Google Search Console Setup: How to Get Started

If you want Google to pick up what you’re putting down on your website, you need to be able to see WHAT Google sees when it crawls your pages.

That’s exactly why Google Search Console exists.

In this Google Search Console Setup tutorial, I’m gonna walk you through the same simple process I use to create an account, verify a site, and set things up the right way from the start so you can start building SEO momentum ASAP.

What Google Search Console is (and why I set it up on every site)

Google Search Console (GSC) is a free tool from Google that helps you monitor how your website shows up in Google search. Think of it like a behind-the-scenes report card that Google hands to you, the website owner, so you can get feedback on how you’re doing.

Once you have Search Console set up, you can get an inside look at how Google sees your website, not just how your site looks to visitors. That difference matters, because if Google can’t crawl something, doesn’t trust something, or runs into errors, it can affect whether your pages show up in results or not.

Google Search Console (GSC) helps you with:

• Search queries (keywords): See what people typed into Google before they find your site (and what page they were taken to).
• Performance tracking: Monitor clicks, impressions, and trends over time.
• Crawl and indexing issues: Spot errors when Google tries to crawl your site.
• General site health signals: Find warnings or problems that might need attention.

If you want an expanded version of this, I have a longer Google Search Console setup guide that walks through the core steps and what to do after you’re verified.

And if you want to go straight to the tool, you can get to Google’s official signup page here: sign up for Google Search Console.

What to do BEFORE Setting up Search Console:

In order to set up Google Search Console on your website, you need to VERIFY that you are indeed the OWNER of the website.

This is called the “verification process” and it *can* be pretty annoying sometimes.

BUT I’ve figured out a couple ways to make this verification process a LOT easier…

Before touching GSC, it helps to have these 2 things in place:

1. A Google account. You NEED to have a Google account in order to sign up for this FREE Google tool. It can be a free Gmail email address, or if can be a paid Google workspace account (this is what I use for my business so I can get a domain name email address).
2. If you can, install Google Analytics on your website FIRST. This is the part that saves the most time, because when Google Analytics is already tracking the site, Search Console verification can be almost automatic. Here’s my quick tutorial on how to setup Google Analytics for your website.

IMPORTANT: Use the same Google account for Google Analytics and Google Search Console. 

When everything is under the same login, the tools play nicer together, and you’re less likely to get stuck in the hell of a verification loop.

Google Search Console Setup Tutorial for Beginners (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Get into Google Search Console and Add a Property

To start, go to Google and search “Google Search Console”, or use the official signup page. From there:

1. Click the Start Now button.
2. Sign into your Google account.
3. If you already have an account open for a different website, click the property selector in the upper left, then choose Add property.

Not “property” like “Property Brothers” 😂 Google uses the word “property” to mean “website.” So when you add a property, you’re telling Google, “I own or manage this site, and I want to see its Search Console data.”

After that, Google gives you a choice between two setup options – more on which to choose next! 

Step 2: Choose Domain Property vs URL prefix 

When adding a property, you’ll see 2 options:

Domain property (DNS verification)

A Domain property covers the whole domain, including all subdomains and both http and https. It’s the most “complete” setup.

The catch is that it requires DNS verification, which means adding a TXT record (a text record) in your domain host settings which you *might* not wanna do if you’re not so techy.

If the domain is registered with GoDaddy, Google sometimes makes this easier by guiding the connection. If the site is hosted somewhere else, you may need to add the DNS record manually.

DNS work isn’t hard once you’ve done it, but it can feel like a lot if you’re brand new.

If you have a website developer, technical team, or techy bestie, loop them in on this part.

URL prefix property (for a quick setup)

A URL prefix property is a simpler setup because it verifies a specific version of a URL (more on that in the next section). For beginners, this option is often the fastest path.

If DNS verification sounds like too much right now, choose URL prefix. It gets the job done, and you can still see the data you need.

Once you’ve chosen an option, paste in your website URL and click Continue.

Step 3: Find your primary domain version (HTTPS, WWW, and the 4 variations)

This is the step most people skip, then wonder why things look messy later.

Every website domain usually has four common variations:

1. https://www.yoursite.com
2. https://yoursite.com
3. http://www.yoursite.com
4. http://yoursite.com

Even if all of them redirect to one main version, Google Search Console treats URL prefix properties as separate. That’s why I start by identifying which version is my primary one – and you should too.

