Google has released a new Webmaster Help video. This one comes from Maile Ohye from Google’s webmaster support team, who talks about verifying ownership of your site in Webmaster Tools. The goal of the video is to help webmasters choose the verification method that is easiest for them.

Possibilities include: domain name provider, HTML file upload, HTML meta tag and Google Analytics.

“Verifying ownership of your site in Webmaster Tools provides you and Google a secure channel for giving and receiving information,” says Ohye. “For example, Google can show you more confidential information, such as the search queries that bring visitors to your site, and by verifying ownership, you’ll have privileges to do things like adjust targeting settings to associate your site with the audience of a particular country.”

“Verification doesn’t affect your site’s performance in Google search results,” she notes.