Google Webmaster Tools is one of the most powerful free toolkits at your disposal for making sure Google can crawl your website properly.
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:
- Uploading a special file to your website
- 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!
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its better to use sitempa plugin for wordpress isn’t? thanks
@madd – you still should verify your site with Google Webmaster Tools. You will want to do both – use the XML sitemap plugin to generate the sitemap, and verify your site with Google Webmaster Tools to make sure Google sees your site, the sitemap, and diagnoses any problems.
oohh…. if i don’t use the plugin i can’t generate the sitemap?
Yes you can generate a sitemap without a plugin, but the plugin makes it much easier, and also updates the sitemap file whenever you post new content.
When you verify it in Google Webmaster tools, you are simply pointing Google to your sitemap file. It inspects it regularly to look for updates.
Thankyouthankyouthankyou! WordPress sucks for directions, so thank you for your clear demonstration.
Does this work for free themes too?
@neuron, yes, it should work with any theme that you are self-hosting (WordPress.org not WordPress.com.)
Thanks ,
This was very helpful. I thought I could just name a page with HTML and put it into Wordpress. That did not work. Google has to make it way more difficult than it should be.
Thanks again,
Thanks for this advice. I successfully verified my site with webmaster tools.
I look forward to seeing more of your videos and advice blogs.
Thanks again
I am trying hard to paste google webmaster tools code on my wordpress website, but failed. plz let me know how to do it?
Ashfaq, that’s what I’m trying to show in this blog post – where are you running into trouble? Can you give me some details?
unable to find tag in header.php
Thanks for this video. I am a relatively new webmaster with little knowledge of coding. When I was asked to verify my site I knew it must be easy to do but I didn’t want to mess something up. This video made it simple. A few clicks and I was done.
Thanks for the instructions. I was looking all over this morning to figure this out.
Thanks for the video!
However, I can’t get the verification to work. I have pasted the generated code at exactly the place you suggested (which is immediatly below the “<head profile=…" line in the 'header.php', and tried it at header2 and header5 as well (which I appear to have in the theme file directory). I also pasted the code at other places, but everytime before the opening of the tag. Also, I waited for like 15 minutes to retry verification. It just don’t work…. Judging from all the comments, this is rather rare. Do you have a solution?
Hi Leon,
When I look at the source of your home page, I see the verification code in there. I’m not sure why it is not verifying…
Hi Don,
I think I found the answer… It just takes time before verification works. In my case like 1 hour or so. So, it is solved.
Thanks again! People like you make the virtual world a simpler place for what we in th Netherlands call ‘digibetes’ like me.
I love the query tool from webmaster tool as well. It really gives good insight on rankings. However, I can”t seem to have access data from more than 5 weeks before current date??? Am I the only one?
Potentially the previous version of the tool was better for ranking trends over time.
Hi Don,
Its been a while since I’ve checked in. All the questions and responses are so relevant and useful on a topic that is truly important. I’ve been catching up on the conversation. Eventually, I’ll have my personal ready-to-launch site. In the mean time,your expertise and coaching is much appreciated. It has already helped me help my clients with their sites. They often are with webmasters who don’t even realize the importance of verification or other elements necessary for a site to be successful,profitable. Too focused on the sites “prettiness.” Form follows function!
Thanks,
Candace
Hi Don,
It’s been a while since I’ve checked in. Following the conversation is valuable. What you teach regarding verification to Google has been very useful to me to help my clients. Too many webmasters focus on a site’s prettines rather than all the elemants and steps nesessary to produce a site that is ultimately profitable. Form follows function.
Thanks,
Candace
Great video Don, really helpful. You made something intimidating really easy.
Hi Don, thanks for the video BUT, I can´n see the Editor button in my Dashboard. I have the last WP version.
Could you help me please?
Thanks again
I am looking for a webmaster to do enithing i need in my wordpress web site
also to be integrated with google adwords
Hi
I have verified my blog but I cannot see any data.. Its all blank
I’m using the Morning After Theme on Wordpress. It isn’t showing and “Editor” option in the Appearance menu. Can you help?
Hi Simon,
Is your site hosted on WordPress.com? If so, you will not be able to edit your theme. Here is a blog post I wrote discussing the differences between WordPress.com and hosting your own WordPress blog: WordPress.com vs WordPress.org – Which One Should I Use?
