Applies to: This article is for customers using CMS Module. If your organization uses the Content Legacy Module, refer to the corresponding article for that module.
Want your TeamSideline website to show up when people search for your organization, league, or programs on Google? There are several things you can do to help search engines understand and find your website.
Keep in mind that Google controls when websites are indexed and how they rank in search results. Completing the recommendations below can improve your site's search engine optimization (SEO), but it does not guarantee a specific ranking or how quickly your site will appear.
Make Sure Your Website Is Published
Before Google can find your website, it needs to be published and publicly accessible.
If you recently launched or published your website, it may take some time for Google to discover and index it. Not seeing your site immediately does not necessarily mean there is an issue with your website.
Use the SEO/AEO Tools
The TeamSideline Site Editor includes tools to help you review and improve your site's SEO.
To access them:
- Open your website in the TeamSideline Site Editor.
- Click the SEO/AEO icon (magnifying glass) in the left sidebar.
- Open the Site Audit tab.
The Site Audit provides an overview of your site's SEO and identifies areas that may need attention.
You may see recommendations related to:
- Page meta tags
- Meta description length
- Image alt text
- Internal links
- External links
- Local Business Schema
- Open Graph/social sharing images
- Favicon
When available, click Fix It or View Details to go directly to the area that needs attention.
Add a Descriptive Page Title and Description
One of the most important things you can do is make sure your pages have descriptive SEO information.
Go to Page SEO in the left navigation to edit your page's metadata.
Meta Title
Your meta title should clearly describe the page. Include your organization name and location or program when it makes sense.
Example:
Roseville Girls Softball | Youth Softball in Roseville, CA
Avoid generic titles such as:
Home
Meta Description
Your meta description should briefly explain what visitors will find on the page.
Example:
Roseville Girls Softball provides youth softball programs for girls ages 5–16 in Roseville, California, including spring and fall leagues, registration, and schedules.
We recommend giving each important page a unique title and description.
Add Helpful Content to Your Website
SEO isn't just about settings. The actual content on your website is important too.
Make sure your website clearly explains:
- Your organization's name
- What sport or activity you offer
- Your city or area
- Age groups you serve
- Programs and leagues you offer
- Registration information
- Field or facility locations
- Contact information
For example, if you want people searching for "Roseville youth softball" to find your organization, your website should naturally include information explaining that you provide youth softball programs in Roseville.
Keep It Natural
You don't need to repeat the same keywords over and over. Write useful information for your visitors first. Search engines are designed to understand the overall content and purpose of a page.
Add Alt Text to Your Images
Alt text provides a text description of an image.
It is helpful for:
- Accessibility: Screen readers can use alt text to describe images to visitors who are visually impaired.
- SEO: Search engines can use alt text as one way to understand the content of an image.
To review your images, open SEO/AEO → Image Alt Text.
You'll see images across your site that are missing alt text, with links to the pages where you can update them. You can also use the AI tool to help update multiple images at once.
Use descriptions that accurately describe the image rather than adding keywords that don't relate to it.
Set Your Favicon and Social Image
Go to Settings → Favicon & Social Image.
Favicon
A favicon is the small icon associated with your website. It can appear in browser tabs and in some search experiences.
Recommended:
.icoor.png- 32 × 32 px or 64 × 64 px
Social Image
The social image is used when your website is shared on social media platforms such as Facebook or LinkedIn.
Recommended size: 1200 × 630 px
For best results, use your organization's logo or branding so visitors can easily recognize your organization.
Connect Google Search Console
You can connect Google Search Console through the Google Tools section of your site settings.
Google Search Console can help you understand how Google sees your website, including:
- Whether your pages have been indexed
- What searches are bringing people to your site
- How many people are seeing and clicking your site in search results
- Certain indexing issues
- Your site's overall search performance
Google Search Console is managed by Google and is optional. It is a useful tool if you want to monitor your website's presence in Google search.
Give Google Time to Find Your Website
If your website is brand new, don't worry if it doesn't appear in Google right away.
Google needs to discover and crawl your website before it can add pages to its search index. This can take time, and the timing is controlled by Google.
If your website has been published for a while and still isn't appearing, review the following:
- Is the website published?
- Is your domain working correctly?
- Is the website publicly accessible?
- Have you completed the Page SEO settings?
- Does the Site Audit show any issues?
- Have you connected Google Search Console?
Why Isn't My Website at the Top of Google?
Being indexed by Google and ranking highly in search results are two different things.
Google considers many factors when determining search rankings, including the relevance and quality of the content, the searcher's location and intent, links to the website, and other signals.
TeamSideline provides tools to help you optimize your website, but we cannot guarantee a specific position in Google search results.
The best place to start is by making sure your website is complete, accurate, useful to your visitors, and properly configured using the SEO/AEO tools in the TeamSideline Site Editor.
Quick SEO Checklist
Use this checklist when reviewing your website:
☐ Website is published and publicly accessible
☐ Homepage has a descriptive meta title
☐ Homepage has a unique meta description
☐ Important pages have unique titles and descriptions
☐ Organization name, sport, and location are clearly identified
☐ Programs and age groups are described on the site
☐ Images have appropriate alt text
☐ Site Audit issues have been reviewed
☐ Favicon has been added
☐ Social image has been added
☐ Google Search Console has been connected, if desired
Remember: SEO is an ongoing process. Keeping your website's content accurate and up to date is one of the best ways to help both visitors and search engines understand your organization.