Can’t find your new website on Google? We’ll show you step-by-step how to register your website with Google and start getting visitors!
Key Takeaway – The most important things in brief:
- This is why websites are missing from Google: Common reasons are technical problems such as a “noindex” tag, a blocking robots.txt or missing content.
- Technical requirements: To submit your website to Google, it must be technically sound. Make sure it has HTTPS encryption, fast loading times, and mobile SEO.
- Register your website with Google: Register your website through Google Search Console and verify ownership. You can do this by adding a DNS TXT record with your hosting provider or using a plugin.
- Submit a sitemap: A sitemap allows Google to index all important subpages of your site. Upload the sitemap to Search Console and update it regularly.
- Monitor indexing: Indexing is an ongoing process that you should check regularly in Google Search Console. Use the Page Indexing Report to see which pages have been successfully indexed.
Google indexing
Google uses an automated process to find, analyze, and display websites on search results pages. Googlebot crawls the internet and collects information about websites’ content, structure, and technical details. This data is stored in the Google index.
If your new website isn’t found on Google, it hasn’t been indexed. There are many possible reasons for this:
- Website set to “noindex”
- No or incorrect sitemap
- Domain redirection is incorrectly configured
- Missing or incorrect confirmation of ownership
- Poor loading times or technical errors
- Too little content
- Not mobile-friendly
- Missing internal links
If you submit your website correctly to Google, you can avoid many of the causes mentioned above. After a successful check, your site will be indexed and can be displayed in search results.
Optimize your website for Google login.
Before you submit your website to Google, it should meet the basic requirements. Google evaluates your site according to clear criteria. If these criteria aren’t met, you’ll have a hard time getting visible in Google search. Three key aspects are very important:
1. Technical requirements
Before submitting your website to Google, make sure your domain is running on HTTPS. This will let Google know your website is secure. If your hosting provider doesn’t offer automatic HTTPS encryption, consider upgrading.
It’s also a good idea to optimize your website’s loading time. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify problems like overly large images or slow scripts.
Remember that more than half of users access websites via mobile devices. Google also uses mobile-first indexing. Therefore, your website should also be optimized for mobile devices – keyword mobile SEO. Additionally, create a sitemap and submit it to Google Search Console so that all subpages can be crawled and indexed correctly.
2. Content quality
High-quality content is an absolute must! Write copy that engages your target audience and avoid duplicate content. Use tools like the Google Keyword Planner to find relevant search terms and incorporate them into your content.
A good rule of thumb: Each text should be at least 600 words long and have a clear goal. Supplement your content with images, videos, or infographics—these increase engagement and help with SEO. Make sure images have appropriate file sizes and metadata. Don’t name image files like “IMG1234”; instead, use descriptive names like “example-hotel-luxury-room.jpg.”
3. Page structure
A well-thought-out page structure makes it easier for Google to understand your content. Use clear navigation, where each page can be reached in a maximum of three clicks. Use descriptive menu labels to facilitate orientation.
By including links in blog articles to related posts or pages, you make things easier for crawlers. Also, conduct regular checks with tools like Screaming Frog to ensure there are no dead links. Create a unique meta title and meta description.
For each page, this information helps Google and its users understand what your page is about.
As an SEO agency, we help you make your website easily discoverable by Google to increase your online presence and reach users.
Register your website with Google using Google Search Console.
To ensure your website appears in Google search results, registering with Google is helpful. Use our detailed guide to successfully launch your website on Google!
1. Create a Google Account
Before you can register your website with Google, you need a Google Account. You can easily create one via the Google registration page. Make sure to use an email address that’s ideally associated with your website or business.
Once you’ve filled out the required fields—including a secure password—you can get started right away. Your Google account gives you access to numerous tools, including Search Console, Google Analytics, and Google Ads.
2. Register your website with Google
Once your account is active, the next step is to register your website with Google. Visit Google Search Console and log in with your account.
There, you’ll be asked to enter your domain or URL. There are two options: the domain method or the URL prefix method. The domain method is recommended because it covers all versions of your website (with and without “www,” as well as with “https”).
Enter your entire domain—including “https://”—so Google can index the secure version of your website. After this step, your website is already registered with Google, but not yet fully verified. The next section explains how to verify your ownership.
3. Confirm ownership
For security reasons, Google requires proof that your website actually belongs to you when you register it. There are several ways to verify your ownership. The easiest way is to create a special TXT record with your hosting provider or use a plugin. To create a TXT record, log in to your hosting provider, find the DNS settings section, and add the code Google provides.
Once you’ve made the changes, click “Confirm” in Search Console. Note that DNS changes can sometimes take a few minutes to take effect.
4. Submit sitemap
A sitemap helps search engines find all the important subpages of your website. The sitemap is an XML file that contains all the URLs on your website.
