Getting found in search results

Publishing does not put you in search results immediately. Being indexed takes time, and where you rank depends on your content, your domain and how competitive your industry is.

A realistic timeline

• A few days to a few weeks before your site appears in results at all.
• Longer on a brand-new domain than on one that has existed for years.
• Nobody, including us, can promise you a position.

What actually helps

• Name your town or region on the page. Local searches are how most small businesses are found.
• Be specific about services. 'Emergency plumbing in Polokwane' beats 'quality solutions'.
• Complete your contact section - it feeds the structured business data search engines read.
• Create a free Google Business Profile. For a local business it often matters more than the website itself.
• Get your address onto your social profiles, your invoices and your business cards.

What does not help

• Repeating keywords unnaturally. It reads badly to people and search engines discount it.
• Paying for bulk links. It is the fastest way to be penalised.
• Republishing repeatedly. It changes nothing.