How to Set Up Google Search Console for Wix in 5 Minutes
If you own a small business with a Wix website, having a solid search engine presence is essential for attracting new customers and clients. The Google Search Console is a valuable tool to help you monitor and improve your website's performance on Google search results. This guide will take you through the process of setting up and linking the Google Search Console to your Wix website. That way, your audience can easily find you online.
What is Google Search Console?
Google Search Console is a free web service offered by Google that enables you to monitor your website's performance in Google's search rankings. This tool provides valuable insights into your site's visibility, indexing status, and overall search performance. With Google Search Console, you can:
View how your site appears in Google search results.
Identify and fix any issues affecting your website's search performance.
Submit a sitemap to Google so that it can index your website faster.
Monitor and improve website usability on mobile devices.
Check for security issues.
Analyse your website's performance and search traffic.
Follow these steps to set up Google Search Console with your Wix website:
Step 1: Sign in or Create a Google Account
To set up the Google Search Console, you must have a Google account that will be linked to the Console. If you do not have an account, you must create one. If you already have an account, log in.
Step 2: Access Google Search Console
Visit the Google Search Console homepage: https://search.google.com/search-console/.
Click on "Start now" or "Search Console" to begin the setup process.
Step 3: Add Your Website Property
Click the "Add Property" button.
Enter your website's URL in the provided field (e.g., "https://www.example.com"). Make sure to use the exact URL format.
Click "Continue."
Step 4: Verify Ownership
To utilise all the features offered by Google Search Console, verifying ownership of your website is necessary. Google Search Console provides several different verification methods, but for Wix, using the HTML Tag option to verify your website is recommended.
Step 5: Copy the Meta Tag
Select the "HTML Tag" verification method.
You'll see a meta tag code displayed. It will look something like the example below.
Copy the content value (the part in quotes after "content=") from the tag.
Step 6: Access Your Wix Account
Now, you'll need to access your Wix account to add the verification code.
Log in to your Wix account.
In your Wix Editor, click on the "Marketing & SEO" dropdown in the left-hand menu and select "SEO".
Step 7: Add Google Verification Code to Wix
In the SEO menu, click on "Site Verification."
Scroll to the "Google Search Console" section and click the arrow to expand.
In the "Google Search Console" field, paste the Google verification code you copied in Step 5.
Click "Save" to save your changes.
Step 8: Verify Ownership on Google Search Console
Return to Google Search Console:
Click "Verify" on the Google Search Console page where you added the verification code.
Google will check for the verification code on your website. If it finds the code, it will confirm ownership, and you'll gain access to your website's data in Google Search Console.
Step 9: Submit a Sitemap
A sitemap helps Google understand the structure of your website, making it easier to index your pages. Squarespace will automatically create a sitemap for you. This is usually your domain followed by /sitemap.xml (e.g. www.yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml)
To submit a sitemap:
In Google Search Console, select your website property.
Click on "Sitemaps" in the left-hand menu.
Enter the URL of your sitemap (e.g., "https://www.example.com/sitemap.xml") and click "Submit."
Step 10: Explore Your Search Console Dashboard
After verifying your site and submitting the sitemap, you can explore valuable information in the Google Search Console. Pay attention to these essential sections:
Performance: Monitor your website's search traffic, impressions, clicks, and average CTR.
Coverage: Check for indexing issues and errors that might affect your site's appearance in search results.
URL Inspection: Enter specific URLs to check their indexing status and any issues Google has encountered.
Mobile Usability: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly to cater to mobile users effectively.
Security Issues: Stay informed about any security concerns or manual actions that Google has taken against your site.
If you're a small business owner with a Wix website, setting up Google Search Console to improve your search engine performance is important. This will give you access to valuable insights, tools, and data to enhance your website's visibility and search ranking on Google. Remember that the Search Console requires ongoing monitoring to optimise your site's performance. Therefore, it's a great idea to check it regularly.
