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Get your website found on Google and Bing.

A plain-English, step-by-step guide for small business owners. No technical background needed. Allow about an hour per search engine.

Before you begin

What you will need

Your website is live and loads at its public address (for example https://www.yourdomain.co.za).
A Google account for Google, and a Microsoft or Google account for Bing. A dedicated business account is better than a personal one, so access is not lost if someone leaves.
Access to your hosting control panel (cPanel), or to whoever manages your domain.
Your business details ready: name, address, phone number, website and opening hours, written exactly as you want them to appear.

Once everything is submitted, search engines can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to start showing your pages, so a quiet first week is normal.

Part 1 · Same for Google and Bing

Create your sitemap and robots.txt

A sitemap is a simple file that lists the pages you want search engines to find. A robots.txt file sits alongside it and points crawlers to the sitemap.

Check whether you already have one

Type your website address followed by /sitemap.xml into your browser (for example https://www.yourdomain.co.za/sitemap.xml). If you see a list of your pages, skip ahead to Part 2. If you see an error or a “page not found” message, follow the steps below.

Create sitemap.xml

Open a plain text editor (Notepad on Windows, or TextEdit in plain-text mode on a Mac).
Paste in the template below, replace www.yourdomain.co.za with your own web address, and add one <url> block for every page on the site.
Save the file as sitemap.xml. Make sure it is not saved as sitemap.xml.txt.
Log in to your hosting control panel (cPanel), open File Manager and go to the public_html folder. This is the folder your website lives in.
Click Upload, select your sitemap.xml file and wait for it to finish.
Open your sitemap address in the browser again to confirm that it now displays.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
  <url>
    <loc>https://www.yourdomain.co.za/</loc>
    <lastmod>2026-10-03</lastmod>
  </url>
  <url>
    <loc>https://www.yourdomain.co.za/contact</loc>
    <lastmod>2026-10-03</lastmod>
  </url>
</urlset>

Tip Use your web address exactly as it loads in the browser, including https:// and whether or not it has www. Mixing versions is a common cause of indexing problems. Only the <loc> tag is required; the <lastmod> date is optional but helpful.

Create robots.txt

Repeat the same process with a new text file named robots.txt containing the lines below, and upload it to the same public_html folder.

User-agent: *
Allow: /
Sitemap: https://www.yourdomain.co.za/sitemap.xml

Whenever you add or remove a page, update sitemap.xml and upload the new version over the old one.

Not using cPanel?

The upload steps above assume traditional web hosting. If your site was built on a platform such as Wix, Squarespace or Shopify, the sitemap and robots.txt are usually created for you, so open yourdomain.co.za/sitemap.xml first to check. WordPress normally does this through its built-in feature or an SEO plugin, and the address can differ (for example /wp-sitemap.xml). If your site is hosted through a developer tool such as GitHub Pages, Netlify or Vercel, add sitemap.xml and robots.txt to the project files, in the same place as your home page, and publish the update as you normally would.

The same applies to the verification file in Part 2: where there is no file upload, use the HTML meta tag or DNS method instead. If you are unsure, ask whoever built your site.

Part 2 · Choose your search engine

Register your site and your business

Most visitors come from Google, but Bing also powers other search tools, so doing both is worthwhile. Pick a tab, or do them one after the other.

Covers Google Search Console and a Google Business Profile. Allow roughly 60 to 90 minutes. Once everything is submitted, Google can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to start showing your pages, so a quiet first week is normal.

Set up Google Search Console

Search Console is Google’s free tool for telling Google your site exists, and for seeing how it is performing in search.

1. Add your website

Go to search.google.com/search-console and sign in with your Google account.
Click the property drop-down at the top left, then Add property.
Choose URL prefix and type in your full web address exactly as it loads, for example https://www.yourdomain.co.za/. Click Continue.

2. Verify that you own the site

Google will offer several verification methods. The HTML file method is the simplest on cPanel hosting.

Choose HTML file and download the verification file Google provides.
In cPanel File Manager, upload that file to the public_html folder.
Open the file’s address in your browser to confirm it loads.
Return to Search Console and click Verify.

Note Leave the verification file in place permanently. Deleting it can cause verification to be lost. Alternatives are an HTML meta tag pasted into the <head> of your home page, or a DNS TXT record added through cPanel’s Zone Editor.

