What is a No-Index Tag? - RightBlogger

Last Updated March 19, 2024

In the world of blogging and website optimization, the term “noindex-tag” plays a crucial role in determining how search engines index and display your content.

Let’s dive into what exactly a noindex-tag is and why it’s essential for your SEO strategy.

Understanding the Noindex-Tag

A “noindex-tag” is a specific command placed within the HTML of a webpage that signals search engines not to include that particular page in their index. In simpler terms, it tells search engine bots not to show your page in search results. This directive is a powerful tool for controlling which pages of your website appear in search engine results and which ones remain hidden.

How Does a Noindex-Tag Impact SEO?

By utilizing a noindex-tag, you are essentially telling search engines to ignore a specific page on your website. This can be beneficial for various reasons, such as preventing duplicate content from being indexed, hiding private or sensitive information, or keeping temporary pages out of search results.

Implementing Noindex-Tags on Your Website

To add a noindex-tag to a webpage, you need to insert a simple line of code in the HTML header of that page. This code instructs search engine crawlers not to index the content, ensuring that it remains hidden from public search results. If you are debugging a URL you can use Google Search Console to submit a URL to Google or just test live links.

If you are using WordPress many SEO plugins will give you the option to set the page to no-index. In Yoast SEO the option is under “Advanced” with the title “Allow search engines to show this content in search results?”.

Best Practices for Using Noindex-Tags

When utilizing noindex-tags, it’s essential to use them strategically. Avoid using them on critical pages that you want to rank on search engines. Reserve the noindex directive for pages that serve a specific purpose but are not meant for public consumption.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a noindex-tag is a valuable tool in the SEO toolkit for bloggers and website owners. By understanding how to use this directive effectively, you can have better control over which pages appear in search results and ultimately improve the visibility of your most important content.

Remember, the key is to use the noindex-tag wisely and strategically to achieve the desired SEO outcomes.

What is a noindex-tag, and what does it do?

A noindex-tag is a line of code that tells search engines not to add a page to their search index. That means the page should not show up in Google search results.

It is useful when a page exists for readers or site functions, but you do not want it to rank. Common examples include thank you pages, login pages, and some tag or archive pages.

Noindex does not block people from visiting the page if they have the link. It only affects whether search engines list it in results.

When should I use a noindex-tag on my site?

Use a noindex-tag when a page is not meant to bring in search traffic. This helps search engines focus on your best content and can reduce low value pages in your index.

Good candidates include duplicate pages, thin content pages, temporary test pages, and private content you do not want showing in search. It can also help if you have many similar pages that compete with each other.

Avoid putting noindex on your most important posts, product pages, or landing pages you want to rank. If you are unsure, start by noindexing only obvious utility pages.

How do I add a noindex-tag in WordPress (and how can I double check it)?

In WordPress, many SEO plugins let you switch a page to noindex without touching code. In Yoast SEO, you can find it under Advanced, then choose whether search engines should show the page in results.

After you set noindex, give search engines time to recrawl the page. It may still appear in results for a while until Google updates its index.

To confirm what Google sees, you can test the URL in Search Console and request a recrawl. This guide on submitting a URL to Google for indexing checks is helpful when you are debugging changes.

What is the difference between a noindex-tag and a canonical tag?

A noindex-tag tells search engines, do not index this page. A canonical tag tells search engines, index a different page as the main version when there are duplicates.

Use noindex when a page should not appear in search at all. Use canonical when the page can exist, but you want the ranking signals to point to another URL.

If you are dealing with duplicate content, a canonical tag is often the better first choice. See this canonical tag guide to decide which one fits your situation.

How can RightBlogger help me avoid indexing low quality pages?

RightBlogger helps you publish stronger content so fewer pages need noindex in the first place. When your posts are clear and complete, you are less likely to create thin pages that hurt your site quality.

You can use RightBlogger SEO Reports to spot posts that may need updates, like missing sections or weak on page SEO. Fixing those pages can be better than hiding them with noindex.

If you are improving titles and snippets for pages you do want indexed, tools like the Meta Title Generator can help you write cleaner titles that match search intent and increase clicks.