Google indexing is the process by which Google discovers, crawls, and indexes pages on the internet. It is a crucial component of any successful SEO strategy because it enables search engines to easily find and understand the website content, which in turn affects the website's search rankings.
In this article, we will discuss the workings of Google indexing, explore how it relates to various SEO strategies, and discuss common indexing issues and their solutions. We will also provide an overview of the tools and techniques that can be used to monitor and improve indexing.
How Google Indexing Works
Google's indexing process begins with web crawling. This is the process where Google's web crawler (Googlebot/Google spider) scans the internet and discovers new and updated pages. As it crawls the web, it follows links on each page to find new pages. Then, it adds the pages it discovers to its list of pages to be indexed.
The pages that Googlebot discovers are then added to Google's database. In this database or index, all the pages will be reviewed to give it rank. The most relevant page that wins ranking factors will be at the top of SERP.
There are several factors that can affect the indexing process, including the website's structure and organization, the quality and relevance of the content, and the quality of external links pointing to the website. Website owners can use SEO tools such as Google Search Console to monitor their website's indexing status.
The Impact of Google Indexing on SEO
Google indexing plays a vital role in the success of an SEO strategy. It directly affects search rankings, website visibility, and website traffic. Here is the explanation
Ranking: Indexing affects search rankings by determining which pages on a website are included in the search engine results. Pages that are indexed by Google are more likely to appear in search results when users submit relevant keywords.
Visibility: Indexing also affects website visibility. It is because pages that are not indexed by Google will not be served to the users, even for relevant keywords. This means that website owners must ensure that all of their important pages are being indexed in order to maximize visibility in search results.
Traffic: Furthermore, indexing affects website traffic by determining which pages are included in search results, as well as the position of those pages in search results. Pages that appear higher in search results are more likely to be clicked. So, the organic traffic will be higher.
Optimizing Google Indexing
After knowing how it works and the impact on the SEO effort, here is the list of optimization actions you can use to improve Google indexing on your website.
Make High-quality Content
Creating high-quality content is essential for any website dreaming to improve its Google indexing. Google's search algorithm is designed to surface the most relevant and useful content to users.
So, it's important to ensure that the content on your website is well-written, informative, and up-to-date. High-quality content is one that includes relevant keywords and is written in such a way as to help users get the answer.
There are many content types you can create to fulfill users' intent. This way, Google will see the content as helpful and index it to their database. Not only create high-quality content, but you also need to keep an eye on them.
Making sure that the content is published and indexed properly by Google. To check it, you can use Google Search Console or Sequence Stats. Use Sequence Stats if you want to track plus check the indexing status of your targeted pages.
Follow Webmaster Guideline
Another important step in improving Google indexing is to follow webmaster guidelines. Google provides a set of guidelines for webmasters that outline best practices for creating and maintaining a website.
Every search engine might have different webmaster guidelines. It is because they have different rules, algorithms, and other elements. Thus, you have to adapt based on the search engine you are targeting.
By following these guidelines, website owners can ensure that their pages are being indexed correctly and can be served properly in search results for relevant keywords.
Submit A Sitemap
The next step to improve Google indexing is by submitting your sitemap. A sitemap is a file that lists all of the pages on a website. This file allows Google to quickly and easily find all of the pages on a website which can improve indexing and better search rankings.
Since Google crawlers have to explore all websites on the internet, it might need time to find your new pages or the updated ones. Thus, you have to let them know about new pages through Sitemap.
You can use the Sitemap XML generator to automatically create a sitemap for your website.
Optimize Internal Linking
Internal linking can affect the way Google index your site. Since Google follows any link attached to your content, you need to make sure that it is well-organized. Not only on the homepage but also in every content you target to rank.
Here are internal linking best practices to help Google index your site easier:
Link the most related pages only
Create a clear anchor text
Utilize Dofollow link type
Check the amount of internal link
Another way to optimize internal linking is to use breadcrumb navigation. Breadcrumb navigation is a type of navigation that shows the user their location within the website and allows them to easily move up the hierarchy of pages. This can be helpful for large websites with many levels of sub-pages.
Track Index Status
Once you have created new pages, you need to track the indexing status of the content. It is important to make sure that your content is easy to index so that it can receive a good ranking on the SERP.
To track your index status, you can use the Google search console or Sequence Stats. In the Google search console, you can request indexing if it is found that your site is not properly indexed. It will give a signal to the crawlers to prioritize the submitted URL.
If you want a more complete SEO tool that is able to track your index, use Sequence Stats. It will show you complex data about your submitted keywords and check whether it is indexed or not. Here is the visualization.
Picture 1: Indexed URL detected on the rank dashboard
Conclusion
In summary, Google indexing is important to support your SEO project. If your site cannot be indexed, then users will not find it on the internet. You can optimize Google indexing by creating high-quality content, following webmaster guidelines, submitting sitemaps, optimizing internal linking, and tracking the index status.
To track your index status, you will need an effective SEO tool such as Sequence Stats. You can use this tool for multiple SEO tasks starting from keyword tracking, keyword researching, competitor analysis, team management, and other tasks.
To experience the ease of SEO, you can register to Sequence Stats and have a free trial!