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How to submit sitemaps to Google

Why and how to submit your website to Google

Submitting your website to Google is an important step in increasing your website’s visibility to potential visitors. In this article, we’ll explain the process of submitting your website to Google, why it’s important, and how long it usually takes.

Introduction

If you want Google to crawl your site and make it available for search engines, then you have to submit a Google Sitemap.

Sitemaps are XML files you upload to Google Search Console. Sitemaps provide information to search engines about your content so that they can crawl your site and make it available to its users.


How to submit your website to Google

There are two ways to submit your website to Google. You can either submit an updated sitemap in Google Search Console or submit the sitemap URL using Google’s “ping” service.


What is a sitemap?

A sitemap is a file that contains a list of all the pages on a website. It is typically used by search engines to crawl a website and index its content.

How to find your website sitemap

If your website is built on a content management system (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla, or Drupal, your sitemap is likely already being generated for you automatically. If this is the case, you can usually find the sitemap file at www.example.com/sitemap.xml.

If your website is not built on a CMS, or if you’re not sure whether it is, you can check for a sitemap file by going to www.example.com/sitemap.xml. If there is no sitemap file there, you can try looking in the website’s root directory for a file named sitemap.xml, sitemap.xml.gz, or sitemapindex.xml.

If you still can’t find a sitemap file, you can create one yourself. There are a number of online sitemap generators that can help you do this, or you can create a sitemap manually. Once you have found or generated your sitemap, you can submit it to search engines like Google

How to submit a sitemap with XML Sitemaps in the google search console?

To submit your website to Google, follow these instructions:

  1. Visit the Google Search Console website and sign in with your Google account.
  2. Click the “Add a Property” button and enter your domain name. If you already have the property, select the correct one and skip to step 5.
  3. Click to copy the TXT value provided by Google and add it to your domain host DNS section as shown below. Then save the records.
  4. Go back to the Google search console and click verify to verify your domain name. As in step 3 above.
  5. Go to sitemap and paste your domain sitemap URL i.e example.com/sitemap.xml and click SUBMIT

How do you submit a sitemap by pinging Google?

This method is only recommended for newly updated sitemap

On your browser or open a new tab then paste the link below

https://www.google.com/ping?sitemap=https://example.com/sitemap.xml

Note: Replace https://example.com/sitemap.xml with your own sitemap URL

A page should appear with the title Sitemap “Notification Received” as shown below.


Why submit your website to Google?

There are many reasons to submit your website to Google. Perhaps the most important reason is that it can help you get more traffic. When your site is indexed by Google, it means that people can find it more easily when they search for keywords related to your site. This can lead to more visitors and more customers.

Another reason to submit your website to Google is that it can help improve your site’s ranking in search results. If you submit your site to Google, you can request that they index certain pages on your site. This can help your site’s ranking in search results, making it more likely that people will find your site.

Finally, submitting your website to Google can help you build credibility and trust. When people see that your site is listed on Google, they will be more likely to trust your site and visit it. This can lead to more customers and more sales.


How long does it take for Google Site Indexing to start ranking your website?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the amount of time it takes for Google to start ranking your website can vary depending on a number of factors. However, in general, it is typically anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

Keep in mind that your website’s ranking may not be immediately visible on all search engines, as each search engine has its own algorithm and indexing process.

In conclusion, there are many good reasons to submit your website to Google. It can help you get more traffic, improve your site’s ranking, and build credibility. If you have a website, submitting it to Google is a good idea.


The Author

Viona W.

With over 7 years of experience crafting tech content, Viona W is a valuable asset to the HOSTAFRICA editorial team. Her skills extend beyond writing, as she also boasts experience in public relations and cultivating relationships with media outlets. This makes Viona adept at ensuring HOSTAFRICA's achievements and initiatives gain well-deserved public recognition. When Viona isn't immersed in the world of tech, she enjoys seeking out new experiences in nature and the power of storytelling to create positive change.

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