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Guide · SEO and links

Getting a new website indexed by Google: a checklist

Vokolla Editorial Team·Published ·Facts checked

In short

Google finds a new website mainly through links from pages it has already crawled, so getting indexed means giving it paths in: verify the site in Search Console, submit a sitemap, link your pages to one another, ask Google to index your key pages, and earn links from established sites, including a press release on news sites. Google says crawling can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

Checklist to get a new website indexed by Google: verify the site in Search Console, submit a sitemap, link every page from another page, request indexing of key pages (there is a quota), earn links from sites Google already crawls, and check Search Console after a week and a month. Google says crawling can take a few days to a few weeks and guarantees nothing.
Six steps to get a new site indexed, from Google’s documentation.

How Google finds a new site

Google’s SEO Starter Guide says it primarily finds pages through links from other pages it has already crawled. A new site has no such links yet, which is why the first weeks are about creating them.

The checklist

Work through these in order. Most steps are in your hands.

  • Verify your site in Google Search Console, so you can submit URLs and see what Google has indexed.
  • Submit a sitemap. Google says a site of about 500 pages or fewer may not need one, and that some content management systems create one automatically, but submitting it does no harm and helps Google find new pages.
  • Link every page to at least one other page on your site, starting from the homepage.
  • Use the URL Inspection tool to request indexing of your homepage and key pages. There is a quota, and Google says requesting a recrawl several times for the same URL will not get it crawled faster.
  • Earn links from established sites: partners, directories you belong to, and a press release on news sites that links to your homepage with your brand name.
  • Check progress in Search Console after a week and again after a month.

How long it takes

Google says crawling can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, and that requesting a crawl does not guarantee inclusion in search results instantly or even at all, because its systems prioritise high quality, useful content. So start early, and make each page worth indexing: a clear title, a clear purpose and content that is original and useful.

Where a press release helps

A release published on news sites that Google already crawls creates a page with a link to your homepage, which is one more way in. The release pages themselves were in Google’s index when we checked, 12 and 19 days after publication; Google guarantees nothing here, so the steps above come first. Link to your homepage or launch page with your brand name or web address, and publish once the page is live.

Publish with Vokolla

Vokolla shows one public price per release, from US$69, with no quote, sales call or subscription. You write the release or draft it with the Vokolla AI assistant, choose the package, pay online and get a report with every live link, and an editor reviews each release before it goes out. You can try it first with one free release every 30 days; every package is on the pricing page.

Questions people ask

How long does it take Google to index a new website?

Google says anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, and it does not guarantee inclusion.

Do I need a sitemap?

Google says a site of about 500 pages or fewer may not need one. It is still worth submitting for a new site, and many content management systems create it for you.

Will requesting indexing several times speed it up?

No. Google says there is a quota, and requesting the same URL repeatedly will not get it crawled faster.

Does a press release help a new site get indexed?

It gives Google an extra path in: a link from an indexed news page. It works best together with a sitemap and a well-linked site.

Vokolla pages for this step

  • Packages →Six packages from US$69 to US$659 per release, each with a report of the live links.
  • Pricing →Every package’s public price, reach and what it includes, side by side.
  • Free press release →One free release every 30 days on news sites, after editor review.
  • AI assistant →Connect your AI assistant to Vokolla to draft, check and save a release.

Sources

Written and checked by the Vokolla editorial team. Vokolla provides the packages described here; prices and outlets are as published on vokolla.com on the date above, and the results quoted come from our own releases. Search rankings depend on many factors, so no distribution service can guarantee them.