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SEO

Google Search Console Setup

Add and verify your website in Google Search Console for indexing visibility, crawl data, and sitemap submission.

Why Add Your Site

Google Search Console gives you:

  • Indexing visibility — See which pages Google has indexed and identify coverage issues
  • Crawl errors — Discover broken links, server errors, and crawl blocks
  • Performance data — Impressions, clicks, average position, and CTR by query
  • Sitemap submission — Tell Google about your pages and speed up discovery
Distinct from Brand Verification

This guide covers SEO indexing (sitemaps, crawl data, search performance). For OAuth consent screen verification (Gmail sign-in), see Google Brand Verification.

Property Types

Search Console supports two property types:

TypeExampleScopeVerification
URL-prefixhttps://example.comOnly URLs with this exact prefixHTML file, HTML tag, GA, GTM, or DNS
Domainexample.comAll subdomains and protocols (http, https, www)DNS only
Recommendation

Use Domain property if you control DNS (e.g. via Cloudflare). It covers www, non-www, and subdomains in one property. Use URL-prefix if you only need a specific site (e.g. https://yourdomain.com).

Add a Property

  1. Go to Google Search Console
  2. Click Add property
  3. Choose URL-prefix or Domain and enter your URL or domain
  4. Click Continue to proceed to verification
Google Search Console — Add property

Verification Methods

URL-Prefix Properties

MethodProsCons
HTML tagSimple, no file uploadRequires editing page source
HTML fileNo code changes if you can upload filesMust upload to site root; redirects not followed
Google AnalyticsOne-click if GA is installedRequires same Google account; GA must be in <head>
Google Tag ManagerOne-click if GTM is installedRequires same Google account; GTM must be right after <body>
DNSWorks for Domain property; no code changesRequires DNS access

Domain Properties

Only DNS verification (TXT or CNAME record) is supported. See Verify ownership for details.

NextBento-Specific Setup

HTML Tag (URL-Prefix)

Next.js supports verification via the metadata API. Add to your root app/layout.tsx:

export const metadata: Metadata = {
  // ... existing metadata
  verification: {
    google: 'YOUR_VERIFICATION_CODE',
  },
}

Replace YOUR_VERIFICATION_CODE with the value from Search Console (the part after content=" in the meta tag).

DNS (Domain Property or URL-Prefix)

If your domain is on Cloudflare (or another DNS provider):

  1. In Search Console, choose Domain name provider verification
  2. Add the TXT record at your DNS provider:
    • Name/Host: @ or leave blank (for apex)
    • Value: The string provided by Search Console (e.g. google-site-verification=...)
  3. Wait for propagation (minutes to 48 hours), then click Verify in Search Console
Keep the Record

Do not remove the DNS verification record after verification. Search Console periodically re-checks it.

Post-Verification

Submit Your Sitemap

NextBento generates sitemaps at /sitemap.xml. After verification:

  1. In Search Console, go to Sitemaps
  2. Enter sitemap.xml (or the full URL, e.g. https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml)
  3. Click Submit
Google Search Console — submit sitemap.xml

Request Indexing (Optional)

For important new or updated pages:

  1. Use URL Inspection in Search Console
  2. Enter the page URL
  3. Click Request indexing if the page is not yet indexed

Best Practices

  • Submit sitemap — Ensures Google discovers all indexable pages
  • Fix coverage issues — Address errors and excluded pages in the Coverage report
  • Monitor Core Web Vitals — Use the Experience report to improve page experience
  • Use URL Inspection — Debug indexing for specific URLs
  • Add multiple verification methods — Backup methods help if one fails (e.g. GA tag removed)

References

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