Why Isn’t My Site in Google?
Oct 16th, 2008 by Val Nelson
I have often heard this question from clients. The answer is that your site probably is in Google and I’ll give you a simple test to make sure. But let’s make sure we’re asking the right question.
When someone asks me this question, what they’re most likely saying is that they did a search in Google for a particular search phrase related to their business, like “energy efficient light bulbs,” and wondered why their site wasn’t in the first page of search results, also known as the elusive “top 10.”
Well, as of today, Google has 608,000 results for that search phrase, and maybe your site actually is in that long list of results but it’s ranked 3,524th — and what good is that? None! So, how do you get into the top 10? After all, maybe your site really is the best site on that topic out of all 608,000 sites!
How Does Google Decide?
Google’s computers make ranking decisions based on a very long list of criteria that is kept under lock and key. And to complicate things further, the ranking system is constantly being tweaked and improved. But the gist is that the system is designed to match the way a human would decide. Google has found ways to quantify the quality and relevance of a webpage as it relates to a particular search phrase. Score enough “points” and your site rises to the top. The catch is that it takes a long time and a lot of work to score all those points.
There are no tricks to get there. Build a quality site that a real live person would find useful and you’re well on your way. Of course, there is a lot more to it and I have completely oversimplified the process, but I think that’s as much as you really want to know for the moment.
Simple Test To Make Sure You’re in Google
Let’s make sure Google actually does have your site in its mammoth database of websites. Go to Google and insert this in the search box: site:mydomainname.com (replacing mydomainname.com with your actual domain name). Your search will show you all the pages of your website that Google has in their database.
If your site is not in there at all, you’ve got to do something different to get in there. Usually it means you just launched your website and no one is linking to your new site yet. The only way Gpogle can find your site and add it to the list is if another site on the web is linking to you. Having inbound links from other websites is an essential part of drawing website traffic and search engine presence, but that’s a topic for another day.
More Answers
Of course, this is just the beginning of how to figure out those mysterious search engines. There are whole careers built around getting better rankings in search engines like Google, so don’t expect to solve it in a day or two.
I can answer your search engine questions and get your site moving in the right direction. My clients get results. Feel free to contact me for answers and help.
