What is Google Indexing?

9 Minuten Lesezeit

Google indexing is the process by which Google gathers, analyzes, and stores data from web pages in its vast searchable database, known as the search index. It is how the web content that you supply becomes suitable for display in Google search results.

This procedure is a “must-have” since the web page needs to be indexed for users to find it through search. A page’s indexation status with Google may correlate with its visibility in search engines.

Die wichtigsten Punkte:
  • Index or disappear
  • Your website must be indexed to appear in Google search results.

  • Use GSC for health
  • The Google Search Console is your primary tool for checking and fixing indexing problems.

  • Crawling differs from indexing
  • Google crawls (reads) pages before indexing (filing) them.

How does Google Indexing work?

The indexing in Google occurs after the crawling stage, where automated programs (spiders or bots) discover new and updated pages. After a page is crawled, its content is analyzed, interpreted, and systematically indexed. Part of this includes the extraction and reserving of words, titles, links, and content structure, which enables Google to match the page with relevant searches. The raw web data conversion into accessible and organized information is a significant process.

Profi-Tipp:
Use the URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console to check the way Google last crawled and indexed a specific page on your site, which can help diagnose minor issues.

How can I check if my website is indexed?

You can verify the indexing status of your web page quickly, just by using two methods:

•   Using the site operator: Merely enter site:yourwebsite.com in the Google search bar without quotes and hit enter. The pages Google shows you will be exactly the ones it has indexed for that specific domain.

•   Google Search Console (GSC): A free tool that details the indexing condition of your website as perceived by Google, highlighting pages that were not indexed and the corresponding explanations.

Profi-Tipp:
If the site operator indicates your site is indexed (but a specific page is missing), use the “Request Indexing” feature in the Google Search Console URL Inspection Tool to prompt the Googlebot to re-examine that single URL.

What can prevent a page from being indexed?

Various technical and content elements can influence whether a webpage is indexed or the speed at which indexing occurs:

•   The robots.txt file may sometimes lead Google’s crawlers not to check certain pages or parts of your website because it forbids them.

•   The “noindex” meta tag in a page’s HTML instructs search engines not to index the page’s content.

•   Crawler discoverability may relate to the existence of orphaned web pages without links; site architecture could play a role.

•   The arrangement of elements on a Google search page may vary depending on whether duplicate or low-quality content is present.

•   The functionality of crawlers can be influenced by technical aspects of accessibility, such as server responses, authentication requirements, or loading speed.

Tiefer Einblick:
Regularly check the “Coverage” report in Google Search Console. It highlights “Excluded” pages and provides a specific reason (e.g., “Crawled – currently not indexed” or “Blocked by robots.txt”), saving you time on manual investigation.

What is the difference between Crawling and Indexing?

FunktionCrawling (Discovery)Indexing (Storage)
ActionGooglebot visits and reads the web page.Google processes and files the page data.
ZweckTo find and access new or updated content.To organize content into a database for fast retrieval.
AnalogyA librarian is reading a new book.A librarian is placing the book on the correct shelf.

The main difference is that crawling is “reading,” and indexing is filing. Only on successful crawling can web pages be indexed.

What are some best practices for ensuring proper indexing?

These are some methods that may influence the appearance of your web pages in search results:

•   Submit an XML sitemap: One of the most direct ways to inform Google about the new or updated pages of your website is to upload a sitemap to Google Search Console.

•   Internal linking target: Logically link your pages. It is like a map for both users and Google’s crawlers.

•   Look for blocks: Check your robots.txt file and page meta tags regularly to ensure that you have not given a “noindex” directive by mistake.

•   Keep to quality and uniqueness: Quality and uniqueness are factors in indexing priority for content-holding pages.

•   Sicherstellen your site is mobile-friendly: As Google uses mobile-first indexing, your site must be decent and quick on mobile devices.

Tiefer Einblick:
Prioritize “freshness” for critical pages. When updating important content, aim for substantial, high-quality changes rather than minor edits, as this signals to Google that the page is worth re-crawling and re-indexing quickly.

Fazit

Google indexing is a fundamental technical step of Suchmaschinenoptimierung (SEO) that makes a direct connection between your content and the billions of daily searches. Understanding the crawl-to-index process and utilizing Google Search Console to address typical errors may help maintain your site’s visibility.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

BEREIT, IHR KLEINUNTERNEHMEN ZU STARTEN?

Wichtiger Hinweis: Die Informationen unseres Expertenteams sollen Ihnen ein allgemeines Verständnis des Prozesses der Webseitenerstellung und der Ihnen zur Verfügung stehenden Funktionen vermitteln. Es ist wichtig zu beachten, dass diese Informationen keine professionelle Beratung ersetzen, die auf Ihre spezifischen Bedürfnisse und Ziele zugeschnitten ist.
Lesen Sie unsere redaktionelle Standards für Answers-Inhalte.
Unser Ziel ist es, Sie in die Lage zu versetzen, eine großartige Webseite zu erstellen. Wenn Sie Fragen haben oder Unterstützung während des Erstellungsprozesses benötigen, zögern Sie nicht, Kontaktieren Sie uns. Wir helfen Ihnen gerne weiter und weisen Sie in die richtige Richtung.