Introduction: Website indexation isn’t something that website administrators do. This term is used to define the process that search engines carry out when they find newly published content online. An index is essentially a database term for specific sets of search results or data. The index is the search engine’s copy of the pages they display when searchers make search queries.
Search engine algorithms can’t process each and every web page on the internet, looking for keywords or topics. If they would, that process would be too slow. Instead, search engines classify relevant information with the help of indexes. Google and all major search engines use indexes.
Updated on: November 2021
Name: Index
Referred to as: Indexing, website indexation
Category: Search Engine
Correct Use: n/a
Description:
An index is a search engine’s database for specific sets of results or data. Indexing is the process search engines employ to understand the functions of different websites. While indexing, the search engine algorithms crawl through all pages on websites that feature relevant searched topics.
If Google (or any other search engine) finds your website during this process, it will add it to its index. Then, your website will be associated with other web pages that feature similar searched topics. Whenever users search these topics on Google, your indexed website will be displayed in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
Want your site to rank and attract the right people to your content? You’ll need to ensure that your website is indexed. Of course, only Google can index websites. You can only set up your website for indexation.
Our take:
Only the web pages of indexed websites appear in search engine results. To rank and generate traffic, site admins must set up their websites for indexation. How to set up your websites for indexation? First, let’s understand why a website may not get properly indexed by Google or other search engines.
· Google doesn’t index websites that have technical issues. For instance, if Google’s crawlers can’t navigate to your homepage from other web pages on your website, it won’t be indexed. Navigability is a key criterion for Google website indexation.
· Similarly, websites that are linked to/from other popular web pages are likelier to get indexed. A website that doesn’t contain links from other websites on/off its site’s domain won’t get indexed as well.
· There are some specific metatags that are blocked from Google indexation. Site admins must avoid using those metatags on their websites.
· Google also indexes websites that are aligned with popular searches. So, if your website is SEO-optimized it has a high chance of getting properly indexed by Google.
Website owners can also these steps to get their websites added to Google’s index. They include –
· Adding a lot of relevant keywords to all web pages on the website. Keywords tell Google what the content on a webpage is about in milliseconds. The more relevant keywords your webpages have, the higher the chances of them ending up in Google’s index. So, create blog posts and URLs full of keywords. Also, add keywords to all archived content on your website.
· Make sure there are zero “broken” pages/links on your website. Google aims to prevent users from finding dead or unresponsive pages. So, when indexing websites, it ranks websites with dead links or pages poorly.
· Create web pages that are “crawler-friendly.” Check whether your website is designed to improve the search engine’s ability to crawl and index your web pages. Remove blockades for Google’s search engine crawlers. Here are some blockades that may be making your website uncrawlable – duplicate content, complicated tags/metatags, and keyword stuffing. Here are some steps Google recommends to make web pages “crawler-friendly.”
Extra reading:
Do:
Follow the site management practices mentioned above. For new website owners, here’s the route to Google indexation –
· Verify your site in Google’s Search Console (confirm your ownership of the site)
· request Google to crawl your website’s URLs.
· Remove all broken web pages that show the “404” error code from the site. Google doesn’t index dead pages.
· Optimize your website, add heavy-volume keywords to your blog posts, and set up your website for indexation.
According to Google, it takes their search engine algorithms a few weeks to crawl a new website. If the overall structure of your website is fine and it’s optimized for popular keywords, it will be indexed quickly. But, if it isn’t, don’t lose hope.
Keep optimizing your website’s content and fixing any technical issues on your website. Send another request to Google once the site is in top shape.
Don’t:
Lose patience. Google is relatively lenient when it comes to indexing websites. As long as your site meets the aforementioned criteria, it will get indexed by Google. So, be patient and reassess your website’s design and structure. Make necessary updates and reapply for indexation.
Tip:
Content is the king even when it comes to website indexation. Websites with relevant keywords, metadata, and good navigability will always get indexed and ranked by Google. So, prioritize adding fresh and useful content to your website.
Introduced:
What Google Says:
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