How effective is Google's Webmasters tool

Robert Thomas · Share | #1 (**permalink**) 10-20-2011, 02:47 AM

Hello,

I have been thinking of using Google's webmasters tool for my websites. However, to verify as site owner I need to download an html & upload to my site.
Wanted to know if adding the html has any short-term or long term drawbacks.

Regards

aruninfo · #2 (**permalink**) 10-20-2011, 02:52 AM

Google Webmaster Tool is very effective to track your website's errors.

**snakeair** · #3 (**permalink**) 10-20-2011, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aruninfo

Google Webmaster Tool is very effective to track your website's errors.

Can you read the thread creators post again and provide any advice?

aeneas · #4 (**permalink**) 10-20-2011, 04:01 AM

There are no drawbacks to adding the html file to your site.
That way you register yourself with google as the site owner - you verify the site is yours.

Webmaster tools is good to use, most important thing why I use it is to check for non-found urls that google wants to crawl (and then put a redirect in my .htaccess file to the correct page). It also gives you good information about sites linking to your site.

ipexpert · #5 (**permalink**) 10-20-2011, 04:54 AM

Adding or uploading a page for the verification is for the benefit of the webmaster rather the Google itself. Else any one can monitor your site. If you are serious in SEO and SERP of Google you need to go for the webmaster tools and optimize your site.

Stevebrad · #6 (**permalink**) 10-20-2011, 05:04 AM

Quote:

Hello,

I have been thinking of using Google's webmasters tool for my websites. However, to verify as site owner I need to download an html & upload to my site.
Wanted to know if adding the html has any short-term or long term drawbacks.

Regards

You are asking about drawbacks even it’s useful for your website. You can trace all the errors, visitor hits and stats.
It’s simple script and will not create any bug on your website.

PromoDirect · #7 (**permalink**) 10-20-2011, 06:25 AM

Webmaster Tool does a lot of things for your website. Finds errors, shows you backlink reports, allows to upload robots.txt, allows to upload sitemaps, shows you keyword impressions etc.

Arkan · #8 (**permalink**) 10-20-2011, 07:35 AM

If you don't like the idea of putting Google HTML code in to your site there is also another option. Download authentitication file form Google Webmaster Tools and upload it to your server.

Google Webmaster Tools is an excelent tool for improving your on page SEO and pointing oiut serious indexation issues.

indybail · #9 (**permalink**) 10-20-2011, 08:57 AM

I have not experienced any issues with site performance by including the Webmasters Code. I do not find Webmaster Tools to be as useful as I would wish, but do not believe their are any negative consequences by using them.

**HTMLBasicTutor** · #10 (**permalink**) 10-20-2011, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert Thomas

Hello,

I have been thinking of using Google's webmasters tool for my websites. However, to verify as site owner I need to download an html & upload to my site.
Wanted to know if adding the html has any short-term or long term drawbacks.

Regards

There are 2 methods of verifying your site with Google Webmaster Tools:

Using a meta tag added to the head section of your pages/template.
Uploading a specially named file to the root of your website.

As a couple of other who have replied, I prefer the upload the HTML file to the root of the site. It's easy and quick.

Google Webmaster Tools provides a bunch of information about what Google sees about your site:

Quote:

Google Webmaster Tools provides website and blog owners with a free set of statistics about their site. You might consider using Google Webmaster Tools if your web hosting does not provide a very good statistics program or want to supplement your web hosting stats program with additional information. All that is required to get started is a Google Account and going through the verification process.

Google Webmaster Tools Overview

One particular thing I find useful is that you can use the Internal Links screen to see which of your on-site pages needs some internal link improvement.

Arkan · #11 (**permalink**) 10-24-2011, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by indybail

I have not experienced any issues with site performance by including the Webmasters Code. I do not find Webmaster Tools to be as useful as I would wish, but do not believe their are any negative consequences by using them.

Well if you ask me it is the best free tools for identifying duplicate Meta Tags especial within large web portal that have like 1 mln idexed pages. It will give you also precious data about indexation speed and history that no other tool could give you.

Robert Thomas · #12 (**permalink**) 10-25-2011, 02:05 AM

Thanks for the tips guys. Have used the code, didnt show any errors and seems to be pretty harmless.

Tedel · #13 (**permalink**) 11-08-2011, 07:35 AM

No drawbacks for me, either. I used the meta tags verification process, by the way.

LinkingService · #14 (**permalink**) 11-10-2011, 01:06 AM

Google Webmaster tools are effective if you know how to use them. It can show you your site errors, crawled pages, your page rankings too.

Though one of the most valuable thing sitemap. As soon as you update your sitemap with a new page on your website, it hardly takes 30-40 minutes for that page to be indexed in Google.

maraton · #15 (**permalink**) 11-12-2011, 07:11 AM

Uploading an html file to your server for verifying your website on Google webmaster tools, doesn't have any effect on your website and its not harmful at all. Its just a way that Google knows you are the real owner of the website. And if you don't like uploading file, you can use the other way which is adding meta tags to the home page of your website. both of them have the same results and its the ownership of your website.

crescendo · #16 (**permalink**) 11-14-2011, 10:36 AM

google webmaster tool is better for checking backlink reports

wilson2 · #17 (**permalink**) 11-15-2011, 03:57 AM

To track the site it is necessary to upload html file or place the code in home page. But it doesn't have any drawbacks or bad effect on the site.

After verifying it gives info of your site about no. of pages indexed, crawl errors, no. of backlinks etc.

pons_saravanan · #18 (**permalink**) 11-15-2011, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert Thomas

Hello,

I have been thinking of using Google's webmasters tool for my websites. However, to verify as site owner I need to download an html & upload to my site.
Wanted to know if adding the html has any short-term or long term drawbacks.

Regards

No, there are no known drawbacks in doing that. I have done for my websites.
IMO This is better than adding the tags inside the body.

Robert Thomas · #19 (**permalink**) 11-15-2011, 11:53 AM

Thank you for the advice. I have used the webmasters tool & find it a good way to analyze for broken links, crawling stats etc.

RonRosen · #20 (**permalink**) 11-15-2011, 03:04 PM

I use Google Webmaster Tools along with the new Google Analytics. You can now see GWT information within the new GA platform. It took some getting used to but GWT & GA are so extremely useful.

GWT will help you identify errors on your, duplicate META information, HTML suggestions, etc. You can also view the status of your sitemap which has been extremely useful for me as a real estate broker who wants all of his listings to appear in the SERPs.

I use GA & GWT together to also come up with content for my blogs and new targeting ideas for keywords.

So in my opinion uploading the code or file is extremely helpful and useful to you. I have not experienced any harmful or damaging effects from using it.