Hi Don,
I’m in the process of setting up my site and stuck on actually loading the ‘plugin’ for the webmaster tool code onto my WP site.
This video tutorial isn’t working for me and I am stuck. I’ve activated the Plugin Webmaster Tools Verification, edited it with the my WM meta tag, doesn’t work? I’m using Genesis, what am I doing wrong?
Hi Kate,
I don’t mention anything about a plugin in my video, so I don’t know which plugin you are using or what could be wrong.
You don’t need a plugin to verify your site with Google Webmaster Tools. There should be a section in your theme options that allows you to paste the verification code there.
Or, if you are using Google Analytics, you can use that to verify your site with Google Webmaster Tools now – this is the easiest way if you have Google Analytics installed already.
Thanks so much for that video! I found it enlightening and am sure it saved me one big headache trying to figure out how to connect my wordpress themes to google’s web master tools.
Hey Don,
Thanks a lot for this video. It solved my problem of getting verified immediately !
I really appreciate it.
I still don’t know much about using Webmaster tools but I’ll catch on. If you have any more videos on this I love to see them.
Thanks again,
Darrell Hare
Hello Don – this is a test comment on your blog to see if your site works after moving to Bluehost . Do not publish this comment.
Test comment looks good to me. LOL
I have been looking around for ages trying to verify my site in webmaster tools, this site has helped. I have also just managed to submit a sitemap in webmaster tools.
Great – thanks for leaving a comment seo in kent!
Hi Don
Too tired to run over the whole problem in detail.
Used Wordpress Plug ins Google XML Sitemaps and now XML Sitemap Feed with the same error from http://www.xml-sitemaps.com:
Low-level XML well-formedness and/or validity processing output
Error: Expected name, but got after <
in unnamed entity at line 150 char 22 of http://potchtrade.co.za/
Next is the error I get from Google Webmaster:
Sitemap is HTML
Your Sitemap appears to be an HTML page. Please use a supported sitemap format instead.
Tag: html
Problem detected on: Aug 22, 2011
Sorry for the condensed brief, no disrespect, but been on this for days now and my eyes are about to fall out.
Many thanks for help!!
Christian,
What are you submitting for your sitemap? You should be submitting http://potchtrade.co.za/sitemap.xml – I think you may be submitting your domain name instead and that is causing your problem.
Initially, I’ve submitted http://www.potchtrade.co.za/sitemap. After your suggetion, I then submitted http://www.potchtrade.co.za/sitemap.xml as well.
Still getting the same error fromWebmaster:
“Your Sitemap appears to be an HTML page. Please use a supported sitemap format instead.”
Christian,
Here’s the deal, type in the url that you are submitting as a sitemap, and you should see the sitemap in your browser. This way you can verify that you are submitting the right URL. This one looks good to me – submit this one: http://potchtrade.co.za/sitemap.xml
Initially, I’ve submitted http://www.potchtrade.co.za/sitemap. After your suggestion, I then submitted http://www.potchtrade.co.za/sitemap.xml as well.
Still getting the same error from Google’s Webmaster:
“Your Sitemap appears to be an HTML page. Please use a supported sitemap format instead.”
Does it matter that the “www” normally is not included in my address? As per you suggestion http://potchtrade.co.za/sitemap.xml instead of http://www.potchtrade.co.za/sitemap.xml.
My site address normally revert to no “www” when I enter it into the address bar.
I have registered it as http://potchtrade.co.za on Webmaster and it confirms this in the dashboard. However, the “www” sneaks back at the sitemap submission section and there’s nothing I can apparently do to change it.
Many thanks for your continued support.
I also would like to add that to make sure you checkout Google Webmaster Tools for the other great things it has to offer such as html errors Google found and 404 page problems Google got with your site.
Very good point Caleb – thanks for your comment!
Don, I appreciate this video explanation. It’s simple to follow and very helpful. Thanks again.
Don, you must be made of awesomeness! I’ve tried about everything, including the “webmaster tools verification” plugin, which main function seems to be – nothing?!
Thank you for sharing this video with novists like myself!
THANK YOU so much for this video! For the life of me I could not find the under Wordpress’ stylesheet (I have a downloaded template) and was just totally confused about how to add the meta tag. People like me with no html experience need all the help we can get from great tutorial videos like yours. Again, thank you!
Great video, thanks so much!
Thanks for this. This was a real time saver!!
i cant see the (EDITOR) option in (APPEARANCE)
WHAT should i do plz help me
Thanks, very helpful video!
