Search and sharing

On Google, each page shows as a blue title and a line of gray text. When someone shares a page in a text or on Facebook, a photo and title show up. You choose all of these.

Check every page at a glance

1. Click Search & sharing in the left menu.
2. Look at Page health. Each page has a colored dot and a score, like 5/8.
   • Green means the page is in good shape.
   • Yellow or red means there's something worth improving.
3. Click a page to open its search settings.

Set a page's search title and description

1. Open a page, then click its Search & sharing tab.
2. Under How this page looks in Google, you'll see a preview of your search listing. It updates as you type.
3. Search title: the blue link in Google. Aim for 30 to 60 characters. Your business name is added to the end automatically, so you don't need to type it.
4. Description: the gray text under the link. Aim for 70 to 160 characters. Say what the page offers and why someone should click.
5. Focus keyword: the phrase you most want this page found for, like "dog groomer in Raleigh". Pick one phrase per page.

If you leave the search title empty, the page name is used instead.

Work through the checklist

Under Search checklist, each item shows a check mark when it's done. Items that need work include a short tip, for example:

• Search title is a good length
• Keyword appears in the description
• Keyword appears in the web address: change the address on the Page settings tab. See Add a page.
• Page has enough text: search engines like at least 150 words.
• Share image is set

These are suggestions, not rules. Write for your customers first.

Choose what shows when a page is shared

1. On the page's Search & sharing tab, scroll to Sharing.
2. Under Share image, click Choose photo and pick a bright, simple photo. The preview card shows the result.

If you don't pick one, your site's Default share image is used.

Hide a page from search engines

Some pages shouldn't show up on Google, like a thank-you page or a private offer.

1. On the page's Search & sharing tab, under Sharing, turn on Hide this page from search engines.

People with the link can still open the page. It just won't be listed in search results.

Site-wide settings

Back on the main Search & sharing screen, under Site-wide settings:

• Added to every page title: usually " | Your Business Name". Google shows it after each page's title. Keep the space and the bar at the start.
• Type of business: pick the closest match, like Restaurant, Salon or Home services & trades. This tells Google what kind of business you are, so you show up in the right local searches.
• Default share image: used for any page without its own share image. Your best photo or your logo on a plain background works well.

Handled for you

Some search work happens automatically every time you publish. The Handled for you list shows it:

• A sitemap so Google finds every page
• FAQ sections marked up so Google can show them as rich results
• Your hours, address and phone in Google's preferred format, taken from Business info
• Fast, mobile-friendly pages
• Sharing tags for Facebook, iMessage and more

Click See what search engines read about your business to see the details.

Visitor stats

Visitor stats are set up for you at launch, under Integrations in Site services. They count visits without cookies, so you don't need a cookie banner.

Tips

• Moving from an old website? Add redirects so old links still work. See Redirects.
• Google can take days or weeks to notice changes. Publish, then give it time.
• Keep your business details in Business info accurate. See Business info and hours.