Verifying your domain and submitting your sitemap in Google Search Console are crucial steps to start getting your website pages indexed and visible in Google search results.
Executive Summary
To achieve visibility on Google, the foundational step is to verify your domain ownership through Google Search Console and submit your sitemap URLs. This process informs Google to crawl and index your website pages, enabling them to appear in search results. Without this first step, your site cannot rank on Google effectively. Monitoring site indexing can be done by using the site: command in Google search.
Key Takeaways
- Domain verification in Google Search Console is essential for Google to crawl your site.
- Submitting a sitemap URL accelerates page indexing in Google search.
- Use site:yourdomain.com to check which pages are indexed by Google.
- New sites require several days after submission for indexing to begin.
- Without verification and sitemap submission, Google will not index your pages efficiently.
Why Domain Verification Matters
Verifying your domain in Google Search Console grants Google permission to crawl and understand your website structure.
Before Google can rank your website pages, it needs to confirm that you are the website owner or authorized person. This is done by verifying your domain in Google Search Console.
Domain verification acts as a security measure that ensures only legitimate owners can access site performance data and submit important files like sitemaps.
Without verification, Google will not prioritize crawling or indexing your site effectively, which means your pages may never appear in search results.
How to Submit Your Sitemap for Crawling
Submitting a sitemap URL signals Google to start indexing all relevant pages on your website.
After your domain is verified, go to the ‘Sitemaps’ section in Google Search Console.
Enter your sitemap URL, typically something like ‘/sitemap.xml’, to submit it for crawling.
This sitemap provides Google with a roadmap of your website’s important pages, making the crawling process more efficient.
Submitting a sitemap also helps Google understand your site’s content hierarchy and updates.
Checking Your Website Indexing Status
Use Google search operators to verify which of your pages are indexed and visible.
After a few days of submission, Google typically starts indexing your pages.
To check which pages are indexed, perform a search on Google using the query ‘site:yourdomain.com’.
This shows all pages from your site that Google has indexed and made visible in search results.
If you do not see your pages yet, it may take additional time or indicate issues with sitemap or verification.
Actionable Insights
Verify Your Domain in Google Search Console
Log into Google Search Console, add and verify your domain to prove ownership and allow Google to crawl your site.
Submit Your Sitemap URL
After verification, submit your sitemap in the Sitemaps section of Google Search Console to enable efficient page discovery and indexing.
Track Indexing Using Site Search
Use ‘site:yourdomain.com’ query in Google search to monitor which pages are indexed and troubleshoot visibility issues if necessary.
Conclusion
Verifying your domain and submitting a sitemap via Google Search Console are non-negotiable first steps to get your website pages indexed by Google. This foundational process facilitates crawling, indexing, and ultimately ranking in search results. Monitoring your indexing status ensures your SEO efforts start on the right footing.