How to track your WordPress site using Google Search Console

What is Google Search Console and why do you need it?

Google Search Console is a free service from Google that helps you understand how your website appears in search results. Think of it as your website's health check-up tool – it tells you what's working well and what needs fixing.

For small business owners and marketing professionals working with limited budgets, Google Search Console is absolutely essential because it:

Shows you how people find your website – which search terms bring visitors to your site
Identifies problems before they hurt your rankings – like broken pages or mobile issues
Helps you understand what content performs best – so you can create more of what works
Provides insights into your competitors – by showing you search terms you're missing
Alerts you to security issues – protecting your business reputation

The best part? It's completely free and comes directly from Google, so you're getting information straight from the source about how the world's most popular search engine sees your website.

Getting started: Setting up your account

Before you can track your WordPress site, you'll need a Google Search Console account. Don't worry – this process is straightforward and takes just a few minutes.

Step 1: Create your Google account

If you don't already have a Google account (Gmail, Google Ads, etc.), you'll need to create one first. We recommend using your business email address to keep everything professional and organised.

Step 2: Access Google Search Console

Go to search.google.com/search-console and click "Start now". Sign in with your Google account.

Once you're signed in, you'll see the main dashboard. This is where you'll spend most of your time monitoring your website's performance.

Adding your WordPress site to Google Search Console

Now comes the important bit – adding your WordPress website so Google Search Console can start tracking it.

Choosing your property type

When you click "Add Property", Google gives you two options:

Domain property – tracks your entire domain (recommended for most small businesses)
URL prefix property – tracks a specific website version (like www.yoursite.com)

For most small businesses, we recommend choosing the Domain property option. Simply enter your domain name (like yoursite.com) without the www or https parts. This will track all versions of your website automatically.

Why domain property is better for small businesses

The domain property option captures data from:

www.yoursite.com
yoursite.com
https and http versions
Subdomains (like shop.yoursite.com)

This means you get a complete picture of your online presence without having to set up multiple properties.

Site verification methods for WordPress

After adding your site, you need to prove to Google that you own it. Google offers several verification methods, but for WordPress sites, these three are the most practical:

Method 1: HTML meta tag (recommended for beginners)

This is the easiest method for most WordPress users:

Google will provide you with a meta tag that looks like: <meta name="google-site-verification" content="your-verification-code" />
Copy this tag
Add it to your WordPress site's header (we'll show you how below)
Click "Verify" in Google Search Console

Method 2: DNS verification (for advanced users)

If you're comfortable managing your domain settings, this method verifies your entire domain at once. You'll add a TXT record to your domain's DNS settings using the code Google provides.

Method 3: Google Analytics (if you already use it)

If you already have Google Analytics installed on your WordPress site, you can verify through that connection. This is often the quickest method for existing Google Analytics users.

Using WordPress plugins to simplify setup

While you can add verification codes manually, using a WordPress plugin makes the process much easier and less prone to errors. Here are the best options for small businesses:

Site Kit by Google (free and recommended)

Site Kit is Google's official WordPress plugin that connects your site to multiple Google services, including Search Console, Analytics, and AdSense.

Benefits of Site Kit:

Official Google plugin – regularly updated and secure
Automatic verification – no copying and pasting codes
Dashboard integration – view your data within WordPress
Connects multiple Google services at once

How to install Site Kit:

Go to your WordPress dashboard
Click "Plugins" → "Add New"
Search for "Site Kit by Google"
Install and activate the plugin
Follow the setup wizard to connect your Google account

An SEO plugin such as Yoast or All in One SEO (AIOSEO)

If you're looking for a comprehensive SEO plugin that includes Search Console verification, both Yoast and AIOSEO are excellent choices for small businesses.

Easy verification process
Built-in SEO tools
Search statistics dashboard
Beginner-friendly interface

Manual verification through theme editor

If you prefer not to use plugins, you can add the verification code manually:

Go to "Appearance" → "Theme Editor" in your WordPress dashboard
Select your active theme
Open the "header.php" file
Paste the verification code just before the </head> tag
Save the file

Important: Be very careful when editing theme files. Always backup your site first, and consider using a child theme to prevent losing changes during theme updates. Even a very small mistake such as a typo in the theme editor can end up breaking your site and locking you out of being able to get back into it, so only ever make edits in the theme files if you have another way of getting into the backend of your website such as via your hosting company.

Key Google Search Console features

Understanding the most important reports

Google Search Console provides numerous reports, but as a small business owner, you should focus on these key areas that directly impact your success:

Performance report: Your website's search results

This is where you'll spend most of your time. The Performance report shows you:

Total clicks: How many people clicked through to your website from Google
Total impressions: How often your website appeared in search results
Average click-through rate (CTR): The percentage of people who saw your site and clicked on it
Average position: Where your website typically appears in search results

How to use performance data effectively:

Look for high impression, low CTR queries – these are opportunities to improve your titles and descriptions
Identify your best performing content – create more content on similar topics
Find queries where you rank on page 2 – small improvements could move you to page 1
Monitor seasonal trends – plan your content calendar around peak search times

Coverage report: Making sure Google can find your pages

This report tells you which of your website pages Google has successfully indexed (included in search results) and which ones have problems.

Pay attention to:

Valid pages: These are successfully indexed and can appear in search results
Error pages: These have problems that prevent them from being indexed
Valid with warnings: These are indexed but have minor issues worth addressing
Excluded pages: These are not indexed, which may or may not be intentional

Mobile usability report: Ensuring your site works on phones

Since most of your customers likely search on mobile devices (and Google uses mobile first indexing), this report is crucial for small businesses. It identifies mobile-specific problems like:

Text that's too small to read
Clickable elements too close together
Content wider than the screen
Missing mobile viewport settings

Mobile-first indexing: What small businesses need to know

In 2025, Google uses mobile-first indexing exclusively. This means Google looks at the mobile version of your website first when deciding how to rank your pages in search results.

