How to check if your site is correctly indexed by Google

How to Check if Your Site is Correctly Indexed by Google: A Three-Step Guide

Summary

Understanding how well your website is indexed by Google is crucial for your SEO strategy. This guide provides a simple three-step process to check if your site is correctly indexed by Google. It helps you understand the number of pages you think you have, what Google thinks you have, and what you're telling Google you have. This exercise will not only test your knowledge of your site but also help you align your perception with Google's, thereby improving your SEO performance.

Key Takeaways

• Understanding your site's structure and the number of pages it has is crucial.
• Google's perception of your site might differ from yours.
• XML sitemaps are key to telling Google about your site's content.
• Discrepancies between your perception and Google's can affect your SEO performance.
• Professional help might be needed to fix major discrepancies.

Table of Contents

• Understanding Your Site
• Google's Perception
• Communicating with Google
• Discrepancies and Implications
• Fixing Discrepancies
• Conclusion

Understanding Your Site

The first step in checking if your site is correctly indexed by Google is understanding your site. This involves knowing the total number of pages your site has and how they are organized. This might seem like a simple task, but it's often overlooked. It's important to write down the total number of pages and the number of pages in each logical section of your site. This will give you a clear picture of your site's structure and content.

Google's Perception

The second step involves understanding Google's perception of your site. This can be done by using the 'site:' command in Google search. This command shows the total number of pages Google thinks your site has. It's important to compare this number with the one you wrote down in the first step. If there's a large discrepancy, it means that Google's understanding of your site differs from yours, which can affect your SEO performance.

Communicating with Google

The third step involves communicating with Google about your site's content. This is done through XML sitemaps. XML sitemaps are crucial as they explicitly tell Google about your site's content. They inform Google about the pages you have, the ones that have recently changed, and the new ones. It's important to submit your XML sitemaps to Google Search Console to ensure Google has the most accurate information about your site.

Discrepancies and Implications

After going through the three steps, it's important to compare the numbers from each step. If there's a discrepancy of less than 10%, it means you're doing okay. However, if the discrepancy is more than 20%, it means there's a serious problem that's affecting your SEO performance. This discrepancy can result from various issues, including a poorly organized site or inaccurate XML sitemaps.

Fixing Discrepancies

Fixing discrepancies between your perception and Google's is crucial for your SEO performance. This might involve reorganizing your site, updating your XML sitemaps, or seeking professional help. It's important to approach this process with caution as getting it wrong can harm your SEO performance. However, if done correctly, fixing these discrepancies can significantly boost your SEO.

Conclusion

Understanding how well your site is indexed by Google is crucial for your SEO strategy. This guide provides a simple three-step process to help you align your perception with Google's. By understanding your site, understanding Google's perception, and effectively communicating with Google, you can improve your SEO performance and boost your organic traffic.