Getting Your URL Listed in Google Results: 4+ Easy Methods

So you just created a business or website. But how do you get Google to display it in search results? Google indexes most sites automatically, but read on to learn some absolutely free methods to make the process more efficient. We’ll teach you how to add the site property and sitemap XML to Google Search Console and create a free business profile on Google, with tips from Digital Marketing Expert Anar Kazimov.

Quick Steps

Go to Google Search Console.
Select a property type.
Enter a domain name or URL prefix.
Follow the on-screen instructions to verify ownership.
Add the sitemap XML to the Sitemap section.
Add your business to Google's business profiles page (if applicable).

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Do you have to do anything to add your website to Google?

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1
Google usually crawls and indexes sites automatically. However, here are some reasons why Google won't index your page:
- The website is too new. Crawling and indexing can be very fast (within a few hours) to very slow (a few weeks). You can help Google realize that it needs to crawl and index a new site by adding it to the Google Search Console .
- Your website is missing a domain name. In this case, people can only get to your site using an IP address ; Google also won't be able to find your site to index it.
  - To resolve this issue, make sure you have the site correctly set up through WordPress, Wix, or whatever site manager or host you're using.
- There was a recent redesign. Altering your brand or website significantly may impact how Google indexes your site. If you want Google to crawl your new website immediately, use the Google Search Console to request a recrawl by clicking Request Indexing next to your site's name.
- You're missing a sitemap. A sitemap is a blueprint of everything on your site, including pages, videos, files, and how everything is shared between your pages. You want to include a sitemap in an XML format in the search console to hasten the time for your page to get crawled and indexed by Google.
- Your site has a poor structure. If it's difficult to navigate around your site, it's going to be hard for users to find the information they need or explore for more information. Google is also negatively impacted by a poor site structure and will be unable to crawl and index your site.
  - This includes things like Orphan Pages , which are pages that aren't linked to your main site. Fix this by linking the orphaned page on your main page – internal links will also help resolve this issue.
- Your site isn't mobile-friendly. More than half of searches are made from a mobile device, which is why Google prioritizes sites that are mobile-friendly.
  - Avoid this by using adaptable design, compressing large images, and improving load times.
- Your site isn't ADA compliant. Google wants your site to be accessible and will check for that when it crawls your pages. Keep these ADA-compliant issues in mind when creating your site:
  - Making images available via Alt text
  - Making sure text is readable and comprehensive (avoiding grammar and spelling errors)
  - Making sure users can navigate the site with keyboard-only commands.
- Low-quality content . Thin, scammy, or outdated content, or pages stuffed with random keywords, are generally left out of indexing. You want to generate content that is unique, accurate, and up-to-date.
  - Avoid stuffing your site with keywords. Instead, make sure you're using relevant keywords.
- Googlebot is blocked. If your robots.txt file contains the line " User-agent: *Disallow: /" , the bot is blocked from crawling your site. Remove this to get rid of the "noindex" rule. ^{[1]
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- There's a redirect loop. If your site has a page that links to another page that links back to the main page, the Googlebot may get lost in the redirect loop. Make sure this isn't happening by opening your .htaccess file or HTML sources for your website and looking for redirects.
- You've exceeded the crawl budget. Google doesn't have the resources to crawl every site an unlimited number of times. So you have a numerical limit to how many times Google can crawl your page. Check your crawl limits by visiting the Crawl Status Report on Google Search Console.
  - If you have a really large website, you can consolidate pages or add code to instruct Google not to crawl specific pages.
- Your site has hard-to-read code. Your raw and rendered HTML should be easy for Google to read. Practices called cloaking, as well as hiding text or links, are red flags that can prevent Google from crawling and indexing your site. Check any JavaScript or CSS to make sure there isn't code preventing Googlebots. In addition, any sites that rely heavily on JavaScript can prevent Google from indexing your site, as crawling through JavaScript takes more time and effort.
- You received a Google penalty. Factors like unnatural links, malicious webpages, and sneaky redirects can earn you penalties. You can review any penalties from the Google Search Console. ^{[2]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Adding a Website