If your website doesn't work well on mobile, you're missing out on the majority of potential customers.

Monitoring Core Web Vitals for better rankings

Core Web Vitals are Google's way of measuring user experience on your website. They directly impact your search rankings, making them crucial for small businesses to understand and optimise.

The three Core Web Vitals metrics

Google measures three key aspects of user experience:

1. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) - Loading speed

This measures how long it takes for the main content of your page to load. The target is 2.5 seconds or faster.

Common causes of slow LCP:

Large, unoptimised images
Slow web hosting
Render-blocking JavaScript
Poor caching setup

2. Interaction to Next Paint (INP) - Responsiveness

This measures how quickly your site responds when users interact with it (clicking buttons, filling forms, etc.). The target is 200 milliseconds or faster.

3. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) - Visual stability

This measures how much your page content moves around while loading. The target is 0.1 or lower.

How to check your Core Web Vitals

You can monitor your Core Web Vitals in several places:

Google Search Console: Go to "Experience" → "Core Web Vitals" for your overall site performance
PageSpeed Insights: Test individual pages for detailed recommendations
WordPress plugins: Some plugins provide Core Web Vitals monitoring within your dashboard

Simple improvements for small businesses

You don't need to be technical to improve your Core Web Vitals:

For better loading speed (LCP):

Optimise images before uploading them
Choose reliable web hosting
Use a content delivery network (CDN)
Enable caching plugins

For better responsiveness (INP):

Limit the number of plugins
Keep WordPress and plugins updated
Remove unnecessary third-party scripts

For better visual stability (CLS):

Set dimensions for images and videos
Avoid inserting content above existing content
Use system fonts when possible

Common issues and how to fix them

Based on our experience helping small businesses, here are the most common Google Search Console issues and their solutions:

Coverage errors: "Page not found (404)"

What it means: Google tried to access a page on your site, but it doesn't exist anymore.

Common causes: Deleted pages, changed URLs, typos in internal links

How to fix:

If the page should exist, recreate it or fix the URL
If the page was intentionally removed, set up a 301 redirect to a relevant page
If it's not important, you can usually ignore these errors

Mobile usability: "Text too small to read"

What it means: Your text is too small for mobile users to read comfortably.

How to fix:

Use at least 16px font size for body text
Check your theme's mobile settings
Test your site on various mobile devices

Core Web Vitals: "Poor URL performance"

What it means: Your pages are loading slowly or providing a poor user experience.

Immediate actions:

Optimise your largest images
Install a caching plugin
Review and deactivate unnecessary plugins
Consider upgrading your hosting plan

Security issues: "Hacked content detected"

What it means: Google has detected malicious content or code on your site.

Immediate actions:

Don't panic – this can be fixed
Change all passwords (WordPress, hosting, FTP)
Update WordPress, themes, and plugins
Scan your site with security plugins
Consider hiring a security professional if the issue persists

Using the "Validate fix" feature

After fixing any issue, always use the "Validate fix" button in Google Search Console. This tells Google to check your fixes and can speed up the resolution process.

Ongoing maintenance and monitoring

Google Search Console isn't a "set it and forget it" tool. Regular monitoring helps you catch issues early and identify opportunities for growth.

Weekly tasks (5-10 minutes)

Check for new errors in the Coverage report
Review performance trends – are clicks and impressions growing?
Look for new search queries that are bringing traffic
Monitor Core Web Vitals status – especially if you've made site changes

Monthly tasks (15-30 minutes)

Analyse top performing content – what topics resonate with your audience?
Identify content gaps – search queries where you could rank but don't have content
Review mobile usability – especially important after theme or plugin updates
Check sitemap status – ensure Google is finding your new content

Setting up alerts

Google Search Console can send you email alerts for:

Critical site errors
Security issues
Significant traffic changes
Manual actions or penalties

To set these up, go to "Settings" → "Users and permissions" → "Add user" and configure notification preferences.

Integration with Google Analytics 4

For deeper insights, connect your Google Search Console with Google Analytics 4. This shows you what happens after people click through from search results to your website.

Next steps for growing your online presence

Once you have Google Search Console set up and running smoothly, you can use the insights to grow your business online:

Content creation strategy

Use your performance data to inform your content strategy:

Create more content around high-performing topics
Target search queries where you rank on page 2 – small improvements could move you to page 1
Answer common questions revealed in your search query data
Optimise underperforming pages with high impressions but low clicks

Local SEO opportunities

If you serve local customers, use Search Console data to improve your local presence:

Identify location-based search queries
Create content targeting local keywords
Monitor your Google Business Profile performance

Technical improvements

As your business grows, consider these technical enhancements:

Schema markup: Help Google understand your content better
Site structure improvements: Better internal linking and navigation
Advanced performance optimisation: Further speed improvements

When to seek professional help

Consider hiring an SEO professional if:

Your organic traffic is declining despite your efforts
You're receiving manual actions or penalties
Technical issues are beyond your comfort level
You want to implement advanced strategies but lack the time

Staying updated

Google Search Console and SEO best practices evolve constantly. Stay informed by:

Following Google's official Search Central blog
Checking the Search Console help documentation
Monitoring industry news and updates

Conclusion

Google Search Console is an invaluable tool for any small business with a WordPress website. By following this guide, you now have the knowledge to set up, monitor, and optimise your site's search performance effectively.

Remember, SEO is a long-term strategy. Consistent monitoring and gradual improvements will yield better results than attempting major changes all at once. Start with the basics, address any critical issues, and build from there.