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While speaking to a customer today, I was reminded that most people have little interest in how a search engine works (I don't blame them!). As long as they get relative results when the "Search" button is clicked, they're usually happy.

This particular customer wanted to know:

"How come my individual property website is not showing up in Search Engines (Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc.)?

This is a common questions and the short answer is usually: The website is too new. A common misconception is that our websites (or any website for that matter) will show up in search engines immediately after they have been published. This is simply not the case...

First, let me explain the difference between a "live site" and one that has been "indexed"?

Live Site

When a property website is live, it simply means that your website will show up when you type your domain name in the address bar of your browser. This usually takes less than an hour and in many cases happens immediately after publishing your site:



Indexed Site

When a site has been indexed, it means that the search engine has found your website on the internet and stored it in their database. Once a site has been indexed, then (and only then) can you locate it by doing a key word search in that particular engine.

A good example would be a site built for 4716 Maple Hill Dr. Fort Worth, TX. If you search for this address in Google, the website comes up on the top of the first page. This is a typical result.



How do I get my websites indexed and how long does it take?

We automatically submit your site to all popular search engines, including Google, immediately after it's published. You don't have to do anything! Generally, websites created with our system will get crawled and indexed within 1-2 weeks.

How can I tell if my website has been indexed?

The quickest way to see if your site has been indexed is to go directly to the Google Search Engine and search for your site with this string:

site:4716maplehill.com (replace 4716maplehill.com with your actual address)

If your site is indexed, you will see a list of all the pages that have been crawled. If it has not been indexed, you will see a message that says:

Your search - site:123XYXStreet.com - did not match any documents.

Is there a way to get my sites indexed faster?

Yes, there are a number of ways to get indexed faster! Here are a few suggestions:

1. Use our Syndication Features
2. Post a Craigslist HTML Flyer
3. Post the website as a Virtual Tour on Realtor.com
4. Link to the property website from Social Websites: Facebook, Twitter, ActiveRain, etc.
5. Use our Showcase Listing Widget
6. Link to the site from your own blog or website

The goal with all of these suggestions is linking to your single property websites from other sites that have already been indexed.