So, do I have to repaste that snipet in the head every time I update my theme? It seems to update every month…
Again, thanks for your help.
Thanks dude, I tried the html file method but that didn’t work so went down the meta tag road and bingo.
Your video opened lots of learning doors for me, i was new to wordpress but not new to coding so you gave me a way out to customize things in my desired way.
Thanks a lot!
Hello,
This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I enjoy seeing websites that understand the value of providing a prime resource for free. I truly loved reading your post. Thanks!
Thanks for the great video. I actually had some trouble verifying my wordpress custom theme in Google Webmaster Tools. Google was unable to verify the html file after I had uploaded several times. I was finally able to verify it using the meta tag.
Hey, great video! It’s really well done – what software or program are you using to shoot this? I’m curious, share if you can and thanks again, this was really helpful for me.
Jake
This is my first time to handle a wordpress account and really I had a hard time verifying the site. Thankfully I found your tutorial!
Hi
I need some more info. on the GWMT. I have submitted my site to google and verified it with the web master as well. On the web master dashboard the queries and keywords do not show any data.
I have submitted the site map and I am using Yoast Seo Plugin as well.
Please reply soon
Hi Ameen, how long ago did you verify it? Sometimes it can take several days before you start getting meaningful data. Especially if the site is new and doesn’t have a lot of traffic yet.
It has been almost 4 days. How long will it take for the queries and keywords to show up?
I would give it at the very least a week. Even longer if you are not getting a lot of traffic. You will also have to wait awhile for the page speed analysis by webmaster tools. If you don’t get a lot of traffic page speed is rarely updated.
Okay. Thank for the replies. You have been a great help
Don,
Before visiting your website, already bought sitemap generator from xml-sitemaps.com but still confusing in using it, in general do we need regenerate/rebuild sitemap everyday then submit to google webmaster tools if cronjob cammand is provided?
According to your plugin, it’s automatically generate sitemap when new post content created. Do we need to resubmit sitemap to google webmaster once new post created? Which the different or more value for comparison?
Thanks,
Agus
Hi Agus,
It’s a good question. Here’s the deal – verify your website in Google Webmaster tools, and point it to where your sitemap resides. Usually mysite.com/sitemap.xml.
You should keep the sitemap up to date as you add new content to the site. A plugin or tool can help you with this. Once you’ve verified your site in Google Webmaster Tools and pointed it to your sitemap file, it will automatically pick up changes.
My sites already verified in Google Webmaster Tools and trying your sitemap plugin. Have clicked “rebuild sitemap” manually as stated on result of last build process (If you changed something on your server or blog, you should rebuild the sitemap manually.). Now back to Google Webmaster Tools then click sitemaps on site configuration tab. There is resubmit button so do we need to tick /sitemap.xml and click resubmit button or no action needed means that your sitemap plugin will automatically update/change my sitemap.xml file on Google Webmaster Tools?
Thanks for your clear explanation
Hi Agus,
I don’t provide a sitemap plugin, so I’m not sure which one you are referring to… The one I like to use, is called Google XML Sitemaps and it will automatically update the sitemap.xml file when you publish a new page or post on your blog.
Once your sitemap is submitted to Google you do not need to resubmit it again. It may take a few days before Google crawls your pages, however.
OK, Thanks Don to refer me a nice plugin of xml sitemap.
That’s the answer I’ve been waiting for a long time.
hey nice video
bu ti cant find Edit Theme option 
what should i do ?
Farhan,
You don’t get that option when your website is hosted at WordPress.com. You need to be self-hosted to edit the templates. See this article that describes the difference between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org (self-hosted WordPress)
Thanks Brother …
Your Are The Best
Thanks for a simple video that can help anyone to get this done immediately!
Don, thank you so much for the great tutorial! I am an IT dummy and any little success is a big step for me
I was screaming the screams of victory when my site was finally verified by Google! Fun times – thanks again!
Its been only three days, I have launched my new website.I am pretty new to webmaster tools. I had no clue where to add the meta tag in my site.After watching your video I could able to add meta tag in the header.php.
Thanks for helping me out. I verified and it was successful.
Dude thank you so much…this video helped A LOT…I am mentally challenged when it comes to the “techi” stuff…btw how can I know how many links Im getting to a specific page? is it possible to do it with Google Webmaster Tool?
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