3. Submit your sitemap

In the left-hand menu, open Indexing, then Sitemaps.
Under Add a new sitemap, type sitemap.xml.
Click Submit. The status should change to Success. If it says “Couldn’t fetch”, wait a few minutes and try again.

4. Ask Google to index your key pages

Paste your home page address into the search bar at the top of Search Console (“Inspect any URL”) and press Enter.
If the result says the page is not on Google, click Request indexing.
Repeat for your most important pages. Google limits how many requests you can make each day, so stick to the key pages.

5. Give your web developer access (optional)

Go to Settings, then Users and permissions, then Add user, and enter their email address with the permission level you are comfortable with.

Set up Google Business Profile

Eligibility Google only allows profiles for businesses that meet customers in person, either at a physical address or by travelling to them. A one-off or annual event with no staffed location may not qualify, and profiles that break the guidelines can be suspended. If that applies to you, rely on Search Console and consider listing on relevant directories and event listing sites instead.

A Google Business Profile is what puts your organisation on Google Search and Google Maps, with your address, hours, photos and reviews.

Go to business.google.com and sign in with the same Google account.
Click Add your business and enter the exact business name.
Choose a primary category. Pick the most specific one that describes what you do. You can add secondary categories later.
Add your location if customers visit you. If you travel to customers instead, add your service area and choose to hide your address.
Enter your phone number and website address.
Verify the profile. Depending on your business, Google offers a video recording, phone, email or postcard. Postcards can take around a week to arrive.
Complete the profile: add a description (up to 750 characters), opening hours, a logo, a cover photo and good-quality photos.
Keep it alive: reply to reviews and post updates regularly.

Check that it is working

What to check	Where	What to expect
Sitemap	Search Console, Indexing, Sitemaps	Status shows Success and the number of discovered pages matches your sitemap.
Indexed pages	Search Console, Indexing, Pages	Pages move into the Indexed list over days to weeks.
Quick search	Google search for site:yourdomain.co.za	Your pages appear once indexed. No results at first is normal.
Business Profile	Google search for your business name	Your profile appears in search and on Maps after verification.

New websites often take from a few days to several weeks to appear. Requesting indexing speeds up discovery but does not guarantee a page will be listed or where it will rank.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to do
Sitemap says “Couldn’t fetch”	Open the sitemap address in your browser. If it does not load, check the file name and that it sits in public_html. If it does load, wait a few minutes and resubmit.
Verification fails	Confirm the verification file or tag loads in the browser, and that the property address (with or without www) matches your live site. Do not edit the file.
“Crawled, currently not indexed”	Common on new sites. Make sure the page has useful, unique content and is linked from other pages, then give it time.
Page excluded by “noindex”	Look for a noindex tag in the page’s `<head>` and remove it.
Business Profile verification problems	Check your details against Google’s guidelines, then use the Business Profile help centre to contact support.

Covers Bing Webmaster Tools and Bing Places for Business. Bing also supplies results to other search tools and to Microsoft Copilot, so the extra half hour is worthwhile. Allow roughly 45 to 60 minutes. Bing can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to start showing your pages.

Set up Bing Webmaster Tools

Bing Webmaster Tools is Microsoft’s free tool for telling Bing your site exists, and for seeing how it is performing in search.

1. Add your website

Go to bing.com/webmasters and sign in with your Microsoft or Google account.
Choose how to add your site. Import from Google Search Console is the fastest if you have already set that up: sign in with Google, allow access and select your site. Otherwise, choose Add your site manually.
For a manual add, type your full web address exactly as it loads, for example https://www.yourdomain.co.za/, and click Add.

2. Verify that you own the site

If you imported from Google Search Console, verification is usually automatic and you can skip this step. For a manual add, Bing offers three methods. The XML file method is the simplest on cPanel hosting.

Choose XML File and download the verification file (named BingSiteAuth.xml).
In cPanel File Manager, upload that file to the public_html folder.
Open the file’s address in your browser to confirm it loads.
Return to Bing Webmaster Tools and click Verify.

Note Leave the verification file in place permanently. Alternatives are an HTML meta tag pasted into the <head> of your home page, or a CNAME record added through cPanel’s Zone Editor.

3. Submit your sitemap

In the left-hand menu, open Sitemaps.
Click Submit sitemap and type the full address, for example https://www.yourdomain.co.za/sitemap.xml.
Click Submit. The status should change to Success once Bing has processed it. If you imported from Google, your sitemap may already be listed.