How to find your primary domain name:

• Open your website in a browser.
• Look at the exact URL that loads on the front end.
• Copy what’s in the address bar and paste that into the URL prefix field in Search Console.

If the site loads as https, that’s what you want. No “S” (http instead of https) usually means the site isn’t secure, because it doesn’t have an SSL certificate. That can hurt trust and can cause issues you don’t wanna deal with.

As for WWW vs non-WWW, I wouldn’t stress about it. Either is fine as long as it’s consistent and secure. This step is just to confirm what the site is actually using so you can match it in Search Console.

After you’ve pasted the correct URL version, click Continue and move into verification.

Step 4: The Main Methods of Verifying Website Ownership

Verification is Google’s way of checking that you actually own or manage the site.

If you’ve already installed Google Analytics using the same Google account, sometimes Search Console verifies automatically. If you see a confirmation screen with a ✅, you’re good to move on. 

But if that doesn’t happen, Google has lots of verification options. The one that comes up most often is the HTML tag method.

HTML tag verification

With this method, Google will give you a snippet of code (a meta tag). Copy it, then paste it into the <head> section of your website.

How to add it depends on the platform:

• WordPress (many themes): Some themes have a spot in the theme customizer for header scripts (often labeled header and footer scripts).
• Divi: Divi has theme options where you can paste header code in the Integration area.
• WordPress (backup plan): If the theme doesn’t offer an easy place, you can use a header and footer script plugin so you can paste the code without editing theme files.
• Squarespace: Squarespace makes this easier through built-in settings, and sometimes allows a direct connection for Search Console.

Once the code is added, go back to Search Console and hit Verify. When it works, get your green checkmark. Success! Now you can open the property.

If some of these terms feel unfamiliar (like crawl, index, query, or meta tag), keep a tab open for my SEO glossary for beginners. It’s the cheat sheet I wish everyone had when they first get started.

Step 5: Adding the Other URL Versions is Best Practice, Even if it’s Annoying

After the primary version is verified (the one you’ll actually look at most), I recommend going back and adding the other URL prefix variations.

(Yes, it’s a bit of a pain, but you can give yourself bonus points for being thorough??)

Here’s why I do it: even if my website redirects properly, links can still exist out in the world pointing to different versions of my domain. Claiming all versions makes it clear that I own them.

My process looks like this:

1. Click Add property.
2. Paste the next URL variation (for example, the non-WWW https version).
3. Click Continue and verify.

Once the main property is verified, the other ones tend to verify quickly.

To be clear, I don’t spend time inside ALL 4 properties. The one I pay attention to is my main version (which for my website is https://www.mariahmagazine.com). The rest are there so that ownership is cleanly documented in the account.

If you setup Google Search Console via Domain Property, you won’t have this confusion. You’ll ONLY have ONE property to look at. 

Step 6: What Happens After GSC Setup

If this is your first time setting up Search Console for a site, it can feel underwhelming when you first log in, because you might not see data right away.

That’s normal.

For a new site, it can take days or even weeks before meaningful data starts showing up, bc Google needs time to crawl your pages and collect enough info to report back.

To help move things along a bit, you can submit a sitemap (like giving Google a map to your site so it doesn’t have to ask for directions.)

A sitemap helps Google’s bots crawl and understand what pages exist on your site. Submitting it doesn’t force Google to rank you, but it does make discovery and crawling easier.

What a sitemap is and why submitting it to Google helps you

A sitemap is like a road map of your website. It lays out the URLs you want search engines to know about, plus helpful details that can give Google extra context, like:

• When a page was last updated
• How often content changes
• Alternate language versions (if you have them)

Submitting a sitemap to Google isn’t forcing rankings or guaranteeing instant traffic – that’s not how it works.You’re really just making it easier for Google to crawl your site.

Here’s the part I want you to remember: the easier it is for Google bots to understand your site, the more likely you’ll get found in search results.

How to find your sitemap URL – by website platform

Most content management systems generate a sitemap automatically, or they make it easy through an SEO plugin. All you have to do is find the correct sitemap URL for your site.

