Verify Your WordPress Website in Google Webmaster Tools

by on February 3, 2010 · 335 comments

Google Webmaster Tools is one of the most powerful free toolkits at your disposal for making sure Google can crawl your website properly.

Google Webmaster Tools - How to Verify Your WordPress Website
In order to use Google Webmaster tools for your website, you need to verify it with Google to prove that you own the website.

There are two ways to do this:

  1. Uploading a special file to your website
  2. Adding a Meta Tag to your website.

With WordPress, it can be confusing how to do this. This video shows you how to verify your WordPress Website in Google Webmaster Tools using the Meta Tag method.

Once your site is verified, you can use Google Webmaster Tools to do all sorts of diagnostics on your site. For example:

  • Submit an XML sitemap for your site (I use this WordPress Plugin to automatically update my XML sitemap)
  • Discover any problems Google might have crawling your site
  • Discover any duplicate content issues on your site
  • See what keywords people are using to find you
  • See what sites are linking to your website
  • Check your Page Load Speed
  • And a TON more.

Trust me, this is an indispensable tool and you’ll want to set it up for your website.

Update: Google has added a third and easier verification method now. If you already have Google Analytics installed on your site, Google Webmaster Tools can use it to verify your site – no need for meta tags or file uploads!

Google Webmaster Tools - verify using Google Analytics

Update 2: If you are using WordPress.com (rather than self-hosted WordPress.org), you can verify your blog with Google Webmaster Tools using this method.

Please rate my video and leave me comments below!

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Don is an entrepreneur based in Silicon Valley. He founded Expand2Web and is the publisher of the Expand2Web Blog and the SmallBiz WordPress Theme.

Don has written 248 articles on Expand2Web

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{ 335 comments… read them below or add one }

Ben H March 11, 2013 at 12:59 pm

Legend thanks!!

Reply

Susan March 11, 2013 at 1:09 pm

Thank you for such detailed instructions. I have been very intimidated in editing anything in WP (Blogger – I was fine) but following your video made the process simple….and it worked! Not sure why I wasn’t indexed b/c I had done this in Blogger at one time – maybe the transition over to WP – it got lost. Doesn’t matter – I’m good to go now…thank you!

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Lucien Erve March 13, 2013 at 7:23 am

I am following your instructions but something is not working.

Reply

Moses March 15, 2013 at 6:56 am

It worked for me. Thank you.

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Jennifer Beever March 21, 2013 at 10:05 am

Thanks, Don, this was very helpful. The video is clear and well-done!

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Ben Tweedle March 27, 2013 at 5:12 am

Thank You so much!!

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Kathryn April 8, 2013 at 10:24 am

Thank you! Simple and clear and now verified.

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Holly April 11, 2013 at 12:13 pm

Finally, someone who speaks my language! Thanks!

Reply

Frante April 12, 2013 at 6:41 am

I did and it is working great, also if you have your site hosted in goaddy it does automatically for you.

Reply

Aimee April 14, 2013 at 9:47 pm

THANK YOU!!

Reply

Anto April 23, 2013 at 8:28 am

This worked a treat, many thanks.

Reply

Chris Sell May 1, 2013 at 9:00 am

Thanks. Really helpful video.

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shane May 5, 2013 at 9:23 pm

Thanks Don great videos!!

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Eric May 6, 2013 at 10:48 am

Thank you for the video!

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Shai May 8, 2013 at 2:49 am

Thank you so much!!!

Reply

Steve May 10, 2013 at 2:44 pm

Thanks, I was struggling to verify using my WP theme, this tutorial worked a treat.
many thanks for taking the time :)

Reply

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