How to Submit Your Website to Google Search Console and Other Search Engines

Search engines are responsible for approximately 93% of all web traffic. If you own a website, submitting your URL to search engines is a crucial step. By submitting your website to Google and other search engines, you can significantly improve your website’s ranking and traffic.

While search engines are designed to automatically discover and index websites, manually submitting your website ensures that you provide complete and accurate information about your site directly to them.

It’s important to note that each search engine has its own submission process. In this guide, we will focus on how to submit your website to popular search engines like Google, Bing, and Yandex. We’ll skip Yahoo and DuckDuckGo as they primarily use Bing’s index data.

We will also share essential tips and tricks on how to check your website’s indexing status and avoid common errors during the URL submission process. By the end of this article, you’ll be equipped to boost your website’s visibility in Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs). Let’s get started!

How to Submit Your Website URL to Google

Google dominates the search engine market, holding around 92.49% of the global market share. Submitting your URL to Google is essential for increasing website traffic and enhancing your business’s brand awareness.

For business websites, registering your URL with Google My Business can further improve your ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Remember, submitting your website URL can refer to submitting your entire website domain or specific pages.

Uploading a Sitemap to Google Search Console

To submit your website to Google, uploading a sitemap to Google Search Console is the recommended method. A sitemap is an XML file that lists all the important pages of your website, along with information about their relationships.

Google uses XML sitemaps to efficiently crawl and index your website by understanding the structure and prioritizing pages. Here are some key benefits of using an XML sitemap to submit your website to Google:

Discovering New Content – Helps Google quickly identify and crawl new content added to your website.
Improved Navigation – Provides search engine crawlers with a clear map of your website’s structure, facilitating efficient crawling.
SEO – Contributes to better SEO by ensuring frequent updates are communicated to Google, and helps in avoiding duplicate content issues by clearly defining canonical pages.

To upload an XML sitemap to Google Search Console, you first need to create a sitemap for your website. You can choose from several methods to generate a sitemap:

Each method will provide you with a sitemap URL, typically in the following format:

http://example.com/sitemap_index.xml

Once your XML sitemap is ready, access Google Search Console to begin the website submission process. Follow these steps after logging in:

Choose a property type:

Domain – This option provides a comprehensive view of all URLs under your domain. It requires DNS verification.
URL prefix – This option is suitable for specific URLs and offers several verification methods.

For this example, we will use the Domain option.

Verify your domain by adding a TXT record from Google Search Console to your DNS server. If you are using Hostinger, navigate to hPanel -> DNS Zone Editor and add the record in the Manage DNS Records area.
From the Google Search Console dashboard, select Sitemaps from the left sidebar menu. Then, enter your sitemap URL in the Add a new sitemap section. Click the SUBMIT button to complete the process.

To check the submission status, go to Sitemaps -> Submitted sitemaps. After Google has indexed your website, Google Search Console will provide valuable data and recommendations to optimize your website and improve its ranking. Google also offers comprehensive documentation and resources to assist you.

How to Submit Individual Web Pages to Google

After submitting your website, Google will regularly crawl it for new content. However, if you have updated content or created a new page and want it indexed quickly, submitting individual URLs can expedite the process. Use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console for this purpose.

This tool provides detailed data about specific pages, including AMP errors and indexing issues.

Here’s how to submit individual web pages to Google:

Once logged into your Google Search Console account, enter the URL of your web page into the Inspect any URL bar at the top.
Google will check if the URL is already indexed. If you see the confirmation URL is on Google, no further action is needed. However, if you see the warning URL is not on Google, click the REQUEST INDEXING button.

Keep in mind that Google limits individual URL submission requests to a maximum of 10 per day.

How to Submit Your URL to Google My Business

Submitting your website to Google My Business (GMB) can significantly boost your local traffic, as this free tool prominently displays your business details at the top of search results. This step is highly recommended for increasing traffic, as approximately 56% of users visit websites listed on GMB.

GMB enhances your business’s online presence across various Google services, including Search and Maps. When users search for services in your business area, the search engine is more likely to suggest your company.

Key benefits of using Google My Business include:

Detailed Information – Users can easily find all essential business details, from descriptions to contact information.
Engagement – Customers can ask questions and leave reviews directly on your profile, allowing your business to respond and interact.
Reach – Expand your reach by understanding how customers are finding your business online.

GMB is suitable for both beginners and businesses of all sizes. Follow these steps to register your business profile and URL on Google:

Google My Business Setup: Shows the initial steps in setting up a Google My Business profile for local business visibility.

Add your location and select your service area.
Enter your contact details, including your phone number and website URL.