Common sitemap URL patterns (WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify, Showit, Wix)

Here are the most common sitemap URLs I see, based on platform:

A couple quick notes from what I see in real life:

• WordPress: If I’m using an SEO plugin (like Yoast), it usually generates a sitemap automatically. Depending on the plugin or setup, I might see a sitemap index that links out to multiple sitemap files. In the video, the example looked like an index-style sitemap URL. The most common Yoast format I use is sitemap_index.xml.
• Squarespace + Shopify: These are typically simple, sitemap.xml and already live.
• Wix (or other platforms): If I’m not sure, I literally Google: “sitemap URL for (platform name)”. Most platforms have a help center article that spells it out.

If you’re still deciding which platform makes the most sense long-term, I also wrote this breakdown: best SEO-friendly website builders.

Make sure to Verify the Sitemap Before Submitting

This is the step people skip if they haven’t read this blog post…

Before submitting any sitemap URL in Google Search Console, do a quick check:

1. Open a new browser tab.
2. Paste the full sitemap URL (my domain + the sitemap path).
3. Confirm it loads.

When it’s working, you’ll see an XML page. It might look “code-ish” and not pretty. Totally normal. What you want to avoid is submitting a URL that returns a 404 error, redirects somewhere weird, or isn’t actually a sitemap.

Don’t assume it’s right, double-check it first. 

It takes 10 seconds.

Step-by-Step: How To Submit Your Sitemap to Google 

Once you have the correct sitemap URL, submitting it inside Google Search Console is straightforward.

Here’s my process:

1. Log into Google Search Console.
2. In the left sidebar, select Sitemaps.
3. Under “Add a new sitemap, paste the sitemap URL (or the sitemap slug, depending on what GSC shows for the property).
4. Click Submit.
5. Look for the confirmation message that says it was submitted successfully.

After that, you’ll usually see a status update in the sitemaps table. Sometimes it updates instantly, sometimes it takes a bit. 

Troubleshooting Sitemap Submission Issues

Most of the time, sitemap submission is smooth. But tech is tech, and it can surprise you sometimes.

If you submit your sitemap and see an error (often highlighted in red), your next move is simple:

• Refresh the page.

No joke, I’ve seen Google Search Console show a scary status for a minute, then switch to success after a refresh. If it still shows an issue after refreshing, go back to basics:

• Does the sitemap URL load in a browser tab?
• Did I paste the correct version of my domain (www vs non-www, https vs http)?
• Am I submitting the sitemap to the correct property inside Search Console?

If the URL works in a browser but GSC still complains, I’ll give it a little time, then check again.

Having a Squarespace-specific sitemap issue?

Squarespace usually generates sitemap.xml automatically, but I have run into cases where a sitemap didn’t generate because of a bug.

When that happens, I go straight to Squarespace support (their chat is usually the fastest). I tell them my sitemap isn’t generating, and in my experience they can fix it quickly once they see the issue on their end.

If you’re on Squarespace and want to cover more of the basics that help your site show up in Google, my beginner Squarespace SEO tips will help.

What To Do After Your Sitemap is Submitted

Once your sitemap is submitted, don’t just forget about it. Treat this like the starting point of something awesome.

Check back in Google Search Console later. You want to see that Google can read the sitemap and that it’s processing URLs.

Keep publishing and updating content. Sitemaps are most useful when a site has many pages worth crawling.

Submit a sitemap to other search engines too. Google is the big one, but it’s not the only one. If you want the step-by-step for Bing, I have it right here: how to submit a sitemap to Bing Webmaster Tools. This’ll help you show up in AI answers as well, so I highly recommend.

Google Search Console Dashboard Overview (Beginner-Friendly)

Okay, now that we’ve gotten the basics out of the way and you have your account setup + your sitemap submitted, it’s time to actually LEARN how the hell to use this free Google tool….

So in this Google Search Console Dashboard Overview tutorial, I’m gonna keep this simple and focus on the parts I think matter most when you’re getting started: your quick snapshot, your performance data, common errors, sitemaps, URL inspection, and the few settings worth knowing.

Search Console Insights: My Favorite Quick Snapshot

When I want a quick overview without getting pulled into a bunch of tabs, I start with Search Console Insights.

Here’s what to pay attention to right away:

• Whether anything is trending up by a percentage
• The top content Google is sending traffic to
• The main searches people typed before they found your site

It’s not the deepest report, but it’s the fastest way to get answers to basic questions like: are more people seeing my site this month, or less? Did clicks go up? Did they drop? Am I getting visibility for the kind of topics I want, or is Google picking up something random?

