A quick walkthrough for Idea Jar Web Design clients
Hi — it's Matt. Now that your site is live, the next step is making sure Google knows about it. Google has a free tool called Search Console that does two things: it tells Google your site exists, and it shows you how often your site appears in search results. This guide walks you through setting it up. It takes about ten minutes.
What you'll need: a Google account (the same one you'd use for Gmail). If you don't have one, create a free account at accounts.google.com first. I'd recommend using your business email address if possible — but a personal Gmail works fine too.
What this actually does
Your site already has something called a sitemap — a behind-the-scenes file that lists every page on your site. I built it into your site at launch. What we're doing now is two things: telling Google that you own the site (so they trust the information), and pointing Google at your sitemap so they can crawl every page. After that, Google checks back periodically on its own — you don't need to resubmit unless we add brand new pages later.
Part one — Verify your site
1
Go to search.google.com/search-console and sign in with your Google account.
2
If this is your first time, click Start now. Otherwise, click the property dropdown at the top left and select Add property.
3
You'll see two boxes: "Domain" on the left and "URL prefix" on the right. Choose URL prefix (the right side). It's the simpler option and works perfectly for your site.
4
Type your full site URL into the box, including the https://www. part. For example: https://www.yoursite.com. Click Continue.
5
Google will show you several verification options. Click HTML tag (it's usually one of the first ones listed under "Other verification methods").
6
A small box of code will appear that looks like:
<meta name="google-site-verification" content="abc123..." /> Copy the entire line of code (the whole thing, including the quotation marks).
7
Email the code to matt@ideajarwebdesign.com. I'll add it to your site, push it live, and reply when it's installed (usually within a few hours).
8
After I confirm it's installed, go back to Google Search Console and click Verify. It should turn green and say "Ownership verified."
Why am I doing the install instead of you? Because the verification code lives in your site's code, and I'm the one who built it. This is faster than walking you through editing HTML, and it's part of what you're already paying me for.
Part two — Submit your sitemap
Now that Google trusts that you own the site, we tell it where to find your sitemap.
1
Still in Search Console, look at the menu on the left side of the screen. Click Sitemaps (it's under the "Indexing" section).
2
You'll see a field labeled Add a new sitemap. The text already shows your domain, with an empty box at the end.
3
In the empty box, type exactly: sitemap.xml
4
Click Submit.
5
Within a few seconds, you should see a green Success status. That's it — Google now knows about your site and will start crawling it.
What happens next: Google takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to fully crawl and index your site. Don't worry if you don't show up in search results immediately — this is normal for new sites. Once you do start showing up, Search Console becomes your dashboard for seeing what people search for to find you.
Common questions
What's the difference between Domain and URL prefix?
Domain covers more (www, non-www, all subdomains) but requires you to add a DNS record at your domain registrar. URL prefix is simpler — it just covers your main site URL — and uses an HTML code that I install for you. For most small business sites, URL prefix is plenty.
How long until I show up in Google search results?
Anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Google's crawling pace depends on a lot of factors. New sites often take longer than established ones. Patience is the answer here.
I see a yellow "Couldn't fetch" warning on my sitemap.
This sometimes happens immediately after submission and resolves on its own within 24 hours. If it's still showing after a couple of days, text me at 650-246-9863.
Do I need to resubmit my sitemap when I update content on my site?
No. Google rechecks your sitemap on its own schedule, usually every few days to weeks. The only time we'd resubmit is if I add brand new pages to your site later.
I forgot which Google account I used.
If you can't remember, sign out of all Google accounts and start fresh at search.google.com/search-console with the account you want to use going forward. You can also have multiple Google accounts associated with your site if needed.
Should I also set up Google Analytics?
Yes — they work together. Google Search Console shows how people find you (search terms, impressions, clicks). Google Analytics shows what they do once they're on your site (which pages they read, how long they stay). I have a separate guide for setting up Google Analytics; ask me for it.
Stuck? Reply to my email or text 650-246-9863. I'd rather help than have you stuck.
matt@ideajarwebdesign.com · ideajarwebdesign.com · Bay Area, CA
Idea Jar Web Design