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1
Go to Google's Search Console page. You can find the Google Search Console here . According to Kazimov, this can help Google index your site more quickly (in 5-7 business days instead of a couple of weeks). However, it isn't strictly necessary since Google will still crawl and index your page eventually.
- Log in if prompted.
- You must be able to prove you own the site or the appropriate section of it.
2
Select a property type. There are two types of properties that you can use:
- Domain - keep track of all the subdomains, including mobile ones (shown as m.yourwebsite.com). This also includes http and https sites and requires DNS verification.
  - Examples for "example.com" include: http://example.com/dresses/1234 , https://example.com/dresses/1234 , http://www.example.com/dresses/1234 , http://support.m.example.com/dresses/1234
- URL prefix - only track the domains under the listed URL, and you can verify your ownership multiple ways.
  - Examples for "example.com" include: http://example.com , http://example.com/dresses/1234 – NOT "https" or "www"
- If you have a Google-hosted site like Blogger or a Google Workspace account, add either a domain or URL-prefix site, and Google will automatically detect and verify everything.
3
Enter a domain name or URL prefix and click Continue . You'll need to verify your ownership according to the property type you're submitting.
- Google can sometimes automatically verify a DNS account. If not, you can look through your DNS's help pages to learn how to verify your ownership.
- For URL prefix properties, there are many ways that you can verify ownership of the page, like uploading HTML code to your website for Google Search Console. ^{[3]
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- If you're in a rush, hit Verify Later to pick up where you left off whenever you can. ^{[4]
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- Google indexes hundreds of millions of sites every time it looks for new sites, so it may take a few weeks for your site to begin showing up as a search suggestion.

Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Adding an XML Sitemap

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1
Navigate to Google Search Console. Once you add a property, submitting a sitemap is how you tell Google which pages in your site to index.
- Use a free online tool like XML Sitemaps Generator to get your sitemap. However, you can get one automatically generated from any CM website, including WordPress or Wix.
2

Choose a property. Click it to see more options.
3

Click Sitemaps in the menu. It's on the right side of the page under the header, "Index."
4

Enter the URL for the sitemap and click Submit . Once it's submitted, you can check back here to see any updates.

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

SEO Best Practices

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Adhere to these tips to maintain a high presence on Google.
- Use the right keywords. Identify the keywords or terms used in the niche you're creating content for to ensure that your website appears in Google's search results.
  - Don't target high-volume keywords that don't have any relevance to your niche; you'll miss the opportunity to gain an authoritative voice on keywords that actually represent and help the niche you're targeting and will instead attract junk traffic or useless traffic to your site.
- Create relevant content . Organic traffic comes from content that is helpful, informative, and highly relevant to your audience. Search engines prefer content that delivers in-depth topical information that's easy to navigate. So make sure that the content you're offering is relevant, on-point, and helps your audience find answers to their questions easily.
- Optimize page titles and descriptions. Keep the targeted keyword or phrase in mind when you're creating these elements, since they give a brief introduction of your page to search engines. These are usually the first things users see when they visit your page, so let them know they're in the right place by using the same keywords.
  - Keep your page title to 50-60 characters (spaces included) and your description to 150-160.
- Optimize images. You can leverage image search with more visually attractive images and get more visitors that way. Here are a few pointers for optimizing images:
  - Add subtitles to your images and use keywords.
  - Use alt text to describe your images.
  - Avoid using crowded/cluttered pictures.
  - Use high-resolution images, but be careful not to use an image that's too big.
- Use internal links. Linking to other pages on your site improves your Google ranking by showing search engines how information is organized and how users can easily explore more content.
  - Avoid linking errors, as they can have a negative effect on your SEO ranking.
- Optimize URLs. A well-performing URL tells search engines about the contents of the page and how it relates to the main domain name. Focus on creating URLs with concise, logical, and keyword-targeted language.
  - URLs can be like breadcrumbs from the domain name, helping users decide if your site is helpful for them.
    - For example, a site URL /pets is much more helpful than a string of random letters and numbers.

Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Adding a Business

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1

Go to the Google Business page and click Get started . It's located at https://www.google.com/business/.
2
Enter a business name and click Continue . Suggestions will pop up as you type, but for a unique entry, click the first one that says "Create a business with this name."
- If you find that your business already exists, someone else created it and has ownership of it. You can claim it by finding it here , then claiming it, filling out a form, and waiting. ^{[5]
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3
Choose your business type. You can pick if your business is an online retailer, a local store, or a service business.
- Click Next to continue.
4
Follow the on-screen instructions to enter your business's information. Any information you enter here will be displayed on Google Maps. The information you add will include the following:
- Business name - The name you want customers to search for when looking up your business.
- Country/Region - Your business's country/region of residence.
- Physical address - Your business's actual location.
- Phone number - Your business's main phone number.
- Category - Select a business category from Google's pre-determined list.
- Website - The website you wish to add to Google.
- Delivery - Click Yes or No to confirm whether or not you deliver goods or services.
- You may also have to enter additional details about your business depending on your answers to the above inquiries.
5

Click Continue to proceed. Google will begin the verification process, which can take a few hours. After your business is verified, it will appear in Google search results.

How Do You Get Your Website to Show Up On Google Search?

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Warnings

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Getting Your URL Listed in Google Results: 4+ Easy Methods

Quick Steps

Steps

Do you have to do anything to add your website to Google?

Adding a Website

Adding an XML Sitemap

SEO Best Practices

Adding a Business

How Do You Get Your Website to Show Up On Google Search?

Expert Q&A

Tips

Warnings

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Expert Interview

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