If you want your website to appear on Google, get organic traffic, and start ranking for your target keywords, the very first step is Indexing. Without indexing, Google will never know your website exists.
In this guide, you will learn step-by-step how to index your website in Google Search Console, how indexing works, why pages don’t get indexed, and how to fix indexing problems instantly.
This is a complete beginner-friendly tutorial for WordPress and non-WordPress users.
What Is Google Indexing?
Before you learn how to index your website, you must understand the meaning of “indexing.”
Indexing is the process where Google:
- Discovers your web page
- Crawls your content using Googlebot
- Stores (indexes) your page in Google’s search database
Only after indexing, Google can show your page in search results.
Difference Between Crawling and Indexing
- Crawling: Googlebot visits your page
- Indexing: Google stores your page in its database
- Ranking: Google ranks your indexed page in search results
If your page is NOT indexed → it can NEVER rank.
What Is Google Search Console?
Google Search Console (GSC) is a free tool by Google that helps website owners:
✔ Submit their website for indexing
✔ Submit sitemaps
✔ Check indexing status
✔ Fix indexing errors
✔ Analyze search traffic
✔ Monitor keywords and clicks
✔ Find mobile usability issues
✔ Detect website errors
It is the most important SEO tool for website indexing.
Why Indexing Is Important
Your website must be indexed for the following reasons:
- To appear in Google search
- To get organic traffic
- To rank your blog posts
- To get higher visibility
- To improve SEO performance
- To notify Google about new or updated content
Without indexing, your site has zero visibility.
STEP 1: Create a Google Search Console Account
To start the process, you need a GSC account.
How to Create It
- Search “Google Search Console” on Google
- Click Start Now
- Login using your Gmail account
After login, you will see the Search Console dashboard.
STEP 2: Add Your Website Property
Google gives two options:
1. Domain Property (Recommended)
This covers EVERYTHING:
- HTTP
- HTTPS
- www
- non-www
- Subdomains
Example:
setmetdigital.com
2. URL Prefix
Tracks only one specific URL, for example:
https://setmetdigital.com
Domain property is highly recommended for complete coverage.
STEP 3: Verify Your Website
Google requires ownership verification to ensure the website belongs to you.
There are multiple methods:
Method 1: DNS Verification (Best for Domain Property)
- Copy DNS TXT record from Google
- Open your hosting panel (Hostinger, GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.)
- Open DNS Zone
- Add a new TXT Record
- Paste the Google verification record
- Click Verify in GSC after 5–10 minutes
DNS verification verifies your whole domain.
Method 2: HTML File Upload
- Download the HTML verification file from GSC
- Upload it to the root directory of your hosting
- Click Verify
Method 3: HTML Meta Tag
- Copy the meta tag from GSC
- Paste it into your website header
- Save and verify
In WordPress, use the “Insert Headers and Footers” plugin.
Method 4: Google Analytics / Tag Manager
If you already use GA or GTM, verification becomes automatic.
After successful verification, your website is now connected with Google Search Console.
STEP 4: Submit Your Sitemap in Google Search Console
A sitemap is an XML file containing all important pages on your website. Sitemap helps Google understand your site structure and crawl your pages faster.
Most sitemap URLs look like this:
https://yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml
or
https://yourwebsite.com/sitemap_index.xml
How to Find Your Sitemap in WordPress
Yoast SEO Plugin
Rank Math Plugin
AIOSEO Plugin
How to Submit Sitemap in Google Search Console
- Go to Sitemaps in the left menu
- Enter your sitemap URL
- Click Submit
After submission, Google starts crawling your site automatically.
Why Submitting a Sitemap Is Important
✔ Faster indexing
✔ Better crawling
✔ More visibility
✔ Search engine understands site structure
STEP 5: Submit URLs for Manual Indexing
Google Search Console has a tool called URL Inspection Tool.
Use this tool whenever you:
- Publish new blog posts
- Update old posts
- Create new pages
- Fix content issues
How to Request Indexing
- Copy your page/post URL
- Open Google Search Console
- Go to URL Inspection
- Paste the URL
- Click Request Indexing
Googlebot will crawl your page within minutes to hours.
This is the fastest way to get indexing.
