Google Setup Basics
(Keep It Simple — Don’t Overthink This)
You only need a few Google basics set up. Do them once, then focus on improving your site — not obsessing over settings.
What Google actually needs from you
At the beginning, Google just needs to:
- discover your site
- understand your pages
- crawl your structure
You do not need advanced SEO tricks to get started.
The only tools you need early on
1. Google Search Console
Search Console helps Google see your site correctly.
What to do:
- Add your site (or sub-domain) as a property
- Submit your sitemap
That’s it.
Search Console is for visibility, not micromanagement.
2. Sitemap submission
Your sitemap tells Google:
- which pages exist
- how your site is structured
Submit it once.
Google will revisit it automatically.
You do not need to resubmit it constantly.
3. Google Analytics (GA4)
Analytics helps you understand:
- where traffic comes from
- which pages people visit
Early on:
- just confirm it’s tracking
- don’t worry about low numbers
Low traffic at the start is normal.
What NOT to do (very important)
Avoid:
- changing SEO settings every day
- forcing URL indexing repeatedly
- chasing every warning or notification
- comparing your site to large, established sites
These actions waste energy and slow progress.
What matters more than Google settings
Google cares more about:
- clear site structure
- helpful category pages
- honest core pages
- steady improvement over time
No setting replaces those.
When to actually look at Google data
Early stage:
- check that pages are indexed
- confirm traffic is being tracked
Later (weeks or months):
- see which categories get attention
- improve those first
✅ Quick Tip
If you’re spending more time in Google tools than improving your site, you’re doing it backwards.
⚠️ Common Mistake
Constantly tweaking SEO settings instead of fixing content and structure.
Simple rule to remember
Set it up once.
Then go build your site.
Google rewards progress, not panic.