In pursuit of coming up first on different web search engines, most people want to exploit the might of Google indexing and crawling.
So, what is Google indexing? What is Google crawling? Read on for details.
Defining Google Indexing and Crawling in Layman’s Term
Google indexing is a process of placing a website in the registry of a search engine. If you are a writer or a blogger, you need to provide a meta tag or keyword in the content to allow Google indexing.
This process is widely used in website ranking, link targeting, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) among others.
Meanwhile, the Google crawling has something to do with the several links appended to a content. These links will be followed by bots to find out more information about a particular website.
Reasons Why People Hate Google Indexing and Crawling
Writers, bloggers, and web content providers sometimes want to remain discreet online; thus, they want to deceive Google bots. They want to stop Google from indexing their site for some reasons.
Bloggers, for instance, need to stop Google from indexing their WordPress site due to the following:
- Site Developments. Testing websites, staging domains, and development sites need not be included on search engine suggestions until all the contents are finalized. These sites are basically for showing rebranding presets or introducing a new website.
- Installing WordPress Updates. When you install a new WordPress, you also need to conduct a test first. You need to stop the Google indexing and see for yourself the value of your new site. You can switch to indexing once you are assured that your domain is working fine.
- Privacy. Another reason why webmasters opt to bar the Google indexing service is when the site is considered as ‘private.’
- Insignificant Pages. Nobody wants to find your website packed with non- essential facts. That’s why a lot of people avoid indexing and crawling since they find their content irrelevant.
10 Proven Effective Steps to Prevent Google Index
1. WordPress Settings.
This is considered as the easiest way to stop Google index. You have to hover to WordPress Setting tab and then locate the Reading. Then, find the Site Visibility option and set the ‘no index’ tag for your site.
2. Protecting Root With a Password.
Go to your site’s control panel and log in with your hosting account. Proceed to the Password Protect Directories or Directory Password options. You can now turn on and lock the root with a security pin to stop Google index service.
3. Use the Robots.
If you just want to put specific restrictions on your site and let it be visible online, you can now use the robots.txt file manipulation. The said command will block indexing based on limitations you have set.
The commands are the following:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /[slug]/
4. Utilizing a Password Plugin.
Putting a password plugin will also work in preventing the search engine index. The plugin password will block specific people from accessing your website online. However, the plugin protection cannot stop Google from showing your other information like images and files.
5. Meta Robots Tag.
You can also filter the Google index by employing meta robots tags. Although there is an advanced setup on this technique, the basic configuration input is the following: <meta name=”robots” content=”noindex,nofollow>
You need to place the command in every page to complete the hack.
6. X- Robot Tags.
You can also make adjustments on the HTTP header of a website to prevent it from getting included on search engine listings. Unlike the meta robots, the X- Robot is capable of configuring the entire site. Just input the following: Header set X-Robots-Tag “noindex, nofollow.”
7. Plugin for Specific Page Block.
You can also protect specific blogs and contents from being indexed through using the SmartCrawl plugin. This will allow you to customize the pages, images, tags, or posts that are enabled for Google index.
8. After Index Manipulation.
If a site was unintentionally indexed, you could no longer retract the selected settings. However, you can do tricks to stop future indexing. You can use the Google Search Console or other search consoles to protect the site from future indexing.
9. CPanel.
This is also a very effective tool in preventing Google index if you are using WordPress. Just access your cPanel account and then select the password directories to disable indexing.
10. Hosting Control Panel.
Another method of disabling the search engine index is through managing the Hosting control panel. Just set the password to protect directories, and your site will never be found on search engines.
These are the easy steps on blocking 
Google index. Always remember that if you don’t want people to find your site, choose only one of these tricks.
Indeed, not all search engines are beneficial to a website, hence the need to be vigilant online. Up to press time, Yahoo, Bing, and Google are the top three search engines that crawl different websites.
What Are the Disadvantages of Search Engine Sites
- Bing. Only established in 2009, thus considered as the youngest search engine platforms. Based on reviews, this platform has a lot of weak and irrelevant contents.
Another drawback of using Bing is that it is prone to lag when search engine optimization is applied.
Also, the news feeds of Bing are always placed at the bottom of the page which makes the user not updated with the current events (not unless they do a complete dig of information).
- Yahoo. Not all sites are capable of linking to the Yahoo search engine. It also doesn’t have an integrated user feature and doesn’t have a desktop search option.
The Yahoo also does not permit cross interfacing like shifting to Google video.
- Google. Majority of the search hits are irrelevant due to the influence of SEO manipulation.
It is true that the internet has brought a new breed of business. However, if you want to be really on top, you must resolve the Google index first.
