Google Search Console is a free service that helps your site be found on Google more quickly!
Before You Start
- Remove the password protection of your site or page. Passwords prevent Google from indexing your content.
- Disable the "Hide from Search Engines" option.
- If you connected a custom domain, make sure it's set up properly. For best results, we recommend waiting 72 hours after you set up your domain before verifying it with Google Search Console.
To verify Google Search Console and submit a sitemap:
- Step 1: Get Your HTML Tag Code From Google
- Step 2: Enter Your HTML Tag into Your Strikingly Site
- Step 3: Complete Site Verification on Google
- Step 4: Submitting Your Sitemap to Google
Step 1: Get Your HTML Tag Code From Google
1. Sign in to Google Search Console.
2. On the "URL Prefix", enter your site URL. Like https://www.yoursite.com or https://yoursite.mystrikingly.com.
3. Click "CONTINUE".
4. Click "HTML tag" under "Other verification methods".
5. Click "COPY" to copy the meta tag code to somewhere.
6. Copy the code after "content", which marks in red (without quotation marks).
<meta name="google-site-verification" content="q5xUyxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx7g7gg" />
7. Leave the Google Search Console page open.
Step 2: Enter Your HTML Tag into Your Strikingly Site
1. Go to your Strikingly site editor, click "SETTINGS" > "Show Advanced" > "Services".
2. Put your HTML tag in the "Verify Google Webmaster Tool" box, such as "q5xUyxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx7g7gg".
3. Click "SAVE".
4. Publish your site.
Step 3: Complete Site Verification on Google
1. Return to Google Search Console.
2. Click "Verify".
If you see this error message, click "OK".
Click "HTML tag" under "Other verification methods" again.
Click "Verify" in 10 mins (Sometimes it takes up to 48 hours for the site to be verified).
3. You should be able to see the following message upon successful linking of your new property on Google Search Console.
If it's still failed, make sure:
- Your site is published.
- Your HTML tag is correct.
- You enter https://www.yoursite.com and not https://yoursite.com (without www)
- You click "Verify" under the HTML tag section.
- Password protection of your site or page is removed.
- The "Hide from Search Engines" option is unchecked.
- You've waited 48 hours.
- Visit Common Google Search Console Error Messages
4. Click "GO TO PROPERTY" to submit your sitemap.
Step 4: Submitting Your Sitemap to Google
1. Click "Sitemaps" from the menu on the left.
2. Type sitemap.xml in the text field.
3. Click Submit.
4. You will the "Sitemap submitted successfully" message.
If you see this error message, click "Couldn't fetch" and check the reason.
This is usually your site prevents search engines to fetch. You can disable the "Hide from Search Engines" option.
Next step:
Feel free to send us an email or chat with us if you have more questions!