How to Index Your Website on Google?

However, there are certain situations where Google doesn’t find your page to show on its search results (even for the 100^th rank).

This is where Google indexing comes to play a vital role.

In this post, we will talk about the core concepts involved in indexing your pages on Google. It will help you know the crucial steps included and why it is necessary.

What is Google Indexing?

Google indexing plays a critical role in ensuring your website’s discoverability within search engine results pages (SERPs). It essentially functions as a vast, searchable library cataloging the entirety of webpages that Google has encountered through its crawling processes.

This index stores not only the text content of each webpage but also incorporates vital metadata such as titles, headers, links, and image information.

The hierarchical organization of this data within a structured index empowers Google to perform real-time scans and efficiently match user search queries with the most relevant web pages.

In essence, when a user enters a search query on Google, the search engine delves into this immense index to identify and deliver the most pertinent web pages on that specific topic.

For a webpage to be included within Google’s search results, it must first be successfully indexed. Consequently, if your webpage is not indexed by Google, it will remain invisible to users searching for related content.

How Does Google Indexing Work?

Understanding the process of Google indexing is fundamental to optimizing your website’s visibility in search results. Here’s a breakdown of the key stages involved, assuming no technical impediments exist:

• Crawling: Google employs software programs known as “Google bots” to continuously scan the web, identifying new and updated webpages. This process essentially involves following hyperlinks, both inbound and outbound links, to discover fresh content across the vast web landscape.

• Indexing: Once a webpage is discovered by a Googlebot, the content is analyzed, along with vital metadata like titles, headers, and image information. Google then stores this analyzed information within its extensive database, officially indexing the webpage.

• Ranking: After a webpage is indexed, it enters the competition for ranking placement. Google’s sophisticated algorithms evaluate the indexed web pages to determine the most relevant and valuable results for each user search query.

In simple words:

“Google’s indexing process can be simplified into three distinct stages: discovery through crawling, content analysis and storage (indexing), and ranking webpages based on relevance for user queries.”

While Google’s indexing algorithms are complex, website owners can implement strategies to influence how their web pages are indexed and ultimately ranked.

Tips to Index A Website on Google

A well-indexed website is fundamental for achieving optimal search engine visibility. Here are a series of steps you can implement to facilitate Google’s indexing of your website:

1. Quest Indexing for Your Homepage

Utilize Google Search Console to sign up and add your website as a property. Navigate to the URL Inspection tool, enter your homepage URL, and initiate the “Request indexing” process.

Provided your website structure is organized, this can encourage Google to discover and potentially index all pages within your website.

Google Search Console offers valuable insights into how Google perceives your website and how it’s incorporated into search results, empowering you to ensure your target audience encounters your content.

2. Leverage Sitemaps for Efficient Navigation

A sitemap acts as a roadmap for search engine bots, guiding them toward the pages you deem most crucial on your website. Many website platforms, such as Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify, generate sitemaps automatically.

Typically, these sitemaps can be found at locations like “[invalid URL removed]” or “[invalid URL removed].” If your chosen platform doesn’t provide an automatic sitemap, consult your robots.txt file (located at “[invalid URL removed]”) to determine its potential location.

For WordPress users, plugins like Yoast or Rank Math offer sitemap creation functionalities. It’s advisable to avoid using the default WordPress sitemap, as it often incorporates irrelevant content.

Once you have a suitable sitemap, submit it within the Sitemaps section of Google Search Console. By submitting a sitemap, you’re essentially aiding search engine bots in efficiently navigating your website, discovering new content, and indexing your pages.

3. Implement a Clear Website Structure

Ensure that search engines can effortlessly access every significant page on your website by establishing a well-defined internal linking structure. Pages that lack internal links are known as “orphan pages” and are less likely to be indexed by Google due to their obscurity and limited indicators of importance.

While the specific structure is your decision, a pyramid structure is a common approach. In this structure, each webpage acquires an internal link from at least one superior page within the hierarchy.

As long as your website platform automatically generates links for new content, orphan pages should be minimized.

4. Address Internal Links with No-follow Tags

Occasionally, indexing issues arise because Google encounters internal links with a “rel=nofollow” tag. This tag instructs search engine bots to disregard the link and not crawl the content it leads to.

Consequently, no information regarding your page is transmitted to Google’s servers for indexing purposes, rendering the page invisible in search results. To rectify this, identify and eliminate nofollow tags from your internal links.

