How to set up Google Search Console for Shopify

Introduction: Why Set Up Google Search Console for Shopify?

Setting up Google Search Console (GSC) for your Shopify store is crucial if you want to improve your store's visibility on Google, understand how it performs in search, and fix any issues that may affect your SEO. With this guide, you’ll learn:

• How to set up GSC for Shopify

• How to find and submit your Shopify sitemap to Google

• How to connect GSC to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Google Ads, and Google Merchant Centre

• Why connecting these tools can boost your store’s performance

Step 1: Setting Up Google Search Console

What is Google Search Console and Why Do You Need It?

Google Search Console is a free tool provided by Google that helps you monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot your site's presence in Google Search results. It gives you insights into how Google sees your website, what keywords bring traffic, and alerts you to any issues.

How to Set Up GSC for Shopify

1. Create a Google Search Console Account:

   • If you don’t already have one, sign up for a Google Search Console account.

   • Visit the Google Search Console website and sign in with your Google account.

2. Add Your Property (Website):

   • Click on the “Add Property” button in the left navigation menu.

   • You will then have two options. Choose the “Domain” method or the “URL prefix” method to add your website as a property:

     • The domain method is recommended for most Shopify stores. It involves adding a DNS record to your domain registrar. This could be Shopify, GoDaddy, Namecheap etc.

     • The URL prefix method has 4 further options, one of which requires adding a HTML meta tag to your Shopify theme.liquid file. If you update your theme, you might need to add this again to your new theme files.

3. Verify Ownership

   • Google will ask you to verify that you own the website. Verify ownership of your property using the method you selected in the previous step.

Step 2: Finding and Submitting Your Shopify Sitemap

How to Locate Your Shopify Sitemap

Your Shopify sitemap is automatically generated and typically found at https://yourstore.com/sitemap.xml

1. Access the Sitemap

   • Simply add /sitemap.xml to your store's URL in the browsers address bar.

   • Example: https://yourstore.com/sitemap.xml

Submitting Your Sitemap to Google Search Console

1. Navigate to the Sitemaps Section

   • In Google Search Console, go to Index > Sitemaps.

2. Submit Your Sitemap

   • Enter https://yourstore.com/sitemap.xml in the “Add a new sitemap” field.

   • Click Submit.

Make sure your sitemap URL ends with /sitemap.xml to avoid submission issues.

That’s it. After successfully submitting your sitemap, you can monitor your Shpoify store status in Google Search Console. For example, Google Search Console provides valuable insights into how Google crawls and indexes your site. You can see what keywords are driving traffic to your business, or check for any errors and warnings. Use tools like the URL inspection tool to check individual pages, request indexing, and identify mobile usability issues.

Note: If you have multiple international domains like .co.uk or .eu, you will need to repeat this process of each international domain and also submit a sitemap for each domain.

Step 3: Connecting Google Search Console to GA4, Google Ads & Google Merchant Centre

Why Connect GSC with GA4, Google Ads, and Google Merchant Centre?

Connecting Google Search Console with GA4, Google Ads, and Google Merchant Centre allows you to gain more insights and effectively leverage Google’s tools to boost your store's online visibility. For Shopify stores, linking these tools can:

• Provide deeper insights into which search queries drive traffic and conversions.

• Enhance ad performance by optimising based on search data.

• Boost product visibility in Google Shopping through Merchant Centre integration.

Linking GSC with GA4

1. Open Google Analytics 4

   • Log in to your Google Analytics account.

2. Navigate to Admin Settings

   • Click on Admin (the gear icon at the bottom left).

3. Link GSC

   • Under Property Settings, click Data Streams and select your Shopify stream.

   • Scroll down to Additional Settings and click Link to Google Search Console.

4. Complete the Link

   • Follow the prompts to connect GSC.

Connecting GSC with Google Ads

1. Open Google Ads

   • Log in to your Google Ads account.

2. Navigate to Linked Accounts

   • Click on Tools & Settings > Linked Accounts.

3. Link GSC

   • Find Search Console and click Link.

   • Select the property you want to link.

Connecting GSC with Google Merchant Centre Next

Why It Matters: Linking Google Search Console with Google Merchant Centre helps ensure your product data is up-to-date and indexed properly, improving visibility in Google Shopping results. This is particularly beneficial for Shopify stores aiming to increase product reach and drive more traffic through Google Shopping.

1. Open Google Merchant Centre Next

   • Log in to your Google Merchant Centre account.

2. Navigate to Linked Accounts

   • Click on the Tools & Settings icon (three dots in the top-right corner) and select Linked Accounts.

3. Link GSC

   • Find Search Console in the list and click Link.

   • Select the relevant GSC property for your Shopify store and click Link.

4. Confirm the Link

   • After linking, you may need to verify or authorise the connection, depending on your setup.

Conclusion: Next Steps

Now that your Shopify store is set up in Google Search Console, it will take a few days for data to populate. I suggest you leave it for 7 to 14 days and then come back. You will start seeing which pages are getting clicks and impressions, which keywords shoppers are youing to find your store and products, and which countries you are appearing in search. You will also start seeing indexing and core web vitals report data. Once you have this informtaion you can start making informed decisions on how best to optimise your Shopify store. If you need help optimising your Shopify store for SEO, we have a range of services that may be of interest.