor and open the header.php file. Paste the HTML tag code just before the closing </head> tag and save the changes.
Return to Google Search Console and click on the “Verify” button. Google will then check for the presence of the HTML tag on your website. Once the verification is successful, your WordPress website will be added to Google Search Console.
Step 4: Submit your sitemap
Now that your website is added to Google Search Console, the next step is to submit your sitemap. A sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website and helps search engines understand its structure.
If you have a WordPress SEO plugin installed, such as Yoast SEO, it will generate a sitemap for you. Simply go to the plugin settings and find the option to enable XML sitemap functionality. Once enabled, the plugin will generate a sitemap for your website.
Copy the URL of your sitemap, which is usually in the format “https://yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml”. Go to Google Search Console, select your website, and click on the “Sitemaps” option in the left-hand menu. Paste the URL of your sitemap in the provided field and click on the “Submit” button.
Step 5: Monitor your website’s performance
After adding your WordPress website to Google Search Console and submitting your sitemap, you can start monitoring its performance. Google Search Console provides valuable insights into how your website is performing in search engine rankings.
Explore the various reports and features in Google Search Console to gain insights into your website’s search appearance, search traffic, and technical issues. Use this information to optimize your website for better visibility in search results.
Additionally, you can set up email alerts in Google Search Console to receive notifications about critical issues affecting your website’s performance. This will help you stay informed and take prompt action to resolve any issues that may arise.
By following these steps and utilizing the features of Google Search Console, you can ensure that your WordPress website gets indexed by Google and appears in search results. Regularly monitoring your website’s performance will enable you to make informed decisions and improve its visibility in search engine rankings.
Remember, getting your website indexed by Google is just the first step. To improve your website’s ranking and attract more organic traffic, focus on creating high-quality content, optimizing your website for relevant keywords, and building authoritative backlinks.
With patience and consistent effort, your WordPress website will gradually climb the search engine rankings and reach a wider audience.
