Google has just launched Site Kit plugin, officially supporting connecting Google Webmaster services for WordPress through Google API.
Previously, to connect WordPress to Google Webmaster tools like Google Search Console (Google Webmaster Tools) or Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager ... we had to use 3rd party Developer plugins.
However, with the explosion of WordPress, accounting for nearly 40% of the world's Website today, the Google launched a master plugin is something that was anticipated, even they launched the Google Site Kit plugin It is also a bit late compared to the desire of the WordPress user community for many years.
Learn features & use Google Site Kit
In this article, we will explore the features of Site Kit and how to use Site Kit to connect Google SEO tools.
What is the Site Kit?
Site Kit is a plugin developed by Google for WordPress, which will display on the WordPress Dashboard the following information about how people search and use the site, as well as how to improve speed, user experience, and Make money from the Website.
Site Kit helps WordPress connect to all of Google Webmaster tools like Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Google PageSpeed Insight and Google Ad-sense.
After only 3 days of launch, Google Site Kit has more than 30,000 activations and received quite positive feedback. This shows how much WordPress users long for this plugin.
In fact, Google has developed (or participated in) many WordPress plugins before, most notably AMP plugin (400,000 activations) or recent PWA (Progressive Web Apps - 20,000 activations).
However, the AMP or PWA plugin was launched with the purpose Optimize WordPress follow Google standards to meet speed - performance and optimize the user experience (User Experience) the way Google wants.
Although AMP and PWA are quite popular, they also receive a lot of negative reviews because of their fairly rough interference in many other WordPress features, causing the opposite effect.
Site Kit does not force users do nothing, it only connects the SEO & Marketing tools that are already 'cool' of Google to WordPress through API port, and the long-term goal is to bring the best quality data to users themselves. Optimize - improve if desired.
Features of Google Site Kit
Registration support - connecting to all Google Tools easily
The Site Kit not only helps to connect WordPress to Google tools that you have previously registered, but also helps you to quickly register these tools, without having to conduct a separate registration.
Previously when registering each tool Google Search Console, Google Tag Manager ... we had to register and validate quite time-consuming. Often do two things quite difficult for inexperienced users:
- Verify ownership of the Website by pasting the verification code into the Code Website, or adding NS records on the domain.
- Paste the tracking code into the Website code to track user interaction
With Google Site Kit, this plugin automatically does the above two, you don't need to touch any code, no copy / paste. Simply click - click!
List of Google Tools Site Kit supported
At launch, the Google Site Kit supports registration - connecting the following tools:
- Google Search Console (GSC): also known as Google Webmaster Tools, the # 1 SEO tool for Webmasters to track keyword rankings and experience issues on the Website to optimize SEO for the entire Website.
- Google Analytics (GA): the # 1 tool to track and analyze behavior - user interaction on the Website, extremely important to track traffic and optimize content - designed for each audience group, extremely important to run effective Google Ads advertising campaigns.
- Google Tag Manager (GTM) : an indispensable tool for people running Google Adwords ads, helping to include tags from Google Adwords, Facebook Pixel ... in one place and allowing management - analysis to give the most optimal advertising strategy.
- Google Adsense (GA - distinguished from Google Analytics): tool to make money from Google ads, this probably needs no further introduction.
- Google PageSpeed Insights (GPS): Speed test tool & user experience on Desktop and mobile devices, giving instructions, suggestions for you to optimize the speed & UX of the entire Website.
- Google Optimize (GO) is a tool to help measure ROI (Return on Investment) - a measure of profit compared to invested capital. Google Optimize is a free tool that works with Google Analytics and can connect to Google Tag Manager. It is especially useful for measuring the effectiveness of advertising and marketing campaigns based on A / B Testing.
Google Tools still has many other tools that promise to be integrated into WordPress via Site Kit in the future.
Compatible 100% with Google Tools
The difference between the Google Site Kit plugin and plugins that connect other Google Webmaster services via the API is: The Site Kit is developed and supported by Google itself, so connecting APIs, security and other terms are 'perfect' - 100% compatible.
Regarding the right to access data on Google tools, or regulations, data privacy is completely guaranteed in accordance with Google criteria.
If you use plugins developed by third parties, when granting data access, you will not be able to guarantee that they will use your data for other purposes. With the Google Site Kit, everything is in the ‘house of Google’ and it can't get out.
In addition, Google's Webmaster tools such as Google Search Console, Analytics, etc. are always changing and upgrading features, Site Kit is a home-based tool, so you do not have to worry about compatibility issues with Google updates. Tools.
Bringing in-depth All in One data to users
This is the most promising feature of Site Kit!
The Google Site Kit is not only about aggregating individual features into one, but its strength lies in conveying data that has been analyzed in depth by Google tools in the most intuitive way.
The Site Kit also offers overall reviews - the best way to improve overall speed, user experience, and results on Google Search!
Google promises to continue to upgrade and integrate more useful features so that WordPress users can get 'golden data' from all Google services, without having to spend research on each individual service. .