By removing these tags, you permit search engines to follow the links and discover the connected pages. It’s recommended to begin by examining unindexed pages on Google before proceeding to other website sections.

5. Optimize Your Robots.txt File

The robots.txt file serves as a vital SEO tool, functioning as a guide for search engine crawlers. This file should explicitly grant Google permission to crawl your website.

While it’s common practice to disallow crawling of wp-admin pages since they’re not relevant to visitors and aren’t crucial for Google, strategically disallowing unnecessary pages can enhance search engine ranking and improve page loading speed.

However, for optimal indexing, ensure your essential pages are crawlable and haven’t been disallowed in the robots.txt file. Alternatively, you can instruct Google bots to prioritize crawling specific URLs.

6. Eradicate or Prevent Duplicate Content

The presence of duplicate content can impede or delay Google’s indexing process. If a page has duplicate content, or content strikingly similar (around 99%) to another page, Google is less likely to index it. Therefore, it’s imperative to examine your website for duplicate pages.

If discovered, promptly remove them, as Google may perceive them as low-value content. Alternatively, if you have duplicate content, ensure the original content possesses the correct “rel=canonical” tag implementation.

7. Foster Internal Linking

Internal linking represents one of the most effective strategies to encourage crawling and bolster website indexing. The paths that search engine crawlers traverse across the web are established by links.

When one-page links to another, the crawler follows that path. To enhance indexing, prioritize creating links to and from your most important pages.

This not only informs Google about your latest and significant content but also guides website visitors towards valuable resources. Also, avoid common internal linking mistakes that can divert the crawlers from pillar and cluster pages.

8. Build High-Quality Backlinks

Google recognizes websites that are frequently linked to authoritative websites as trustworthy. In essence, backlinks not only signal to Google that a page merits indexing but also contribute to indexing by making your content more discoverable.

When a reputable, high-traffic website links to your website search engine crawlers are more likely to follow that link and discover fresh content on your website that warrants indexing.

By acquiring backlinks from established websites, you demonstrate to Google the trustworthiness of your site, potentially accelerating the indexing process for your content.

How to Check the Indexing of the Website/Page?

To check the indexing of your pages on Google, you can utilize several methods. They are quick and easy as you will be able to discover all the content that is indexed or non-indexed. Have a look

1- Google Search Console URL Inspection Tool

Navigate to the URL Inspection Tool within Google Search Console. Enter the specific URL you wish to verify and initiate the inspection process. Google will then analyze the URL.

A green checkmark accompanied by the text “URL is on Google” indicates successful indexing. If not indexed, a “Request Indexing” option will be available for submission.

2- Verifying URL’s Cache

Enter “cache:https://example.com” directly into Google’s search bar or address bar. Alternatively, locate the downward-pointing arrow beneath the URL on a SERP and click on it.

Interpretation: The presence of a cached version signifies that Google has indexed the URL.

3- Direct Search

Utilize Google’s search function to determine your website’s indexing status. Input “site:yourwebsite.com” into the search bar.

The displayed number approximates the number of web pages from your website that Google has indexed. To verify an individual URL, employ the complete URL structure (e.g., “site:yourwebsite.com/web-page-slug [invalid URL removed]”).

The absence of results suggests the URL is not indexed, and you can utilize Google Search Console to request indexing.

Track Indexed and Non-indexed Pages with RanksPro

A well-indexed website on Google translates to greater organic reach, potentially increased website traffic, and ultimately, the opportunity to attract a wider audience for your business or brand.

Monitoring your website’s indexing health is essential for maintaining a strong online presence. RanksPro offers features that enable you to track both indexed and non-indexed pages on your website. Here’s a brief overview of how RanksPro can be utilized for this purpose:

• Indexed Page Tracking: RanksPro allows you to monitor which of your website’s pages have been successfully indexed by Google. This provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of your indexing efforts.
• Non-Indexed Page Identification: With RanksPro, you can identify pages that haven’t yet been indexed by Google. This empowers you to prioritize these pages and implement the necessary indexing strategies.
• Bulk Indexing Requests: Certain RanksPro plans offer the functionality to submit bulk indexing requests to Google Search Console. This can save you significant time and effort, particularly for websites with a large number of pages.

By leveraging a tool like RanksPro in conjunction with the indexing strategies outlined above, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of your website’s indexing health and take proactive steps to ensure all your valuable content is discoverable within search results.