How to Submit Your Website URL to Google for Quicker Indexing?

VIRRGOTECH

Google’s index is like a vast library containing billions of web pages. When someone searches on Google, they are essentially browsing through this index to find answers or solutions to their queries. If your website isn’t included in this index, it won’t appear in Google’s search results.

The question is why should you prioritize Google over other search engines? The simple reason is that Google drives about 90% of the total web traffic, beating other competitors. As the go-to platform for most consumers, ignoring Google as a website owner is a missed opportunity for gaining valuable traffic. 

To appear in Google’s search results, your site needs to be indexed by Google. 

But how do you go about indexing and do it faster? 

In this post, we’ll answer common questions about website indexing and walk you through some smart ways to submit your website URLs for faster indexing, leading to improved search rankings.

Let’s get started! 

How Do You Check If Your Site is Indexed in Google?

To check if your web pages are indexed by Google, you can follow a couple of simple steps.

First, open Google browser and search for “site:yourwebsite.com”. The number of search results will show you all the web pages that Google has indexed. 

On the other hand, if you want to check a specific URL, you should consider using Google Search Console. Its URL Inspection tool allows you to find the status of any specific web page. If that page is indexed, you will see this notification:

How Do You Check If Your Site is Indexed in Google?

However, if the page isn’t indexed, you’ll receive this message:

How to Submit the URL to Google? 

Did you know you can speed up the process of getting your website indexed by submitting your URL directly to Google?

Typically, when you create a new landing page or publish content on your website, you have to wait for Google to crawl and index those pages. Once indexed, your pages will start appearing in search results.

However, if your website is small and doesn’t get much traffic, this process can sometimes take weeks — no one wants to wait that long!

The solution?

Submitting your website URL to Google (which is pretty simple). There are two main ways to do it:

  • Request a crawl
  • Submit your sitemap

When you request a crawl, you’re asking Google to manually crawl a specific page on your site. Submitting a sitemap, on the other hand, gives Google a list of all the pages on your site to crawl.

Both methods are effective, and you can choose one based on your needs. For example:

Imagine you’ve just created a highly informative page that offers great value to readers. You’ve published it on your website and want Google to index it as quickly as possible.

In this case, you can head to Google Search Console and request a crawl for the new page. In most cases, Google will crawl and index it within a few hours.

How Can You Request a Crawl?

These are the steps that you need to follow while requesting Google to crawl your web pages:

1. Sign in to Google Search Console.

How Can You Request a Crawl?

2. From the menu on the left-hand side, select URL Inspection.

3. Enter the URL you want to request for a crawl.

4. Finally, select Request Indexing.

Request Indexing

Once you do this, Google will start crawling the page. Within a few hours, your URL should be indexed and begin appearing in search results.

This method doesn’t just help index new pages; it’s also useful when you’ve made changes to existing pages. You can submit the updated URL to prompt Google to recrawl the page and recognize any changes you’ve made.

For example, if you’ve added an FAQ Schema to a page, it’s advisable to request indexing to ensure Google quickly processes the update, which can help improve your search ranking.

In summary, always submit your URL(s) to Google after making changes to existing pages or adding new ones to ensure they get indexed instantly.

How Can You Submit XML Sitemap?

Providing Google with an XML sitemap is akin to serving them a comprehensive list of all the URLs on your website. The sitemap consolidates your website into a single XML file, typically named sitemap.xml, which can then be submitted to Google for crawling.

Unlike the manual “request a crawl” method, you don’t have to submit each URL individually. With the XML sitemap method, you can submit all URLs at once.

How to Locate Your XML Sitemap?

Before submitting your XML sitemap, make sure you have one and know where to find it. There’s also a possibility that your website already has an XML sitemap and you’re not aware of it. 

Here is a simple way to evaluate whether your site has an XML sitemap or not. Try entering your domain into a web browser and add the following endings:

  • www.yourwebsite.com/sitemap
  • www.yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml
  • www.yourwebsite.com/sitemap/index.xml

By testing each of these, you’ll be able to determine if your website has an XML sitemap.

What if Your Website Doesn’t Have an XML Sitemap?

If you tried the above methods and couldn’t locate your sitemap, you’ll need to create one.

As far as a WordPress website, it does not generate its sitemaps automatically. You will need to utilize a plugin to handle this task. You can try the RankMath SEO plugin as it is very effective for WordPress. It will generate a sitemap for you, which you can then submit to Google.

rankmath seo plugin

However, if you don’t require a comprehensive SEO plugin, you can use another plugin like Google XML Sitemaps, specifically designed to generate sitemaps.

Submit XML Sitemap: Step-by-step

Submitting an XML sitemap requires a few easy steps and it’s completely free. While some website owners use SEO software for quicker indexing, you don’t need additional tools. 

Here’s how to do it: 

1- Sign in to your Google Search Console account.

2- In the left-aligned menu section, click on ‘Sitemap’.

Submit XML Sitemap

3- Now, enter your sitemap URL, and click on ‘submit’.

Submited Sitemap

Once, the XML sitemap is submitted, you will receive a success message. Google Search Console will then provide insights into the number of indexed pages and other media on your website.

The Advantages of Submitting URLs to Google

If you are wondering why URL submission on Google is extremely important, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. 

Below are the primary benefits that URL indexing brings you;

Submitting URLs to Google Saves Your Time

Imagine this scenario:

You publish a new blog post on your website but don’t submit the URL to Google. After three weeks, you notice that Google has finally recrawled your site and indexed the post, making it visible in search results.

Now, let’s say your blog post covers a trending topic or recent update — something your audience wants to read right away. If it takes two or three weeks for Google to index it, you could miss out on valuable traffic.

This delay is a missed opportunity, especially when you could have simply submitted the URL right after publishing the post.

Submitting URLs helps Google index your content much faster, allowing you to see the benefits and attract organic traffic sooner rather than waiting for Google to find it on its own.

Indexing the URLs Gets You Ranked Faster

Not many people are specifically searching for your website, so it’s your responsibility to help them find your content. 

This is the essence of SEO. Without your pages being indexed, no one will be able to find them. 

In other words, if you add a new page, update an older one, fix any site issues, or make a small optimization on a page, make sure to inform Google. 

By submitting URLs, you ensure that Google takes note of these changes and indexes them quickly, potentially improving your search visibility and helping your pages rank higher in search results.

Indexing Your Pages Offers Better Control

Google works independently, using its algorithms to decide which pages to index and rank. However, by requesting indexing, you’re helping Google see the value of your updated or new content.

Why does this matter?

Google’s primary goal is to enhance the user experience by delivering the most relevant information. When you request indexing, you’re signaling to Google that your content is valuable to users. This helps boost your online presence and can lead to better organic impressions and rankings.

Wrapping It Up

Getting your website indexed is the first step to driving traffic from Google. However, being indexed doesn’t guarantee ranking for anything. It simply means you’re in the game, not necessarily winning.

This is where you need to work on your SEO and content strategy. With the right keyword research, content optimization, and backlink-building practices, you can achieve higher search rankings and drive potential customers to your website.

We assume that this post has provided you with valuable insights on how to get your website indexed by Google. By implementing these tips and tricks, you can accelerate the indexing process and have your site appear in search results more quickly.

[Also read: How to Attract More Visitors on Google My Business Profile?]

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