If you’re the type who likes routines, Insights is a solid “first Monday of the month” habit. You can scan it in a few minutes, make a mental note of what’s improving, then decide if you need to dig deeper into the full performance report.

Performance report: how to track clicks, impressions, and rankings

Most of the time, when I’m working or helping a client in Google Search Console, the real work starts in the Performance section, specifically Search results.

This is where to see how your site is performing inside Google Search itself. 

Setting up the view (so the data makes sense)

At the top, the default “Search type” is usually Web, and I keep it there for most websites.

Next, look at the date range. This matters more than people think because a 7-day view can look chaotic, and a 3-month view can smooth out trends.

Try these options:

• Last 28 days for quick check-ins
• Last 3 months for pattern spotting
• Last 6 to 12 months for bigger strategy decisions
• Compare periods if you changed something on your site and want to see if it helped

The compare option is especially useful if you’ve been updating titles, cleaning up pages, or improving on-page content. Comparing the last 3 months to the previous 3 months gives a clearer picture of whether those changes are helping.

The 4 metrics to watch first:

At the top of the report, you can toggle 4 main metrics that power the chart and the table underneath.

Here’s how to think about them:

Impressions are people SEEING your website as a search result. Clicks are people saying, ‘Okay, tell me more.’

If impressions are rising but clicks are flat, I usually take that as a sign to look at what’s showing up in results (like SEO titles and descriptions) or whether I’m ranking a bit too low to earn clicks.

Using Queries and Pages to connect keywords to content:

Under the chart, the table is where things get really real.

By default, you’ll see Queries. Queries are simply the searches people typed into Google before your site showed up. In other words, it’s the list of what Google thinks your site is relevant for.

One thing that can confuse beginners (it confused me too), is that the table can look “empty” if you haven’t selected the metrics at the top. If you only have clicks selected, you’ll only see click data. If you want impressions, CTR, and position data in the table, make sure those are selected.

From there, I use 2 views constantly:

• Queries view: “What am I showing up for?”
• Pages view: “Which pages are getting visibility and traffic?”

The best part is how you can move back and forth.

If I click a specific query, then switch to Pages, I can see which page is ranking for that exact search. That’s how I connect a keyword to the URL Google chose.

I can also do it in reverse: start in Pages, click a page, then go back to Queries to see what searches are driving traffic to that page.

When I’m reading positions, a decent rule of thumb is that positions under 10 often line up with page one, because there are usually around 10 main results per page. That said, context matters, because Google results can look different based on the search, location, and features on the page.

Filters I use to find quick wins

Filters are where I go when I’m ready to take action.

One of my favorite filters is Position, because I can isolate queries that are not on page one. If I’m going to spend time reworking a page, I’d rather start with something sitting on page two or three than something buried so deep it needs a full rebuild.

This is also how I avoid guessing. Instead of asking, “What should I optimize,” I’m using actual Google data to pick the next target.

Turning performance data into an on-page SEO plan

Once I find a query and page combination I want to improve, the next step is simple in theory: I re-optimize that page for the keyword I want to improve.

For example, if a page is ranking for a term I like, but it’s sitting around position 13 (page two), I know I might be close enough that better on-page work could help.

That usually means I look at whether the page clearly reflects the priority topic:

• Is the topic obvious in the title?
• Does the page answer what the searcher is actually trying to figure out?
• Is the wording consistent throughout the page?

A quick note on “near me” searches: I don’t write “near me” into my content as a strategy. 

Google uses location signals to match those searches to local results, so it’s usually smarter to focus on the location terms that make sense for the page (city, region, service area), not the phrase “near me” itself.

If you want a clean system for optimizing content, this resource helps a lot: free blog post SEO checklist download. And if you want the video version of where to place a priority keyword, here’s the tutorial I referenced: 8 places to put your keyword for on-page optimization.

After I update a page, I often request indexing (I’ll show you where in a second) so Google has a reason to come back and re-crawl it sooner.

Coverage and indexing: where I check for crawling errors

If Performance is where I watch growth, Coverage (Indexing) is where I look for problems.

Google crawls your site using bots. If those bots hit an issue, Google doesn’t email you or send a warning to your contact page. It shows the issue inside Google Search Console.

