Getting your website found on Google is one of the most powerful steps you can take to grow your business, whether you’ve created your digital brand online using our Website Builder or WordPress, or already have your site ready.
While Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) may feel technical at first, this guide breaks everything into simple, non-technical steps so you can confidently index your site, appear on Google Search, and improve your visibility over time.
This guide covers how to link your site to Google, how Google indexing works, how to submit your site to Google Search Console, what SEO is (in simple terms), and best practices to help Google understand, trust, and display your website
Let’s get your site on Google; clearly, confidently, and step-by-step.
- How to Get Your Website on Google
- Understanding SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
- Submitting Your Site to Google Search
- Controlling What Google Indexes
- Choosing the Perfect Keywords
- Managing Your Meta Tags
- Optimising for Mobile
- Proving That You’re a Local
- Laying an External Link Trail
- Perfecting Your Internal Linking
- Making Your Site Fast and User-Friendly
- FAQs
- Additional Resources
How to Get Your Website on Google
Google discovers and ranks websites using automated systems called crawlers.
To help Google notice your site as quickly as possible, you must:
- Create a Google Search Console account
- Verify your website ownership
- Submit your sitemap
- Improve your SEO fundamentals
This ensures Google can find your pages, understand what they’re about, and decide where they belong in search results.
Understanding SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
SEO simply means making your website easy for Google to find, understand, and trust, whether you’ve built your digital brand using our Website Builder, or WordPress.
SEO focuses on:
- The words people search for
- How fast your site loads
- Whether your website works well on mobile
- How clear and helpful your content is
- How other websites link back to yours
Good SEO helps your website appear more often and higher in Google results.
Submitting Your Site to Google Search
To link your website to Google Search, you must verify your website through Google Search Console.
This gives you access to:
- Search performance insights
- Indexing status
- Error reports
- Keyword visibility
- URL inspection tools
1: Set Up Google Search Console
- Go to: Google Search Console
- Log in with your Google account
- In the property selector:
- Enter either your domain or subdomain (if selecting Domain), or
- Your URL (if selecting URL prefix)
- Choose one of the two verification options:
A. Domain (Recommended)
Verifies your entire domain (all URLs) via DNS.
You only need to add one TXT record.
B. URL Prefix
Verifies a specific URL.
Use this if you only want to verify a specific version of your site.
2: Verify Ownership
You’ll now verify the site using one of these methods:
Domain Method (via DNS TXT Record)
- Go back to Search Console and click Verify
URL Prefix Method (via HTML Tag, as this is the easiest)
- Copy the meta tag provided
- Paste it into the <head> section of your homepage
- Save your changes
- Click Verify
You can also verify via HTML file upload, Google Analytics, or Google Tag Manager.
3: Submit Your Sitemap
Once verified:
- Open Google Search Console
- Go to Sitemaps
- Enter your sitemap URL (often: yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml)
- Click Submit
Your sitemap helps Google discover all the pages on your site more efficiently.
Controlling What Google Indexes
You can manage which pages Google can or cannot crawl using:
This helps Google prioritise your most important pages.
Choosing the Perfect Keywords
Good keywords reflect:
- What your customers search for
- The services you offer
- The products you sell
- The questions your customers ask
Tips:
- Use natural language
- Avoid keyword stuffing
- Use phrasing that matches how customers search (e.g., “best web hosting South Africa”)
- Add keywords to page titles, headings, mobile-friendly text, and first paragraphs
Managing Your Meta Tags
Meta tags help Google understand your pages.
Focus on two main tags:
1. Meta Title
Appears in Google search results as your blue headline.
Should include your primary keyword and brand name.
2. Meta Description
A short summary that encourages people to click.
Use natural, clear language.
These directly affect your search click-through rate.
Optimising for Mobile
Because Google uses mobile-first indexing, every website must:
- Load quickly
- Use readable text sizes
- Display correctly on small screens
Mobile optimisation impacts ranking more than ever.
Proving That You’re a Local
If you are a local business:
- Add your business to Google Business Profile
- Use local keywords (“plumber in Cape Town”, “wedding décor Johannesburg”)
- Add your location to your contact page
- Encourage reviews on Google
Local SEO improves visibility for area-based searches.
Laying an External Link Trail
Google trusts your website more when other reputable sites link to yours.
Ways to earn external links:
- List your business in local directories
- Collaborate with local partners
- Publish guest posts
- Join industry listings
Quality beats quantity.
Perfecting Your Internal Linking
Internal links help Google understand how your pages connect.
Best practices:
- Link to important pages from main pages
- Use clear link text (“view hosting plans” instead of “click here”)
- Avoid linking excessively
Internal links improve user experience and crawlability.
Making Your Site Fast and User-Friendly
Google rewards pages that load fast and offer a great user experience.
Focus on:
- Optimised images
- Clean layouts
- Clear headings
- Reduced plugins
- Fast hosting
- Using caching
Fast websites rank better and convert better.
FAQs
Q. How long does it take for my site to appear on Google?
Anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on crawling frequency.
Q. Is submitting a sitemap required?
It’s not required, but it speeds up indexing and improves accuracy.
Q. Can I force Google to index my site?
No, but you can request indexing via Search Console.
Q. Why is my site not appearing in search results?
Common reasons include: no sitemap, poor SEO, new website, blocked pages, or content duplication.
Q. Is SEO included in 1-grid support?
No, SEO is outside the scope of 1-grid support, but we provide guides and resources to help you get started.
Q. Do I need coding skills to set up Google Search Console?
No, especially if you use the HTML tag or DNS TXT record methods.
Q. Can Google index my site without Search Console?
Yes, but Search Console speeds up the process and gives you valuable insights.
Additional Resources
Understanding DNS Records and How to Check These
SEO: Understanding Search Engine Optimisation
How to Install and Set Up Yoast SEO in WordPress
Smart Digital Branding with 1-grid’s AI Domain Name Generator
Choosing a Great Domain Name for Your Online Brand Matters
Getting Started with Website Builder at 1-grid
Need Additional Support?
We’re Here to Help:
Linking your 1-grid website or any other website to Google Search doesn’t have to feel like a map with this easy-to-reference guide. Stuck? Check out our Scope of Support, and then contact our Support Team for any additional clarity and guidance (https://1grid.co.za/contact-us/). We’re ready to see how we can help!