Google Search Console Initial Setup｜From Registration to Ownership Verification

Google Search Console is a free tool for grasping how your own site is seen in search. To start using it, you first need to register your site and complete ownership verification, which proves to Google that the site is yours. This article explains the initial setup of Search Console, following the steps from registration to ownership verification, in a way understandable even for first-timers.

What Is Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool that lets you check how your site is displayed in Google Search and by what keywords traffic comes in. You can grasp impressions in search, click counts, ranking positions, indexing status, and more—making it an indispensable foundation for improving SEO.

To be able to see this data, you need to register the target site in Search Console and complete ownership verification. Ownership verification is the procedure of proving to Google that the site is your property; only when this is complete can you view and operate the site's detailed data.

What to Prepare Before Initial Setup

Before starting the setup, there are a few things to have ready. If these are in place, the registration work proceeds smoothly.

A Google Account

Using Search Console requires a Google account. If you already use Google Analytics, registering with the same account lets you centralize management and makes later integration smoother. If you don't have one yet, create an account first.

The URL of the Site to Register

Have the URL of the site to be registered at hand. Because the format you enter changes depending on the property type described later, it is important to grasp the top page's URL accurately. If the site is SSL-enabled, confirm the correct URL beginning with https.

Steps to Register the Site

Once preparation is in order, you actually register the site in Search Console. The basic flow is to log in, add a property, choose a type, and enter the URL.

Log In to Search Console

First, log in to Search Console with the Google account you prepared. If you are using it for the first time, a screen prompting you to add a property is displayed. You start the registration work from here.

Choose a Property Type

When adding a property, you choose from two types: "Domain" and "URL prefix." This choice changes the range you can register and the ownership verification method, so it is important to choose after understanding the difference, covered next.

The Difference Between Property Types and How to Choose

The two property types differ in the range they cover and the verification method. Grasp the characteristics of each and choose the one suited to your situation.

Domain Property

The domain property is a type that lets you measure the whole domain together, including http and https, with and without www, and even subdomains. While it has high coverage, the ownership verification method is limited to one using a DNS record. Because it requires an environment where you can operate DNS settings, it is somewhat for advanced users.

URL Prefix Property

The URL prefix is a type that targets only addresses beginning with the URL you enter. Because you can choose from several verification methods, a characteristic is that it is approachable even for first-timers. If you just want to start using Search Console, or plan to integrate with Google Analytics later, choosing this makes things easier to proceed.

Methods to Verify Ownership

When you enter the URL, you proceed to the screen for choosing the ownership verification method. The methods you can choose differ by property type, but with URL prefix, you can choose the one suited to you from several.

Using an HTML Tag

This is a method of verifying by pasting a dedicated meta tag issued by Google into the header section of the site's top page. It is approachable if you have an environment where you can edit HTML, and is widely used. When you press the verify button after placing the tag, ownership is recognized.

Uploading an HTML File

This is a method of verifying by downloading a verification HTML file prepared by Google and uploading it to a specified location on the site. It can be used if you have an environment where you can upload files to the server. By leaving the file in place, ownership verification is maintained.

Using a DNS Record

This is a method of verifying by adding a TXT record issued by Google to the domain's DNS settings. This method is used for the domain property. You need to be able to operate the DNS management screen, but you can prove ownership for the whole domain at once.

Using Google Analytics

If Google Analytics is already installed on the site, you may be able to verify ownership using its tracking code. If you manage with the same Google account, you can verify without the trouble of newly placing a tag, so if you have installed GA4 first, it becomes an easy option.

What to Do After Ownership Verification

Once ownership verification is complete, you become able to see the site's data. However, right after verification, data accumulation has only just begun, and sufficient information is not displayed immediately. As the finishing touch to initial setup, there are a few things worth doing first.

A representative one is submitting a sitemap. By conveying the site's structure to Google, you can prompt crawling and indexing. In addition, using multiple ownership verification methods together means that even if one verification is removed for some reason, ownership is maintained, lowering the risk of measurement being cut off. Once data has accumulated, periodically check search performance and indexing status, and connect it to SEO improvement.

Summary

The initial setup of Search Console proceeds in the flow of logging in with a Google account, choosing a property type and registering the site, and verifying ownership. For the property type, the basics are choosing URL prefix if you want to start easily, and Domain if you want to see the whole domain together. Because there are several ownership verification methods, choosing the one suited to your environment lets even a first-timer set it up without getting lost. Once verification is done, also complete the sitemap submission, and take the first step in improving your site with Search Console.