To get access to webmaster tools, you will need to create an account and verify your website ownership with each of the engines. A very straightforward process, but here’s how you do this:
For Google Webmaster Tools
1) Register for a new Google account
2) Once you have a Google account, you will need to register your site in Google’s Webmaster Tools
3) Once you are logged into Webmaster Tools, enter your site into the Add Site box and click on “Add Site.”
4) Now you will need to verify that you have control of the site. Click on “Verify Site” to go to the verification page.
5) Choose your verification method. You will either choose to upload a small file or add a new Meta tag to the code on the home page.
To upload a verification file:
- Choose “Upload an HTML file” from the dropdown box.
- Open Notepad (or your preferred text editing program) and save a blank file with the file name provided by Google.
- Upload this file into the root of your site. This will be the same place that your index.htm or index file will be saved.
- Once the file is uploaded, return to the verification screen and choose “Upload an HTML file” from the dropdown box. Click on the “Verify” button at the bottom of the page.
- Please note that the verification file must stay in place for Google to continue providing complete information in the Webmaster Tools.
To add a meta tag:
- Choose “Add a meta tag” from the dropdown box.
- Copy the Meta tag provided and paste it into the <head> area on your homepage. Please note that if you are using a template on your site, this Meta can be placed on all of the pages without causing any problems.
- Once the verification Meta is in place on the site, return to the verification screen and choose “Add a meta tag” from the dropdown box.
- Click on the “Verify” button at the bottom of the page.
- Please note that the verification Meta must stay in place for Google to continue providing complete information in the Webmaster Tools.
For Yahoo Site Explorer
1) To register your site visit Yahoo Site Explorer and add your site.
2) Once your site has been registered, click the Status button.
3) Choose Authentication Method:
To upload a verification file to your site:
- Download an authentication key (DO NOT change the file name or content):
- If you have a problem with downloading the authentication key, please create a text file named y_key_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.html, and put the string xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx into the file.
- Upload the verification file to your site. Upload the key file that you downloaded, or created yourself, at the root level of your site directory.
To add a META tag to you home page:
- Copy the META tag listed below and paste it in your site’s home page:
<META name=”y_key” content=”xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx”>
- The META tag must be within and near the beginning of the first <HEAD> section of the page, and before the first <BODY> section.
4) When your website has been updated accordingly, please click on Ready to Authenticate to let Yahoo know that the authentication key is in place. Site Explorer will then check for the authentication file/meta tag within 24 hours and your site should be authenticated.
Note: Authenticating your site only means that Site Explorer has authenticated that you are the owner of the site and not that your site has been indexed and appears in the Yahoo! Search Index.
For MSN Webmaster Tools
1) You will need to create a Windows Live ID to register with MSN Webmaster tools.
2) Once you have a Windows Live ID, you will need to register your site with Bing Webmaster
3) When you are signed in, add your site and hit submit.
4) Select your authentication method:
There are two ways to prepare your website for authentication, both of which rely on your adding an authentication code on your website.
To add an XML File for Authentication –
- Download the file named LiveSearchSiteAuth.xml that Live Search provides with your authentication code.
- Save the file to the root folder of your website
To add an HTML META Tag –
- Add a <meta> tag containing the authentication code to the <head> section of your default webpage.
5) MSN will automatically authenticate your site every time you login to MSN webmaster tools.
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Thanks,
It helps me lot to understand the webmasters tool of top search engines.
I’m going to give it a try on this new web site (3 days old) . Will let you kow if succesful
Hi Guys,
I would like to know about can i add google verification code & yahoo authentication code in the same meta tag? Is there any problem?
You should be able to add them all together, one after another, without any issues. Just watch for code syntax to be correct.
Hi Maria,
Thank you so much for your help.
That means if i open MSN account again, I can add MSN verification code after adding goolge and yahoo verification code.. Am i right?
As I understand , I can put any website onto it. But afterwards can I optimeze that website ?
Optimization is the whole point of webmaster registration. If you do not look at the data once verified, you may just as well not get verified.
Good job about web site verification.
Best Regards.
Thank you for your help. I hope this will help to get my name out there. Always looking for pointers as I am new at all of this….
Yahoo tool is not working…. Can you update it? There is nothing like yahoo web tool… anyway thanks!
thanks….its really helpful