Google not adding my sites

December 10, 2005 9:33 AM

How come Google ignores my sites I try to submit to it?

I've noticed that several sites I've submitted in the past two years have never been indexed by Google. Trying to do a search for the pages I've submitted using the site's title, its domain name, or anything brings up zilch.

- These are NOT spam sites, portals, adult entertainment, or anything like that. A few are hobby pages, another is a science page, another is a surveying service.

- I code all HTML by hand have a very simple layout. I have one Javascript function to obfuscate my E-mail from spammers.

- My index pages are in the root directory of a full domain name, domains I've registered with Dotster.

- They don't have any offsite links to any affiliates, advertisers, or anything like that.

- I have no robots file that would keep Google out.

- I have not remotely been in any trouble with Google.

So what gives?

I noticed today in this Slashdot post that someone else was having similar trouble.

This is deja vu of AltaVista in 1999, when I couldn't get them to add sites, either.

posted by zek to Computers & Internet (10 answers total)

It might help to add your URL to your profile here so people can try to figure it out for your case, and not the general case.
posted by mendel at 9:46 AM on December 10, 2005

The way to get stuff on Google is to link it from a site that is indexed (or here).

I've always thought search engine submission pages were equivalent to the thing on job rejection letters that says "We'll keep your CV on file, just in case".
posted by cillit bang at 9:49 AM on December 10, 2005

Yeah, I've never had any luck submitting sites. What gets something listed is a link from a listed site. It can take as little as a couple of weeks to show up. (Adding it to your profile here will do the trick.)
posted by goatdog at 10:20 AM on December 10, 2005

Post a link in your profile, here. If you comment on other sites -- Slashdot, K5, etc. -- add your URL to your profile and/or sig. Lather, rinse, repeat. As explained above, links beget indexing.
posted by cribcage at 12:00 PM on December 10, 2005

You may also want to register your site with Google Sitemaps - it can tell you more about how the indexer sees your site, and any errors it has encountered.
posted by bemis at 12:29 PM on December 10, 2005

Also, remember that dynamic sites are indexed more frequently and are ranked higher than static sites. For example, blogs that are updated daily, weekly or even monthly will usually rank higher on Google than a plain ol' webpage that hasn't been updated in a year.

In other words, change is good.

Also, as the others mention above, having a listed site (such as MeFi) link to your site does wonders.
posted by Brittanie at 3:21 PM on December 10, 2005

I should point out that Mefi profiles are blocked from search engines (and in fact to everyone except logged-in users).
posted by neckro23 at 7:46 PM on December 10, 2005

The new Google Sitemaps got my site listed within a day or two.
posted by IndigoRain at 5:16 AM on December 11, 2005

neckro23-I used to be able to visit Mefi profiles before I even had an account here. Are you sure about logged-in users? I don't much feel like logging out to find out but I'm sure you're mistaken.
posted by evariste at 9:40 AM on December 11, 2005

Mefi profiles are not blocked from search engines. Though some info, like email address, is not seen by the unlogged-in.
posted by squidlarkin at 8:31 PM on December 11, 2005