White Web Design

Crawling, Indexing and Ranking

What Happens When You Search?

Welcome to part two, let’s look at what happens when someone is searching online. When someone searches for information online, a complex series of actions unfolds behind the scenes in milliseconds. Understanding the fundamentals of how search engines work—crawling, indexing, and ranking—can demystify SEO and show why it’s essential for growing your business online. If you missed our first blog, SEO 101 – Part 1, be sure to start there for an introduction to SEO essentials.

In this blog, we’ll explore the inner workings of search engines and discuss DIY steps to improve your site’s crawlability, indexing, and ranking to attract more visibility and potential customers.

1. Crawling: Gathering Information About Your Site

Search engines use automated bots, called “crawlers” or “spiders,” to scan the internet and gather data from billions of websites. These crawlers visit each site, checking out everything from text and images to code and metadata, following links from one page to another to create a map of interconnected information.

DIY Steps to Improve Crawlability:

• Ensure Consistent Internal Links: Connect your site’s pages with clear, descriptive internal links. This allows crawlers to access every page.
• Submit a Sitemap: Create a sitemap (a list of all pages on your site) and submit it to Google Search Console. Learn more about sitemaps here.
• Fix Broken Links: Regularly scan your site for any broken links, which can prevent crawlers from indexing your pages. Tools like Broken Link Checker can help.
• Remove ‘Noindex’ Tags Where Necessary: Double-check that your important pages don’t have “noindex” tags, as these prevent pages from being added to search engine results.

For more on how crawling works, check out this guide from Search Engine Journal.

2. Indexing: Storing Information for Fast Retrieval

After a search engine’s crawler gathers information from a website, it organizes this data in an “index,” a catalog where search engines store each page’s content and relevance. When someone performs a search, search engines refer to this index to quickly find relevant pages that might answer the query.

DIY Steps to Improve Indexing:

• Verify Site in Google Search Console: Make sure Google Search Console recognizes your website, enabling you to see which pages are indexed. If you haven’t already, set up an account.
• Use Descriptive Titles and Meta Descriptions: Write clear and relevant titles and meta descriptions for each page. These snippets provide context to search engines and users alike. How to write a perfect Meta Description
• Avoid Duplicate Content: Ensure your pages are unique to avoid confusing the index. Repeated content on multiple pages can lower your indexing priority.
• Check Your Index Status: Type “site:[yourdomain.com]” into Google to see a list of your indexed pages. Any missing pages should be optimized for indexability.

For additional information on indexing, this Moz guide is a great resource.

3. Ranking: How Search Engines Decide What to Show First

The final step in the process is ranking. Search engines use complex algorithms to determine which pages will appear at the top of search results, evaluating factors like keyword relevance, website speed, mobile-friendliness, and user experience.

DIY Steps to Improve Ranking:

• Optimize for Targeted Keywords: Use relevant keywords naturally in your content, especially in headers, images, and meta tags.
• Increase Site Speed: Slow sites rank lower. Compress images, reduce unnecessary plugins, and utilize caching tools.
• Mobile Optimization: Ensure your website is responsive and user-friendly on mobile devices.
• Focus on Quality Content: Publish valuable, informative content that keeps users engaged. The longer users stay on your site, the more favorable it appears to search engines.

If you want a detailed dive into ranking factors, Backlinko’s article on Google’s ranking factors offers a comprehensive look.

4. Why SEO Is Essential for Visibility

Understanding crawling, indexing, and ranking can help you see why SEO is so critical. Without an optimized website, search engines might struggle to find and rank it, leading to missed opportunities to reach your ideal customers. Implementing these SEO techniques not only boosts your visibility but also improves user experience, keeping visitors engaged with your brand.

Partner with WhiteWeb Design for Advanced SEO

While there are plenty of DIY steps to improve your site’s visibility, professional SEO can help increase your brand’s reach even further. At White Web Design, our SEO Boost Package is designed just for you, offering services from in-depth keyword research to ongoing monitoring and optimization. We’re here to help you reach more visitors, increase traffic, and grow your business effectively.

Stay tuned for Part 3, where we’ll explore On-Page and Off-Page SEO Strategies to give you even more tools to optimize your website.