To have your page appear in the search results of Google’s search engine, it is essential for the page to be crawled by GoogleBot.

The concept of crawlability becomes crucial here. By improving crawlability, the number of pages listed in the search results and the speed at which they are listed can increase.

In this discussion, we will explore crawlability, covering its basics, how it works, and tips to increase crawl frequency.

What is Crawlability? 

Crawlability refers to the ease with which a crawler can find and navigate a web page, a term used in SEO.

Typically, the crawler in question is the robot used by the Google search engine, known as GoogleBot.

When a new page is created, it is crawled by GoogleBot for evaluation. If deemed valuable enough, it will be registered in the Google search engine.

The Relationship Between Crawlability and SEO 

Improving crawlability makes it easier for web pages within a site to be crawled. As a result, the speed and number of pages registered on the Google search engine increase. In SEO, accumulating such achievements is crucial, positioning crawlability as one of the SEO strategies .

However, no matter how high-quality your content may be, if it is not recognized by GoogleBot, it will not be indexed.

How GoogleBot Crawls 

GoogleBot continuously crawls the web worldwide, seeking new and existing pages. Its main routes of navigation include:

-Following links from index pages 

-Referring to crawl request information

Following Links from Index Pages 

Primarily, the links interconnecting web pages serve as GoogleBot’s navigation route.

To be listed in the search results of the Google search engine, registration with the search engine is necessary. The process of registering a page in the search engine’s database is referred to as index .

Links from pages already indexed by the Google search engine are potential routes for GoogleBot’s crawl.

Referencing Crawl Request Information

Submitting a crawl request to Google allows GoogleBot to recognize and crawl the specified URL. Google Search Console, a tool that embeds the operated website, is used for this purpose.

In addition to this, GoogleBot may refer to a file called an XML sitemap , which communicates the pages on the site and their relationships, for crawling.

Submitting an XML sitemap to Google makes the website known to GoogleBot, enabling it to crawl the website.

Checking for Indexing

Once crawled by GoogleBot, a page may be indexed in the Google search engine. The indexing status can be checked by the following methods:

-Using a site: search 

-Checking through Google Search Console

Using a site: search

Entering the desired URL in the search box of the Google search engine as follows can determine if the page is indexed.

site:*URL

By entering the website domain as the URL, you can check all the pages within the website that have been indexed.

Checking through Google Search Console

The indexing status can be checked using Google Search Console .

Log in to Google Search Console, select “Index” from the menu, then “Pages”. This will display the number and URLs of pages indexed within the website.

Especially for new sites, indexing progresses after a certain period post-article publication. If indexing is slow after publication, or there is a significant discrepancy between the number of published pages and indexed pages, the site may have some issues.

Google Search Console is a very useful tool for website operation, as it allows for such investigations. If you haven’t used it yet, consider introducing Google Search Console first.

Strategies to Improve Crawlability

To improve crawlability, the following measures can be taken:

-Create an XML sitemap 

-Request a crawl 

-Set up txt 

-Install internal links 

-Acquire backlinks 

-Optimize site structure 

-Eliminate orphan pages 

-Normalize URLs 

-Increase crawl frequency for the site

Creating an XML sitemap

Creating an XML sitemap and submitting it helps GoogleBot recognize and understand the site structure, facilitating opportunities for crawling. Therefore, consider creating an XML sitemap. When creating a sitemap, proceed with the following flow.

1. Creating an XML Sitemap

2. Install an XML sitemap on your website

3. Submit the XML sitemap to Google

Requesting a Crawl

• Through Google Search Console, you can request Google to crawl individual pages.

To make a request, log in to Google Search Console and select “URL inspection” from the menu. Enter the page URL you wish to request a crawl for in the inspection box.

Once the results of the URL search are displayed, the status of the page will be shown. This screen will inform you whether:

• The page has been crawled
• The page has been indexed
• The state of the page’s experience

If the page has not yet been crawled, please submit a crawl request. However, note that this is merely a request to encourage crawling, and it does not guarantee that GoogleBot will crawl the page.

Setting Up robots.txt

• robots.txt is a file that specifies which URLs GoogleBot can access and which are prohibited. By using this file, unnecessary crawls can be avoided, thereby improving crawl efficiency.

