The Basics: Search Console Setup
If you are starting fresh, Google Search Console is your best friend. Set up a property for your website if you have not already. Submit your XML sitemap so Google has a reliable list of URLs to discover. Then check indexing status for your core pages and manually request indexing for the most important ones if they are not indexed yet. These steps will not guarantee fast crawling, but they remove the most common setup barriers and give you direct visibility into what Google is seeing.
Internal Linking Remains Vital
Internal links help Google discover new pages and understand how they fit into your site. When Google finds a new URL through internal links, it also learns its context, what the page is about, and how it relates to other content. If Google only finds a page through your sitemap, you lose much of that context. Link to new pages from relevant, established pages, and use anchor text that accurately describes what the linked page is about. This improves crawlability and helps prioritize what should be indexed and ranked.
Backlinks are Gold for Authority and Crawling
Backlinks from authoritative websites remain one of the strongest ways to get Google to crawl your site more often. Search engines return to pages and domains they trust. When your site earns links from pages that already get crawled frequently, Google has more reasons and more pathways to revisit your site. Outside of the basics, building quality backlinks is one of the best ways to improve how often your content gets discovered, recrawled, and updated in the index.
Don’t Overuse JavaScript
A common crawl and indexing hiccup is relying too heavily on JavaScript to display important content. Google claims it can render JavaScript, but it can be inconsistent, especially for newer sites with low authority. Do not cross your fingers and hope Google renders everything correctly. Make sure your main content is present in the initial server rendered HTML, and ensure important links are visible in the source code. If your navigation and internal links only appear after JavaScript runs, you are making it harder for Google to crawl and understand your site.