Whenever new content is posted, you want people to be able to see it quickly. Some people expect to see it ‘yesterday.’ However, in practice, it does not work like this and some recent soundings which have come from Google can leave many of you feeling very disappointed if you think that this is a quick process. Our latest article will take a closer look at this.
Indexing for new pages and content is very important, especially for SEO purposes. Any webmaster will want to see a positive SEO benefit very quickly which is ultimately designed to grab more audience attention and visits to the website, helping increase conversions and revenue. It is perhaps a little deflating then that Google have been recently quoted as saying that the timeline for indexing new pages can be very variable and, in many cases, can take between a few hours but up to several weeks. In fact, it has been suggested that it could take even longer than this, especially if the Googlebot is busy indexing a number of other sites.
Remember however that your pages or content being indexed doesn’t necessarily mean they will be ranked at the same time. Google have previously issued a disclaimer to this effect so don’t despair even if your pages aren’t indexed quickly. It is perhaps an obvious point however that content needs to be seen in order to be appreciated, so indexing obviously does help from a common-sense point of view – despite what Google may say.
There is also the point to that there is no guarantee that Google will index your content anyway – not every single item that exists on the web is all indexed, as this would be impossible. That probably doesn’t help webmasters much and perhaps even frightens many that their website and pages may not even be seen to exist by an audience. In this case then, you want to give yourself the best chance of being indexed, and Google have provided some tips on what some of the things webmasters can do to help advantage them in that process.
* Ensure new pages are technically correct so have a greater chance of being indexed. Take advantage of sitemap files or using tools like the URL inspection to help.
* Ensure your site is not overloaded and there is no unnecessary pressure on your server. The best tip Google seems to advocate in this area is to try and make your site as fast as possible. We know from previous updates and discussion that fast-loading websites and content are a big tick from Google and popular with audiences. It would seem that it also helps benefit your indexing chances too.
* Ensure any new pages or content are linked on your website appropriately and get the ‘exposure’ they deserve. If they are hidden away deeply, a visitor wont easily find it, and you can hardly expect Google to when indexing either. Google suggests you might want to link new pages from your home page to ensure greater visibility.
* Related to the above point, Google advises that you keep URL’s simple and avoid anything unnecessary or which is over-complicated. Perhaps this is a point for your website generally which could have an extra benefit for established pages, not just new ones, or new content.
These tips are very valid points and although some of them are obvious, it would seem that small adjustments could make a big difference. Why wait weeks for your content to be indexed when you could get it done in a few hours? Next time you are uploading something new, why not put these points in practice and see whether it speeds up your indexing time?
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