Website indexing is a crucial part of SEO. Without getting indexed by Google, your site won’t appear in search results, no matter how optimized it is.
Google indexing means that Google has crawled and stored your site in its search database, making it accessible to searchers.
If you’re wondering how to get your website indexed by Google, follow this step-by-step guide.
1. Create a Google Search Console Account
Google Search Console (GSC) is a free tool from Google that helps you monitor and maintain your website’s presence in Google search results. Here’s how you can set it up:
- Visit the Google Search Console website.
- Click on “Start Now” and sign in using your Google account.
- Add your website by either pasting the URL or verifying domain ownership via DNS.
- Once your site is added, Google will start monitoring it for indexing.
2. Submit Your Sitemap to Google Search Console
A sitemap is a file where you provide information about the pages, videos, and other files on your site. Submitting a sitemap helps Google better understand the structure of your website.
- Once in Google Search Console, go to the Sitemaps section under “Index.”
- Enter the URL of your sitemap, typically found at
yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml. - Click Submit, and Google will process the sitemap and begin indexing your site’s content.
3. Request Google to Crawl Your Website
If you want Google to crawl and index a specific page or content quickly, you can submit individual URLs for indexing.
- In Google Search Console, go to the URL Inspection tool.
- Paste the URL of the page you want Google to index.
- Click Request Indexing, and Google will queue the URL for crawling.
4. Create High-Quality Content
Google values original, high-quality content. Here are a few tips to ensure your content is crawl-worthy:
- Use Keywords Wisely: Ensure your content includes relevant keywords, but avoid keyword stuffing.
- Include Internal Links: Link related pages to each other. This helps Google discover more pages during crawling.
- Publish Fresh Content Regularly: Frequently updated content shows Google that your site is active and worth indexing.
5. Optimize Website for Mobile
Google now uses mobile-first indexing, which means it predominantly uses the mobile version of your site for indexing and ranking. Ensure that your site is mobile-friendly by:
- Using a responsive design.
- Improving load times on mobile devices.
- Avoiding intrusive pop-ups on mobile versions.
6. Increase Website Speed
Site speed is a significant ranking factor, and slow websites can delay or limit the effectiveness of indexing. Here’s how to boost your site’s speed:
- Compress images: Use optimized images with the correct dimensions.
- Leverage browser caching: Store copies of your site’s content in the user’s browser to reduce load times on repeat visits.
- Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML: Remove unnecessary code that slows down page load.
7. Set Up Robots.txt Properly
A robots.txt file tells search engines which pages they are allowed to crawl. Make sure yours isn’t blocking any essential pages from Google’s crawlers. To check:
- Go to
yourwebsite.com/robots.txt. - Ensure no crucial pages are blocked. You want pages like your homepage, important landing pages, and blogs to be accessible.
8. Build High-Quality Backlinks
Backlinks (links from other websites to yours) show Google that your website is authoritative. When a reputable site links to your content, Google crawlers are more likely to find and index your pages.
- Guest posting: Write articles for other reputable websites in your niche and link back to your site.
- Shareable content: Create infographics, case studies, or guides that other sites will want to link to.
- Outreach: Reach out to relevant websites and bloggers to mention or link to your content.
9. Fix Broken Links and Crawl Errors
Broken links or 404 errors can hurt your site’s crawlability. Use Google Search Console’s Coverage report to detect errors and fix them promptly.
- Fix 404 errors: Redirect broken pages using 301 redirects.
- Resolve server errors: Ensure your server is running smoothly and that your site is accessible to both users and crawlers.
10. Use Structured Data (Schema Markup)
Structured data helps Google better understand the content on your website. By using schema markup, you can enhance how your site appears in search results with rich snippets like star ratings, product prices, and more.
- Implement schema.org markup on your site for relevant pages, such as product pages, articles, or reviews.
- Use Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool to check your markup.
11. Check Your Site’s Index Status
To see how well your site is indexed, go to Google Search Console’s Coverage report. Here, you can see how many of your pages are indexed and spot any errors that might be hindering the process.
- Ensure important pages are marked as “Indexed” and not “Excluded”.
Conclusion
Getting your website indexed by Google is a critical step in making sure your content is discoverable online. By using tools like Google Search Console, creating a sitemap, optimizing content, and fixing crawl errors, you can speed up the indexing process. Regular monitoring and improvements will help maintain your site’s visibility in search results.
By following these steps, you can ensure your website gets indexed by Google efficiently, helping it rank better in search engine results and driving more traffic to your site.
