Search Engine Optimization Basics – Google Webmaster Tools

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Search Engine Optimization Basics – Google Webmaster Tools

I have written this article to help people who perhaps are new to marketing on the internet get their website noticed by the search engines.  There is considerably more that can be done, but for the sake of simplicity, I will deal with only one topic in this article – the use of Google Webmaster Tools.

Note:  Google Webmaster Tools is able to be utilized on a lot of the website building sites, so in spite of the fact that this information is especially for WordPress, you can still use this information to help the search engine optimization on your other sites.  You will usually be able to find all this sort of information under a ‘Settings’ tab when you are in edit mode on your website.

Getting your sites verified is simply a matter of pasting the meta tag code from the Google Webmasters Tools site into the appropriate box when you are in edit mode for your site on the website building site.

When you are in the Google Webmasters Tools site, you can also often get your site sitemapped by typing in ‘sitemap.xml’ in the box next to your site’s address, after you have clicked on the ‘Add Sitemap’ button.

Go to the website at http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/

It’s a good idea to take a look around here, as you will see how Google views your website.  This site can give you valuable information about the traffic coming to your site and how you can increase it by analyzing your View Links Data, Top Queries and Page Analysis.

The thing to realize is that by submitting your sitemap directly to Google’s Webmasters site, they will be sure not to miss any of your posts or pages.

So, sign up for your account (a good idea is to use the same log-in information for this account and your Adsense account [if you don't have an Adsense account yet, just keep it in mind, because you probably will open one at some later stage and you can use the same account details for it].  Ditto for AdWords.

When you log in you will see your Dashboard.  Add your site address with the www. but not the http://.

Click ‘Add Site’

You will then need to verify your site, so choose the ‘Add a Meta Tag’ option.  Below you will see a code, which you need to copy and paste into your site’s header.  Open a new window and go into your Wordpress Admin area.  Go to ‘Appearance’ then ‘Theme Editor’ then select the Header from the list on the right-hand side.  When it comes up, scroll down to where you see the script and paste your meta tag code in just ABOVE this script and BEFORE the script.

Click ‘Update File’

Go back to your Webmaster Tools window and click on the ‘Verify’ button.  If you have done everything correctly, you should get a message confirming verification.

Now, go back to your Webmaster Tools  Dashboard and next to your site URL there will be a column titled ‘Sitemap’ – click on the link that says ‘Add’.  Choose ‘Add General Web Sitemap’ and put in sitemap.xml where required.  Click on ‘Add General Web Sitemap’

You need to get some good content onto your site, if you haven’t already done so, before you move on to more SEO strategies.  In the event that you created your site on one of the website building sites, once you have put some content on your site and you have published it, you can use other search engine optimization strategies, also.

Well, that’s it for this article.  You can find lots more information on optimising your site at my blog, Voiceover:  http://voiceover.valerieeldridge.com.

Wishing you all the best for a very successful future.

Valerie

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