Submitting Your Website to Search Engines: When and How

Getting your website indexed by search engines is one of the most effective ways to attract free traffic. But you might wonder: do I need to submit my website manually, or will search engines find it automatically? The answer varies depending on the search engine. Here’s a clear guide on how to get started.

Do You Need to Submit Your Website?

Search engines can discover websites without manual submission because their bots crawl the web for new links. Crawling means search engines follow links from other sites, and if they find useful content, they add it to their index.

So technically, manual submission isn’t required. However, there are benefits:

• Peace of mind: It’s quick and ensures search engines know your site exists.

• Direct communication: Submitting your site informs search engines about updates or new content.

• Better tools: Submission gives access to analytics and performance features that help improve your website.

Preparing to Submit Your Site

Before submitting, make sure you can access and edit your website. Full backend access isn’t strictly necessary, but it helps if you need to:

• Add a sitemap if one doesn’t exist.

• Implement a robots.txt file.

• Set up Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools.

   

A properly configured sitemap is essential for helping search engines index your site efficiently.

Tools You’ll Need

Google Search Console (GSC)

• Sign up and verify domain ownership using a DNS TXT record.

• Alternative verification methods are available if needed.

Bing Webmaster Tools

• Sign up and import your site from Google Search Console.

• You can also use the Bing URL Submissions WordPress plugin to automatically submit new or updated content

How to Submit Your Website to Google

1. Locate your sitemap – Typically at YOURWEBSITE.com/sitemap.xml.

   

2. Submit the sitemap – Open GSC, go to “Sitemaps,” paste your URL, and click submit. Repeat if you have multiple sitemaps.

   

3. Submit individual pages – Use GSC’s URL Inspection tool and click “Request Indexing” to crawl new or updated content.

   

4. Verify indexing – Search for your domain using site:YOURWEBSITE.com or look for a snippet from your site in Google results.

   

Note: Submitting to Google News is no longer required; publishers are considered automatically.

Submitting to Bing and Yahoo

• Bing – Submit your sitemap via Bing Webmaster Tools. Verified sites from GSC can be imported.

• Yahoo – Submitting to Bing also covers Yahoo, as Yahoo search is powered by Bing.

Tip for WordPress users: The Bing URL Submissions plugin can automate URL submissions, track recent submissions, and allow re-submissions.

DuckDuckGo

No manual submission is needed. DuckDuckGo uses multiple sources, including Bing, to index the web. If your site is on Bing, it will appear on DuckDuckGo.

Avoid Paid Submission Services

There’s no need to pay for a submission service. Legitimate search engines provide all the tools you need. Paid services often spam you with marketing emails without adding real value.

Summary

Search engines will eventually find your website on their own. Still, submitting your site via sitemaps speeds up indexing, helps highlight new content, and provides access to valuable analytics.

For any website owner, submitting your site is a small step that ensures your content is recognized and crawled efficiently, which is essential for SEO success.