On this page 8 sections
Short answer: Go to Google Search Console, add your site as a Domain property, verify it with a DNS TXT record, submit your sitemap.xml, then check the Performance, Pages and Enhancements reports monthly. Also add your site to Bing Webmaster Tools, which feeds Bing, Copilot and other AI search tools.
Search Console is free and shows exactly how Google sees your site. Every site I launch gets it on day one.
Step 1: Add your property
- Open Google Search Console and sign in
- Choose Domain (covers http, https, www and subdomains) or URL prefix
- Enter your domain, like example.com
Step 2: Verify ownership
For a Domain property, Google gives you a TXT record. Add it in your domain’s DNS settings, wait a few minutes, then click Verify. URL-prefix properties can also be verified with an HTML file or meta tag.
Step 3: Submit your sitemap
Go to Sitemaps, enter sitemap.xml (or your sitemap’s path) and submit. This tells Google every page you want indexed.
Step 4: Request indexing for important pages
Use the URL Inspection tool at the top, paste a new or updated page URL and click Request indexing. Use it for key pages, not hundreds at once.
The reports that matter
Performance
Shows the searches (queries) you appear for, clicks, impressions, click-through rate and average position. Look for:
- Queries with many impressions but low clicks. Improve the title and description.
- Pages ranking in positions 8 to 20. Improve the content to reach page one.
Pages (indexing)
Shows which pages are indexed and why others aren’t: blocked by robots.txt, noindex, duplicates, 404s or “crawled, currently not indexed” (often thin or similar content).
Core Web Vitals
Groups pages by speed problems (explained here).
Enhancements and rich results
Shows structured data like breadcrumbs, FAQs, products and review snippets, with errors and warnings. Fix errors, then click Validate fix.
Common errors and fixes
- Page with redirect: normal for old URLs; make sure the sitemap lists final URLs
- Duplicate without user-selected canonical: add canonical tags
- Soft 404: a page with almost no content; add content or remove it
- Invalid structured data: the markup is attached to the wrong type or missing fields; fix the schema and validate
Don’t forget Bing Webmaster Tools
Bing powers its own search, Copilot and data used by other AI assistants. You can import your site straight from Search Console in a few clicks. Submitting to Bing is one of the easiest steps toward appearing in AI answers (what GEO is).
Frequently asked questions
How long does Google take to index a new site?
Anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Submitting a sitemap, requesting indexing and getting a few links helps.
Is Google Search Console free?
Yes, completely free.
What is the difference between Search Console and Google Analytics?
Search Console shows how your site performs in Google Search before people click. Analytics shows what visitors do after they arrive.
Why is my page not indexed?
Common reasons are noindex tags, robots.txt blocks, duplicate or thin content, or Google not having crawled it yet.
Written by Syed Imran Murtaza
Freelance software engineer and web developer in Karachi, Pakistan (also known as CtrlAltImran). I build websites, web apps, custom WordPress plugins and AI tools for clients worldwide. About me · Hire me · My work