Other steps are optional and can be modified later. You will then proceed with the verification process by adding your business postal address.
Additionally, you have options to customize your profile to include all necessary business information:

Business Hours – Specify your business’s operating hours.
Messaging – An optional messaging tool for direct communication with customers.
Business Description – Write a business description, with a limit of 750 characters.
Business Photos – Add images of your business or products.

Internal Linking

Web crawlers, also known as spiders, navigate from one link to another to transfer data from websites to Google’s servers. Regularly adding internal links helps Google discover, index, and rank your pages more efficiently.

There are two main types of internal links: navigation links and contextual links. Both types are crucial for organizing website hierarchy and building authority, which aids crawlers in understanding your site.

Navigation links, such as main menus and footer menus on websites, help users move between pages within the same domain.

Contextual links connect relevant content within articles, assisting readers in finding additional information on a specific topic. This type of linking also establishes relationships between pages on your website.

For example, links within a blog post can direct users to other articles that provide relevant supplementary information.

Furthermore, contextual links signal to Google that your website contains valuable and interconnected articles. To ensure Google understands these links, use descriptive anchor text or anchor phrases when adding hyperlinks to your text.

How to Submit Your Website URL to Bing

Bing is the second most popular search engine worldwide. Moreover, Yahoo and DuckDuckGo also utilize Bing’s search index to discover new websites. To ensure your website is promptly crawled and indexed by these search engines, use Bing Webmaster Tools.

Here’s how to submit your website to Bing:

Add your website URL in the Add your site manually section. If you are logged in with a Google account and have already verified your website in Google Search Console, click the Import button for a quicker setup.

Next, select Sitemaps -> Submit Sitemaps. Here, add your sitemap URL to notify Bing Webmaster Tools to index your website.

These steps will submit your website to Bing. However, there’s another way to submit individual pages:

Find URL Submission in the left sidebar menu and click the Submit URLs button.

You have a quota of 10 URLs to add multiple URLs at once. After adding the URLs, click the Submit button.
After submitting your URLs, Bing will provide further information about them. If the website hasn’t been crawled or indexed, click the Request Indexing button.

If you are using WordPress, the Bing URL Submission plugin can automate URL submissions. To use this plugin, you need to create an API Key from Bing Webmaster Tools.

Follow these steps to use the plugin:

Click the Settings icon next to your profile in Bing Webmaster Tools. In Settings, click API Access to manage credentials.
Click API Key to select Generate Key. Then, copy the API key and return to WordPress.

Go to Dashboard -> Bing Webmaster and paste the API Key there. Then, click the Start using plugin button. From there, you can manually submit URLs or set up automatic URL submissions.

Bing Webmaster Tools also offers comprehensive documentation and resources to help you optimize your website.

How to Submit Your Website URL to Yandex

Yandex is a popular search engine from Russia, holding about 60% of the search market in its country.

If your target audience is primarily in Russia or your website is in Russian, submitting your website to Yandex is beneficial.

Yandex Webmaster is equipped with various features to help identify specific issues on your website. Here’s how to submit your website to Yandex:

Yandex Webmaster Homepage: Displays the main page of Yandex Webmaster, where users can begin managing their website for Yandex search.

Click the add (+) button to add your website.
Add your URL and click the Add button.

Verify your website, then click the Check button once completed. Follow the guidelines below to verify your website:

Meta tag. Add a meta tag to your website’s HTML code. This requires accessing your website’s core files via FTP.
Root directory. Add an HTML file provided by Yandex to your website’s root directory. This option requires access to your website’s File Manager.
DNS. Add a TXT record to your domain’s DNS settings.

Once your website is verified, go to Indexing -> Sitemap files. There, enter your XML Sitemap in the Add Sitemap file section, then click the Add button.

To submit individual URLs to Yandex, follow these steps:

Go to Indexing -> Check URL status to add page URLs from your domain.
Enter your URL and click the Check button. The URL status will be shown under the Checked and Page and results sections. There’s also a Track button to monitor indexing status.

Yandex will send email notifications if there are issues with your website that require attention.

How to Check if Your Website Has Been Indexed

After submitting your URLs, it’s important to check if your website has been successfully indexed. Keep in mind that it may take search engines a few days to several weeks to index your website.

The easiest way to verify indexing is by checking the tools you used for submission. Each tool provides a way to inform you about the indexing status of your website and will notify you of any errors that need to be addressed.

For Google Search Console, navigate to the left sidebar and click Coverage. In the Details section, you can see if your URLs have been indexed by Google.

If using Bing Webmaster Tools, click Site Explorer in the left sidebar menu. You can explore all the pages on your website that have been indexed.

For Yandex Webmaster Tools, go to Indexing -> Check URL status to see if Yandex has indexed your URLs.

