What is Site Verification?

Introduction

Site verification is the process of confirming to search engines that you are the legitimate owner of your website. This crucial step enhances your site's presence and management capabilities within search engine search results. By verifying your ownership, you gain access to powerful webmaster tools provided by platforms like Google, Bing, and Facebook, allowing you to actively manage how your site is perceived and displayed in their search results.

The eDirectory Verification Tool simplifies this process by enabling you to quickly add the necessary verification meta tags for Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Center, and Facebook Business Manager directly within your site manager. Once verified, you can leverage the specific webmaster tools of each platform to gain valuable insights and control over your site's performance.

For instance, Google Search Console provides data on how your site is performing in Google search results, including search queries, impressions, and click-through rates. Furthermore, after updating your website content, you can submit your sitemap through these tools to ensure that the latest version of your pages is promptly discovered and indexed by search engines.

How the Site Verification Tool Works:

The eDirectory Site Verification Tool employs a special meta tag provided by the search engine's webmaster tools to confirm your ownership. This meta tag is a snippet of HTML code containing the name of the search engine and a unique string of alphanumeric characters.

To utilize this tool, you will first need to obtain the specific meta tag from the webmaster tools of the search engine you wish to verify with (e.g., Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Center, or Facebook Business Manager).

Once you have obtained the meta tag, you will paste it into the designated field within the eDirectory Site Verification Tool in your site manager and click "Save Changes." The tool will then automatically add this meta tag to the header code of your website's homepage.

After saving the changes in your eDirectory site manager, you can navigate back to the respective search engine's webmaster tools platform and initiate the verification process. The search engine will then scan your homepage's header for the presence of the unique meta tag. Upon detecting the tag, it will confirm you as the rightful owner of the website.

Important Considerations:

Search engines periodically check whether the verification meta tag remains present in your homepage's header. It is crucial to leave the verification tag in place for as long as you wish to maintain your verified ownership status and retain access to the search engine's webmaster tools. Removing the tag may lead to a loss of verification, consequently restricting your access to valuable management features and insights.