Why doesn't my site show up in Google?!
That's always the big question! Just registering your domain on the Internet isn’t enough.
OK, let me try to explain. When your site is brand new Google doesn't even know you exist, so naturally you are not going to be able to Google yourself five minutes after your web site is launched. It can take weeks, like 4-6 weeks, if you're lucky, for them to even find your site once its been launched.
Why Can't You Just Submit My Website to Google?
Yes, I can submit your site to Google directly, but that doesn't make the process go any faster. It takes just as long, if not longer. Your site is basically being added to a list of other sites that were also submitted to be crawled by Googlebot. It's just a big waiting game. Sorry!
This is straight from Google...
" We do not add all submitted URLs to our index, and we cannot make any predictions or guarantees about when or if they will appear. " See for yourself
How can I get my site crawled by Google faster?
There is one BIG thing that you can do to make the process speed up a bit and that is to get other sites to link to yours. You want sites that have already been indexed by Google and have a high page rank. When sites have a higher page rank they are crawled more often, which means, if your site is listed there, Google will follow the link and then find and index your site.
How do I get other sites to link to mine?
Easy... well sort of. You can start by submitting your web site to online directories. Many of which are free! It just takes time and dedication on your part. The more effort you can put in by posting ads and getting yourself listed in directories, the faster your site will be indexed and will move up in rank.
Yes, it can be overwhelming but just break it down and pick a few online Directories/Classifieds per day and post your info. It's great advertising! By the way, you only need to submit your info to the directories once and you are in.
To make it easier for you I have created a List of Directories/Classifieds. If you come across any others on the web that are good and are not in my list, please email me and let me know so I can include them.
If you are posting ads on classified-type web sites make sure you make your link active (people can click on it). If not, its not doing you any good. Why? Because its not linking to your web site! It's just text. Here's an example.
Active link (Good): www.jwattswebdesign.com
This is just text (Bad): www.jwattswebdesign.com
How do I make my web site link active?
Just use the following HTML code and replace your web site name in both sections. Then just copy and paste it into your ad! Easy!
<a href="http://www.yourwebsitename.com">
www.yourwebsitename.com</a>
If you have any problems with this, just let me know.
Why is my site not showing up on Google's first page?
Keep in mind there are tons of web sites that have been on the web for years. They are naturally going to have more rank than your brand new site. The goal is to outrank them by optimizing your site with your keywords, which I can do, and by getting other web sites to link to yours. I can't say it enough! Unfortunately, it's not a fast process. People think there is some magic thing we can do to make you magically appear on the first page of Google. Oh if it were that easy... It just doesn't work that way.
Consider advertising your site with Google Adwords.
Helpful Links
Here are some links to GoogleGuide which explains how it all works. It's not too technical don't worry!
Generating Revenue - Google Adsense
Advertising Your Website - Google Adwords
Hopefully that helps you understand a little. Now go add yourself to some Directories!
