Many new SEOers ask how Google's search engine handles new websites—how it discovers them, crawls them, and how long it takes for them to be indexed and appear in search results.
To illustrate, let's consider a new website that only has a homepage and a few articles. These articles might not be of the highest quality, nor the lowest, but the new website does contain some content.
Discovery and Crawling Phase (in SEO)
When it comes to discovering a new website, Google's search engine follows the same natural process as it does with other web pages. Google finds the new website link on pages already indexed. Once it detects a new link, it adds it to its crawl queue for future crawling.
In this way, Google discovers the new website link and includes it in its crawl list, intending to visit it as soon as possible. After finding the link (whether it's the homepage or an article), Google extends a degree of "trust" to the entire site. It doesn’t immediately judge whether the site is good or bad just based on the new link.
When the scheduled crawl time arrives, Google crawls the homepage of the website and tries to understand it. It will then attempt to set a crawl budget based on the quality of the homepage after indexing it, though not immediately.
Indexing and Display Phase
Google first indexes the homepage of the new website. Unless the content is particularly poor, it will start showing the homepage in search results, at least when searched by the website's name or its homepage link.
If more content is published on the website, Google will revisit the homepage to evaluate the quality of the new content. It then decides whether to crawl and index the newly discovered page.
If the new website provides high-quality content, Google will decide to crawl it and gradually index its new high-quality content. However, if the website contains low-quality content, Google may delay crawling the new page and might not decide to crawl it for a while.
Frequently Asked Questions About Indexing New Websites
There are several questions new website owners often have about indexing their sites on Google:
How long does it take to index the homepage?
The homepage might not be indexed at all if it’s blocked by a noindex tag or other crawl barriers. However, if the website creates high-quality content, meets Google’s search essentials, and doesn’t violate content policies, it could appear within a few days, typically around a week or two.
Is indexing the homepage of a new website a positive sign?
Absolutely. It means that the search engine has found the website and included the homepage link in its index, indicating it will revisit soon. If it finds high-quality content, it will continue to index more of it over time.
Why is my new website’s indexing delayed?
Usually, the homepage is indexed within a few days of publishing. Delays could indicate an issue preventing Google from crawling or indexing the content. In such cases, check the homepage using the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console.
Why did some pages of my new website appear in search results and then disappear?
It’s common for there to be some fluctuation in the indexing status of a new website in its early stages. Pages might not have disappeared but might have dropped in rankings. This can also be due to the removal of pages from the index by the site owner or due to low-quality or harmful content.
Before assuming there’s a problem, give the site some time—at least a month. Ensure the creation of high-quality content and use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console to check and test the pages.
Conclusion
The initial phase of launching a website is crucial and requires careful attention to avoid giving the search engine the wrong impression. If the site is still under development, it’s advisable to prevent crawling and indexing until the basics are in place. Once the site is ready and has some content, preferably high-quality, allow it to be crawled and indexed.
