Google Search News (Jan ‘21) - crawling & indexing updates, link building, and more

TL;DR

Google Search News covers crawling, indexing, and link building updates.

Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING] JOHN MUELLER: Hi, everyone, and welcome back to the Google Search News Series. I hope life is treating you reasonably well wherever you are. I'm your host today, John Mueller, here from Switzerland. With this show, we want to give you a regular summary of what's been happening around Google Search, specifically for website owners, p... Read More

Key Insights

• Google Search News provides updates on crawling and indexing, essential components for website visibility on search engines.
• The updated Crawl Stats report in Search Console offers detailed insights into Googlebot's interaction with websites, aiding site owners in optimizing their presence.
• Large websites face unique challenges in crawling; a new guide offers best practices for managing crawl budgets effectively.
• Google has started using HTTP 2 for web crawling, enhancing speed and efficiency in accessing web pages.
• The URL inspection tool in Search Console now allows manual requests for page indexing, helping site owners address specific indexing needs.
• The Index Coverage Report in Search Console has been updated to offer more specific error types, aiding in better understanding and resolving indexing issues.
• Links remain a crucial factor in SEO; Google advises against buying links and encourages creating valuable content to naturally attract them.
• The structured Data Testing tool is transitioning to the schema.org community, while the rich results test remains a focus in Search Console.

Questions & Answers

Q: What are the recent updates in Google Search Console?

Recent updates in Google Search Console include the updated Crawl Stats report, which provides detailed insights into how Googlebot interacts with websites. Additionally, the Index Coverage Report has been enhanced to offer more specific error types, aiding site owners in identifying and resolving indexing issues effectively.

Q: How does Google plan to improve web crawling?

Google has started using HTTP 2 for web crawling, which is an updated version of the protocol used to access web pages. This change aims to improve the speed and efficiency of crawling, making it more effective for accessing and processing web content.

Q: What is the significance of links in SEO according to Google?

Links are a crucial factor in SEO as they help Google find new pages and understand their context. Google advises against buying links and instead encourages creating valuable content that naturally attracts links. This approach helps improve a site's visibility and ranking in search results.

Q: What is the purpose of the new guide for large websites?

The new guide for large websites provides best practices for managing crawl budgets effectively. As sites grow, crawling can become more challenging, and this guide offers insights to optimize crawling processes, ensuring that all valuable content is accessible and indexed by Google.

Q: How has the URL inspection tool changed?

The URL inspection tool in Search Console now allows site owners to manually request indexing for individual pages. This feature is useful in situations where immediate indexing is needed, offering more control over how and when pages are indexed by Google.

Q: What changes have been made to the Index Coverage Report?

The Index Coverage Report in Search Console has been updated to provide more specific error types, replacing the generic crawl anomaly issue type. This change helps site owners better understand and address issues affecting the indexing of their site's content, improving overall site performance.

Q: What is happening to the structured Data Testing tool?

The structured Data Testing tool is being deprecated in favor of the rich results test in Search Console. However, it will not disappear entirely; instead, it will find a new home within the schema.org community, continuing to support developers in testing structured data.

Q: What advice does Google give for attracting links?

Google advises creating engaging and valuable content to naturally attract links, rather than purchasing them. This approach not only aligns with Google's guidelines but also helps in reaching a broader audience and improving a site's credibility and visibility in search results.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• John Mueller discusses recent updates in Google Search, focusing on crawling, indexing, and link building. New features in Search Console, like the updated Crawl Stats report, provide valuable insights for site optimization. HTTP 2 is now being used for crawling, improving efficiency and speed.

• The reintroduction of manual indexing requests in the URL inspection tool offers site owners more control over indexing. The Index Coverage Report has been enhanced to provide clearer error types, aiding in resolving indexing issues more effectively.

• Links are emphasized as a vital part of SEO strategy, with Google advising against buying them. Instead, creating engaging content is recommended to attract natural links. The structured Data Testing tool will continue under the schema.org community, while rich results testing remains a priority.