How to Get Google to Index Your Website: A Beginner’s Guide

Key highlights

• Learn how to ensure your website is accessible and ready for crawling by confirming its live status and hosting performance. 
• Understand the importance of submitting an XML sitemap to Google for search engines to crawl and index your pages. 
• Uncover common indexing issues like blocked content or “noindex” tags and how to resolve them to improve your site’s visibility. 
• Explore the benefits of Bluehost hosting to ensure your website is always crawlable, fast and optimized for Google’s indexing. 
• Get practical tips for speeding up indexing, submitting your sitemap and optimizing mobile performance. 

You’ve created a great website, but if Google doesn’t know about it, no one else will. Did you know that 53% of a website’s traffic comes from organic search? If your website is not indexed, people can’t find you online and your hard work will stay hidden. That’s the last thing you want!  

But don’t worry, learning how to get my website on Google is a lot simpler than you might think. In this guide, we’ll walk you through step-by-step actions you need to take. You will learn how to get your website on Google, ensuring your site gets noticed and ranked by search engines in no time. 

Let’s get started! 

How to get my website on Google search results (Step-by-step)  

Getting your website indexed by Google is the first step to ensuring it’s visible to potential visitors. Let’s understand the simple steps to make sure Google knows about your site and starts ranking it. 

• Step 1: Confirm your website is crawlable 
• Step 2: Ensure your domain is connected to hosting 
• Step 3: Test your website’s visibility 
• Step 4: Review your robots.txt file 
• Step 5: Set up your Google Search Console 
• Step 6: Verify ownership in Google Search Console
• Step 7: Create and submit an XML sitemap 
• Step 8: Resubmit sitemap after major changes 
• Step 9: Identify common indexing issues 
• Step 10: Use SEO best practices 

Each step plays an important role in ensuring your site is accessible and indexed properly. Let’s get started with the first step! 

Step 1: Confirm your website is crawlable 

Before Google can index your site, you need to be sure that your website is accessible and fully functional. Here’s how you can confirm that your website is live and ready for crawling: 

1. Browser visibility check  

A live site is the first step in ensuring visibility! Start by opening your website in a browser. If you can view your site without any issues, that’s a good sign. If your site doesn’t load quickly or shows errors like a “404 not found” page, search engines like Google won’t be able to crawl or index it.  

2. Hosting account status  

Log in to your hosting account and check if there are any notifications about server downtime. If you’re hosted on a reliable platform, you should have minimal issues. Poor hosting server performance can disrupt the site’s crawling, which can make it harder for Google to index your site properly. 

Bluehost makes indexing easy with WordPress-optimized hosting, built-in Yoast SEO, CodeGuard backups and free CDN and SSL. This ensures your site is fast, secure and always accessible to Google’s crawlers. This can significantly boost your chances of getting indexed faster and improving your overall search engine rankings. 

Bluehost WordPress hosting includes several key features to help you grow your site effectively: 

• Yoast SEO integration: With Yoast SEO built right into your hosting plan, you can easily optimize your content for better search visibility. You can also manage your sitemaps and ensure your pages are SEO-friendly. 
• Free CDN: A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is included to help speed up your website’s loading times, particularly for global visitors. 
• Free SSL: With a free SSL certificate, your site will be secure, helping build trust with visitors, as Google prefers secure sites. 
• Automatic updates: WordPress core, themes and plugins are automatically updated, ensuring your site is always running the latest, most secure version. 
• 24/7 expert support: Bluehost provides round-the-clock customer support, ensuring that help is always available should you need assistance. 

3. Disable maintenance pages  

If you’re working on your site, make sure to disable any maintenance mode pages or “under construction” screens. These often prevent Google’s bots from crawling your site. Google won’t be able to crawl or index it while it’s in maintenance mode. 

Also read: WordPress Maintenance Mode: Everything You Need to Know 

Step 2: Ensure your domain is connected to hosting  

For your website to be accessible, your domain needs to be properly connected to your hosting account. If this connection isn’t set up correctly, your site will be inaccessible to both users and search engines. Here’s how to confirm everything is in order: 

1. DNS settings confirmation  

Domain name system (DNS) acts as a translator between your domain name and your hosting server’s IP address. Incorrect DNS settings can prevent Google from finding your website. Make sure your DNS settings are correctly configured.  