STEP 6: Check Whether Your Page Is Indexed
You can check indexing in two ways:
Method 1: Google Search
Type in Google:
site:yourwebsite.com/page-url
If your page appears → It is indexed
If not → It’s still pending
Method 2: Google Search Console
- Go to URL Inspection Tool
- Paste your page URL
- It will show:
- Indexed
- Not Indexed
- Discovered but not indexed
- Crawled but not indexed
Common Reasons Why Google Does Not Index Your Website
Many beginners face indexing issues. Here are the main reasons:
1. Low-Quality Content
If your content is:
- Thin
- Duplicate
- Spammy
- AI-generated without value
Google will not index it.
Fix
✔ Write original, helpful content
✔ Add depth, examples, images
✔ Use keywords naturally
2. No Backlinks
Backlinks help Google discover your pages faster.
Fix
✔ Share your posts on social media
✔ Blog commenting
✔ Guest posting
✔ Submit your site to directories
3. Slow Website Speed
If your site is slow, Google reduces its crawl rate.
Fix
✔ Use fast hosting
✔ Compress images
✔ Install LiteSpeed or WP Rocket plugin
✔ Optimize database
4. No Internal Links
Google struggles to crawl pages without internal links.
Fix
✔ Link your new post from 3–4 old posts
✔ Add links in navigation or menus
5. Robots.txt Blocking
Your robots.txt file may be blocking Googlebot.
Check:
https://yourwebsite.com/robots.txt
If it contains:
Disallow: /
This blocks EVERYTHING. Remove it immediately.
6. Noindex Tag Added
Some themes or plugins accidentally add noindex tags.
Check your page source:
<meta name="robots" content="noindex">
If found → remove the tag.
7. New Website (Low Crawl Budget)
New sites have low authority, so Google crawls them slowly.
Fix
✔ Regular posting
✔ Social signals
✔ Submit sitemap
✔ Build a few backlinks
How to Speed Up Indexing (Professional Tips)
If you want your website to get indexed within minutes, follow these expert tips.
Tip 1: Publish High-Quality Content
Google prioritizes well-written articles.
✔ Long-form
✔ Helpful
✔ Clean formatting
✔ Images, tables, examples
Tip 2: Improve Website Speed
Fast websites get fast indexing.
✔ Use LiteSpeed hosting
✔ Compress images
✔ Remove heavy plugins
Tip 3: Build a Strong Internal Link Structure
Internal links help Google crawl deeper pages.
Tip 4: Share Content on Social Media
Google picks URLs from:
- Twitter (X)
These social signals increase crawl frequency.
Tip 5: Create High-Authority Backlinks
A few quality backlinks can boost indexing speed.
Tip 6: Keep Publishing Regularly
More content = higher crawl budget.
Google Search Console Indexing Status Explained
GSC shows various indexing states. Let’s understand them.
1. Indexed
Google successfully indexed your page.
2. Crawled — Not Indexed
Google visited the page but didn’t index it.
Reasons:
- Thin content
- Low authority
- Competition high
3. Discovered — Not Indexed
Google found your page in the sitemap but has not crawled it yet.
Reasons:
- Low crawl budget
- Slow hosting
4. Duplicate Content
Google doesn’t index duplicate pages.
5. Blocked by Robots.txt
Your robots.txt stopped Googlebot from crawling.
Technical Checklist for Fast Indexing
Use this checklist for guaranteed indexing:
✔ Submit sitemap
✔ Fix robots.txt
✔ Use HTTPS
✔ Use mobile-friendly theme
✔ Create internal links
✔ Optimize speed
✔ Use schema markup
✔ Avoid duplicate content
✔ Regularly update content
✔ Use readable URLs
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How long does Google take to index a website?
- Fast indexing → 10 minutes – 24 hours
- Normal → 1–3 days
- Slow websites → 1 week
2. Why is my website not indexing?
Because of:
- Low content quality
- No backlinks
- Crawl errors
- Robots.txt blocked
- Noindex tag applied
- Slow hosting
3. Can I force Google to index my site?
Yes → using Request Indexing in GSC and sharing the URL on social media.
4. Do I need a sitemap?
Yes, it helps your website get indexed faster.
Conclusion
Indexing your website in Google Search Console is the most important step to grow your online presence.
With the right process—adding your website, verifying ownership, submitting a sitemap, and using the URL inspection tool—you can ensure your website is indexed quickly and efficiently.