Create your sitemap using tools like Yoast SEO (for WordPress) or an online sitemap generator. Upload the generated file to your website’s root directory so it’s accessible at an easily accessible URL like yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml.
Then go to the “Sitemaps” section in Search Console, enter the URL, and click “Submit.” Google will review the sitemap and show you whether it’s error-free. When new content or pages are added, update the sitemap. This way, the latest changes are reflected immediately.
Register and index individual pages with Google
Sometimes you don’t want to submit your entire website to Google, but only specific pages—for example, after an update or when publishing a new blog post. You can easily do this using the URL Inspection tool in Search Console.
Enter the desired URL in the input field and have the page reviewed. If everything is OK, click “Request Indexing.” Google will then prioritize crawling the page and adding it to the index.
10 common Google login mistakes
Errors can sometimes occur when submitting your website to Google Search Console. We’ll show you the most common problems and how to fix them!
1. Ownership could not be confirmed
The verification file provided by Google wasn’t uploaded correctly, or the DNS TXT record was entered incorrectly. Check that the verification file is located in your website’s root directory and accessible via the direct link. DNS record changes can take up to 48 hours to take effect. Test the connection again after the waiting period.
2. Sitemap errors during submission
The uploaded sitemap is corrupted, inaccessible, or contains invalid URLs. In this case, use tools like the XML Sitemap Validator to identify and fix errors in the file.
3. URL cannot be retrieved
Google’s robots.txt file may be blocking access to certain pages or resources. Open the robots.txt file and check if any pages or directories are blocked by “Disallow.” Remove the restrictions and re-upload the file to ensure everything works smoothly.
4. Incorrect URL structure during registration
In this case, the wrong URL version was specified (e.g., without “https” or “www”). Therefore, always specify your website’s full URL, including HTTPS and “www” if applicable. It’s best to use the domain method to cover all variations.
5. No access to servers
Your server is unavailable or responding too slowly.
You can check your website’s accessibility with Google PageSpeed Insights. Contact your hosting provider if the server is offline or overloaded.
6. Index coverage errors
Search Console reports that certain pages cannot be crawled. If you encounter this error, open the “Indexing” section to get detailed information about blocked pages or errors. Redirect loops or noindex meta tags are often the cause.
7. The number of submitted URLs is incomplete
Your sitemap doesn’t include all important pages or lists duplicate URLs.
If this is the case, make sure all relevant pages are included in the sitemap. Avoid duplicate entries or pages with parameters that create unnecessary variations.
8. Unknown crawling error
This error message indicates temporary problems with Google retrieving your website. Use the Google Inspector in Search Console to manually test the affected pages. Try submitting your website to Google again after a few hours.
9. Prohibited access due to IP blocking
In this case, your server is blocking the Google crawler IP through security rules.
Check your firewall or hosting settings to make sure Googlebot isn’t blocked. Add Googlebot’s IP addresses to the whitelist.
10. Specified URL leads to a 404 error page
You’ve provided a registration URL that doesn’t exist or has been deleted. In this case, check the URL is spelled correctly and is accessible. Test the URL in your browser before resubmitting it.
This is how you can monitor indexing!
While submitting your website to Google is a one-time process, indexing must be monitored regularly. Only when your pages are properly crawled and indexed will they appear in search results and reach users.
Fortunately, Google Search Console offers several features that allow you to monitor the indexing status.
The best place to start is with Search Console’s URL Inspection tool. Enter a page’s URL to see if it’s already indexed. If it isn’t, you’ll receive detailed information about potential issues, such as whether the page is blocked by robots.txt or excluded by a “noindex” tag.
Another important area is the Index Coverage report. This provides an overview of which pages have been successfully crawled, which are still pending, and where errors exist.
4 tips for more visibility on Google
To ensure your website appears as high as possible in search results, you should actively engage in search engine optimization. We’ll show you four tips on how to specifically optimize your website to achieve higher rankings!
Register your website with Google and get started!
- Leverage analytics data: Regularly monitor your performance in Google Search Console and Google Analytics. Identify crawling errors, review individual page performance, and optimize content based on user behavior and search data. As a Google Analytics agency, we can help you set up GA4.
- External links: Backlinks from trustworthy and relevant websites boost your credibility. Look for partnerships, guest posts, or listings in industry directories to generate high-quality links.
- Create content regularly: Regularly update existing content to improve your website’s relevance. Add new information or adapt keywords to current trends to stay relevant long-term.
- Use local SEO: If you run a local business, register and maintain your Google Business Profile. This will help you get found more often in local search results!
Registering your website with Google is the first step toward becoming visible online – but the key to success lies in search engine optimization. A strong presence on Google requires time, knowledge, and a clear strategy. In our SEO seminar, you’ll learn the most important basics for your successful online presence.
We’re happy to help you sustainably improve your website. With our experience in SEA and SEO, we’ll ensure your website ranks highly in search results and reaches the right customers. Feel free to contact us for a free consultation!