So you‘ve launched your shiny new WordPress website—congratulations! 🎉 But if you build it, will they come? Not unless you get your site listed on Google.
Google is the world‘s most popular search engine, handling over 90% of all web searches. If you want traffic to your site, you need to play by Google‘s rules.
Fortunately, while Google‘s search algorithms are complex, the steps to get your WordPress site indexed are straightforward. By following WordPress and Google SEO best practices, you can get your site to show up in relevant searches and start attracting your first visitors.
In this guide, we‘ll walk through how to get your WordPress site on Google, step-by-step. We‘ll cover:
- Why getting listed on Google is crucial
- How to set up your WordPress site for success
- How to connect your site to Google Search Console
- How to optimize your WordPress pages for search engines
- How to build high-quality backlinks to your site
- Tips to boost your Google rankings over time
Let‘s get started!
Why You Need to Be Listed on Google
Google is the gateway to the web for most internet users. Consider these eye-popping stats:
- Google processes over 8.5 billion searches per day
- The average Google search session is less than a minute
- The #1 organic result gets over 30% of clicks
- Page 1 results get over 90% of traffic
Showing up in Google searches is crucial for getting discovered by your target audience. Even if you‘re not trying to build a huge site, being listed in Google will lend credibility to your small business or personal blog.
WordPress is an excellent choice for getting found in search engines. It comes with built-in features and optional plugins to streamline the SEO process.
In fact, WordPress powers over 43% of all websites on the internet—a testament to its SEO-friendliness. However, less than 10% of websites get most of their traffic from search, so there‘s still work to do.
Setting Up Your WordPress Site for Success
Before you invite Google to crawl your WordPress site, make sure you lay the proper foundation. A few quick optimizations will help your site get indexed faster and avoid SEO issues down the road.
Check Your Visibility Settings
First, make sure your site is set to be publicly visible to search engines. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Settings > Reading.
Under "Search engine visibility", uncheck the box next to "Discourage search engines from indexing this site":
This option is useful if you want to work on your site in private before launch, but be sure to uncheck it when you‘re ready to go live.
Configure Your Permalinks
By default, WordPress uses "Plain" permalinks with post IDs in the URL. While these work fine, they‘re not very descriptive or SEO-friendly.
Instead, change your permalink structure to a more readable format. Go to Settings > Permalinks and choose the "Post name" option:
This will make your URLs look like example.com/sample-post/ instead of example.com/?p=123. Much better for both search engines and human visitors.
Set Up an SEO Plugin
To really optimize your WordPress site for search, you‘ll want a dedicated SEO plugin. These add features like custom meta tags, XML sitemaps, and content analysis.
Some of the most popular SEO plugins are:
- Yoast SEO (free and premium)
- All in One SEO (free and premium)
- Rank Math (free and premium)
- The SEO Framework (free)
For this guide, we‘ll use Yoast SEO. Go to Plugins > Add New, search for "Yoast", and install the plugin:
After activating Yoast, you‘ll see a new "SEO" menu in your WordPress dashboard. Go through the configuration wizard to set up the basic options.
Connecting to Google Search Console
The next step is proving to Google that you own your site. This allows you to see how Google views your site and optimize your appearance in search results.
The best way to do this is via the free Google Search Console tool. Follow these steps:
- Go to Google Search Console and click "Start now"
- Click "Add property" and enter your WordPress site URL
- Click "Continue" to verify your ownership
Search Console offers several verification methods, but the easiest is via your SEO plugin. Copy the HTML tag provided by Search Console.
In your WordPress dashboard, go to SEO > General > Webmaster Tools. Paste the HTML tag into the "Google verification code" field and click "Save Changes":
Back in Search Console, click "Verify". You should see a success message. Your WordPress site is now connected!
Submit Your XML Sitemap
An XML sitemap is a special file that lists all the important pages on your site. It helps search engines like Google discover and prioritize your content for crawling.
If you‘re using Yoast SEO, it will automatically create a sitemap for you. To find it, go to SEO > General > Features and toggle on "XML sitemaps":
Click the "?" icon to view your sitemap index URL, which will look like example.com/sitemap_index.xml. Copy this URL.
Back in Google Search Console, click "Sitemaps" in the left sidebar. Paste your sitemap URL into the box and click "Submit":
Google will now crawl your sitemap and begin indexing your site‘s pages. You can monitor crawl status and any issues in the "Coverage" report.
Optimize Your WordPress Pages for Search
Now that your technical setup is complete, it‘s time to optimize your actual content for search engines. While Google is getting better at understanding context and intent, you can give it extra guidance.
Here are key on-page elements to optimize for each post and page:
Title Tag and Meta Description
The title tag and meta description appear in search results and help searchers decide to click. Include your main keyword and write engaging copy to entice clicks.
You can customize these for each post/page using the Yoast SEO box. Update the "SEO title" and "Meta description" fields:
Keep your title tag under 60 characters and description under 160 for best display in search results.
Headings and Content
Google looks at your headings and content to understand what your page is about. Incorporate your target keywords naturally in your post title (H1), subheadings (H2-H6), and paragraphs.
Don‘t overdo it with keyword stuffing though—write for humans first. Aim for at least 300-500 words per post to give Google enough context.
