How to Submit Your Website to Google

What is Google Search Console?

Google Search Console (once called Webmaster Tools) is a free tool from Google. It shows how Google sees your site. You can ask Google to look at your pages and fix problems it finds. Google also finds sites on its own by following links, but submitting helps a new site get noticed sooner. Appearing in results can still take days or weeks.

Step 1: Add your site

1. Go to Google Search Console and sign in with your Google account.
2. Click Add property.
3. Choose Domain to cover your whole domain, or URL prefix for one exact address.
4. Type your site name and click Continue.

Step 2: Prove you own it

1. For a Domain property, Google gives you a TXT record. This is a line of text you add in your domain's DNS settings. DNS is the internet's phone book. Add the record in your DNS manager. If Hostvento manages your DNS, find it under your domain in the client area.
2. For URL prefix, you can upload an HTML file Google gives you, or add a small tag to your home page.
3. Go back and click Verify.

Step 3: Submit a sitemap

A sitemap is a list of all your pages, like a table of contents. Many CMS tools make one for you, often at yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml.

1. In the left menu, click Sitemaps.
2. Type sitemap.xml in the box.
3. Click Submit.
4. Check that the status says Success.

Step 4: Ask Google to look at one page

1. Paste the page address in the search bar at the top.
2. Wait for the result.
3. Click Request indexing. Indexing means Google adds the page to its list.

Make sure Google is allowed in

• Check that your site does not tell search engines to stay away. In WordPress, look at Settings then Reading, and make sure "Discourage search engines" is off.
• Check your robots.txt file does not block everything.

Quick recap

• Add and verify your site in Search Console.
• Submit your sitemap.
• Request indexing for key pages.
• Be patient. Results take time.