# Getting your website on Google and Bing

> Add your website to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools, submit your sitemap, and check how your site appears in search results.

Source: https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/getting-started/guides/getting-your-website-on-google-and-bing/

Google and Bing find most websites on their own, but it can take weeks. Adding your site to their free webmaster tools gets it found faster, and shows you how it's doing in search.

## Before you start

- Your website should be **live on your own domain**, with HTTPS working. See [Your free SSL certificate](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/ssl-security/ssl-certificates/how-to-install-ssl-certificate-on-your-site-using-lets-encrypt-ssl/).
- In WordPress, check **Settings → Reading**: **Discourage search engines from indexing this site** must be **unticked**.
- Have a **sitemap**. WordPress creates one automatically at `https://yourdomain.com/wp-sitemap.xml`. SEO plugins such as Yoast or Rank Math create `https://yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml`.

## Google Search Console

1. Go to [Google Search Console](https://search.google.com/search-console) and sign in with a Google account.
2. Click **Add property** and choose **Domain**. Enter your domain without `https://` or `www`, for example `example.com`.
3. Google gives you a **TXT record** to prove you own the domain. Add it to your DNS:
   - In cPanel's **Zone Editor**, or in the [client area's DNS Manager](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/domains/dns/using-dns-manager-to-manage-your-domain/), add a **TXT** record for your domain with the value Google gave you.
   - See [Verifying site ownership with Google](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/getting-started/guides/verifying-site-ownership-with-google/).
4. Back in Search Console, click **Verify**. If it fails, wait 15–30 minutes and try again.
5. Open **Indexing → Sitemaps**, enter your sitemap address, and click **Submit**.

A **Domain** property covers every version of your site (`http`, `https`, `www` and subdomains), so it's the best choice.

## Bing Webmaster Tools

Bing also supplies results to Yahoo, DuckDuckGo and others.

1. Go to [Bing Webmaster Tools](https://www.bing.com/webmasters) and sign in.
2. Choose **Import from Google Search Console**. It copies your verified sites and sitemaps in one step.
3. Or add your site by hand and verify it with a DNS record, the same way as Google.

## Check your site is in search results

Search Google for `site:yourdomain.com`. It lists the pages Google has found. New sites can take a few days to a few weeks to appear.

In Search Console, **Pages** under **Indexing** shows which pages are included and why others aren't. For one page, enter its address in the search bar at the top and click **Request indexing**.

## Track your visitors

Search Console shows what people search to find you. To see what they do on your site, add Google Analytics. See [Using Google Analytics with WordPress](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/wordpress/guides/using-google-analytics-with-wordpress/). Visitor statistics are also in cPanel under **Metrics → Awstats** and **Visitors**.

## Related articles

- [Cleaning up an SEO spam hack](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/ssl-security/website-security/cleaning-up-an-seo-spam-hack/)