A Guide to Google

Webmaster Tools

Google Webmaster Tools or GWT is the primary mechanism Google use to communicate with

webmasters. It helps identify website issues, and allows webmasters to check indexing status and

optimise the visibility of their sites. Webmasters can access GWT for free. They just need to set up an

account to start using it.

Functions

GWT has tools that allow webmasters to submit and check a site map, list internal and external pages

that link to the site, and check and set the crawl rate. It also lets them view statistics about how

Googlebot accesses a particular page. Googlebot is the search bot software that collects information

from the web to build a searchable index for Google’s search engine.

GWT also allows webmasters to determine the broken links on the site, see what keywords led the site

to be listed in search engine results pages, and view statistics about how Google indexes a site. It lets

them set a preferred domain for their pages and highlight Google search elements that can enrich search

hit entries.

Verification

Before webmasters can access any data on their website, they have to prove that they’re an authorised

representative. This is done through the process of verification. There are five main methods of

verification for GWT, including HTML file upload, HTML tag, Domain Name Provider, Google Analytics,

and Google Tag Manager.

The Dashboard

After verifying, the webmaster can log in and check the

data on their site. They will be routed to the dashboard,

which provides a quick view into relevant information on

their website, along with new messages from Google.

Site Messages

Google communicates with webmasters by sending

messages on the GWT. They can be messages that

congratulate them about an increase in traffic on their

site, or inform them about malware infestation, large

number of pages, or software installation and updates.

Settings

The gear icon on the top right portion of the dashboard gives webmasters access to the tools they can

use to change the settings of their account. It consists of webmaster tools preferences, site settings,

change of address, Google Analytics Property, users and site owners, verification details, and associates.

After setting their preferences, the

webmasters can start checking the elements

of their website. They can go to the Search

Appearance, Structured Data, Data

Highlighter, HTML Improvements, Site links,

or Search Traffic panels whenever they want

to view the data, links, and traffic of their site.

Other panels include Links to Your Site,

Google Index, Content Keywords, Remove

URLs, Crawl Errors, Site Performance,

Blocked URLs, Sitemaps, and Malware.

Resources:

http://www.bambrickmedia.com.au/seo-in-brisbane

http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2273660/How-to-Use-Google-Webmaster-Tools-to-Maximize-Your-SEO-

Campaign

http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/are-you-using-google-webmaster-tools-you-should-be/2116018/