Log in to your domain registrar’s dashboard and check the DNS settings for your domain. Ensure the records (such as A records or CNAME) point to your hosting provider’s server IP address.  

You can find the correct DNS information from your hosting provider’s control panel or support documentation. 

If your website is hosted with Bluehost, you can modify your DNS information by logging in to Bluehost cPanel. 

2. Nameserver update check  

Nameservers are responsible for directing your domain’s traffic to the correct server. In your domain registrar’s dashboard, check that your nameservers match those provided by your hosting provider.  

This information can be found in your hosting account or via your hosting provider’s support page. If they don’t match, update your nameservers to reflect the ones given by your hosting service. 

Also read: Bluehost Name Servers (NS) 

3. DNS propagation timing  

When you make changes to your DNS settings or nameservers, it can take anywhere from a few hours to 48 hours to propagate across the internet.  

If you’ve just updated your DNS settings or nameservers, use online tools like WhatsMyDNS, a free DNS checker, to check if your changes have propagated globally. If you see the correct information, your website will be ready for indexing once propagation is complete. 

Also read: What is DNS Propagation? How Long Does it Normally Take? 

Step 3: Test your website’s visibility 

Testing your website’s visibility is essential to get it properly indexed by Google. By running a simple search query, you can quickly check if your pages are being indexed. Here’s how to do it: 

1. Run a site search 

In Google search bar, type site: yourwebsite.[com]. This search will display all the pages Google has indexed from your website. 

2. Analyze indexing results 

Once you run the search, take a close look at the results. Review the list of pages indexed by Google. If your homepage and key content are listed, that’s a good sign. However, if your important pages are missing, you may need to address any crawl issues. 

3. Spot missing pages 

If some pages are missing, check your robots.txt file to see if any content is blocked. Also, check your sitemap to ensure these pages are included. 

Pages may be missing if there’s a “noindex” directive in the meta tags or if there’s an issue with your XML sitemap. 

Step 4: Review your robots.txt file 

Your robots.txt file plays a crucial role in controlling which parts of your site search engines can access and crawl. If there are restrictions set in this file, Google may be blocked from indexing your site correctly. Here’s how to review and adjust it: 

1. Open robots.txt file 

The robots.txt file is typically located in the root directory of your website. You can access the file directly through your website’s file manager in your hosting account or by using an FTP client. If your website is built on WordPress, you can find the robots.txt file in your site’s root folder. 

2. Check disallow rules 

#Code to not allow any search engines! 
User-agent: * 
Disallow: / 

The “Disallow” directive in your robots.txt file tells search engines which pages they should not crawl. 

Open the robots.txt file and look for any lines that include “Disallow: /”. These lines specify which pages or directories are blocked from crawling. Make sure no important pages are accidentally blocked. 

Also read: How to use robots.txt? 

3. Edit crawl access 

If you find any disallowed pages that should be accessible to search engines, you’ll need to update the file. Simply remove or adjust the disallow rules for the relevant pages or directories. After making changes, save the file and upload it back to your site’s root directory. 

Step 5: Set up your Google Search Console 

Google Search Console is an essential tool that helps you monitor your website’s performance in Google search results. It provides valuable insights, from crawling errors to indexing status and helps you optimize your website for better visibility. Here’s how to set it up: 

1. Sign in and start setup  

Go to Google Search Console and log in using your Google account. Click ‘Start now’ to begin the setup process. If you don’t have a Google account yet, create one. Make sure you’re logged into the right Google account and that you have the proper permissions to add your website. 

2. Choose property type  

Google Search Console allows you to add your website as a property so that it sends Google the signal to track its performance and indexing. 

You’ll be prompted to choose between two property types: a Domain Property (which includes all subdomains and protocols) or a URL-prefix Property (which tracks a specific URL). Most users choose the URL-prefix option, but you can select Domain Property for more comprehensive tracking. 

3. Explore dashboard features  

Once your property is added, you’ll have access to the Google Search Console dashboard, where you can explore important features. 

