Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a free online tool provided by Google to help you analyse and measure your website's search traffic and performance. It can help you to fix any issues that appear on your website and also to help your website improve it's performance both in Google Search results, and also in pay per click adverts.
There is a lot of data available in Google Search Console that can help you to improve your site's position in search engine results.
Before you can use it, you'll need to verify with Google that you own the website that you want to get the data for, to do so please follow the instructions below.
It can take a few days once you have verified your website for data to start being displayed to you.
Verifying your website with Google Search Console
If you would like to verify your website on Google Search Console, please follow these steps.
1. Visit https://search.google.com/search-console/about and click to the start now button
2. You'll be prompted to login to your Google account. If you don't already have a Google account you can create one at https://accounts.google.com/SignUp
3. Once logged in you'll be presented with two options:
Option 1
Google counts each subdomain on your website as separate. This means that www.domain.com is not the same as domain.com or shop.domain.com
Option 1 allows you to verify ownership of the entire domain name in one go.
However, it requires you to verify ownership of your domain name by adding a DNS record to your domain. This is something that you cannot do through your ShopWired account. Instead, you'll need to add the DNS record on your domain name directly (with your domain name registrar).
Option 2
This allows you to verify ownership of a single subdomain and protocol (protocol is either http or https depending on whether you have an SSL certificate active on your domain name).
The normal setup on your account means your website will be available at either http://www.domain.com or https://www.domain.com. However if you display your online store at a subdomain, e.g. https://shop.domain.com or without a www, e.g. https://domain.com you will need to verify that.
Which of the above two options you decide to use is entirely up to you, but we cannot assist you with using option 1 and you will need to complete the process with help and assistance from Google and your domain name registrar (if you need assistance adding the DNS record Google requires).
The instructions below assume you have chosen option 2.
4. Enter the URL you want to verify into the box, remembering to use the correct protocol (either https:// or http:// depending on whether you have an SSL certificate active) and also including the correct subdomain (e.g. www) as shown in the example below. Once complete click 'continue'.
5. You will then be presented with a number of different verification methods.
You'll need to select the HTML Tag method.
6. An HTML meta tag will then be displayed.
You should highlight this meta tag and copy it to your computer's keyboard (either CTRL + C for a Windows computer or CMD + C for an Apple computer).
7. In a separate browser window, login to your ShopWired account. Select 'settings' from the menu and then 's.e.o.'.
Paste the meta tag (either CTRL + V for a Windows computer or CMD + V for an Apple computer) into the field labelled Google Search Console Verification as shown in the screenshot below and click to save the changes.
8. Go back to Google Search Console and click the Verify button.
9. Once Google has verified ownership you'll be shown a confirmation message.
Verification is now complete.
If you experience any problems please check that the meta tag you have entered into your account displays exactly as the meta tag is provided by Google, any errors will leave you unable to verify the site. Please contact us if you require assistance.