How complex is it to index in search engines a website created with Wix (for SEO purposes)? Not much, and that's precisely what this article is about.
Creating a website on Webflow is simple, but the challenge comes with making sure it appears on Google. This article explains why indexing your website is essential, how to get it indexed, and some best practices to speed up the process.
Why it’s important getting a Webflow site indexed?
Indexing your Webflow (official website) site is vital for visibility and credibility. If your site isn't indexed, it's invisible to users searching for your business on Google.
Being indexed allows your website to show up in search results, leading to organic traffic and potential leads without paid advertising. It also adds credibility, as search engines will only index sites that meet certain quality standards. Moreover, without indexing, your site won't be able to rank in Google search results.
How quickly do search engines index a Webflow website?
The time it takes for search engines like Google to index a Webflow website varies based on several factors. New websites generally take longer to be indexed compared to older, more established sites. While submitting your site to Google Search Console can help expedite the process, the overall timeline for indexing may still take days or even weeks, depending on the site's authority, content quality, and frequency of updates.
Google tends to prioritize websites that are frequently updated with fresh content and that have backlinks from reputable sources. Additionally, technical factors like site speed, mobile-friendliness, and a clean sitemap can also influence how quickly Google crawl and index your site. Ensuring your website is optimized in terms of SEO and performance will help speed up the indexing process.
How to index a Webflow website on Google
Creating a beautiful site on Webflow is only the first step. Ensuring that it gets indexed and ranked on Google requires additional effort. Here are detailed steps to make sure your Webflow site is properly indexed by Google.
1.- Create a sitemap for your webflow website
A sitemap is a file that provides search engines with a list of all the important pages on your website. Think of it as a table of contents for your site. It guides Google through your content, making it easier for the search engine to find, understand, and index your pages.
Automatically generate a sitemap in Webflow
Webflow makes this process easy by allowing you to automatically create a sitemap. Here’s how you can generate a sitemap in Webflow:
- Navigate to your Webflow site’s settings.
- Go to the SEO tab, and under “Sitemap” toggle the option to auto-generate a sitemap.
- After turning it on, save your changes and publish your website.
This will create a file named sitemap.xml, which you can submit to Google, helping the search engine index your site more efficiently.
Creating a custom sitemap
In some cases, you may want to prioritize certain pages or omit others from being indexed. For example, you might have pages that are under construction or private sections of your site that you don’t want to appear in search results. To do this, you can create a custom sitemap and upload it to Webflow by following these steps:
- In your Webflow site’s settings, disable the auto-generate sitemap feature.
- Paste your custom sitemap into the “Custom sitemap.xml” field.
- Save your changes and publish your site.
A custom sitemap gives you more control over which pages Google will crawl and index, ensuring that only your most important or public-facing content appears in search results.
2.- Submit your Webflow website to Google Search Console
Google Search Console is an invaluable tool for website owners. It helps Google discover your site faster by allowing you to submit your sitemap directly, monitor indexing status, and address any potential issues with your site’s visibility.
How to Add Your Webflow Site to Google Search Console
Follow these steps to submit your website and sitemap to Google Search Console:
- In Webflow, go to “Site settings > SEO > Google Site Verification”
- Click the link for “Google Search Console” which will redirect you to Google Search Console.
- Under the “URL Prefix” option, enter your website’s domain, ensuring that it starts with https://.
- Click “Continue” to proceed.
- Choose the verification method titled “HTML Tag”
- Copy the unique verification code (this is found inside the content part of the meta tag).
- Return to Webflow and paste the copied verification ID into the “Google Site Verification ID” field.
- Save the changes and publish your site.
- Finally, return to Google Search Console and click “Verify” to complete the process.
Once verified, you can submit your sitemap directly to Google through the Search Console, helping the search engine understand the structure of your site and facilitating faster indexing.
More on this | Submit website to Google
3.- Test the indexing status of your Webflow website
It can take some time for Google to crawl and index a new website or changes to existing pages. Fortunately, Google Search Console allows you to check whether specific pages have been indexed. Using the URL Inspection tool, you can see if Google has successfully indexed your site or if there are any issues preventing it.
How to Use the URL Inspection Tool
- In Google Search Console, click on “URL Inspection”.
- Enter the URL of the page you want to check.
- Google will show the current indexing status of that page. If the status reads “URL is on Google” it means the page has been successfully indexed. If it reads “URL is not on Google” it means the page hasn’t been indexed yet.
If a page has not been indexed, Google will display a reason why. You can correct the issue and request that Google index the page again by clicking “Request Indexing”.
Best practices for quick indexing a Webflow site
After successfully getting your website indexed, it’s important to follow some best practices to improve your site’s visibility and rankings on Google. Here are a few strategies to implement:
1.- Optimize Your Meta Information
Meta tags, including meta titles and descriptions, play a critical role in helping Google and users understand the content of your page. To optimize these tags:
- Use relevant keywords that people are likely to use when searching for your services or products.
- Write clear, engaging meta descriptions. Aim for about 155 characters, as this is the recommended length for SEO purposes.
2.- Structure Your Content Properly
Search engines value well-structured content. Organize your content using clear headings and subheadings (from H1 to H3 tags), reflecting the hierarchy of information. Not only does this improve readability for visitors, but it also helps Google better understand the main topics of your page.
3.- Short and Descriptive URLs
Your page URLs should be short and easy to read, ideally containing relevant keywords. Avoid using special characters and underscores. Instead, separate words with hyphens, as they are more readable by both users and search engines.
4. Build Quality Backlinks
Acquiring backlinks from reputable and relevant websites can significantly improve your chances of being indexed and ranking higher. When authoritative sites link to your content, it sends a signal to Google that your content is valuable and trustworthy. This also helps Google discover pages on your site that may not be easily accessible through your sitemap.
4.- Improve internal linking
Googlebot finds new content by following links, so ensure that your already indexed pages link to the new content or URLs you want Google to index. Use clear and descriptive anchor texts in your hyperlinks to provide Google with context about the content being linked.
Get your Webflow site indexed in (less than) 48 hours
By following these steps, you will enhance the chances of your Webflow project being indexed by Google and improve its visibility in search results. website Indexing is the first step toward making your site discoverable and driving organic traffic. Once indexed, the next focus should be on optimizing your site’s ranking through SEO strategies, content marketing, and acquiring quality backlinks.
Related | How to Index Wix Website in Search Engines
For those who want a quicker indexing process, tools like INDEXED.pro offer an easy solution. These tools can speed up the indexing process, allowing you to focus on other important tasks like content creation and search engine ranking optimization.
Sign up now and take your Webflow website to the next level.