Adding the Google Search Console HTML tag to WordPress without coding

The Google Search Console is a treasure trove of insights about a website’s success in the competitive arena of search results and organic traffic. By providing invaluable data for fine-tuning your content strategy, it can catapult your website’s performance to new heights.

Best of all? It’s absolutely free. There are no hidden costs, just pure, actionable data straight from the Google “mothership” after adding the Google verification meta tag.

In this tutorial, I will show you how to implement the Google Search Console HTML tag without needing a PhD in coding. With the trusty Advanced Ads plugin at your side, I’ll walk you through the simple steps to verify your site ownership in just a few minutes.

How does Google Search Console benefit your website

By embedding the Google Search Console HTML tag, you gain valuable insights into how your site appears in search results and how it performs from a searcher’s perspective. This tool reveals the keywords driving traffic, highlights the rich results your content has earned, and assesses your site’s mobile performance. Additionally, it helps spot errors that the search engine’s crawling algorithm encountered and that might hinder visibility as well as verify your site’s mobile-friendliness, which is crucial for maximizing SEO efforts and boosting organic traffic.

Google Search Console provides data on search queries, allowing you to pinpoint the keywords where you excel, analyze click-through rates (CTRs), and monitor average positions. This information lets you refine your content strategy and enhance your site’s visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs). 

Furthermore, the tool simplifies the process of submitting your site’s sitemap and individual URLs for faster indexing, ensuring the search engine discovers your content promptly. Like a vigilant sentinel, Google Search Console flags technical issues that could disrupt user experience or diminish search engine visibility, thus helping you maintain a smooth user experience and optimal site performance.

How to verify site ownership for Google Search Console

There are different ways to check your website’s ownership with Google Search Console, each with its own requirements and steps. These methods vary in complexity, from manually adding the Google Search Console HTML tag as a code snippet to uploading a verification file on your server.

The most straightforward and most user-friendly method is via a plugin. For instance, plugins like Yoast SEO offer a built-in feature to automatically insert the Google Search Console verification code.

Another effective option is leveraging the Advanced Ads plugin, widely recognized for its ad management capabilities. Many website owners already benefit from its efficiency in managing and automating ad placements.

But beyond ads, Advanced Ads can handle various codes, making it more than capable of including the Google Search Console HTML tag for verification.

HTML tag	Simple, but you must edit the website’s source code or use a plugin like Yoast or Advanced Ads.
HTML file upload	Also simple but requires the capability to upload files.
Google Analytics tracking code	This is simple if your website is already connected to a Google Analytics account that you have access to.
Google Tag Manager	This is a no-brainer if your website already has modifiable Google Tag Manager snippets.
Domain name provider	Advanced method because it requires DNS record verification, and you would need access to your domain settings.

In the next section, I’ll walk you through the straightforward steps to verify your site ownership quickly and hassle-free.

Step-by-step guide to embedding the Google Search Console HTML tag using Advanced Ads

Verifying your site ownership with Google Search Console through Advanced Ads is quick and straightforward. Follow these steps to embed the verification HTML tag on your website within minutes.

Step 1: Install and activate Advanced Ads

Begin by installing the free Advanced Ads plugin if it isn’t already on your WordPress site:

1. Navigate to your WordPress dashboard and go to Plugins.
2. Click on “Add New”.
3. In the search field, type “Advanced Ads”.
4. Click “Install Now” and activate the plugin.

Step 2: Obtain the Google Search Console HTML Tag

Next, retrieve the verification code from Google Search Console:

1. Log in to your Google Search Console account.
2. Click on “Add Property” and enter your website’s URL.
3. Click “Verify” after adding your website.
4. Choose the “HTML tag” option under “Other verification methods”.
5. Copy the meta tag provided by Google.

Google site verification meta tag example

The Google Search Console HTML tag will look like this code example:

<meta name="google-site-verification" content="2VqNMJWHuTYzYxAsr-UOgoh1KUoQcgr9o2s_vJ6wGZUo" />

Step 3: Create a new ad unit in Advanced Ads

Now, create a new ad unit in Advanced Ads and insert the verification code:

1. Navigate to Advanced Ads > Ads in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Click on “Add New” to create a new ad.
3. Select the Plain Text and Code ad type.
4. Paste the HTML meta tag from Google Search Console into the ad content box.
5. Save and publish the ad.

Step 4: Place the ad in the header

Ensure the ad unit with the verification code is placed in the header section of your website:

1. Go to Advanced Ads > Placements.
2. Click “Add New Placement”.
3. Choose the “Head” placement option.
4. Assign the newly created ad to this header placement.
5. Save your changes by clicking “Save”.

Step 5: Verify the setup in the Google Search Console

Confirm that you integrated the Google Search Console HTML tag successfully into your website:

1. Return to the Google Search Console verification page.
2. Click “Verify” to complete the verification process.
3. Look for a confirmation message indicating Google verified your site.

Once verified, you have access to the full potential of Google Search Console, enabling you to manage your site more effectively by submitting sitemaps, monitoring crawl errors, requesting faster indexing, and tracking organic traffic.

Conclusion on embedding Google Search Console verification code in your website’s header

Google Search Console is a cornerstone among today’s most invaluable SEO tools, renowned for its unparalleled data accuracy. What sets it apart is its accessibility—unlike many SEO tools, Google Search Console is entirely free. This democratizes access to critical insights, empowering even budget-conscious publishers to elevate their websites and expand their audience reach.

Multiple avenues exist for verifying site ownership to cater to different levels of technical expertise and permissions, e.g., integrating the Google Search Console HTML tag with tools like Advanced Ads or manually. The hurdles to using the Google Search Console are, therefore, very low. If you don’t have access to this data yet, you should get it immediately because it pays off.

Frequently asked questions about Google Search Console’s site verification