Joomla Site Verification for Webmaster Tools

Google Webmaster Tools and Joomla

Google gives you 4 options for site ownership verification when adding a new URL to your webmaster tools account.

1.Add a DNS record to your domain’s configuration

2.Add a meta tag to your site’s home page

3.Upload an HTML file to your server

4.Link to your Google Analytics account

When doing this for a joomla site I have found it easiest to use either #2. meta tag or #3. html verification.

Meta Tag verification:

Log in to joomla administration and go to extensions > template manager.  Click the template you are currently using. Your template edit screen will come up. Click the EDIT HTML icon on the right of your screen.

A window will open allowing you to  edit the HTML code of your template.

Simply add the code just above the </head> tag.

The code will look something like this:

<meta name=”google-site-verification” content=”gzqCKvvm0NgJaAPYg_jkPz2MzMmPBmJUzk3BPPovcZQ” />

SAVE.  Then go back to Webmaster tools and click verify. Your done!

Note: You do not have to be that familiar with PHP/HTML to do this but I would always backup my file just in case.

Joomla Akeeba Backup is a simple and easy component to install and use.

The second method:

Uploading an HTML file to your server.

Note: this example is for Joomla 1.5 and for those using SEF URL’s with “add suffix to URL’s’  as YES. This is found in your Joomla Global configuration panel…under SEO Settings.

Again, inside your Joomla admin panel go to content>article manager> new.

Copy the HTML code in the title and into the body.

The code should look something like this;  google97a0e98859299a13.html

(You have to add something to the body in Joomla 1.5 or you won’t be able to save the file.) Under the section and category area click “uncategorized”

SAVE.

Then go to your menu manager and add this article page as a menu item. You can add this to your main menu if you wish because you are only going to keep this live for a few seconds until you check that the link works and appears in your address bar. Then clicking verify in webmaster tools.

That’s it! If you have any questions or comments or other suggestions please let me know. Or send me a tweet.

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