In the world of online marketing, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) mistakes can be costly. Rushing into SEO expenditures without proper preparation can lead to disappointing results. Today, we’ll explore a crucial step you must take before investing in SEO to maximize your chances of success.
One of the most common SEO mistakes is diving headfirst into optimization efforts without ensuring that Google has indexed your website’s URL in its database. No matter how much effort you put into optimizing your web pages, if Google hasn’t recognized your website, it’s like shouting into the void.
So, what should you do before committing to SEO expenses?
Make sure your web pages are capable of generating organic traffic. It’s essential to verify this before proceeding further.
Here’s a simple way to check:
Type the following into Google, replacing “www.yourwebsiteurl.com” with your website’s URL:
site:www.yourwebsiteurl.com
The pages displayed in the search results are the ones capable of generating organic traffic. Take note of any pages that are missing from the results. These are the pages you need to address.
Head over to your Google Search Console, a critical tool for website optimization and monitoring. Investigate the reasons behind the omission, and uncover valuable insights to enhance your SEO strategy.
Avoiding SEO mistakes like this will ensure you’re not pouring resources into a leaky bucket and that your potential gains won’t be hindered.
Before you allocate your budget to SEO campaigns, ensure that your website is fully prepared to make the most out of your optimization endeavours.
How to Submit Your Website URL to Google Search Console
Follow these straightforward steps to manually submit your website URL to Google Search Console for lightning-fast indexing:
1️⃣ First, log in to your Google Search Console and navigate to “URL Inspection” on the left-side menu.
(If you haven’t submitted your sitemap to Google yet, you’re missing out on crucial SEO benefits—the foundation of your optimization journey. Feel free to reach out to me for assistance with that!)
2️⃣ Copy the URL of the webpage you want indexed, paste it into the search bar, and hit submit.
Wait for the search engine to provide the status of your website URL (you can also submit URLs of your blog posts). If Google hasn’t indexed the submitted URL yet, you’re likely to see a message similar to the image below.
3️⃣ Take action! Click on “Request indexing” to queue up your URL for the search engine’s attention.
Below is the result you’ll get when your webpage URL is submitted
Voila! Your webpage URL is now on Google’s radar, ensuring it will be recommended to people searching for content your website offers. 🌐
You can check back after a few hours to check if it’s already on Google. Check again through the above steps and if it’s successfully indexed you’ll get a message that the URL is on Google. If not resubmit the URL again.
Now is the perfect time to elevate your SEO game! Log in to Google Search Console and start working your magic.
By taking this precautionary step, you can avoid unnecessary expenses and position your website for SEO success.
Remember, successful SEO depends on avoiding these common pitfalls. Don’t spend on SEO until you have laid the foundation for a fruitful optimization journey.
Wishing you all the best in your digital endeavours!
If you need help with any of the above or other things on your website, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.