Familiarize yourself with key areas like the “Performance” report (which shows clicks, impressions and average position) and “Coverage” (which shows indexing status and errors). You can also submit sitemaps, monitor mobile usability and check for crawl issues. 

Step 6: Verify ownership in Google Search Console  

To fully access Google Search Console data and perform actions like submitting sitemaps, you need to verify that you own the website. This step ensures that only authorized users can manage the site’s settings and see sensitive information. 

1. Use DNS or HTML method  

Google offers two main methods to verify your website: the DNS method and the HTML file method. 

• DNS method: Log in to your domain registrar and add a TXT record to your domain’s DNS settings. Once you’ve added the record, it may take a few hours for the verification to complete. 
• HTML method: Upload a small HTML verification file provided by Google to your website’s root directory or add a meta tag to the header of your homepage. 

2. Confirm ownership status  

After using one of the verification methods, Google will check the details to confirm that you’re the owner of the site. 

Once the method is applied, click on the ‘Verify’ button in Google Search Console. If the process is successful, you’ll see a confirmation message. 

Note: If Google can’t detect the DNS record or HTML file, it will fail the verification process. Double-check your domain’s DNS settings or HTML file upload to ensure they are correct and properly implemented. 

3. Fix any verification errors  

If you encounter issues during the verification process, Google will provide an error message explaining what went wrong. 

Review the error message and follow the troubleshooting tips in Google Help Center. Common issues include delayed DNS propagation or misplacing the HTML file. 

Step 7: Create and submit an XML sitemap  

An XML sitemap is like a roadmap for search engines, telling them which pages on your website they should crawl and index. Submitting your sitemap to Google Search Console helps ensure all your important pages get discovered. Here’s how to create and submit your sitemap: 

1. Generate a sitemap  

An XML sitemap is typically auto generated by your content management system or through plugins for platforms like WordPress. You can also manually create a sitemap for your WordPress website if needed. 

For WordPress, use plugins like Yoast SEO or Google XML Sitemaps to generate your sitemap automatically. Once the plugin is activated, it will create a sitemap URL for you. 

Every Bluehost plan includes pre-installed Yoast SEO, which auto-generates XML sitemaps, optimizes meta tags and provides real-time on-page SEO feedback, giving Google the right signals to index your pages faster. With this, you can easily create and manage sitemaps, optimize on-page SEO and improve your site’s visibility. The convenience of having this plugin pre-installed allows you to focus on creating great content.  

2. Find sitemap URL  

Once the sitemap is generated, you’ll need to find its individual URLs to submit it to Google. After generating the sitemap, the URL will usually be something like yourwebsite.com/sitemap_index.xml. 

3. Submit sitemap to Search Console  

Now that you have your sitemap URL, it’s time to submit it to Google Search Console. Log in to Google Search Console, go to the Sitemaps section and submit the sitemap URL.  

Google will then crawl the pages listed in your sitemap, improving indexing and visibility. Make sure the URL is correct and that there are no issues with your sitemap’s format. 

Step 8: Resubmit sitemap after major changes  

Whenever you make significant changes to your website’s content, such as adding new pages, removing old content or restructuring your site, it’s essential to resubmit your sitemap to Google.  

This way search engines are aware of the updates and can request indexing of your new and updated pages. Here’s how to track your sitemap after major changes: 

1. Know when to resubmit  

You don’t need to resubmit your sitemap for every small update, but major changes require a fresh submission. 

Examples of major content changes include publishing several new blog posts, adding product categories or significantly updating your website’s URL structure. 

2. Track sitemap status  

After submitting your updated sitemap, go to the Sitemaps section in Google Search Console and check the status of your submission. You’ll see how many pages were successfully indexed and if there were any issues. 

3. Monitor crawl activity  

If Google encounters issues such as blocked resources, broken links or ‘noindex’ tags, it may flag affected pages as ‘not indexed’ in Search Console. If that happens, you’ll need to investigate and fix the problems. You can also use the Crawl Stats report to track how often Googlebot visits your site and which pages are being crawled. 

