In the world of digital media, the endless (and ever-increasing) vocabulary of technical terms can be overwhelming on a good day. Posts in our Demystify series offer background, context and straightforward explanations for web non-techies. This post focuses on website crawling, indexing and ranking.
Birthing a new website
Have you launched a new website recently? Maybe an upgrade from a DIY website on a platform like Weebly, or a refresh of a dated site? Perhaps a first-time website for a brand-new business or venture — which included the complex task of selecting a domain as well.
Regardless of the impetus for the new site, (as you now know!) the process involves a lot of details, deliberation and decision making. From crafting content that captures your voice, to developing a lookand feel with imagery that convey your brand, to architecting a user experience that’s both appealing and functional — it’s a long process.
When will my new site be visible in search?
Our clients are elated when they see the development site for their new business coming to fruition. While we share their enthusiasm, when the site goes live, the fun has only just begun. Because while the website may be stunning and spectacular, visibility in search for a new domain can be more like a private showing at an art gallery than a well-publicized NFL game.
When will my website be visible in search results? A common — and reasonable — question. Before your site will be visible in search results, Google needs to know about it. There are several steps in this process.
1. Crawling the web – what’s new out there?
The first step in that process is called crawling the web. Google “bots” (also known as spiders) continually scan the web for new content. The content can be a brand new domain or fresh content (blog posts, videos, descriptions of services, downloadable resources, etc.) — on an existing site. Each crawl by search engines identifies new content that is added to the database of results.
2. Indexing results – sorting, storing and organizing
Next, Google (and other search engines) sort through the new content that’s been collected, and index it in a gigantic database. If your site has been indexed, it means that the search engines know about it. Like crawling, indexing is not a one-time proposition.
Typically, your web developer can help nudge the search engines to crawl your site and get it indexed.
3. Who’s on top? Rank and serve up results
After crawling and indexing, the next step search engines take is to select and serve up the appropriate web pages (or links) in response to user searches on a particular term. To determine which content to return on a user’s query (and in what sequence), Google uses a complex algorithm made up of hundreds of weighted and ever-changing factors.
Google’s search algorithm factors fall into two categories: On-page SEO (search engine optimization) and off-page SEO. On-page factors involve items that are evident to users, like content, images and links. Off-page SEO factors generally require time to develop, as they revolve around the authority of your domain and website.
How can you help your site get ranked faster?
First, understand that pretty much, Google is the boss. Which means that to get your site to rank in search results, you need to do what Google deems important. So, much as you want to put that “new website launch” in your rear-view mirror, there’s more work ahead.
- As an expert in your field, you understand the challenges your product addresses and the solutions your customers are seeking. Distill this knowledge into keyword-rich, original, specific website content.
- Think about phrasing your ideal customer would use in a search for your services. Regularly add fresh user-focused content, in the form of Frequently Asked Questions, blog posts, resources or case studies.
- Utilize a website plugin to optimize the metatags on all pages and posts (including the snippet of text that appears in search results).
- Keywords count. Include keyword-specific file names and alt tags on all images on every page and post.
- Give to get. Include links to related content within your site and outbound links to credible sources. Develop a link-building strategy to attract authoritative inbound links.
With ongoing focus and attention, you can achieve strong placement in search results.