Another method to check is to open a search engine and type the following search query:

site:yourwebsite.com

The search results page will display a list of indexed content, with your homepage typically at the top. If no results appear, it means the search engine has not yet indexed your website.

Preventing Your Website from Being Blocked with ‘NoIndex’

Websites can prevent search engines from indexing their pages by using the NoIndex meta tag. If a web page includes this tag in its HTML, search engines will not crawl and index the website, whether submitted manually or discovered automatically.

The NoIndex tag is placed in the <head> section of a page with the following format:

<meta name="robots" content="noindex">

The NoIndex tag can help prevent crawling of duplicate content or allow you to test pages before they go live. However, remember to remove this tag before submitting your website for indexing.

To check if your website contains the NoIndex tag, use online tools like SEO Site Checkup. If search engines are unable to index your website, remove the tag and resubmit your website URL.

We also recommend checking your website’s .htaccess file for any NoIndex or NoFollow directives.

If you’re using WordPress, go to Settings -> Reading and check the Search engine visibility option. Ensure the box next to it is unchecked if you want your website to be indexed.

WordPress Reading Settings: Shows the “Search engine visibility” checkbox in WordPress reading settings, which controls website indexing.

Besides the NoIndex tag, check for other issues that might prevent search engines from indexing your website:

robots.txt file – Use Google’s Robots Testing Tool to see if this file is blocking search engines from crawling your website.
Redirect pages – Search engines cannot index redirect pages.
Duplicate content – Website pages should not have duplicate content, as search engines will typically index only one version.

Why Submit Your Website to Search Engines?

Search engines will eventually index and rank your website even without manual submission. However, submitting your website to search engines can significantly speed up the discovery process. Here are several benefits of submitting your website to search engines:

Free of Charge – There are no costs associated with submitting your website.
Organic Traffic – Increases search traffic by making your website’s news and information discoverable to users.
Accuracy – Ensures accurate and relevant data about your website is provided to search engines.
Visibility – Enhances the visibility and ranking of your business website in search results, boosting brand awareness for your products and services.
Ranking – Submitting your URL can improve your website’s ranking by providing comprehensive website data to search engines.
Updates – Search engines can index your new articles or videos faster after you submit a sitemap.

While not mandatory, submitting your website to search engines is particularly beneficial in these situations:

New Website – Submitting immediately after launching your website helps search engines crawl and index it more quickly.
Page Updates – For significant changes to your pages, submission ensures that search engines index the most relevant and updated data.
Incomplete Indexing – If you search for your website and it doesn’t appear, manual submission can help resolve any overlooked errors and improve indexing.

Increasing Visibility After Website Indexing

Website indexing is just the first step; it doesn’t automatically guarantee high traffic. To increase visibility in search results, your website needs high-quality, SEO-friendly content.

Higher rankings lead to increased website traffic, as the top 3 organic results tend to capture 75% of all search traffic.

Beyond submitting your website to search engines, here are guidelines for using SEO practices to optimize your website and enhance its visibility:

Social Media – Share content on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to promote your website for free.
Newsletters – Regularly send emails to your audience to drive clicks to your website and increase visibility.
Keyword Targeting – Identify keywords that can drive traffic and incorporate them into your titles, URLs, and headings.
Backlinks – In addition to internal links, earning backlinks can accelerate website indexing by search engines. Backlinks are links from other websites that point to yours.
Meta Descriptions – Optimize meta titles, meta descriptions, and URLs, as these elements are displayed by search engines in search results.
Monitor Search Engine Competition – Check top-ranking competitors to identify any content gaps and topics you can cover to improve your ranking.
Analytics – Review monthly reports and data to understand your top-performing posts, audience demographics, and engagement levels, enabling better website strategies.
Mobile-Friendly Design – Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, as search engines prioritize mobile responsiveness when ranking websites.
Content Updates – Regularly update, revise, and republish articles to maintain relevance and optimization.
Visual Content – Add images, graphics, and videos to your website to engage a broader audience. Optimize these visuals to prevent slowing down your website.

Conclusion

Submitting your website to Google and other search engines is a vital step in increasing website traffic. While search engines will eventually crawl and index your site automatically, manual submission helps identify errors and optimize your website more effectively.

In this article, we’ve detailed how to submit your website to search engines like Google, Bing, Yandex, and also Yahoo and DuckDuckGo which use Bing’s index. You’ve learned how to submit sitemaps and individual URLs for specific pages.

If your website isn’t being indexed successfully, we’ve also shared methods to check and rectify common issues.

Remember, submitting your website URL is just the beginning. To truly boost traffic, focus on creating high-quality content and employing comprehensive SEO strategies.

Do you have more tips and tricks to share? Feel free to contribute in the comments section below!