URL submission in SEO refers to the act of supplying a URL to a search engine in an attempt to make a search engine aware of a site or page. It's a direct method of informing search engines about the existence of new or updated content on your website. This helps in the process of getting your web pages crawled and indexed faster.
Why Submit URLs?
While search engines are generally good at discovering new content through crawling, submitting URLs offers several advantages:
- Faster Indexing: Submitting your URLs can potentially expedite the process of getting your new pages indexed by search engines, especially if your site is new or doesn't have a strong backlink profile.
- Prioritize Important Pages: You can ensure that your most critical pages, like product pages or new articles, are quickly discovered by search engines.
- Inform of Updates: If you've significantly updated a page, submitting its URL can help search engines recognize those changes more quickly.
- Overcome Crawling Issues: If your site is experiencing crawling issues, submitting URLs can act as an alternative way to bring those pages to the search engine's attention.
How to Submit URLs
Here are the most common methods for URL submission:
- Sitemap Submission: Submitting an XML sitemap to search engines like Google via their respective search consoles is the most efficient method.
- A sitemap lists all important URLs on your website, including their priority and last modification date.
- This enables search engines to efficiently crawl and index your site’s content.
- Search Console Tools: Most major search engines, like Google, Bing, and Yandex, offer tools within their webmaster or search console platforms for submitting individual URLs.
- This method is beneficial for quickly submitting individual important pages.
- Ping Services: Although less common today, there are various ping services that can notify search engines when you've updated your content.
- These services are typically automated via website plugins.
URL Submission Best Practices
Here are a few best practices for effective URL submission:
- Focus on Quality Content: Search engines prioritize indexing high-quality and relevant content. Submit URLs for pages that genuinely offer value to the user.
- Submit Updated Content: Use URL submission to signal significant content updates, this helps search engines recrawl updated content faster.
- Use XML sitemaps: Create and submit comprehensive sitemaps through Search Console for a systematic approach to URL submission.
- Regularly Submit URLs: As you publish new content, promptly submit the URLs via a sitemap or through search console tools.
- Monitor Indexation: Keep an eye on your website's index status in your search console accounts. Look for crawling errors and resolve them.
Tools For URL Submission
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Google Search Console | Allows submitting URLs, XML sitemaps, and offers analysis and tools to evaluate website performance and crawling efficiency. |
| Bing Webmaster Tools | Similar to Google Search Console, but for Bing search engine |
| XML Sitemap Generator Tools | Online tools can help generate XML sitemaps for the website |
In summary, URL submission plays a vital role in SEO by ensuring search engines are aware of the existence of your content and can index it effectively. By employing a strategic approach to URL submission, you can boost the visibility of your website in search engine results.
