One of the most common questions asked of us by new clients is “How and when does my website appear on Google?”

Updated: 2nd August 2012

It all depends on a process called ‘indexing’. Think of it as a process of proofing and then printing your website details to the Google directory. There is no guarenteed length of time in which a search engine will list your website.

If your website is completely new, and you have no links from other websites, it’s best to manually submit your website to Google. However if your website is linked from a number of other websites that are already in search engine results, you will usually find that your website is automatically included into the search results 2-3 weeks following the launch of your website.

Here are a few  tips to help ensure that your site is indexed as soon as possible:

1.  Ensure that your website is linked to by other external websites, ensuring that other websites linking to you are:

• Related
• Relevant
• Trusted
• Popular
• Avoid paid links!

2.  Ensure the structure of your website is clear, with all pages easily accessible. Try not to have any pages more than three clicks away from the homepage.

3.  Use standard text links across your site. If you are using JavaScript or ActionScript events to trigger a link, a search engine does not usually pay any attention to them, and so these links will not cotribute to the indexing of your website.

Again, there is no guarantee of a speedy inclusion into search results, but follow the tips above and you should hopefully have your website geared up and ready for when the search engine reaches it.