Google & Indexing Your Pages
Google & Indexing Your Pages
Google uses a process called indexing to discover and organise the content on the web. This process begins with a process called crawling, where Google uses special software called a “crawler” to discover new pages and follow links from existing pages. The crawler visits a website, reads the content on the page, and follows the links on the page to other pages on the same website or other websites.
When a crawler visits a webpage, it reads the content on the page and analyses it to understand what the page is about. It also looks at the meta tags, header tags, and other HTML elements on the page to understand the structure and hierarchy of the content. The crawler then sends this information back to Google’s servers, where it is analyzed and indexed.
Google’s database of web pages
Once a page is indexed, it is added to Google’s database of web pages. This database is called the “index.” The index is used to power Google search results and make it easy for users to find the information they are looking for.
Google also uses a process called ranking to determine the relevance and importance of a webpage for a particular search query. Google uses a complex algorithm to analyze the content on a webpage, as well as the number and quality of links pointing to the page, to determine its relevance and importance.
Google also uses a process called crawling to discover new pages and update its index. Crawling is done by the software called Googlebot which periodically visits websites to find new pages, update existing pages, and remove pages that are no longer available.
Google Indexing
To ensure that your website is crawled and indexed by Google, it’s important to make sure that your website is accessible to Googlebot. This can be done by:
Submitting a sitemap to Google
A sitemap is a file that lists all of the pages on your website. Submitting a sitemap to Google makes it easier for the crawler to discover and index your pages.
Creating a robots.txt file
A robots.txt file is used to tell Googlebot which pages or sections of your site should not be crawled. This is useful for preventing the crawling of duplicate or irrelevant pages.
Optimising your website’s structure and navigation
A well-structured and easy-to-navigate website makes it easier for Googlebot to crawl and index your pages.
Avoiding common crawling errors
Common crawling errors include broken links, redirects, and duplicate content. These errors can prevent Googlebot from crawling and indexing your pages.
Creating high-quality, unique, and valuable content
Googlebot will prioritize pages with high-quality and unique content over those with duplicate or low-quality content.
It’s important to note that the crawling and indexing process can take time, and it’s not guaranteed that all of your pages will be indexed. However, by following best practices and optimizing your website, you can improve your chances of having your pages indexed and improve your visibility in search results.
Also, Google periodically updates its algorithm and re-crawls the website, in these cases, the ranking and visibility of website may change depending on the changes made on the website, on the algorithm and the competitors.
Search engines have 3 primary functions
Index, or store and organise the information they have gathered during the crawling process. And lastly, serve, or display and deliver the most relevant results to the user’s search query.
Crawling
Search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo have developed sophisticated algorithms to perform these three functions effectively. The process begins with the crawling function, where the search engine uses a software called a “crawler” or “spider” to discover new pages on the web and follow links from existing pages. The crawler visits a website, reads the content on the page, and follows the links on the page to other pages on the same website or other websites.
Indexing
The second function is indexing, where the search engine takes the information gathered during the crawling process and organizes it in a way that makes it easy for users to find. This process involves analyzing the content on the page, including the text, images, and videos, and understanding the structure and hierarchy of the content. The search engine then adds the indexed pages to its database, called the “index”, which is used to power search results.
Serving
The third function is serving, where the search engine delivers the most relevant results to the user’s search query. When a user enters a query, the search engine uses its algorithm to analyse the indexed pages in its database and delivers the most relevant results to the user. The algorithm takes into account factors such as keywords, relevance, and authority, to determine the most relevant results.
In summary, search engines have three primary functions: crawling, indexing, and serving. Crawling is the process of discovering new pages and following links, indexing is the process of storing and organising the information, and serving is the process of delivering the most relevant results to the user’s search query.