Setting Up Instant Indexing

1. Procedure Title

Name of the Process: Setting Up Instant Indexing

2. Purpose

Brief Description: This SOP provides a comprehensive guide to setting up and utilizing the Instant Indexing feature in SEOPress, ensuring that newly published or updated content is indexed quickly by Google and Bing.

3. Scope

Involved Areas: WordPress Administration, SEO Management.

4. Responsibilities

Roles and Responsibilities: 

• Site Administrator: Responsible for installing and configuring SEOPress and maintaining API settings.
• SEO Specialist: Monitors indexing performance, troubleshoots issues, and ensures compliance with indexing best practices.

5. Definitions and Key Terms

• Google Indexing API: A tool for sending indexing requests directly to Google.
• Service Account: A special Google account that allows API access.
• IndexNow API: Bing’s equivalent of Google’s Instant Indexing, used for fast URL indexing.

6. Procedure Details

6.1. Preparation and Prerequisites

• Administrative access to WordPress Dashboard.
• Google Search Console ownership of the website.
• Google Cloud Project with Indexing API enabled.
• SEOPress plugin installed and activated.
• JSON service account key for API authentication.

6.2 Timeline for Task Completion

• Estimated Time: 20-30 minutes.
• Frequency: Once during setup or when changes are required.
• Review Schedule: Annually or when updates are made to SEOPress or Google’s Indexing API.

6.3. Step-by-Step Procedure

Step-by-Step Procedure

Install and Activate SEOPress

1. Log in to your WordPress Admin Dashboard.

2. Navigate to Plugins > Add New Plugin.

3. Search for “SEOPress” in the plugin repository.

4. Click Install Now and then Activate the plugin.

Enable Google Indexing API in Google Cloud Console

1. Go to the Google Cloud Console.
   

    

2. Click the project dropdown and select New Project.
   

    

3. Enter a project name and click Create.
   

    

4. Navigate to APIs & Services > Library.
   

    

5. Search for “Indexing API” and click Enable.

Create Service Account Credentials

1. In the Google Cloud Console, go to APIs & Services > Credentials.
   

    

2. Click Create Credentials and select Service Account.
   

    

3. Enter a name for the service account and click Create and Continue.
   

    

4. Assign the “Owner” role to ensure full access and click Continue.
   

    

5. Click Done.

6. Select the newly created service account and go to the Keys tab.
   

    

7. Click Add Key > Create New Key.

8. Select JSON format and click Create.
   

    

9. A JSON file containing your credentials will be downloaded. Keep this file secure.

Add the Service Account to Google Search Console

1. Open Google Search Console and select your website.

2. Go to Settings > Users and Permissions.
   

    

3. Click Add User.
   

    

4. Copy the service account email from the JSON file and paste it into the email field.

5. Assign Owner permissions and click Add.

Configure SEOPress Instant Indexing

1. In the WordPress Dashboard, navigate to SEO > Instant Indexing.

2. Click on the Settings tab.

3. Open the JSON key file in a text editor and copy its contents.
   

    

4. Paste the JSON key into the Google Indexing API key field.

5. Click Save Changes.

Submit URLs for Indexing

a. Manual Submission

1. Go to SEO > Instant Indexing > General.

2. Select Google as the search engine.

3. Choose the action: Publish/update URL or Remove URL.

4. Enter up to 100 URLs, one per line.

5. Click Submit URLs to Google & Bing.

b. Automatic Submission

1. In SEO > Instant Indexing > Settings, enable Automatic URL submission for IndexNow API.

2. This setting ensures that SEOPress automatically submits URLs whenever you publish, update, or delete content.

Important Considerations

• Quota Limits: Google’s Indexing API allows up to 200 requests per day, while Bing’s IndexNow API allows up to 10,000 requests per day.
• Content Types: While the API is designed for job postings and live content, it has been successfully used for other content types. Use it in accordance with Google’s guidelines.
• XML Sitemaps: The Instant Indexing feature should be used alongside XML sitemaps for comprehensive indexing.

References

• SEOPress Documentation: https://www.seopress.org/support/guides/google-indexing-api-with-seopress/
• Google Developers Guide: https://developers.google.com/search/apis/indexing-api/v3/using-api

6.4. Tools and Resources

• WordPress Admin Dashboard
• SEOPress Plugin
• Google Search Console
• Google Cloud Console

 

7. Safety and Compliance Measures

• Ensure that API credentials remain secure to prevent unauthorized access.
• Adhere to Google’s Indexing API guidelines to avoid misuse.

8. Quality Control and Evaluation Metrics

• Successful submission of URLs verified in Google Search Console.
• Fast indexing of new and updated pages in search results.
• Reduction in indexing errors over time.

9. Exception and Problem Handling

Common Issues and Solutions:

• Google Not Indexing URLs-
• Cause: Service account not added as owner.
• Solution: Recheck Google Search Console permissions.

• API Key Not Working
• Cause: Incorrect JSON credentials or expired API key.
• Solution: Generate and re-upload a new API key.
• Quota Limit Exceeded
• Cause: Too many requests within a 24-hour period.
• Solution: Optimize URL submission frequency.

10. Documentation and Record Keeping

• Maintain a log of API key updates and indexing requests.
• Record troubleshooting actions and resolutions.

11. Procedure Review and Update

 

• Review Frequency: Annually or when updates to SEOPress, Google’s Indexing API, or Bing IndexNow occur.