There’s no guaranteed time-frame for how long it will take for your website or new content to appear in Google’s search results. It can take anywhere from hours to weeks. Google must first index the new information and the time that takes varies according to a number of different factors. It’s ultimately out of your hands and Rocketsparks, but there are a few measures you can take to help speed up the process like submitting your domain name for index, read on below for more info.
What is indexing?
When you do a Google search, Google doesn’t search the web—it searches its index of the web. Google keeps its index current by using software called “web crawlers” or “spiders.” Web crawlers prowl the web and gather data, particularly looking for new information like new websites, new content, and new links. That information is added to Google’s index, and once it’s in the index it can then be searched. When you launch a new site or add/alter content, it won’t be searchable until it has been indexed (but note that your new content is still accessible, simply by typing your website address into the address bar or following links there).
How do I know if my new content has been indexed?
You can determine whether or not your new content or website has been indexed simply by searching for it on Google. Try the following searches:
- “www” address. Type into Google your address, including the “www” bit. Preface it by also typing in “site:” e.g., site:www.minthair.co.nz
- “Non-www” address. Type in the same address without the “www” bit but still keep the “site:” preface e.g., site:minthair.co.nz
- Your company’s name. Type in the title of your business, and possibly also the industry. Use quotation marks around to ensure it searches for that exact phrase e.g., "Mint Bridal Hair Design.”
- A snippet of unique text. Find some text on your website that’s liable to be unique, and type that in using quotation marks e.g., “When looking for a hairdresser that you can trust creating a hairstyle for your wedding day you will want someone with experience and flair.”
If your content shows up, great! That means it has now been indexed. But if your site doesn’t show up, then it probably hasn’t been indexed yet.
How can I get my new content indexed faster?
You can try speeding up the process by simply asking Google to crawl your new site via the Google Search Console tool. It’s quick and easy; just type in your website address into Google’s tool purpose-built for crawl requests. But Google states upfront that there’s no guarantee this will move the process along any faster. On the other hand, it doesn’t hurt anything so it’s probably worth trying.
External links. If there are links to your new website elsewhere on the web, then the chances of a web crawler discovering that content improves greatly. If it’s a new website, you could add it to your social media profile (or create a new profile specifically for your business). You should also share the link e.g., do a Facebook post sharing the new link with your friends, or tweet the link out to your followers. Get setup on Google My Business which is a free directory and adds a Map search result for any local searches. Another option is to write a post on an external blog that relates to your service, industry or website topic, make sure there is a link there pointing back to your website.
There’s no sure-fire way to get indexed faster, and it’s not an exact science. But don’t fret—Google’s web crawlers discover new content without you even needing to lift a finger. These measures may help, but your content will get indexed eventually regardless.
What if my content is indexed but doesn’t rank highly in search results?
Getting your site indexed is really just the beginning. Your site may be indexed but still not feature prominently in customer’s search results, which will mean fewer visitors to your site. To move up the rankings you need to apply search engine optimisation (SEO) to your website. Click here to visit our SEO guide.