In the Coverage area, try looking at:

• Valid: pages Google can crawl and index
• Discovered, not indexed: pages that Google has found, but doesn’t think are worthy enough to be indexed.
• Excluded: pages Google isn’t indexing
• Errors: problems that can block crawling or indexing

Excluded can sound scary, but it often isn’t. Some pages shouldn’t appear in search results, like a “thank you” page, and it’s common for site owners to add a noindex tag to those.

So I don’t panic when I see exclusions. I use judgment and ask, “Is this a page I want people finding on Google?”

The exclusion I do pay close attention to is Not found (404). A 404 means a URL no longer exists. It can point to a broken internal link, a deleted page, or a typo in a URL somewhere that Google tried to crawl. 

Those are worth fixing because broken links create a bad experience for users, and they can waste crawl time.

If I see an error and I fix it (or I check and I’m confident the error isn’t real), I use the Validate fix button. That puts the page in line for Google to recheck. I’ve seen cases where the bot reported an issue that wasn’t accurate, and validating the fix cleared it once Google crawled again.

Sitemaps, removals, and manual actions (the tabs you can’t ignore)

There are a few other areas I want you to know exist, even if you don’t spend a lot of time in them.

Sitemaps: your website’s roadmap

We already talked about this in-depth above. If you haven’t submitted yours yet, or you want to double-check you did it correctly, scroll up to this sitemap section of the article to learn how to submit your sitemap.

Removals: hiding a page temporarily

If there’s a page showing up in Google results that I don’t want appearing right now, Removals lets me request a temporary removal. 

This is not the same as permanently fixing indexing, but it’s helpful in a pinch.

Here’s a YouTube video that explains page removals in more detail.

Security and manual actions: where penalties show up

If Google applies a penalty (manual action), it shows up here. 

If Google detects a security issue, it shows up here too. 

Most site owners never deal with this, but it’s good to know where to look & double check.

URL Inspection: My “Is This Page on Google” Button

URL Inspection is one of my favorite tools in the whole platform because it’s so direct.

I copy a URL from my website, paste it into the inspection bar at the top, and Google gives me a clear status report, like:

• Is the URL on Google?
• Is it indexed?
• Is it mobile-friendly?
• Was it discovered through my sitemap?

In a perfect world, I want to see check marks across the board.

How I use URL Inspection Tool:

I use URL Inspection in 3 main situations:

1. When I want to confirm a page is indexed.
   If I published a new services page or updated my homepage and I’m not sure Google is showing the current version, I check here first.
2. When I publish a new post and don’t want to wait.
   If the URL isn’t on Google yet, I can request indexing. I think of it like tapping Google on the shoulder and saying, “Hey, this exists.” Sometimes it happens fast, sometimes it takes weeks. We don’t control the timing, but we can at least get it in line.
3. When I updated a page and want Google to re-crawl it.
   If I reworked a page on my site, changed the SEO title, or improved the focus of the page, requesting indexing helps Google reprocess the updated version sooner.

If you’re building a consistent system around what content to prioritize and why, pairing Search Console data with a keyword research tool makes the process much easier. 

I keep my planning organized with something like the SEO keyword research workbook, and when I’m choosing tools, this breakdown is a solid starting point: top SEO keyword research tools I recommend.

Settings: the 2 things I check once and move on

The Settings section is mostly “set it and forget it,” but there are two areas I care about.

Users and permissions

If you have a developer, VA, agency, or team member who needs access, this is where permissions are managed. You can control who can view vs. who can make changes.

Here’s a YouTube video that explains users & permissions in a walk-through.

What to do next?

Google Search Console gets a lot easier once a) you’ve set it up and b) you stop trying to understand everything at once. 

Focus on Insights for quick check-ins, Performance for what’s working, Coverage for errors, and URL Inspection when you need a clear yes or no.

Want a structured way to learn the basics without getting overwhelmed, my Getting Started with SEO virtual workshop is built for that kind of step-by-step foundation.

And if you want MORE ways to see how visible your brand is (on both Google and with AI tools), download my FREE SEO Assessment & Scorecard!

Free SEO Resource: The SEO Assessment + Scorecard

Want to know how your current site is doing and where the biggest opportunities are hiding?

Grab the Free SEO Assessment + Scorecard — it’ll help you assess:

• How visible your brand is (on both Google and with AI tools)
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