SEO for Free: How to Connect Wix with Google Search Console – Even on the Free Plan

As a freelancer, solopreneur, or anyone building an online presence, you know how important it is to get your website noticed. But what good is a website if it’s buried in the depths of Google’s search results? Enter Google Search Console — a powerful, free tool that helps ensure Google properly crawls and indexes your site. The best part? You don’t need a premium Wix plan to connect your site to Google Search Console. In fact, you can do it even with the free plan. Here’s how.

Why You Need Google Search Console

Before we dive into the steps, let’s quickly explore why Google Search Console is so essential:

• Indexing Your Pages: Google needs to know your site exists. Without it, you’re invisible. Google Search Console ensures that Google visits and indexes your pages.

• Troubleshooting: The tool gives you direct insight into how Google views your site. If there are any issues — from crawling problems to broken links — you’ll know.

• SEO Optimization: Ever wonder what search terms people are using to find you? Google Search Console has you covered. With this info, you can optimize your content to attract even more visitors.

Which Wix feature do you find most helpful for improving your SEO?

• 0%SEO Wiz
• 0%Site analytics & performance tracking
• 0%Meta tag options
• 0%Wix SEO Settings (for page-specific optimization)

How to Connect Wix with Google Search Console

It’s a common myth that you need a paid Wix plan to use Google Search Console. In fact, even the free Wix plan allows you to set it up.

Wix’s official documentation currently states that you need a Premium plan and a connected domain to fully connect your Wix site to Google Search Console. You can view the official statement directly from Wix’s support article here.

Clarification: While Wix's official policy requires a premium plan for certain features related to Google Search Console, free Wix users can still use the meta tag verification method to connect to Google Search Console, even with a Wix subdomain. This allows your pages to be indexed by Google and improves your site's visibility, even without a paid plan or custom domain.

Here’s a simple guide to get started:

Step 1: Set Up Google Search Console

1. Go to Google Search Console: Visit Google Search Console.

2. Log In or Create an Account: If you don’t have one already, create a Google account and log in.

3. Add Your Website: Click “Add Property” and enter the URL of your Wix site (e.g., https://yourname.wixsite.com/yoursite).

   • Important: Select the “URL prefix” option when adding your site. This is the method you should use with a Wix subdomain. It will allow you to verify the specific subdomain rather than using the "Domain" option, which requires a custom domain.

4. Choose a Verification Method:

   • Select the HTML tag option from the five verification methods provided by Google.

   • Google will display a meta tag, similar to this:

   
   

   <meta name="google-site-verification" content="your-unique-meta-tag-here" />

   
   

   • Copy the meta tag to your clipboard.

5. Add the Meta Tag to Wix: Follow the instructions in Step 2 to paste the meta tag into your Wix site's SEO settings (as described below).

Step 2: Add the Google Meta Tag to Wix

To verify your site with Google, add the meta tag to your Wix settings:

1. Copy the Meta Tag: From Google Search Console, copy the meta tag provided (it will look something like this: <meta name="google-site-verification" content="your-unique-meta-tag-here" />.

2. Go to Wix SEO Settings: In your Wix editor, navigate to the SEO Settings of your main page.

3. Paste the Meta Tag: Scroll to “Additional Meta Tags” and paste the meta tag you copied.

4. Save and Republish: Save your changes and republish the site to make sure the meta tag is added.

Step 3: Verify in Google Search Console

Return to Google Search Console and click the Verify button. It may take a few minutes for Google to confirm the verification. Once it’s done, your site will be linked to Search Console.

Step 4: Submit Your Sitemap

To ensure Google crawls all of your important pages, submit your sitemap:

1. Find Your Sitemap URL: For Wix users, the default URL is usually something like https://yourname.wixsite.com/yoursite/sitemap.xml.

2. Submit Your Sitemap: In Google Search Console, go to the Sitemaps section, enter your sitemap URL (just add sitemap.xml after your site URL), and click Submit.

Important Steps to Take Before Upgrading to a Paid Wix Plan

If you’re using the free Wix plan, you don’t have a custom domain, but you can still use Google Search Console to ensure your pages are indexed. When you upgrade to a custom domain, make sure to:

1. Update Your Google Search Console: Add your new custom domain to Google Search Console and update your site settings.

2. Understand the Redirect Process: Wix does not automatically set up 301 redirects from a free Wix subdomain (e.g., yourname.wixsite.com) to a custom domain (e.g., www.yoursite.com). So, when you switch from a free subdomain to a custom domain, visitors trying to access your old Wix subdomain will encounter a “Page Not Found” error. Wix also doesn’t automatically redirect URLs from one domain to another.

   
   

   Why are 301 redirects important?301 redirects help maintain your page's SEO ranking by ensuring that users and search engines are directed to the correct page when a URL changes. Unfortunately, with a free Wix subdomain, Wix doesn't automatically redirect traffic to your new custom domain.

   
   

   What should you do before upgrading?Before switching to a paid plan and a custom domain, make sure to update any external links that might still point to your free Wix subdomain, and inform your audience of the change. Unfortunately, since Wix doesn’t handle redirects from free subdomains to custom domains, failing to do this could result in traffic loss and a potential drop in your search rankings. By proactively managing this transition, you can minimize disruptions and maintain your SEO performance.

   
   

Key Takeaways

Connecting your Wix site to Google Search Console is essential for improving your website’s visibility, regardless of whether you’re using a free or paid plan. By following the steps outlined here, you ensure that Google finds and indexes your site, giving you a competitive advantage in search results.

Additional Tips for SEO Success

• Regularly Check for Errors: Make sure to monitor your Google Search Console account for any issues affecting your site’s performance.

• Update Your Sitemap: Ensure all important pages are included in your sitemap and submitted to Google.

• Continue to Optimize: SEO is an ongoing process. Regularly optimize your content with relevant keywords to attract more visitors.