● The short answer
Make the page easy to find and worth indexing. Link to it from strong pages on your site, list it in an XML sitemap, request indexing in Google Search Console's URL Inspection tool, and use IndexNow or Bing Webmaster Tools for Bing. Google says crawling can take days to weeks, and no method guarantees a page gets indexed.
Key takeaways
- Discovery and crawling can be sped up; indexing is a quality decision the search engine makes.
- Internal links and an accurate XML sitemap are the most reliable ways to get pages found.
- Use URL Inspection for Google and IndexNow or Bing Webmaster Tools for Bing.
Discovery, crawling, indexing: three different steps
It helps to separate the steps. First a search engine has to discover the URL, usually through a link or a sitemap. Then it has to crawl it (fetch the page). Then it decides whether to index it (store it as eligible to appear in results). You can speed up the first two directly. The third is a judgment the search engine makes about whether the page is useful, unique and technically sound.
Google's documentation is blunt about timing: "Crawling can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks," and requesting a crawl "does not guarantee that inclusion in search results will happen instantly or even at all." Bing is similar. So the goal is to remove friction, not to force the issue.
The how is where we come in.
What we walk through with you, for your business:
- Step-by-step for a new or updated page
- What slows indexing down
- Our take
Every business is different, so the plan is too. Tell us where you want to show up and we will show you what it takes.
Talk to usMore questions
How many URLs can I request indexing for in Search Console?
Google applies a daily quota per property and does not publish a fixed number, and it can change. It is meant for a handful of important URLs, not bulk submission. For many pages, submit or update your sitemap instead, and make sure the pages are linked from your site.
Does submitting a sitemap get pages indexed?
It helps Google and Bing discover URLs, but it is a hint, not a command. Google says it may not use a submitted sitemap at all. Pages still need to be crawlable, unique and useful. Sitemaps matter most for large sites, new sites and pages with few internal links.
Sources
- Google Search Central: Ask Google to recrawl your URLs
- IndexNow: Frequently asked questions
- OpenAI Help Center: ChatGPT search
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