Let’s take a look at one of the most critical aspects of technical SEO: indexing. And no, we’re not talking about a library catalog or the back of an encyclopedia. Indexing (on the internet, anyway) means adding a web page to a search engine’s database. This process is something many businesses—even those with robust digital marketing strategies—gloss over, because Google’s algorithm already indexes sites on its own.
There are ways to be more deliberate with your indexing, though. Instead of letting Google do all the work, you can use search engine optimization (SEO) tactics to ensure that your page gets indexed faster and more efficiently. Let’s break down some of the pertinent terms here, and then we’ll review how SEO techniques fit into the picture.
Indexing 101: What Does It Mean to Crawl a Website?
Remember what we said about Google indexing sites on its own? Google utilizes programs called “crawlers” (go ahead and visualize that in any way you like) that follow links automatically. When Google discovers a link, it gets added to the search engine’s massive index. So even if you’re working with, say, an obscure blog post or a new local business, you’re still capable of popping up in search results. Maybe not on the first page—in fact, probably not on the first page—but you’ll be there in the results, somewhere. Even if it means being on page 20.
Your business may be flying under the radar, but that doesn’t mean you have to flounder somewhere deep in the search results. In other words, there are tools and tricks for speeding up the crawling process—methods that help Google sink its crawlers into your content faster and more effectively, so that your site receives the rankings boost it deserves.
Google Search Console: Your Tool to Wield Those SEO Powers
We recommend using Google Search Console if you want to make the website indexing process that much easier. It provides plenty of insight regarding where and how your pages are indexed, along with info for fixing the occasional indexing error.
What are some examples of SEO analytics that Google Search Console can help you examine? Let’s take a look.
Keyword Search Traffic
Google serves up your site in response to keywords, which means you can use Google Search Console to review keywords and keyword phrases it’s responding to. You can also analyze which words and phrases gained the most click-throughs when visitors saw them. As if that weren’t awesome enough, you can also take a look at how high your site ranks for specific terms against the competition.
Content Keywords Report
With your company’s business objectives in mind, you can review this report of the most frequently-used keywords found on your site. It will help to ensure that your company’s vision matches what Google is presenting through its search results to the outside world. From there, you can tailor your keyword strategy as needed. If the two don’t seem to be lining up, you may need to take a step back and hone in on the message you want to get in front of potential customers.
Internal Link Building
Adding internal links throughout your site is a great way to boost not only a particular page’s rankings, but your whole site’s as well. Internally linking those underperforming pages, with the help of high-performing ones, is enormously helpful in terms of giving those rankings a boost. Combined with the right keywords on both pages? It’s a match made in heaven.
Identifying and Addressing Negative Keywords
Sometimes your site ranks for keywords that don’t paint your brand in the best light. Or maybe there’s nothing wrong with the words, exactly, but they aren’t conveying what your brand is all about. Google Search Console gives you the chance to identify those words and either edit or remove them. You might also consider updating your written content to mirror the keywords you are ranking for more accurately.
Google Search Console and Snap: the Perfect Team
Google Search Console will get you well on your way to executing a stunning SEO strategy, but why not further refine that process with the help of a digital marketing agency?
At Snap, we consider ourselves SEO geeks in the very best way. With the help of web analytics and tools, including Google Search Console, we perform intelligent keyword research, website indexing, and more to ensure your site ranks. Contact us today—we can’t wait to get started on a powerful digital marketing strategy that will strengthen your brand and drive growth.