Google Verification

This article will cover how to verify your website using Google Webmaster Tools and the Webs Dashboard.

From Google's Support Site:

You can add up to 1,000 sites—including news and mobile sites—to your account. In addition, we'll ask you to verify your site. This is because we need to know you own a site before we'll show you certain information about it or enable you to use our tools. Verification doesn't affect PageRank or affect your site's performance in Google's search results.

How do I verify my site by uploading an HTML file?

To verify your site by uploading an HTML file:

• Sign into Google Webmaster Tools with your Google Account.
• Click Verify this site from the Manage Site dropdown that appears next to the site you want to verify. (If you haven't added a site, you can do so by clicking Add A Site)
• In the Choose verification method list, select Upload an HTML file, and follow the steps on your screen.
• Download the HTML verification file provided by Google.
• From your Webs Dashboard, go to your File Manager and upload the file provided by Google.

• Once you have uploaded the file, click the Verify button on the Google Webmaster Tools dashboard.  

Note:If your site account is in provisional mode (first 7 days of opening a free account) you will not be able to upload html files. You must until after the provisional period is over.

How do I verify via HTML tag?

• Sign into Google Webmaster Tools with your Google Account.
• Click Verify this site from the Manage Site dropdown that appears next to the site you want to verify. (If you haven't added a site, you can do so by clicking Add A Site)
• In the Choose verification method list, click the "Alternative methods" tab and select  "HTML Tag"
• Copy the Meta Tag provided by Google.

• Return to your Webs Dashboard and paste the Meta Tag into the Google Webmaster Tool field under Site Settings.

If you are trying to increase your search engine ranking, we recommend using SEO Booster. Click here for more information

Error: Your 404 error page returns a status of 200

It appears that many users are receiving an error message from Google when attempting to verify their web site with Google.

""We've detected that your 404 (file not found) error page returns a status of 200 (Success) in the header.""

This most commonly affects users without domain names registered to their accounts. Domain users can add their own custom 404 error pages resolving the error message Google gives. Additionally, some users have had success adding the Meta Tag through the Tagline of their web sites through the Edit Title and Site Footer section of Edit My Site. This method is not supported by Webs so we cannot guarantee it will work.