Use the Yoast SEO analysis tool to optimize your content:
Follow the suggestions to improve your readability and keyword usage. Aim for a green light!
Internal Linking
Linking to other relevant posts and pages on your site helps Google understand your site structure and spread authority. Include 2-3 internal links per post where natural.
The Yoast "Link suggestions" tool can recommend related posts to link to:
Incorporating internal links boosts your SEO and makes it easier for visitors to explore your site.
Image Optimization
Use descriptive file names and alt text for images to help them rank in Google Image Search. Compress images to reduce page load time—aim for under 100 KB per image.
You can add alt text to images in the WordPress Media Library:
Good alt text and fast-loading images will improve user experience and accessibility too.
Build High-Quality Backlinks
Getting other reputable websites to link to yours is one of the most important Google ranking factors. But not all links are equal—focus on earning editorial links from authoritative sites in your niche.
Some white-hat link building tactics:
- Guest posting on relevant blogs
- Broken link building
- Creating useful resources, tools and infographics that naturally attract links
- Responding to journalist requests on HARO
- Unlinked brand mentions
- Digital PR campaigns
Google scrutinizes link quality more than quantity. Avoid black-hat schemes like buying links, private blog networks, link farms or excessive link exchanges—these can get you penalized.
Prioritize value-add content and genuine relationships when pursuing links. Use platforms like Ahrefs or Semrush to audit your backlink profile and keep tabs on your competition‘s links.
Tips to Boost Your Google Rankings
Finally, a few more best practices to increase your Google traffic over time:
Publish Fresh Content Consistently
Google favors recently published or updated content, as it‘s more likely to be relevant. Create a content calendar and aim to publish new posts at least 1-2 times per week.
You can also refresh old content with new information to keep it current. Use the "Last Updated" date feature in WordPress to send freshness signals:
Improve Page Experience Signals
In 2021, Google rolled out its Page Experience update, incorporating Core Web Vitals and other UX factors into ranking.
Core Web Vitals measure loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability. You can check your scores in the Search Console "Core Web Vitals" report:
Follow the recommendations to improve your scores. Key optimizations include reducing page load time, enabling compression, lazy loading images, and more—see our WordPress speed guide for details.
Build Topical Authority With Content Hubs
Google wants to rank the most authoritative content for a given topic. You can build authority by creating comprehensive resources around your target keywords.
A content hub links together multiple related posts/pages to cover a topic in-depth. This signals your expertise to both Google and readers.
For example, take our WordPress SEO guides. We‘ve published detailed tutorials on keyword research, link building, image SEO, and more. Together, they form an authoritative content hub on WordPress SEO.
Organize your content into topic clusters to demonstrate breadth and depth. Interlink related guides to create a satisfying user experience and keep visitors on your site longer.
Nail Your Search Intent
Google aims to deliver the most relevant result for a searcher‘s intent. It‘s not enough to just sprinkle keywords throughout your post—you need to match the type of content searchers expect.
Let‘s say you‘re targeting the keyphrase "slow cooker recipes". If you check the current top results, you‘ll see they‘re mostly list posts with multiple recipe ideas, not single recipes.
Therefore, to rank for this term, your content should follow a similar list format. Give searchers what they want!
Do your due diligence before creating content. Analyze search results for your target keyword and align your angle with searcher intent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before we wrap up, let‘s address some common questions about getting listed on Google:
How long does it take to show up in Google?
It depends on many factors, including your site‘s age, authority, crawl frequency and more. In general, Google discovers most new sites within a few days to weeks of launching.
However, ranking for competitive keywords can take several months of consistent effort. Don‘t expect overnight results, but you should see your site indexed within a month.
Do I need to submit my site to Google?
Technically no—Google‘s web crawlers are designed to find sites on their own by following links. However, submitting your sitemap can speed up discovery and help Google prioritize the right pages. It‘s an easy way to kickstart your SEO.
Can I pay for better rankings in Google?
No—you can‘t buy your way to the top of organic search results. Beware of any agencies that guarantee rankings for a fee. Earning Google rankings takes time and effort.
However, you can pay for Google Ads to appear above the organic results. These can be a useful short-term tactic while you build organic rankings.
Why isn‘t my site showing up in Google?
There are a few common reasons your site might not be indexed:
- Your site is too new—give Google time to crawl it
- You‘ve accidentally blocked crawling in your WordPress settings or robots.txt file
- Your site has technical issues or low-quality content
- You have limited crawl budget due to large or slow-loading pages
- You‘ve been penalized by Google for violating guidelines
If your site doesn‘t appear after a month, troubleshoot technical issues and evaluate the quality of your content.
Wrapping Up
Phew, we covered a lot! I hope you‘re feeling more confident about getting your WordPress site listed on Google.
Remember, showing up in search results is an ongoing process, not a one-time task. Focus on creating valuable content, earning quality links, and providing a great user experience.
Be patient—it can take a few months to gain traction in search results. Track your rankings with tools like Google Search Console and Ahrefs to measure your progress.
Now go forth and conquer the SERPs! 🚀 💰
Further Reading:
- WordPress SEO Checklist – 60 Tips to Grow Your Traffic
- How to Do Keyword Research for Your WordPress Blog
- 9 Best WordPress SEO Plugins and Tools
