Google Webmaster Tools is a free service from Google that provides insight into what’s happening with your site. Don’t confuse it with Google Analytics. Google Analytics measures and tracks your web visitors and provides rich data that allows you to understand who they are and what they want from your site.
In contrast, Google Webmaster Tools provides information and reports on how your web pages look to Google. While they serve different functions, the two work even better when you link them together. Here’s how you connect your Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools accounts.
Before you can use either service, you will need a Google account.
How to Setup a Google Account
Step 1
To create your account go to the setup page.
Step 2
Type in your name, gender and date of birth in the appropriate boxes.
Step 3
Create a username and a secure password and add your phone number (Google may use it to verify your account), as well as your current email address.
Step 4
Fill in the captcha, choose your location , accept the terms and conditions and move to the next step.
Google will create an email address for you with your username and will also prompt you to create a Google+ account at the same time. To do this Google will suggest that you add information about your education, workplace, a profile image and a cover photo. Once your account is setup, you will receive an email acknowledgement.
Next, you have to have a Google Analytics account. Find out how to set that up in our tutorial on How to Setup and Use Google Analytics on Your Website then return to this tutorial.
How to Create a Google Webmaster Tools Account
Once you have both these accounts, you need to create a Google Webmaster Tools account.
Step 1
Visit the Google Webmaster Tools site and sign in with your Google account. This should be the same account you use for Google Analytics.
Step 2
Click “add a site” and input the URL of the site you want to track with Google Webmaster Tools.
Step 3
Verify your site using one of the given methods. Google requires this before allowing you to see certain information about the site. There are four possible verification methods.
1. Add a metatag to the home page of your site. You will need to be able to edit your web pages to do this.
2. Verify the site by adding a new DNS record (TXT or CNAME) in your domain control panel.
3. Upload an HTML file to your site. This requires you to have access to your web hosting server. This is the method Google recommends.
4. Verify your site by linking it with Google Analytics.
To do this, go to the Google Webmaster Tools dashboard and click on “manage site”. Click on “verify this site” and choose the Google Analytics verification method. Follow the on-screen steps to add Google Analytics code to your site and complete verification. Note that this gives access to your site’s data to all administrators of your Google Analytics account.
You can go back and check verification details for all sites in Google Webmaster Tools here.
How to Link Your Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics Accounts
You are now ready to link both accounts so you can see richer site data in both. Here’s how it works.
Step 1
Go to the Google Webmaster Tools home page and select “manage site” next to the site you want.
Step 2
Click “Google Analytics property”. If you are using the same Google account as you use for Google Analytics, Webmaster Tools will automatically find your Google Analytics data.
Step 3
Choose the property you want. This will associate your site with the default profile for that web property. Press “save” to complete the link.
How to Complete the Link between Google Analytics with Google Webmaster Tools
Once your accounts are linked you will see additional data in both accounts. For example, Google Webmaster Tools may track data even from web users who have disabled Javascript or who don’t use Google Analytics. Google Analytics won’t do that.
The link also allows you to see some of the keyword data that has been disappearing from Google Analytics. This is invaluable for SEO. To find this data, visit Acquisition – Search Engine Optimization – Queries.
If you don’t see any data in this report, then you will need to enable sharing of Webmaster Tools data by clicking on the appropriate button.
Scroll to the Webmaster Tools settings section at the bottom, click the “edit” link and associate the correct site with the corresponding Google Analytics property.
Conclusion
Once you have completed the link and data sharing between the two sites, you will have a more complete picture of what is happening on your site and with your web visitors. To get even more from the linkage, see these two recent tutorials from Search Engine Watch:
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