Google treats all versions of your website separately (e.g., HTTP, WWW, HTTPS, Subdomains,) adding a Domain property in Google Search Console will track all subdomains and versions of your website.
Domain properties are a great way to identify misconfigured redirects (e.g., HTTP to HTTPS), crawl errors, and search performance.
How to track all domain properties in Google Search Console
In Google Search Console
1. Login to Google Search Console (signup for GSC if you haven’t already.)
2. Navigate to + Add Property in the left sidebar, or go to the welcome screen.
3. Add your domain name (without any prefixes: e.g., HTTPS.)
4. Copy the TXT record
In your DNS provider
To verify your domain ownership in Google Search Console, you will need access to your DNS provider to add the TXT records.
I’ll use GoDaddy for this example. The process is similar for other DNS providers.
1. Log in to your GoDaddy Account
2. Find your domain name
3. Select Manage DNS
4. In your Record Settings, click Add (bottom right corner)
5. Enter your Settings:
Type: TXT
Host: @
TXT Value: Your copied record value from GSC
TTL: 1 hour or longer.
6. Save your settings
Back in Google Search Console
- Wait several minutes for the DNS to propagate.
- Press Verify
- If the DNS hasn’t had time to propagate, you will receive an error. You’ll need to wait a few more minutes if that happens.
Example: Domain property hasn’t had enough time to propagate:
Example: Domain has had time to verify:
It will take some time for Google to gather data on your website; it’s best to check back in 24 hours.
Crawl Stats
Google Crawl stats is a great tool to track response times and crawl errors (3XX, 4XX errors); from that report, you can identify and fix mistakes holding your site back.
Pro Tip: Add old migrated websites in GSC to ensure all traffic is going to the new website.
Published on: 2021-01-23
Updated on: 2021-02-09