Step 9: Identify common indexing issues  

Even after submitting your sitemap, there are still potential obstacles that can prevent your site from being potentially indexed by Google. Here’s how to identify and fix them: 

1. Remove noindex tags  

The “noindex” tag tells search engines not to index specific pages. If pages you want indexed have this tag, they won’t show up in Google search results. 

Check the meta tags of important pages on your site and make sure they don’t have the “noindex” directive. You can view this by inspecting the HTML code of the page or using an SEO plugin that can display these tags. 

In WordPress, you can control indexing settings on a page-by-page basis with Yoast SEO.  

2. Fix redirects and links  

Google crawler might get stuck due to broken links or incorrect redirects. Use Google Search Console’s Crawl Errors report to identify broken links and redirects. Update 301 redirects for any moved or changed pages to make sure they lead to the correct destination. 

You can also use tools like Screaming Frog (for technical site audits) or Ahrefs (for backlink analysis and content audits) on your site. 

Also read: 4 Ways To Create a 301 Redirect in WordPress 

3. Address duplicate content  

Duplicate content can confuse search engines and prevent them from indexing the right version of a page. Google may choose to index only one version or none at all.  

To fix this, use canonical tags to tell Google which version of a page is the primary one. For example, if you have multiple pages with same content, use the canonical tag to specify which page should be indexed. 

If you encounter any errors that you’re unable to identify or fix, you can always refer to Google Search Console Help. It provides valuable resources, troubleshooting guides and support for resolving indexing and crawling issues. 

Step 10: Use SEO best practices  

While submitting your sitemap and fixing indexing issues are crucial steps, applying SEO best practices can help speed up the process of indexing. Here are some techniques to help Google index your site faster: 

1. Add internal links  

Internal linking helps Google discover and crawl more pages on your site. Add external links within your content to related pages or blog posts. Use descriptive anchor text that includes keywords relevant to the linked page. 

2. Build backlinks  

Backlinks from high-quality, authoritative websites signal to Google that your content is valuable. These high-quality backlinks boost the chances of your content being indexed faster and ranking higher in search result.  

To naturally attract backlinks, create valuable and shareable content that resonates with your audience. You can reach out to relevant websites or blogs for guest posting opportunities or link-building collaborations to further boost. 

3. Optimize mobile speed  

A slow mobile site can result in higher bounce rates, lower rankings and slower indexing. Make sure your site is mobile-friendly and fast to keep Google’s bots crawling efficiently. 

Focus on optimizing images, reducing server response times and minimizing JavaScript and CSS to enhance loading times. 

4. Add schema markup  

Schema markup is a form of structured data that helps search engines understand your content more easily. Focus on adding schema for products, reviews, events and articles. You can use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to assist with this. 

5. Update content frequently  

Updating your existing content signals to Google that your site is active and up-to-date, which can speed up indexing. 

Regularly update old blog posts, articles or product pages with fresh information or new keywords. Add new blog posts or pages consistently to keep your site dynamic and engaging for both visitors and search engines. 

Why is Google indexing crucial for website visibility?  

Google indexing is how your website becomes visible in search results. Without it, your content won’t appear in Google search listings. Proper indexing improves visibility, traffic and search rankings. 

Google is the biggest search engine out there with a whopping 90% market share. That means more than half of your website traffic could come from Google. So, getting Google to index your site is the first step to having a search presence. And, without proper indexing, your website is practically invisible to search engines and users.  

Here’s why it matters: 

• Increased visibility: Google’s indexing is the first step in making your website discoverable by users. Without indexing, even your high-quality content won’t appear in search results. By being indexed, your website gains visibility. 
• Better search rankings: When Google indexes your website, it evaluates its content based on relevance, quality and authority. The higher your ranking, the more traffic and potential customers you’ll attract. 
• Access to Google’s powerful tools: Once your website is indexed, you can leverage Google Search Console to monitor your site’s performance, track indexing status and address any issues that might be affecting your rankings.  
• Timely updates: When your website is indexed, Google regularly revisits it to check for new or fresh content. If you constantly update your site with fresh, relevant information, chances are Google will index those pages faster. 
• Improved user experience: Proper indexing ensures that searchers can find the most relevant and useful pages on your site. If your pages are not indexed, users may land on irrelevant or outdated content.  

