In a recent YouTube video, Google’s Martin Splitt explained the differences between the “noindex” tag in robots meta tags and the “disallow” command in robots.txt files. Splitt, a Developer Advocate at Google, pointed out that both methods help manage how search engine crawlers work with a website. However, they have different purposes and shouldn’t be … Read more
Robots.txt just turned 30 – cue the existential crisis! Like many hitting the big 3-0, it’s wondering if it’s still relevant in today’s world of AI and advanced search algorithms. Spoiler alert: It definitely is! Let’s take a look at how this file still plays a key role in managing how search engines crawl your … Read more
Understanding how to use the robots.txt file is crucial for any website’s SEO strategy. Mistakes in this file can impact how your website is crawled and your pages’ search appearance. Getting it right, on the other hand, can improve crawling efficiency and mitigate crawling issues. Google recently reminded website owners about the importance of using … Read more
Google limits robots.txt support to four fields, clarifying its stance on unsupported directives. Google only supports four specific robots.txt fields. Unsupported directives in robots.txt will be ignored. Consider auditing your robots.txt files in light of this update. Source link
Google’s Gary Illyes confirmed a common observation that robots.txt has limited control over unauthorized access by crawlers. Gary then offered an overview of access controls that all SEOs and website owners should know. Common Argument About Robots.txt Seems like any time the topic of Robots.txt comes up there’s always that one person who has to … Read more
Google’s Gary Illyes shares an unconventional but valid method for centralizing robots.txt rules on CDNs. Robots.txt files can be centralized on CDNs, not just root domains. Websites can redirect robots.txt from main domain to CDN. This unorthodox approach complies with updated standards. Source link
In a recent LinkedIn post, Gary Illyes, Analyst at Google, highlights lesser-known aspects of the robots.txt file as it marks its 30th year. The robots.txt file, a web crawling and indexing component, has been a mainstay of SEO practices since its inception. Here’s one of the reasons why it remains useful. Robust Error Handling Illyes … Read more
In a LinkedIn post, Gary Illyes, an Analyst at Google, reiterated long-standing guidance for website owners: Use the robots.txt file to prevent web crawlers from accessing URLs that trigger actions like adding items to carts or wishlists. Illyes highlighted the common complaint of unnecessary crawler traffic overloading servers, often stemming from search engine bots crawling … Read more
Google’s John Mueller responded to a question on LinkedIn to discuss the use of an unsupported noindex directive on the robots.txt of his own personal website. He explained the pros and cons of search engine support for the directive and offered insights into Google’s internal discussions about supporting it. John Mueller’s Robots.txt Mueller’s robots.txt has … Read more
The robots.txt file of the personal blog of Google’s John Mueller became a focus of interest when someone on Reddit claimed that Mueller’s blog had been hit by the Helpful Content system and subsequently deindexed. The truth turned out to be less dramatic than that but it was still a little weird. SEO Subreddit Post … Read more
Robots.txt is a useful and powerful tool to instruct search engine crawlers on how you want them to crawl your website. Managing this file is a key component of good technical SEO. It is not all-powerful – in Google’s own words, “it is not a mechanism for keeping a web page out of Google” – … Read more
Robots.txt is a useful and relatively powerful tool to instruct search engine crawlers on how you want them to crawl your website. It is not all-powerful (in Google’s own words, “it is not a mechanism for keeping a web page out of Google”) but it can help to prevent your site or server from being … Read more