4. Ask Bing to index your key pages

In the left-hand menu, open URL Submission.
Click Submit URLs and paste in your home page and other key pages, one address per line.
Click Submit. Bing limits how many addresses you can send each day, and the remaining allowance is shown on screen.

5. IndexNow (optional)

IndexNow lets a website tell Bing instantly when a page is added or changed. It is not required for a small site, but many website platforms offer a plugin for it, and your web developer can enable it if you want faster updates.

6. Give your web developer access (optional)

Open Settings, then Users, and add their email address with the permission level you are comfortable with.

Set up Bing Places for Business

Bing Places is Microsoft’s equivalent of Google Business Profile. It puts your organisation on Bing Search and Bing Maps, with your address, hours and photos.

Eligibility Like Google, Bing Places is intended for businesses that meet customers in person, either at a physical address or by travelling to them. A one-off or annual event with no staffed location may not qualify. If that applies to you, rely on Bing Webmaster Tools and consider listing on relevant directories and event listing sites instead.

Go to bingplaces.com and sign in with your Microsoft, Google or Facebook account.
Choose Import from Google Business Profile if you already have one, which is the fastest option. Otherwise choose to add a new business manually.
Enter your business name, address, phone number, website, category and opening hours.
Verify the listing. If you imported from a verified Google profile using the same login, verification may be instant. Otherwise Bing offers options such as phone, email or postcard.
Complete the listing: add a description, a logo and good-quality photos.
Keep it up to date whenever your details change.

Check that it is working

What to check	Where	What to expect
Sitemap	Bing Webmaster Tools, Sitemaps	Status shows Success and the discovered URL count matches your sitemap.
Indexed pages	Bing Webmaster Tools, Site Explorer	Your pages appear in the list over days to weeks.
Quick search	Bing search for site:yourdomain.co.za	Your pages appear once indexed. No results at first is normal.
Business listing	Bing search for your business name	Your listing appears in search and on Maps after verification.

New websites often take from a few days to several weeks to appear. Submitting URLs speeds up discovery but does not guarantee a page will be listed or where it will rank. Bing Webmaster Tools also offers a Site Scan that checks a site for common technical issues.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to do
Sitemap will not process	Open the sitemap address in your browser. If it does not load, check the file name and that it sits in public_html. If it does load, wait a few minutes and resubmit using the full address.
Verification fails	Confirm the verification file or tag loads in the browser, and that the site address (with or without www) matches your live site. Do not edit the file.
URL submission limit reached	Wait until the next day. Submit only your most important pages and rely on the sitemap for the rest.
Pages still missing after a few weeks	Make sure each page has useful, unique content, is linked from other pages and does not carry a noindex tag, then resubmit the page.
Bing Places verification problems	Check your details against Bing Places guidelines, then contact Bing Places support through the help section.

Part 3 · Same for Google and Bing

Quick wins on the website itself

Submitting your site gets it noticed. These basics help it rank once it has been found.

Secure, single address: make sure your site loads with https:// (look for the padlock in the browser) and that the versions with and without www lead to the same page, rather than two separate copies. Your hosting provider or web developer can set up a free security certificate and a redirect if needed.
Page titles: give every page its own descriptive title of roughly 50 to 60 characters, with the name and location near the front.
Meta descriptions: write a unique summary of about 150 characters for every page. It is the text people see under your link in search results.

Example for a plumber in Durban.
Weak: the title “Home” with no description.
Better title: Dlamini Plumbing | 24-Hour Emergency Plumber in Durban
Better description: Licensed Durban plumbers on call 24 hours a day for burst pipes, geyser repairs and blocked drains. Call us for a free quote today.

Headings: use one clear main heading (H1) per page and sub-headings beneath it.
Real text, not just images: put key details such as your name, dates, location and what you offer in written text, since search engines cannot read text baked into pictures.
Image descriptions: add short alt text to every image.
Speed and mobile: compress large images and check the site on a phone, because most visitors will arrive on one.
Consistency: keep your name, address and phone number identical everywhere they appear: website, social media and business listings.
Links in: link to your website from your social media profiles and from partners and sponsors.

Take it with you

Download the guide

Prefer to work through it offline or send it to someone? Grab a copy.

Google guide (PDF) Bing guide (PDF)

Need a hand?

Khumalo Tech Solutions can set all of this up for you, and build the website it points to.

Get in Touch