Publishing is not the same as indexing

You can have the most beautiful link-in-bio page on the internet and still get zero Google traffic. The page exists. Google does not know about it. Indexation — the process of Google discovering, crawling, and adding your page to its search index — requires deliberate technical signals.

LinkForge sends those signals automatically. Linktree and Beacons do not include creator bio pages in any discoverable sitemap.

How Google discovers bio pages

Google finds pages through four primary paths:

Discovery path	LinkForge	Linktree	Beacons
XML sitemap	Yes (automatic)	No	No
Internal links from platform	Yes (marketing site)	Minimal	Minimal
External backlinks	Your responsibility	Your responsibility	Your responsibility
Search Console submission	Your responsibility	Your responsibility	Your responsibility

The sitemap is the only path LinkForge controls entirely. Every published bio page is added to the LinkForge sitemap, giving Googlebot a direct, updated list of crawl targets.

What the LinkForge sitemap includes

When you publish a bio page on LinkForge:

Your URL enters the platform XML sitemap
Googlebot discovers it during routine sitemap crawls
The crawler receives server-rendered HTML with full content
Meta tags, Open Graph, and JSON-LD ProfilePage are parsed
The page enters Google's index (typically within days to weeks)

No manual submission required for the baseline flow. Publishing triggers inclusion.

Sitemap vs robots.txt

LinkForge's robots.txt allows crawling of public bio pages (/u/[slug]). There is no blanket noindex on creator content. Unpublished or draft pages are excluded — only live pages enter the sitemap.

Linktree's robots configuration prioritizes the platform's own marketing pages. Creator bio pages on linktr.ee subdomains receive inconsistent crawl treatment and are not individually sitemapped.

Accelerating indexation beyond defaults

Automatic sitemap inclusion gets you in the queue. These steps move you to the front:

1. Cross-link from every platform

Every link from Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or your newsletter tells Google the URL matters. External links are the strongest indexation signal after sitemap discovery.

2. Submit in Google Search Console

Add your LinkForge URL or custom domain in Google Search Console. Use "URL Inspection" → "Request Indexing" after publishing or major updates.

3. Connect a custom domain

links.yourname.com indexed under your domain builds brand authority. LinkForge Pro supports custom domains with SSL and proper canonical tags. Google associates the page with your root domain's trust signals.

4. Add indexable content

A bio paragraph with your name, niche, and location gives Google text to match against queries. Empty button grids get indexed but rarely ranked.

Indexation timeline: what to expect

Milestone	Typical timeframe	How to verify
Sitemap inclusion	Immediate on publish	Automatic
First crawl	1–7 days	Search Console URL Inspection
Indexed status	2–4 weeks	`site:linkforge.me/u/yourname`
Branded impressions	2–6 weeks	Search Console Performance tab
Ranking position 1 for name	4–12 weeks	Search your name + "links"

Timelines vary by domain authority, competition, and cross-linking effort. Creators with custom domains and active backlink profiles index faster.

Why Linktree pages index poorly

Linktree hosts millions of bio pages on a single subdomain (linktr.ee). Google's crawl budget allocates limited resources per subdomain. Your page competes with every other Linktree user for crawl attention — with no individual sitemap entry.

Additional barriers:

Client-side rendering delays content availability to crawlers
Generic meta titles ("Linktree | username") provide weak relevance signals
No structured data to identify the page as a Person entity
Shared platform authority does not transfer to individual creators

Beacons faces similar constraints on beacons.ai subdomains without sitemap inclusion or ProfilePage schema.

LinkForge indexation architecture

Publish page
    ↓
Added to XML sitemap
    ↓
Googlebot crawls URL
    ↓
Receives SSR HTML + meta + JSON-LD
    ↓
Page enters index
    ↓
Branded queries → impressions → clicks

Every step is optimized. Server rendering ensures the crawler gets full content on first visit. JSON-LD ProfilePage tells Google the page represents a specific person. Custom seo_title and seo_description (Pro) control the SERP snippet.

Monitoring indexation health

Google Search Console checks

Pages → Indexed — confirm your bio page appears
Sitemaps — submit https://linkforge.me/sitemap.xml if using default URL
Performance — track branded query impressions over time
URL Inspection — diagnose crawl or index errors

LinkForge analytics cross-reference

Compare Search Console click data with LinkForge referral analytics. Search visitors often convert at higher rates — if analytics show social traffic but Search Console shows zero impressions, indexation has not completed yet.

FAQ

Is my LinkForge page in the sitemap automatically?

Yes. Publishing adds your page to the LinkForge sitemap without manual action.

Do I need to submit the sitemap myself?

LinkForge submits and maintains the platform sitemap. For custom domains, add your domain in Search Console and verify ownership.

Can I exclude my page from Google?

Unpublish the page to remove it from the sitemap and add a noindex. By default, LinkForge optimizes for maximum visibility.

Why is my page crawled but not indexed?

Common causes: thin content (buttons only), duplicate content across platforms, or insufficient authority signals. Add a bio paragraph and cross-links.

Does deleting and republishing reset indexation?

The URL may need recrawling. Use Search Console "Request Indexing" after republishing.

How does sitemap inclusion compare to Linktree?

Linktree does not sitemap individual creator pages. LinkForge includes every published page — a fundamental indexation advantage.

Do not wait for Google to stumble onto your page. LinkForge puts you in the sitemap on publish.

Publish your indexable bio page on LinkForge →