Google Search Console Setup: A Step-by-Step Guide

By Next Level Web Solutions · · 7 min read · SEO and Search Console

Google Search Console setup takes about fifteen minutes: sign in with a Google account, add your site as a property, prove you own it (a DNS TXT record is the most reliable way), then submit your sitemap. After that, Google starts showing you which pages are indexed and which searches bring people to your site.

This guide is written for business owners and the people who look after their websites. You do not need to be technical, but you will need access to wherever your domain is managed, which is usually your domain registrar or hosting control panel.

Google Search Console setup: what Search Console tells you

Search Console is a free tool from Google that reports how your website performs in Google Search. It does not change your rankings by itself. It gives you information so you can make good decisions.

Once it is running, you can see:

  • Which searches show your site, how often it appears (impressions) and how often people click.
  • Which pages are indexed, meaning stored by Google and eligible to appear in results, and which are not.
  • Problems Google found, such as pages blocked from indexing, server errors or security issues.
  • Which sitemaps you have submitted and whether Google could read them.

Domain property vs URL prefix property

When you add your site, Search Console asks which property type to use. This choice matters, so it is worth understanding.

Domain property. You enter your bare domain, for example example.co.za. It covers every version of the site: http and https, www and non-www, and any subdomains. Verification must be done with a domain name system (DNS) record.

URL prefix property. You enter one exact address, for example https://www.example.co.za/. It covers only that exact version. It offers more verification options, such as uploading a file or adding a tag, but you may end up with several properties to cover all variants.

For most small businesses, a domain property is the better choice. You get one complete view, and you do not lose data when your site changes from www to non-www or similar. Use a web address (URL) prefix property when you cannot edit DNS, or when you only want to track one section of a larger site separately.

Verifying ownership with a DNS TXT record

DNS verification proves that you control the domain itself. Here is the process.

  1. Go to Search Console and sign in with the Google account that should own the data. Use a business account that will outlast any single employee, not a personal one that might be closed.
  2. Choose Domain and enter your domain without https or www.
  3. Google shows a text (TXT) record, which is a long string starting with `google-site-verification=`. Copy it.
  4. Log in to wherever your DNS is managed. For a .co.za domain this is typically your registrar, your hosting provider or a service such as Cloudflare, depending on where the nameservers point.
  5. Add a new record of type TXT. Leave the host or name field as `@` (or blank, depending on the provider), paste the string into the value field, and save.
  6. Return to Search Console and click Verify.

DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours to spread. If verification fails the first time, wait and try again before assuming you made a mistake. If DNS is unfamiliar, our article on DNS records explained for business owners explains what the common record types do.

One caution: do not delete the TXT record afterwards. Google checks it periodically, and removing it can cause you to lose verified status.

Other verification methods and when to use them

If you cannot reach DNS, URL prefix properties offer alternatives.

  • HTML file upload. You download a small file from Search Console and place it in the root of your website. This suits sites where you have file access but not DNS access.
  • HTML tag. You paste a meta tag into the head section of your home page. Many website platforms have a field for this.
  • Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager. If you already use either on your site with the right permissions, Search Console can verify through them.

If you have a developer or agency looking after your site, ask them to confirm which method is in use and who the verified owners are, so you are never locked out of your own data.

Submitting your sitemap

A sitemap is a file that lists the pages you want Google to know about. It is usually found at an address like `/sitemap.xml`. To submit it:

  1. Open your site in Search Console and choose Sitemaps in the left menu.
  2. Enter the sitemap address, for example `sitemap.xml`, and click Submit.
  3. Check that the status shows Success and note how many pages were discovered.

If you want to confirm it exists first, type the address into your browser. You should see a list of page addresses. Most website platforms and plugins generate one for you. If yours does not, ask your developer to add one.

Submitting a sitemap does not guarantee every page will be indexed, but it removes guesswork and speeds up discovery, especially for new sites. Your sitemap should only list pages you want in search, with the final, canonical address for each.

Reading the Performance report

The Performance report is where you will spend most of your time. It shows four numbers over a date range:

  • Total clicks: visits from Google Search.
  • Total impressions: how often your pages appeared in results.
  • Average click-through rate: clicks divided by impressions.
  • Average position: a rough average of where your pages appeared.

Use the tabs to see Queries (the searches), Pages, Countries and Devices. A few useful habits:

  • Compare the last three months with the previous period, not day to day.
  • Look at queries with many impressions but few clicks. These pages are visible but unappealing, so the title or description may need rewriting.
  • Filter by country to confirm your audience is mostly South African if you serve local customers.
  • Treat average position as a guide, not a precise ranking. Results vary by person and location.

Fixing indexing and coverage warnings

The Pages report (under Indexing) lists which URLs are indexed and which are not, with reasons. Not every "not indexed" entry is a problem. Redirected pages and duplicate versions are often fine. Focus on pages you actually want found.

Common reasons and what to do:

  1. Crawled, currently not indexed. Google visited but chose not to list the page. Improve the content so it is useful and distinct, add internal links to it, and request indexing again later.
  2. Discovered, currently not indexed. Google knows about the page but has not crawled it yet. This is common on new sites and often resolves with time.
  3. Excluded by noindex tag. A tag tells Google not to list the page. Remove it if it was added by mistake.
  4. Blocked by robots.txt. Your robots file prevents crawling. Check it has not been left in a development setting.
  5. Server error (5xx) or not found (404). Fix the page or hosting issue, or redirect old addresses to relevant new ones.

After fixing a problem, use Validate fix where offered, or the URL Inspection tool to request indexing for an individual page. For a full troubleshooting routine, see our guide on what to do when your website is not showing on Google.

If you would rather not handle DNS, verification and reports yourself, we set up and explain Search Console as part of our SEO and technical services, alongside domains and hosting. You are welcome to contact us and we will take it from there.

Frequently asked questions

Is Google Search Console free?

Yes, it is a free tool from Google. You only need a Google account and a website you can prove you own. There is no paid tier for the core reports.

Which verification method is best?

DNS TXT verification on a domain property is usually the best choice, because it covers every version of your site and survives redesigns. If you cannot edit DNS, the HTML tag or file upload on a URL prefix property is a workable alternative. Just make sure nobody removes it by accident.

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