Google offers a set of different useful tools to track your website traffic, analyze your Adsense performance, test your site speed, and much more. Google Analytics, Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, and Adsense help the website owner to monitor, analyze, and improve website performance effectively.
Google Site Kit is a brand new open-source SEO plugin developed by Google for WordPress. It serves as a standard tool for connecting and monitoring the above four services directly in your WordPress dashboard.
Once connected, the plugin allows you to view search, analytics, PageSpeed performance, and Adsense data, within your dashboard and for individual posts and pages. It is super handy as you won’t need to visit their site individually.
In this article, I’ll show you how to install and configure Google Site Kit plugin and demonstrates the steps to connect Google Analytics, Search Console, and PageSpeed Insights.
Contents
Overview of Google Site Kit
Google Site Kit aims to simplify the integration of Google services with WordPress sites. It doesn’t add any new functionality. Instead, it makes the website owners to easily access and manage different services directly from their site dashboard.
The plugin is currently in beta version. It is available for developers for testing compatibility to get the plugin ready for public release as early as possible.
To get started, you should have previously configured both Google Analytics and Search Console in your WordPress site. If you haven’t, I recommend to set up Google Analytics and Search Console before proceeding further.
If you are finished doing that, let’s get started with the Google Site Kit.
How to Install Google Site Kit in WordPress site?
Google Site Kit is in the developer beta version, so it is not available in the WordPress repository yet. To install the plugin, you will have to use the manual method, i.e. uploading the zip folder. Here’s an article that teaches you different ways to install a WordPress plugin.
The beta version is available for download here. Go ahead and download the plugin.
Once the plugin is downloaded, go to your WordPress dashboard > Plugins > Add New and click on Upload Plugin. Then upload the plugin zip file (google-site-kit.zip) and click on Install Now.
After installation, click on the Activate button.
Once done, you will see a screenshot like the one shown below:
Configuring Google Site Kit in WordPress
In Google Site Kit, you can configure Google Analytics, Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, Adsense, Optimize, and Tag Manager. In this article, I will cover the steps to link Google Analytics, Search Console, and PageSpeed Insights.
In the end, you will get the idea on how to add other services as the process is straightforward.
How to link Google Search Console to WordPress using Google Site Kit?
The process to link Google Search Console is simple and just required a few clicks and permissions.
Let’s get started.
Step 1: Go to your site dashboard and click on Site Kit. You will see a screen, as shown below. Click on the link highlighted in the screenshot.
Step 2: The Site Kit plugin will automatically fetch your site information and display it on the next screen, as shown below. Click on Get OAuth Credentials button.
Step 3: A popup will appear with the Client configuration code. Copy the code.
Step 4: Head back to your WordPress dashboard and paste the code in the Client configuration field, as shown in the screenshot, and click on Proceed.
Step 5: Now, you will have to sign in with your Google account that has access to Search Console and other data. Click on Sign In with Google to continue.
Step 6: On the next screen, you will see the sign-in option. Please login with your Google account.
Step 7: Next, you will have to grant the required permission, as shown below.
Step 8: At this point, you will see all the checkboxes enabled. Click on Allow to proceed and click on Go to Dashboard.
Now, the Site Kit plugin will automatically detect your linked site data in your Search Console account and link it to your WordPress site.
If you haven’t signup for the Search Console account earlier, it will automatically create one for you, verify it and link your WordPress site to your account.
Once done, you will be able to view your Google Search Console data directly in your dashboard.
This integration will also allow you to view individual post and page organic search data.
Isn’t it amazing?
Now that you have configured Search Console, let’s dive into Google Analytics configuration.
How to link Google Analytics to WordPress using Google Site Kit?
With the integration of Google Analytics, you can track your pageviews, searched keywords, source of traffic, and much more in your dashboard.
Unlike Search Console, Site Kit plugin cannot automatically create Google Analytics for you. Before proceeding further, please ensure that you have already created a Google Analytics account. If you haven’t created, you can refer to how to add Google Analytics to WordPress article.
Once you are done, follow the below steps:
Step 1: Go to your Dashboard > Site Kit > Settings > Connect More Services > Click on Set up Analytics.
Step 2: On the next screen, you will see an Unverified App warning. Since it is in developer preview, there might be some minor issues. You can ignore it as there are no known security issues so far.
Click on the Proceed button.
Step 3: Again, you will be asked to log in using the Google account that has access to Google Analytics. Log in with your credentials.
Step 4: Now, you will see a warning screen, as shown below. Click on Advanced to toggle advanced options.
Step 5: Click on Go to wphelpguide.com (in your case, it will be your site name) to proceed further.
Step 6: You will be asked for a couple of permission. Grant all the permission to access your Google Analytics account.
Step 7: Now, Google Site kit will return to your WordPress dashboard, where you’ll be asked to link your Google Analytics property.
Select the appropriate property and click on the Configure Analytics button.
Google Analytics is now successfully integrated into Google Site Kit plugin. You can view your Analytics data directly in the Site Kit dashboard.
How to link PageSpeed Insights to WordPress using Google Site Kit?
PageSpeed Insights is a popular tool that helps webmasters to optimize their websites to load more quickly on visitor’s device. It shows your site loading speed on mobile and desktop devices.
To setup PageSpeed Insights, follow the below steps:
Step 1: Go to your Dashboard > Site Kit > Settings > Connect More Services > Click on Set up PageSpeed Insights.
Step 2: On the next screenshot, click on the link shown in the screenshot below.
Step 3: Now click on Get API key and copy the code.
Step 4: After that, return to your dashboard and paste the API key. Then click on the Proceed button.
You have successfully linked PageSpeed Insights to Google Site Kit. You can view your site loading speed within your dashboard.
Disconnect Google Site Kit from WordPress Website
At any moment, if you want to disconnect Google Site Kit plugin, click on your ID and then click Disconnect.
Similarly, if you want to disconnect an individual service, you can do it. Go to Site Kit > Settings > Connected Services tab. Click on the service that you want to disconnect and then on the Edit link.
After that, click on the bin icon, as shown below.
Final Thoughts
Google Site Kit brings all the powerful tools together that make that life of every webmaster easier. You can directly access the valuable information within your dashboard. No need to use separate plugins for each service or visit their site individually. Google Site Kit plugin saves your efforts.
I hope you can install and configure Google Site Kit plugin and is ready to utilize the benefits it offers. Google Site Kit is a game changer plugin, and soon, the public version will be released. Though it is in the beta version, it works smoothly, and I haven’t face any issues.
What are your thoughts on Google Site Kit plugin? Please feel free to let me know in the comment section below.
