💡TL;DR New websites do not automatically appear in Google search results overnight. Whether your site appears in Google search and its position in the results depend on many complex SEO factors. Achieving visibility requires good On-page and Off-page SEO and takes time, consistency and a strong promotional strategy to achieve.
Years ago, simply creating a website was enough for it to appear in search results, but that is no longer the case. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is now a complex and ever-evolving process. To help your site show up in Google when users search for relevant keywords that you've shown on it, it's important to understand how SEO works and what you can do to improve your site's visibility.
How Google Finds Your Site
When you publish a new website, Google and other search engines take many factors into consideration including On-page SEO and Off-page SEO then uses a process called crawling, indexing, and ranking to surface your site in search results.
Crawling: Google uses automated programs called "crawlers" or "spiders" to scan the web continuously. These crawlers discover new sites by following links from other websites, through sitemaps, or directly when new URLs are published. However, many new sites lack these connections initially, which can delay discovery.
Indexing: Once your site is discovered, Google analyzes its content, including text, images, and files, to understand what it’s about. This information is then stored in Google’s index—a vast database of web pages. The indexing process can take time, especially for new or smaller sites.
Ranking: After indexing, Google ranks your site based on factors like relevance, content quality, keywords, mobile-friendliness, page speed, and more. Older, established sites with higher domain authority tend to rank higher, meaning they are more likely to appear in the top search results.
Types of SEO: On-Page vs. Off-Page
SEO is generally divided into two main categories: On-Page and Off-Page SEO.
On-Page SEO: This is what Siimple handles for you.
This refers to the underlying foundational elements of how your website It includes optimizing your site’s structure, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and meta tags to ensure search engines can easily understand your content and crawl your page section.
We optimize your site's on-page SEO by ensuring fast load times, color contrast (508 compliance), readable font choices, clean optimized code, multi-device responsiveness, accessibility and optimal page speeds. All of these are factors used by Google to determine how they should rank your site to appear in search results.
We also give you the ability to add your Meta information, description and site image which further enhances Google's ability to crawl, index and rank your site.
Off-Page SEO: This is what you are responsible for.
This part is your responsibility and involves actions taken outside of your website to improve its authority and reputation. This includes strategies like building backlinks, gaining social media shares, and earning online mentions.
The goal is to have other reputable sites link back to yours, which signals to Google that your site is trustworthy, active and relevant.
Some Things you can do to Improve Your Site’s Visibility
Submit Your Site to Google Search Console: This is a tool that you can use to help Google find and index your site faster.
Keep Your Site Updated - Regularly update your site with valuable, relevant content that includes keywords related to your business or service.
Promote Your Site: Share your site on social media, blogs, and other platforms to increase visibility and attract backlinks.
Build Backlinks: Encourage reputable websites to link back to your site, which boosts your site’s credibility in Google’s eyes.
Be Patient and Consistent: SEO takes time and continuous effort. Regular updates, content refreshes, and an ongoing strategy of promoting your site will help improve your search ranking over time.
Hire an SEO expert - If you need help, consider hiring an SEO expert to help you devise a marketing or social media strategy to drive more traffic and backlinks to your site.
Key Takeaways
SEO is an ongoing process that involves both on-page optimization (handled by your website builder) and off-page efforts (your responsibility).
Your site won’t appear in Google search results overnight; it requires time, consistent updates, and a strong promotional strategy.
Building credibility through quality content, backlinks, and social shares is essential to improving your search ranking.
By understanding and implementing these strategies, you can help your site gradually appear in Google searches for keywords related to your business, service, or content.