While SEO has many objectives, the big one is this -- get your website displayed on Google’s search results page. Now you know you’ve made it. You’ve hit the big time. But to reach these golden grounds, a website must get itself indexed by the search engine. The index is the ultimate list – the zone where Google puts all the choicest sites. The hallowed ground where a website is duly evaluated and ranked according to designated criteria.
So, how does an engine sift through and pick out worthy websites from the millions of possibilities? It sends out digital messengers known as bots, whose job is to browse or ‘crawl’ each site and identify those with valued characteristics. When the characteristics are sufficiently favorable, your site gets indexed. The more favorable, the higher your index position. Those near the top get the highest rankings on a results page.
Given the importance of indexing, it behooves businesses and brands to confirm if their website is even on the list. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to do this -- enter your brand’s keywords in Google’s search box. If a results page displays your website, you’ve been indexed. If not, you’ve been ignored by the bots – and you won’t show up on a results page. Period.
When considering websites for indexing, bots seek out various website characteristics. One of these is content updates. This means, the more frequently new web content is published, the more favorably you’ll be appraised by the messengers crawling your site.
Also conducive to indexing is the inclusion of an XML map. Designed specifically for Google bots, this data packet contains crucial information about your URL address, site pages, updates, and more. Basically, anything of supreme interest to the average bot.
And don’t forget, bots love links. Internal links are big, bright signposts to web crawlers, enticing and encouraging them to visit linked pages and assess the content.
Of course, these are just some ways to make a website more indexable. Others are available to the interested SEO marketers. The point is, use as many as possible to increase your chances of enticing bots to your domain and getting it indexed. Because if they don’t show up, you won’t show up. It’s that simple.
If you have questions or comments about increasing SEO value through proper indexing, or about any other brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way.
You can connect with the Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #4033 or bart@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest brand marketing news and tips.