In short, indexing by Google is essential for getting your site found, ranking well and growing your website’s presence.  

Why is your website not getting indexed by Google?  

If your website isn’t being indexed by Google, there could be several reasons behind it. Understanding these issues is a key part of learning how to get my website on Google. Here are some common issues that could be preventing your site from showing up in search results: 

1. You’ve blocked crawling 

Sometimes, websites accidentally block Google’s crawlers from accessing important pages. 

Your robots.txt file might be telling Google which URLs it can or can’t crawl. If you’ve accidentally disallowed Google from crawling your entire website, it won’t be able to index any pages. 

2. You’ve noindexed important pages 

If your pages have a “noindex” directive in the meta tag or in the X-robots-header, they will not be indexed. Check for any “noindex” meta tags, remove them where necessary and resubmit your pages for indexing.  

You can use Google Search Console to track the status of your pages and ensure that they’re properly indexed. 

3. You have low-value pages 

Google is selective about what it indexes. If your content doesn’t offer enough value to users, Google may choose not to index those pages. 

Pages with thin content are less likely to be indexed. It’s better to review and improve such pages with low word counts or duplicate content. Focus on adding useful, original content that serves your audience’s needs. 

Also read: How to Optimize Content for SEO on WordPress 

How long does Google take to index?  

The time it takes for Google to index your content can vary depending on several factors. Generally, it takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for Google to fully index new content. 

Several elements influence this process: 

• Website size and structure: Larger, more complex websites might take longer for Google to crawl and index, especially if there are many web pages to process. 
• Content quality: Google prioritizes high-quality, original and relevant content. If your content is informative and valuable to users, Google is more likely to index it faster. 
• Frequency of updates: Websites that update content regularly are crawled more frequently by Google. Consistently adding new content or refreshing existing pages can speed up the indexing process. 

If you’re looking to speed up the indexing process, there are a few things you can do: 

• Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console. 
• Promote your content on social media and other platforms. 
• Ensure your website is mobile-friendly. 

How does Bluehost help with Google indexing? 

Google can only index your site if it’s fast, secure and always accessible. Bluehost hosting plans are designed to keep your website crawlable and optimized for better performance and search engine rankings.  

Here’s what we provide: 

• 99.9% uptime guarantees your website is always easily accessible to Google crawlers. 
• Advanced DNS tools help you manage your domain settings, ensuring that your site is always reachable by search engines. 
• Performance-optimized hosting ensures fast loading speeds, allowing Google’s bots to crawl your site efficiently without delays. 
• SSL certificates come free with your hosting, securing your site and signaling to Google that it’s trustworthy. 
• Automatic updates keep your WordPress installation, themes and plugins up to date, ensuring your site stays optimized for SEO. 

With Bluehost, you get more than just hosting. Yoast SEO is pre-installed with every hosting plan, making it easy for you to manage sitemaps and improve your SEO.  

Here’s how Yoast SEO can enhance your indexing: 

• Automatically generates XML sitemaps to ensure Google can crawl and index all your important pages. 
• Provides keyword suggestions and readability analysis to help you create SEO-friendly content that ranks higher. 
• Lets you easily manage meta titles and descriptions, improving click-through rates and search engine visibility. 
• Offers internal linking suggestions to guide Google’s crawlers and help them discover more of your content. 
• Gives real-time SEO feedback for each page, ensuring your content is fully optimized for search engines. 

Additionally, Bluehost provides 24/7 expert support to help resolve any indexing issues that may arise. Whether you’re having trouble with Google crawling your site or submitting sitemaps, our team is available at any time to provide guidance.  

Final thoughts  

Knowing how to index your website on Google is an essential step toward making your online presence known. While getting indexed is just the beginning, keeping your content fresh and user-focused will help you improve your search rankings. But none of these matters if your website isn’t hosted on a reliable, performance-driven platform.  

With Bluehost’s fast, secure and Google-friendly hosting solutions, you can ensure your website is always accessible and optimized for indexing. Whether you’re starting from scratch or need a hosting provider that scales with your business, Bluehost has you covered with everything. 

Ready to get your website on Google? Start with reliable hosting from Bluehost today. 

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