5 Ways to Check Website's Indexability and Crawlability

If you're running a website, you want to make sure that it's easily discoverable by search engines like Google. One way to do this is by ensuring that your website is both indexable and crawlable.  

In this blog post, we'll explain what indexability and crawlability are and provide tips on checking whether your website has these qualities. 

What is Indexability? 

Indexability refers to whether a search engine can index your website's pages. When a search engine indexes a page, it adds it to its database of web pages so that it can be displayed in search results. A page must be indexed to show up in search results. 

What is Crawlability? 

Crawlability refers to whether a search engine can crawl your website's pages. When a search engine crawls a page, it follows the links on that page to find other pages on your website. If a page is not crawlable, search engines won't be able to find it, and it won't be indexed. 

How to Check if Your Website is Indexed and Crawled? 

Now that you understand what indexability and crawlability are, here are some tips on how to check whether your website has these qualities: 

Check for the Robots.txt File 

The robots.txt file is a text file placed in the root directory of a website. It is used to instruct search engine crawlers about which pages or sections of the website to crawl and index. To check the robots.txt file, you can add "/robots.txt" to the end of your website's URL in the browser's address bar on a robots checker online tool. 

Use Google Search Console 

Google Search Console is a free site created by Google that allows you to track the performance of your website in Google search results. Once you've added your website to Google Search Console, you can use the "Coverage" report to see which pages are indexed, which have errors, and which have warnings.  

Check for Noindex Tags 

The noindex tag is a piece of code that can be added to a web page's HTML source code to tell search engines not to include the page in their search index. To check for noindex tags, use an online indexed pages tool and search for "noindex" or "nofollow" tags. If you find a noindex tag, search engines will not include that particular page in their search index. 

Check for Broken Links 

Broken links are links on your website that no longer work and lead to a 404-error page. When search engines encounter broken links, it can negatively impact their ability to crawl and index your website. To check for broken links, you can use online tools to scan your website for broken links. 

Use a Sitemap 

A sitemap is a file that lists all of the pages on your website that you want search engines to crawl and index. You can use a tool like Yoast SEO or Google XML Sitemaps to create a sitemap. Once you have created a sitemap, you can submit it to Google Search Console by following the instructions provided by Google. 

Improve Website Visibility with Regular Check Ups 

It is important to regularly check your website's indexability and crawlability to ensure that search engines can properly crawl and index your pages. Doing so can improve your website's visibility in search engine results and ultimately drive more traffic to your site. 

By taking these steps and ensuring that your website is easily crawlable and indexable, you can help maximize your website's exposure to search engines and ultimately drive more traffic. Don’t delay anymore, test website crawlability and indexing today!