How To Get Google To Index Your Website Instantly Using the Indexing API

Summary

In this video, Mike demonstrates how to quickly get Google to index your website using the Google Indexing API. He explains the manual process of indexing through Google Search Console and introduces an automated solution using Node.js to index up to 200 URLs daily. Mike covers essential steps such as setting up a Google Cloud project, creating a service account, and integrating the API. He also shares practical insights on indexing times, with newly launched websites taking around 12 hours to index, while more established websites can see results much faster.

Takeaways

• 😀 Google Search Console allows you to request indexing of a single URL, but this can be time-consuming if you have many pages to index.
• 😀 By using Google's Indexing API, you can submit up to 200 URLs for indexing per day, streamlining the process for large websites or blogs.
• 😀 To use the Indexing API, you need to set up a project in Google Cloud Platform, authenticate, and create a service account to interact with the API.
• 😀 To authenticate the Indexing API, you need to add the service account's email to Google Search Console as an owner of the domain you're working with.
• 😀 After setting up Google Cloud and Google Search Console, you can create credentials, including downloading a JSON file with your credentials.
• 😀 Node.js is used to write a script that sends a batch of URLs to Google's Indexing API for indexing, utilizing the access token to authenticate the requests.
• 😀 The script uses the batch endpoint of the Indexing API, posting multiple URLs at once, speeding up the indexing process for large websites.
• 😀 The Indexing API can index URLs in minutes or hours for well-established sites with traffic, while newer sites may take longer, like up to 24 hours.
• 😀 Testing the script involves running it through Node.js, where each indexed URL will show a success message if it has been updated or indexed.
• 😀 If you encounter errors like exceeding the URL limit or permission issues, you may need to wait or correct the setup in Google Cloud and Google Search Console.
• 😀 For users with frequent indexing needs, such as bloggers or businesses, using the Google Indexing API can greatly increase efficiency, particularly with large volumes of content.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?

The main purpose of the video is to show viewers how to use Google's Indexing API to instantly get their websites indexed by Google.

What is the challenge that the video addresses?

The challenge is that Google doesn't immediately index new content, such as blog posts, on your website. The video offers a solution to get content indexed faster.

How does Google Search Console help with indexing?

Google Search Console allows users to request indexing of individual URLs, but it is manual and can be time-consuming when dealing with a large number of URLs.

Why is using the Indexing API beneficial for some websites?

The Indexing API allows users to submit up to 200 URLs per day for indexing, making it a more efficient solution for websites that post many URLs daily, like blogs or news sites.

What technical skills are required to use the Indexing API?

To use the Indexing API, users need basic knowledge of programming with Node.js and must be able to handle APIs, JSON files, and Google Cloud Platform.

What steps must be followed to set up the Google Cloud project for the Indexing API?

First, users need to create a project on Google Cloud Platform, set up credentials, and authenticate the application using a service account. The service account needs to be granted access to the Google Search Console for the domain.

What file format is required for the credentials when setting up the script?

The credentials need to be in JSON format, and the file should be downloaded from Google Cloud after setting up the service account.

What happens if the credentials JSON file is lost?

If the credentials JSON file is lost, users can create a new one on Google Cloud Platform, but it's recommended not to lose the original file.

What is the batch endpoint in the Indexing API used for?

The batch endpoint allows users to send multiple URLs for indexing in one request, which is more efficient than sending individual requests.

How quickly does the Indexing API index URLs for a new website?

For a brand-new website with low traffic, it may take up to 24 hours to index all submitted URLs, with the first batch indexed in under 12 hours.

What kind of error might occur when using the Indexing API script?

Errors such as permission denials or exceeding the 200 URL limit per day may occur. Users are advised to wait 24 hours if they exceed the limit.

What does the 'url_updated' status mean in the script's output?

'url_updated' indicates that the URL was successfully indexed or updated by Google. If the script fails, it will display an error message with details.