How do I add a domain or Blogspot property to the Search Console?

To add a domain or Blogspot property to Google Search Console, it’s important to understand the differences between the two options and the implications for your website or blog’s performance in search results. Google Search Console is a free tool that provides insights into your website’s visibility on Google Search. By adding your website or blog to Search Console, you gain access to critical data that helps you monitor and optimize your site’s presence in search results. 

Understanding domain and URL prefix properties

1. Domain Property: A domain property encompasses all URLs across all subdomains (including non-www and www versions) and protocols (http, https). When you add a domain property to Search Console, you’re essentially adding your entire website. For example, adding the domain property for example.com will cover www.example.com, blog.example.com, http://example.com, and https://example.com.

2. URL prefix property: A URL prefix property, on the other hand, only includes URLs that match the specified prefix. If you add https://www.example.com, it will only cover the pages under this exact prefix and will not include non-www versions or other subdomains.

Adding a domain property to Search Console

Advantages:

• Comprehensive xoverage: Domain properties offer a holistic view of your website, capturing data from all subdomains and protocols. This is beneficial if you have multiple subdomains (e.g., blog, shop) or if your site’s traffic comes from different protocol versions (http and https).
• Simplified management: With a domain property, you don’t need to add each subdomain or protocol separately to the Search Console. This can save time and ensure that you don’t miss any important data from other versions of your site.
• Better data Analysis: By aggregating data from all versions of your site, you can get a more accurate picture of your website’s performance. This can help you make better-informed decisions when optimizing your site for search.

Disadvantages:

• Verification complexity: Adding a domain property requires DNS verification, which might be more technical than the methods required for URL prefix properties. You need to have access to your domain’s DNS settings to add a TXT record provided by Google.
• Not suitable for partial Analysis: If you only want to analyze a specific section of your site (e.g., your blog or shop subdomain), a domain property might not be the best choice. The data will include all subdomains and protocols, which might make it harder to focus on a specific area.

How to add a domain property:

1. Log in to Google Search Console.
2. Click on the “Add Property” button.
3. Select the “Domain” option.
4. Enter your domain name (e.g., example.com).
5. Follow the instructions to add the DNS TXT record to your domain’s DNS settings.
6. Once verified, Google will start collecting data for all subdomains and protocols under your domain.

Adding a Blogspot property to Search Console

If you’re using a Blogspot blog (e.g., yourblog.blogspot.com), adding it to Search Console is slightly different since Blogspot is a subdomain of blogspot.com.

Advantages:

• Simplicity: Adding a Blogspot property is straightforward. You can use the URL prefix option to add your blog, and verification can be done through a simple HTML file or meta tag.
• Focused Analysis: Since Blogspot blogs are subdomains, adding the URL prefix allows you to focus solely on your specific blog. This is useful if you’re only interested in analyzing the performance of your Blogspot site and not the entire blogspot.com domain.
• No DNS access needed: Blogspot users typically don’t have access to DNS settings, so the URL prefix property is a practical choice for these users.

Disadvantages:

• Limited scope: Unlike a domain property, the URL prefix property won’t capture data from other versions of your site (e.g., https://yourblog.blogspot.com if you only added http://yourblog.blogspot.com). This can lead to incomplete data analysis if you have multiple versions or subdomains.
• Potential for missed data: If you later switch your Blogspot blog to a custom domain (e.g., www.yourblog.com), you’ll need to add the new domain as a separate property. The data from your original Blogspot URL won’t carry over.

How to add a Blogspot property:

1. Log in to Google Search Console.
2. Click on the “Add Property” button.
3. Select the “URL prefix” option.
4. Enter your Blogspot URL (e.g., http://yourblog.blogspot.com).
5. Verify ownership using one of the available methods (e.g., HTML file upload or meta tag).
6. Once verified, you’ll have access to data specifically for your Blogspot blog.

Which option should you choose?

1. For custom domains: If your website is hosted on a custom domain (e.g., example.com), it’s generally recommended to add a domain property. This ensures you get comprehensive data across all subdomains and protocols, providing a complete view of your site’s performance in Google Search.

2. For Blogspot users: If you’re using a Blogspot subdomain (e.g., yourblog.blogspot.com), the URL prefix property is the most practical option. It allows you to track your blog’s performance without the need for complex DNS verification. However, if you switch to a custom domain in the future, you should add that domain as a new property to continue tracking your data.

3. For specific use cases: If you only want to track a specific section of your site (e.g., blog.example.com), the URL prefix property is more suitable. This is particularly useful for large websites with multiple subdomains where focused analysis is required.

Conclusion

Adding your domain or Blogspot property to Google Search Console is a crucial step in understanding your site’s performance in search results. The choice between domain and URL prefix properties depends on your specific needs and the structure of your website. By carefully selecting the right property type and following the verification process, you can gain valuable insights that will help you optimize your site for better visibility and traffic from Google Search.