Have you ever wondered what is a Googlebot? I’ve found it mind-boggling sometimes to think how the web really works behind the scenes. It can be hard to visualize the bots crawling the web.
If you have more information it may make it easier and understand why SEO is integral to your blog today.
This information will make it easier to understand why SEO is so important, but don’t stop there. Read on for even more fascinating facts about Googlebot and its vast network of computers that keep the web crawling.
Table of Contents
What Is A Bot?
A bot crawls the web looking for new pages to crawl and index. Google uses a huge set of computers to crawl the web constantly.
There were at least 17 different types of Googlebots back in 2014 when I first wrote this blog post. Today there are 91 googlebots in 2024.
These bots seem to grow each year with newer technology.
For example, years ago there were no mobile or video Googlebots. (The varieties have grown significantly since this blog post was first written back in 2014.)
Hence, they use an algorithmic process via computer programs to determine which websites to crawl, how often, and how many pages to fetch from each website.
However, this Googlebot process can change from time to time via Google updates as well.
The Search Engine Crawl Process
Google’s crawl process begins with a list of website page URLs, generated from previous crawl processes. It is then increased with Sitemap data provided by webmasters. (That is why sitemaps are important for your blog to have.)
As a Googlebot visits each of these websites it detects links on each page and adds them to its list of pages to crawl. New websites, changes to existing websites, and dead links are noted and used to update the Google index.
Now, do you see why updating fresh content on your blog becomes so important? However, do note that updating for the sake of updating may appear as spam.
Be sure to provide new information in the updated content.
Google doesn’t accept payment to crawl a site more frequently and they claim they don’t go by who spends how much on Google AdWords.
After a Googlebot does a crawl, it indexes the web pages by compiling an index of words it sees and their location on a page. Title tags and alternative attributes are definitely a plus in this crawling process.
Many rich media files do not contain these and do not get indexed.
The Results In Search via Googlebot
The Google search engine is crawling the web in order to find websites that are relevant when you do a search. The relevancy of these sites depends on at least 200+ ranking factors, so it’s important for your site to be found by this bot and indexed properly if want to rank well.
You can always check with your webmaster tools in the Google Search Console for some insights into how things may look from their perspective.
Furthermore, you can see the new video page indexing for your blog as well. According to Google, it will show you:
- On how many pages has Google identified a video?
- Which videos were indexed successfully?
- What are the issues preventing videos from being indexed?
This will help you decide which videos to use on your blog posts or not. It will show you the issues preventing them from crawling your video as well.
How To Help The Googlebot On Your Blog
- Use internal links to guide the Googlebot.
- Have a valid sitemap.
- Check your blog for speed, a major factor for visitors and search engines.
- Have a clean URL structure.
- Use image optimization for all your images.
- Quality content, of course!
- Check your canonicals = duplicate pages.
- See your indexing in the search console, then submit an updated piece of content if needed.
- Look for blocked URLs and fix the blocked URLs. The robot files may not be working properly and made need adjustments.
The Nasty Fake Googlebots
Fake Googlebots are a real headache for website owners. There are thousands of them out there, posing as legitimate Google crawlers.
They aim to sneak past firewalls and gather data or perform shady activities. Spotting these fakes isn’t easy, as they mimic real Googlebots closely.
They can consume bandwidth and mess with your site’s analytics, giving a false picture of user activity. To guard against them, regularly check server logs and verify IP addresses against official Googlebot ranges.
Being vigilant with your server to help keep your website secure and functioning smoothly.
If you know for sure you have them you can block them via your Google Webmaster tools but be sure not to block Google or the other major search engines as well.
Speaking of nasty Googlebots and spammers – there are some now impersonating bloggers. I’ve had this happen several times now and want to share it so you can be on the lookout.
How To View Page As Googlebot
To view your page as Googlebot, use Google’s URL Inspection Tool. First, access Google Search Console and enter your website.
Find the URL Inspection Tool at the top of the dashboard. Type or paste the URL you want to check. Click “Enter” and let the tool analyze your page.
This tool shows how Googlebot sees your page, revealing any crawling or indexing issues. It’s a handy way to spot problems that might affect your search ranking.
Make sure to fix any errors shown in the report to keep your site visible and optimized for search engines.
Conclusion: Understanding Googlebot’s Role
Googlebot is crucial for your blog’s visibility on search engines, as it crawls and indexes site content, influencing search rankings. Ensure your blog is easily accessible for Googlebot to improve SEO performance.
Consider conducting a regular audit of your site’s structure to enhance its crawling efficiency. Ready to improve your blog’s visibility? Start optimizing your pages today.
Your Turn on Googlebot
Does your blog or website have a sitemap? How often do you update your blog? I’d love to hear about your experience with it in the comments below.