It is widely known that SEO is a vital component of digital marketing. However, indexing is one aspect of SEO that should be evaluated more frequently. Indexing is essential for SEO because it helps search engines quickly organize content and display it on SERPs. If a website is indexed correctly, it can positively impact its ranking and lead to more visitors.
Why You Should Concentrate on Proper Indexing for SEO
Website indexing can be a complex subject. In essence, it is a process where search engines seek to comprehend the content of a website to be able to use it as a search result with a given rank. The main focus of this process is the website’s content.
If you don’t see your website indexed by Google, make sure to install Google Search Console and request your website to be indexed. Although Google does a good job on its own trying to find websites, it’s much faster if you just submit your site directly to Google.
However, just submitting your website may not be good enough. If you want the best opportunity to have the search engines rank your web page, follow these best practices.
Use Clear URL Structure
An effective URL structure is essential for SEO for two key reasons: user experience and page ranking. The aim is to enable users to find the content they need quickly. To this end, you should have straightforward URLs that provide the best user experience.
To put it simply, your website’s URL structure informs Google about the content of your web page and how the pages are related to each other. A straightforward URL structure will clarify what each page is about and help Google’s crawlers find the appropriate content for searchers.
If you want to enhance your URLs, here are some tips:
- Create a simple URL structure.
- Utilize HTTPS protocol.
- Construct relevant Page URLs.
- Include meaningful keywords.
- Redirect old URLs
- Try not to have long page URLs or more than 3 sub directories
Use 301 Redirects
A 301 redirect is when a web page permanently moves from one place to the next. Put simply, it assists Google and its indexing bots understand there is a new location for this page and that they don’t need to revisit the old one. Consequently, the new page gets indexed so that it can be served to searchers in place of the original.
When is a 301 redirect needed?
– When transitioning to a new domain or web page URL
– To rectify a broken anchor-text-link
– To direct multiple URLs for the same page to one canonical version
– To remove or update time-sensitive content
Use Relevant Links in the Footer or Header
Ensure that the links in your footer or header are all relevant. Having a good structure to your navigational links not only improves user experience, but also helps Google crawl your web pages more easily.
Bear in mind that Google favors websites that offer a good user experience. If your footer and header links help your searchers quickly get the right content they need, Google will give you merit points when indexing your pages.
Here are some things you need to remember about footer and header links:
- Content links are more important.
- Visible links receive more merit since visitors can view or click them more easily.
- Text links gain more weight than image links, even with alt attributes.
Choose Pages to Exclude from Indexing
It’s a good practice to exclude certain pages from the index as they may negatively influence your ranking. Consider reviewing your content and selecting less relevant URLs or older articles. Be sure to omit any non-valuable pages and prioritize your sitemaps. As Googlebot can only crawl a limited number of URLs on each website, it is prudent to refrain from spending too much effort on pages with no relevance.
If there is something to remember from this article, it is that Google is most interested in user experience, so it will index websites that are simpler to use better than others. If you need assistance evaluating SEO indexing issues, speak to our sales support team to learn more.
