Question: My site has been online for over a month now and it is still not indexed on Google
If your website or specific pages or blog posts are not appearing in Google search results, it could be the site or page is very new, or it may be set to block search engines from indexing it. This guide will assist you in troubleshooting why your site or page is not indexed by Google.
1. Check if Google has indexed your site
If you have recently published your website/page/posts, it is normal for it to take some time for Google to index it. Typically, it takes 4 days to 4 weeks. In some cases, it may even take up to 6 months, depending on how quickly Google discovers and records the site.
To check if your site or page or blog post is actually missing from Google's index, you can do a quick search on Google using the "site:yourwebsite.com" query. If it doesn't show up in the search results, then you can move on to the next step.
If your site is already indexed, you may want to focus on improving its search engine ranking. Visit Increase Search Engine Ranking (SEO) or Optimize Blog Posts for Search Engines for tips to enhance your website's ranking.
Note: Meta tags and site descriptions only help increase the site's ranking on Google. They have nothing to do with whether the site will be indexed by Google or not. They don't help Google find the site. Even without meta tags and site descriptions, Google will still find the user’s site.
2. Ensure your site is not hidden from search engines
Go to Settings > Show Advanced > Privacy & Legal, and make sure that the "Hide from Search Engines" option is unchecked.
3. Check if there's a password for the site or page or blog post
To check if your site has a password, open it in a private browser window. If your site or page has a password, follow these guidelines to remove it:
- How to remove the password for specific pages?
- How to remove the password for the website?
- How to remove the password for a blog post?
4. Check if the site is properly connected.
The site may be using masking/masked forwarding, and this can prevent Google’s spiders from crawling. Visit Fix Problems with Masked Forwarding.
5. Check if the site is submitted to Google
After adding your site to Google Console, you can Submit Your Sitemap to Google. This may help speed up the indexing process. You can also Ask Google to recrawl your page.
Additionally, you can place the URL of your site on another page that is already indexed by Google, which can assist Google in crawling and indexing your site.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take for Google to index a new website?
Typically, it takes anywhere from 4 days to 4 weeks for Google to index a new website. However, in some cases, it may take up to 6 months depending on various factors.
Will my free website/page/blog post show up on Google search?
Yes, all websites, whether they are paid or free, have the potential to be indexed by Google. However, it may take some time for new websites or content to be discovered and indexed by Google. To increase visibility, focus on optimizing your content with relevant keywords and following SEO best practices. Regularly updating and promoting your website or blog can also help improve its chances of showing up in Google search results.
What if my website still doesn't show up on Google after following these steps?
If your website continues to have visibility issues on Google, you can read more from Google: Why is my page missing from Google Search?
Does sharing my website on social media help Google index it?
While sharing your website on social media can attract more visitors and potential backlinks, it indirectly contributes to indexing but does not directly impact Google's indexing process. To ensure proper indexing, focus on implementing effective SEO strategies like creating high-quality content and obtaining authoritative backlinks.
What if I changed some of my website content? How can I recrawl my site?
Google offers easy ways to request recrawling of your website. Before starting, make sure your page loads correctly without any coding errors.
When you're ready to proceed with recrawling, you can choose one of these methods:
1. Use the URL Inspection tool (for a few URLs)
To request a crawl of individual URLs, use the URL Inspection tool. You need to be an owner or full user of the Search Console property to request indexing in this tool.
Keep in mind that there's a limit for submitting individual URLs, and requesting multiple crawls for the same URL won't speed up the process.
2. Submit a sitemap (for many URLs at once)
If you have a lot of URLs, submitting a sitemap is recommended. A sitemap helps Google discover all the pages on your site, which is especially useful if you've recently made changes. It can also include extra information about different language versions, videos, images, or news pages. Learn how to create and submit a sitemap.
Note that recrawling doesn't happen immediately and results aren't guaranteed. It usually takes a few days, and sometimes a few weeks, for the process to complete.
Recrawling involves Googlebots discovering new or updated pages on your website and incorporating them into its index. In simpler terms, it is the method used to include webpages in Google search results.
What's the difference between Crawling and Indexing?
Crawling refers to the process of finding pages and links that lead to additional pages.
Indexing, on the other hand, involves storing, analyzing, and organizing the content and relationships between these pages. Certain aspects of indexing play a role in guiding the search engine's crawling behavior.
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