By Shad Super in Questions —

How Can Website Owners Ensure Their Newly Launched Site Is Quickly Indexed by Google?

Summary

To ensure a newly launched website is quickly indexed by Google, website owners should submit the site directly to Google Search Console, optimize crawlability, leverage internal and external linking, and generate high-quality content. Additionally, implementing technical SEO best practices and monitoring for indexing issues can accelerate the process.

Submit Your Website to Google

Google Search Console

Submit your website to Google Search Console by adding its URL to the “URL Inspection Tool”. This tells Google to crawl and index your site. To do this:

  • Log in to Google Search Console.
  • Click on the “URL Inspection Tool” and enter your site’s URL.
  • Click “Request Indexing” to prompt Google to crawl your site.

Learn more about using this tool here.

Optimize for Crawlability

Create and Submit a Sitemap

A sitemap is a file that lists all important pages on your website, helping search engines discover and index them efficiently. To create a sitemap:

  • Use tools like XML Sitemaps to generate one automatically.
  • Ensure it follows the Sitemaps protocol.
  • Submit the sitemap in Google Search Console under the “Sitemaps” section.

Robots.txt File

Check your robots.txt file to ensure it does not inadvertently block Google from crawling certain pages. You can test and edit it in Google Search Console or verify it manually by visiting https://yourdomain.com/robots.txt. Refer to Google’s guide on optimizing robots.txt files here.

Enable Mobile-Friendly Design

Google prioritizes mobile-first indexing, meaning it primarily uses the mobile version of websites for ranking and indexing. Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to ensure your site is optimized for mobile devices.

High-Quality Content and Internal Linking

Publish Fresh, Relevant Content

Google favors new and high-quality content, so publishing relevant blog posts, articles, or updates increases indexing likelihood. Ensure your content includes targeted keywords and provides value to your audience.

Internal Linking

Use internal links to connect new pages with existing ones on your site. For example, link your homepage to your newly launched pages. Google’s bots follow these links, making it easier to discover and index your content. Learn more about internal linking strategies here.

Leverage External Linking and Social Sharing

Obtain high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites, as these act as signals to Google that your site is trustworthy and valuable. Backlinks can drive Google to crawl your site more frequently. Tools like Ahrefs Backlink Checker can help you analyze backlink opportunities.

Social Media Sharing

Sharing your content on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn can drive traffic and encourage faster Google crawling. Social signals are not direct ranking factors, but they increase discoverability indirectly. Discover the importance of social media in SEO here.

Technical SEO Adjustments

Improve Site Speed

A fast website improves crawl efficiency and user experience. Use Google PageSpeed Insights to identify bottlenecks in load time and resolve them by minimizing server response time, compressing images, and enabling caching.

Structured Data

Employ structured data markup (e.g., Schema.org) to help search engines understand your content better. For example, mark up recipes, products, or events to enable rich search results in Google. Use the Structured Data Testing Tool to validate your implementation.

Fix Errors

Address crawl errors such as broken links, 404 errors, or server issues by regularly scanning your site with tools like Screaming Frog or Google Search Console’s Coverage Report.

Monitor Performance

After implementing these steps, monitor your site’s performance and indexing status in Google Search Console under the “Coverage” tab. Check for warnings or exclusions that may indicate problems with crawling or indexing.

Conclusion

Ensuring your newly launched website is quickly indexed by Google requires active submission, proper technical setup, and high-quality content strategies. By leveraging tools like Google Search Console, optimizing crawlability, and generating backlinks, your site can be indexed efficiently and rank well in search results.

References