Site verification in WMT

[jwdl]

Hello all,

I have a site and I want to set a preferred domain but when I do it says I need to verify my site but it gives me no ideas how to do that.

I know that normally you have to do it when you set the account up but I had an analytics account for this domain first then just logged on with those details and I was in with no verification process.

Cheers

[KyleJack]

Hi Ian,

You should be able to verify your site in WMT with your Google Analytics code.

On the webmaster tools home screen there will be a button on the right of your screen named "Manage Site". Click this and then click on Verify This Site. You'll be greeted by a page with a recommended way of verification; however, if you have analytics installed you can click on Alternate Methods and select Google Analytics. Google will then check the analytics code on the site against your Analytics account which you are logged in to.

Hope that helps,

K

[ChadEisenhart]

You need to verify both your www. version and your non www version of your website.

Then go to the non www. version and "Configuration" then "Settings" then choose your preferred domain.

[jwdl]

Hi Kyle,

Under manage site there is only

Add or remove usersGoogle Analytics property<a class="gwt-Anchor">Delete site</a>I've tried linking wmt to analytics but nothing changes

[jwdl]

Hi Chad,

The problem is I can't verify anything atm.

[ThompsonPaul]

What Chad means, Ian, is that you have to set up two separate GWT sites. One  for yoursite.com and a separate one for www.yoursite.com.

When on the Webmaster Tools dashboard, you'll need to click the big red Add Site button on the right to add a new site to your GWT account - create it using the version of the site that's different from the first one you created. The new site can be verified the same way the original was, using your Analytics accounts.

One the second site is set up, set the preferred domain in both sites to the same version.

The quirk is that GWT considers ALL subdomains to be SEPARATE sites, and the www version of a website is technically a subdomain.

Hope that helps?

Paul

[jwdl]

Thank you all that seemed to have worked.

Cheers,

Ian