Hosting & Plugins support
According to Google, they also support Hosting Services integrated Google Site Kit, meaning that customers can activate and connect Google tools without having to register the old way.
As visualized by VHW Team, this integration will be similar to the way we register and activate CloudFlare CDN automatically on cPanel Hosting without manual registration. So convenient!
Google Site Kit also supports other data retrieval plugins, like there will be Site Kit's Addons (Extension) plugins to optimize the data from Site Kit for users.
Supporting plugin developers to get data from the Site Kit instead of directly from Google Tools via Google API meets two very important criteria: ensuring Google's data safety regulations and being flexible for users. Developers use this data for their products!
Hosting Provider and Plugin Developer support is a great decision of Google, it will make Site Kit easier to be popular on WordPress!
Install & Connect WordPress with Google Site Kit
Install Site Kit plugin
As a free plugin, Site Kit can be installed directly and automatically updated from the WP Repository right on the WordPress Dashboard.
Go to Plugins -> Add New, type Site Kit in the search box to Install & Activate:
Register the Site Kit with your Google Account
After activating, you can go to G Site Kit for Setup, or choose Setup right on the notice after activating the plugin:
You need to connect to a Google account (Gmail) to authenticate Website ownership and allow Site Kit to use Google Tools data on the account:
We must allow Site Kit to access Data from Google Tools:
After that, we have registered the Site Kit account.
1. Verify Website ownership with Site Kit
Following the above step, click Proceed to validate the Website ownership with Site Kit, in this step Site Kit will automatically add the authentication code (HTML file) to the website's source code, we do not need to manually add as before:
2. Allow Website (essentially a Site Kit plugin) to access Data on Google accounts
Click Allow to go to step 3!
3. Set up Google Search Console & Connect to Site Kit
This step will create a Search Console account for the Website (if not already).
Because the code for ownership has been there before, Search Console account registration is very fast, as shown below:
Sometimes you get an error (due to cache) as shown below, go to WordPress Dashboard -> Site Kit and set up again!
Similar to other tools, go to Site Kit -> Dashboard and set up each tool, the authentication process, allowing data access ... takes place similarly:
When registering and connecting an additional Google tool, there will be a separate menu for you to manage each tool in Site Kit:
One point to note, if your Website first registers Google Search Console or Google Analytics services, the data will not be available immediately because Google needs a few days to a week to collect and analyze data on the new Website.
Not to mention if the ‘chicks’ Web site has nothing to Index or just a few people to visit every day, Google's crawling process is much longer.
Some issues with Google Site Kit
Although it created a huge effect when it was launched 3 days ago and is well received by the WordPress community, but at present, Google Site Kit still has issues to be aware of before using it officially on important websites. :
Many authentication & connection errors
Although it is a plugin developed by Google itself, the stability when connecting via the Google API is still not good, because the installation and use process, users still encounter errors when authenticating and requiring reconnection.
The simple solution is that you only need to redo the operation until it succeeds.
Conflict with similar feature plugins
This is really not a problem of Site Kit but a headache of other plugin developers. In the past, plugin developers who wanted to connect Google SEO tools through the Google API had to strictly follow Google's regulations.
The problem is that Google Site Kit is also a WordPress plugin, the way to connect to the Google API is similar, but because the Google Site Kit is the 'child' of Google, it doesn't need to care about the conflict with the plugin's code. outside.
There will be many plugins on the market that have a feature conflict with Site Kit if they have the same Google API connection feature. And the plugins themselves have to be changed to avoid contact with Site Kit.
We need to wait, but you, if you use the plugin connecting Google Search Console, Analytics ... that conflict when installing Site Kit. Then the ‘best way’ is to remove the Site Kit, wait for a while for the plugin to upgrade - to resolve the conflict, please reinstall the Site Kit.
Site Kit features are still few
Although the vision - strategy of the Google Site Kit is very promising, at the time of launch, it only achieved one criterion: including the general data of Google Search Console, Google Analytics, ... about WordPress Dashboard.
In terms of analytics features - putting ‘in-depth’ data with improved guidelines - content optimization & design for SEO, making money (Google Adsense) ... we still have to wait a little longer.
Should you use Google Site Kit right away?
Site Kit is a promising product of Google, helping them invade the WordPress market, which accounts for nearly 40% of global Websites.
There is currently no plugin or service that has 'awesome' features like Site Kit!
For example, if you just want to use Google Analytics data on the WordPress Dashoard, with useful information and analysis, the current number 1 plugin is MonsterInsights - costs up to $ 99 / year for each Website.
Totally free Site Kit, being the offspring of Google, great!
That said, at this point, the Site Kit is just a baby elephant, still has many bugs and is not equipped with the 'monumental' ability as promised.
Use the Site Kit on less important websites and experiences before deciding to use the official website for large websites.
We still have a long time to enjoy the power of Google Site Kit!
Reference: Google Search Console User Guide
Reference: How to Submit URL to Google Index fast article
Wish success!
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