For example, you could write in robots.txt as follows:

User-agent: Googlebot 

Disallow: /nogooglebot/ 

User-agent: * 

Allow: / 

Sitemap: https://www.example.com/sitemap.xml

Citation: How to Write, Set Up, and Submit robots.txt | Google Search Central

This would restrict GoogleBot from crawling all URLs under ” https://example.com/nogooglebot/ “.

Installing Internal Links

Installing internal links makes it easier for crawlers to find articles within the site. There are various types of internal links, including:

• • Global navigation
  • Breadcrumb lists
  • Dynamic navigation (site search)
  • Related article links

However, the main purpose of internal links is to make it easier for site visitors to find the information they are looking for. Avoid the practice of adding irrelevant links just to increase the number of links.

Acquiring Backlinks

• Receiving backlinks from external sites expands the paths through which crawlers can navigate. Moreover, an increase in high-quality backlinks can also yield significant SEO benefits.

Backlink strategies could include

• Mutual linking between product introduction media and product sites
• Mutual linking between a company’s corporate site and its product site

Backlinks should naturally occur. Collecting backlinks in a spammy manner can lead to penalties from Google.

Optimizing Site Structure

Constructing a clear site structure facilitates easier navigation for crawlers. As a general guideline, it is recommended to design the site so that all pages are accessible within three clicks from the homepage.

offline, increasing the number of levels in a site’s hierarchy can lead to complexity. If your site structure is like this, consider simplifying the configuration.

Eliminating Orphan Pages

Pages that are not linked from any other page within the site become hard to crawl. Having many such pages can lead to a “confusing site structure” assessment, negatively affecting SEO. Regular page management using tools like Excel can help mitigate this issue.

Normalizing URLs

Normalizing URLs allows you to specify to GoogleBot which URLs should be crawled, thus improving crawl efficiency.

URL normalization refers to the strategy of informing Google of the correct URL notation when there are multiple pages with the same content on the site. This situation might occur, for example, 

-when pages are created that differ only by the presence or absence of a trailing slash

-the presence or absence of ” www .”

-by being HTTPS or not.

To normalize URLs, you can use

• 301 redirects
• Canonical tags

Increasing Crawl Frequency for the Site

Websites have a concept known as crawl frequency, with some sites being crawled more easily than others. Generally, sites that are highly rated by Google tend to have a higher crawl frequency.

To achieve a high rating from Google, the overall quality of the site is scrutinized. Strive to create valuable and high-quality content that will be recognized by Google.

Frequently Asked Questions about Crawlability

Here, common questions about crawlability are compiled in an FAQ format.

Q: Should I implement measures to improve crawlability? 

A: If you consider SEO for attracting visitors, then yes, measures are necessary.

Q: What is the origin of the term crawlability? 

A: It is a coined term combining “crawl” and “ability,” referring to the ease with which a crawler can find web pages.

Q: What does optimizing crawlability entail? 

A: It involves strategies to make pages easier to crawl.

To be displayed in the search results of the Google search engine, it is essential for the page to be crawled after publication. To facilitate this crawling, it is necessary to review the construction of your site or pages.

Q: What are the types of crawlers? 

A: Besides GoogleBot, various types of crawlers exist.

GoogleBot is exclusively a crawler for the Google search engine. Other search services have their own separate crawlers. Below are examples of crawlers for your reference.

-Applebot 

-Linespider

-Bingbot.

Summary 

Crawlability refers to the ease with which a website can be crawled. Optimizing site structure and internal links can make a site more navigable for GoogleBot. Start by using tools like Google Search Console to check your site’s crawlability. If problems seem apparent, identify the causes and make necessary improvements. Additionally, continuous creation of high-quality content can increase crawl frequency.

Author Profile

International Web Consultant Paveena Suphawet

A trilingual professional in English, Thai, and Japanese, she has numerous achievements in international SEO. She studied the latest IT technologies at Assumption International University, Thailand, and majored in International Business at the University of Greenwich, UK. Following her tenure at ExxonMobil’s Thai branch, she became a key member of Admano from its establishment.

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