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Website indexing

Nikiforov Alexander
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What is site indexing?

Site indexing is the process of adding and updating information about a resource in a search engine's directory, known as an index. Search engines use special programs called crawlers that scan web pages. These automated tools are named after the English word "crawler." Crawlers from search engines like Yandex and Google are known as YandexBot and GoogleBot, respectively.

Crawlers explore the text and multimedia content on a site, passing the collected data to algorithms that analyze the quality of the found information. If the site meets all criteria, it is added to the search engine's index. Regular crawling of pages allows crawlers to find current data, and the changes made can either improve or worsen the site's positions in search results.

How does indexing work?

Stages of indexing

The indexing process can be divided into two main stages: crawling and evaluation.

Crawling

At the initial stage, the crawler analyzes the page, starting with the search for the robots.txt file, which indicates which pages can be crawled. The site owner can restrict the crawler's access to certain content, for example, to hide personal data. Then, the crawler reads the meta tags containing descriptions, keywords, and commands for browsers and crawlers before examining the main content of the page, including text, images, and videos.

Evaluation and indexing

The crawler collects information about the site's content and transmits it to algorithms that assess the quality of the content. The algorithms consider many factors, such as content duplication, the presence of fraudulent material, and other parameters that must be met for a page to be added to the index. Key points to pay special attention to include:

  • Keywords: They must be present on the page for the algorithms to accurately interpret its content.
  • Uniqueness: The content should not repeat information from other resources, otherwise, it may lead to a ban.
  • Usefulness: The page should contain relevant, structured, and useful information for users.

The importance of indexing for users and businesses

Indexing significantly speeds up the work of search engines, allowing them to avoid re-crawling all pages with every user request. This, in turn, enables users to receive relevant information more quickly and easily. For businesses, indexing is a key factor in online visibility: without it, users will not be able to find your site through search queries. If a resource is not indexed, it will only be seen by those who know the direct link.

How to speed up page indexing?

Crawlers periodically crawl sites; however, there are ways to expedite the indexing process. For example, in Yandex.Webmaster, there is a tool called "Re-crawl pages" that allows administrators to add up to 30 addresses for the crawler to visit them faster than planned. Updated pages may appear in search results within two weeks. There are special services for all search engines to check indexing.

How to prevent a page from being indexed?

To limit the crawler's work on a site, it is necessary to consider the crawling budget, which determines the number of pages available for crawling over a certain period. To prevent the indexing of specific pages, several methods can be used:

  • Use the meta tag robots with the noindex directive.
  • Add the Disallow directive in the robots.txt file for specific pages.
  • Restrict access through user authentication.
  • Use website builder functions to disable indexing.