Registering for Google Webmaster Tools

To access helpful information about how Google views your site, register your site with Google Webmaster Tools. Doing so is free, easy and quick and will help you to improve your site’s visibility in the search engines.

We have put together the steps you will need to take to register your site with Google’s Webmaster Tools.

Register for a Google account. You can register for a Google account by going to: https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount. You will need an email address and password to create a Google account.
Once you have a Google account, you will need to register your site in Google’s Webmaster Tools. Go to http://www.google.com/webmasters/sitemaps.
Log into your Google account using your Google account login.
Once you are logged into Webmaster Tools, enter your site into the Add Site box and click on “Add Site.”
Now you will need to verify that you have control of the site. Click on “Verify Site” to go to the verification page.
Now you will need to choose your verification method. You will either choose to upload a small file or add a new meta tag to the code on the home page.
To upload a verification file:

Choose “Upload an HTML file” from the dropdown box.
Open Notepad (or your preferred text editing program) and save a blank file with the file name provided by Google.
Upload this file into the root of your site. This will be the same place that your index.htm or index file will be saved.
Once the file is uploaded, return to the verification screen and choose “Upload an HTML file” from the dropdown box. Click on the “Verify” button at the bottom of the page.
Please note that the verification file must stay in place for Google to continue providing complete information in the Webmaster Tools.

To add a meta tag:

Choose “Add a meta tag” from the dropdown box.
Copy the meta tag provided and paste it into the <head> area on your homepage. Please note that if you are using a template on your site, this meta can be placed on all of the pages without causing any problems.
Once the verification meta is in place on the site, return to the verification screen and choose “Add a meta tag” from the dropdown box. Click on the “Verify” button at the bottom of the page.
Please note that the verification meta must stay in place for Google to continue providing complete information in the Webmaster Tools.

You are now finished registering your site with Google Webmaster Tools. If you are a client of The Search Guru, please provide your user name and password for your Webmaster Tools account to your contact at The Search Guru so that we may access it to help you improve your site. If you would like The Search Guru to review your account, please contact us for your free gift session with one of our search engine optimization specialists.