When adding a site to Google Search Console, you should choose between two options: Domain or URL Prefix. The choice depends on your preferences and the level of coverage you want for your site.

  • What it is: This option tracks all versions of your domain, including both HTTP and HTTPS versions, as well as www and non-www versions. For example, it will track:
    • http://example.com
    • https://example.com
    • https://www.example.com
    • http://www.example.com
  • Why choose it:
    • Full Coverage: It provides a broader and more comprehensive view of your site’s performance across all subdomains (e.g., blog.example.com, shop.example.com).
    • Automatic Subdomain Tracking: If you have subdomains (e.g., blog or shop), they are automatically included without needing to add them separately.
  • How to set it up: You need to verify ownership of your entire domain via DNS verification (a TXT record you add to your DNS settings). This may take a little longer to implement, but it’s more thorough.

2. URL Prefix Property (More Specific)

  • What it is: This option tracks only a specific URL prefix (e.g., https://example.com or http://example.com). It doesn’t automatically include any other subdomains or alternate versions (e.g., the non-HTTPS version or subdomains like blog.example.com).
  • Why choose it:
    • Easy Setup: Verification is generally easier for URL Prefix properties. You can use methods like HTML file upload, meta tags, or Google Analytics to verify.
    • Focused Tracking: If you only care about a specific version of your website (e.g., only the https:// version), this is a better option.
    • Multiple Properties: If you have different subdomains or versions of your site (like separate www and non-www URLs), you’ll need to create a property for each one.
  • How to set it up: Choose the specific URL you want to track and use one of several verification methods (HTML file, HTML tag, DNS record, Google Analytics, etc.).

Which One Should You Choose?

  • For most users: The Domain Property is recommended if you want complete coverage of your website, including all versions (http/https, www/non-www).
  • For more granular control: The URL Prefix Property is useful if you want to track specific sections or versions of your site separately.

To summarize:

  • Domain Property: Best for full site coverage, including subdomains and different versions (http vs. https, www vs. non-www).
  • URL Prefix Property: Best for tracking a specific version or subdomain of your site.

Why Marketers Should Sign Up for Google Search Console (GSC)

When optimizing your website for better search engine rankings, understanding how Google views and interacts with your site is crucial. That’s where Google Search Console (GSC) comes in. If you’re a marketer looking to boost your site’s exposure and performance, signing up for GSC is one of the most important steps you can take. Not only does it provide detailed insights into your website’s health and search performance, but it also helps you troubleshoot issues that could negatively impact your rankings.

1. Understand How Google Crawls Your Website

One of the key benefits of Google Search Console is that it shows how Googlebot, Google’s search engine crawler, interacts with your site. When you submit an XML sitemap, like the one discussed earlier, GSC helps you monitor how effectively Google is crawling and indexing your pages. You’ll be able to see which pages have been indexed, which pages may have encountered issues, and what needs to be fixed to improve crawling efficiency. Without GSC, you would be flying blind without access to this critical information.

By using GSC, you can ensure that your XML sitemaps are being processed correctly, helping Google discover and rank your content faster. Whether you choose to include categories, tags, or individual posts in your XML sitemap, Google Search Console will let you know how well those URLs are performing, helping you make informed decisions.

2. Track Search Performance and Rankings

Google Search Console provides powerful insights into how your website is performing in Google Search. With GSC, you can see which queries bring users to your site, how your pages rank for those queries, and how often your pages appear in search results. This is a goldmine for marketers because it helps you understand what’s working and where improvements are needed.

For example, if you notice that certain pages aren’t ranking as well as you’d like, you can dive deeper into GSC to analyze how Google is indexing them. Perhaps some pages aren’t included in the XML sitemap or are getting crawled incorrectly, which might explain the drop in performance. GSC’s search performance report allows you to track your average position, click-through rate (CTR), and even monitor impressions and clicks to get a clearer picture of your website’s success.

3. Monitor and Fix Site Errors

Google Search Console also provides alerts for critical issues such as site errors, broken links, or crawl issues. These alerts help marketers stay ahead of problems before they negatively impact their site’s ranking. For example, if a page has an error that prevents it from being indexed, GSC will flag it for you, enabling you to fix it before it affects your search visibility.

Additionally, GSC provides details on any issues with your mobile usability. Since mobile-friendliness is a ranking factor for Google, marketers must address any mobile-related issues to ensure that the site is accessible to a wider audience. Whether it’s page load time, broken links, or issues specific to mobile devices, GSC’s diagnostic tools are invaluable for ongoing optimization.

4. Gain Valuable User Experience Data

User experience (UX) is another factor that directly influences your SEO performance. Through GSC, you can track things like Core Web Vitals, which measure the performance of key elements on your pages (e.g., how quickly they load and whether the layout shifts during loading). If users are having a poor experience on your site, it can hurt your rankings. GSC gives you a way to monitor these issues and take corrective action.

5. How to Sign Up for Google Search Console

Getting started with Google Search Console is simple. Here’s how you can sign up:

  1. Go to the Google Search Console website and sign in with your Google account.
  2. Add Your Property (Website): Click on the “Add Property” button. You will need to enter the URL of your website (the domain).
  3. Verify Ownership: Google will ask you to verify ownership of the site. The most common method is adding a meta tag to the <head> section of your homepage or uploading a HTML file to your server.
  4. Submit Your XML Sitemap: Once you’ve verified your site, go to the “Sitemaps” section of GSC and submit your XML sitemap. This will help Google crawl and index your pages more efficiently.
  5. Start Tracking Performance: After setting everything up, you can start using GSC’s various tools to track your site’s performance, identify issues, and enhance your SEO strategy.

Conclusion

Signing up for Google Search Console is an essential step for marketers who want to take control of their website’s SEO performance. By providing actionable insights, monitoring errors, and helping you optimize your XML sitemap, GSC ensures that your site is properly indexed, that your pages are visible in search, and that you are continuously improving your rankings.

If you’re serious about increasing your site exposure and improving your SEO strategy, don’t skip over Google Search Console. It’s a free, easy-to-use tool that provides everything you need to make informed decisions, track your progress, and ultimately drive more traffic to your site.

Now that you’ve optimized your XML sitemap, the next step is to make sure Google can find and index it correctly—Google Search Console is the key to making this happen effectively. Visit our SEO Category for more Google related marekting tips.