Submit your website to Google


Overview

Follow the steps below to submit your website to Google using the Google Search Console. Submitting your newly launched website to Google isn't required, but it can help Google index your site more quickly and accurately.

Note:
UITS recommends that you work with your website's developer when submitting your site to Google. Some parts of this process might require technical knowledge, such as adding Google Analytics to your website and verifying to Google that you own your website.

Set up Google Analytics for your website

  1. If you haven't already done so, create a free Google Analytics account.
    Note:
    Make sure to use your Indiana University email address when creating your account.
  2. Work with your website's developer to add Google Analytics to your website. You'll need to have Google Analytics set up to add your website to the Google Search Console.
  3. If your website already has the most recent version of Google Analytics set up, you can move on to adding your website to the Google Search Console.

    If Google Analytics was added to your site in 2017 or earlier, double-check to confirm that you're using the newest Google Analytics setup (gtag.js).

    Important:
    If someone other than you added Google Analytics to your website, make sure they gave your Google account edit permissions in the analytics User Management dashboard. Otherwise, you won't be able to verify that you own your website in the Google Search Console.
  4. Proceed to add your website to the Google Search Console.

Add your website to the Google Search Console

Use the Google Search Console to verify that you own your website and submit it to Google's index:

  1. If you haven't already done so, create a free Google Search Console account.
  2. After creating your free account, sign into Google Search Console.
  3. Open the Search Console options by selecting the menu icon at the top left (Collapsed menu icon). With the menu open, choose Add Property.
  4. A window will appear asking you to select a property type: Domain or URL Prefix.

    Select the URL Prefix box and enter your website's URL. Be sure to include https://, such as https://mysite.iu.edu.

  5. Google will give you options to verify that you own the website. Expand Google Analytics and select Verify. If you added Google Analytics to your website, you should see a message confirming your site ownership has been verified.
  6. Important:
    Make sure that the person who added Google Analytics to your website gave your Google account Edit permissions in the analytics User Management dashboard. Otherwise, verification won't work.
  7. Proceed to submit your website to Google's index.

Submit your website to Google's index

  1. Follow the instructions on the Google support website to inspect your verified website for errors and request that Google add it to their index or update their existing index.
  2. Your URL inspection report will let you know if Google has already indexed your website. In either case, select Request Indexing.

    Google URL inspection report: Click 'Request Indexing'

    Google will begin adding your website to its search index (or updating its search index if your site URL was already on Google).

    Note:
    Google does not index your site immediately. It may take a week or two before Google search results reflect the content of your new or updated site.

This is document awvt in the Knowledge Base.
Last modified on 2022-10-07 15:49:52.