Google’s Gary Illyes and Lizzi Sassman just shared some cool info about Googlebot, the program that explores the internet. They told us three big things that make Googlebot want to visit your website more often. Let’s break it down!
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Three Proven Strategies to Increase Googlebot’s Site Crawl Through Google
1) High-quality content is key.
Gary said something really interesting:
“If the content of a site is high quality and helpful, and people like it, then Google tends to crawl more from that site.”
But what does “high quality” mean? It’s not just about using fancy words. It’s about giving people what they want and find useful. Sometimes, that’s not what experts think is best, but what regular folks find helpful.
For example, there’s a popular recipe site that uses shortcuts like canned soup in recipes. Professional chefs might not like it, but lots of people do because it’s easy. That’s what Google calls “helpful” content.
Fun fact: About 15% of Google searches each day are for brand new things. That’s why Googlebot is always looking for fresh, helpful content!
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2) Publish More, Get Crawled More
Googlebot gets excited when it sees lots of new pages on a website. Gary explained:
“If there’s a bunch of new URLs, Googlebot gets excited and goes out crawling like crazy.”
It’s like giving a curious kid a new toy – they want to check it out right away! So, if you’re adding new stuff to your website regularly, Googlebot will probably visit more often.
Did you know? Google processes over 3.5 billion searches per day. That’s a lot of work for Googlebot!
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3) Keep Your Quality Consistent
Here’s an important part: if your website’s quality goes down, Googlebot might slow down its visits. Gary mentioned:
“If we’re gradually slowing down with crawling, that might be a sign of low-quality content or that we rethought the quality of the site.”
It’s like if your favorite restaurant started serving not-so-great food—you’d probably visit less often, right?
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Tips to Keep Googlebot Happy
So, how can you use this information to make your website better? Here are some tips:
- Focus on great content: Write about topics people care about, not just keywords. Consider what your readers actually want to know.
- Post regularly: A steady stream of new stuff keeps Googlebot interested. Maybe set a schedule for adding new content?
- Keep it fresh: Update old content to stay relevant. The world changes, and your content should too!
- Think quality, not just quantity. Don’t just add pages for the sake of it. Make sure each new page adds value for your readers.
- Use internal links wisely: While Googlebot doesn’t “follow” links like we thought, good internal linking still helps it understand your site better.
Interesting stat: The average web page takes 10.3 seconds to fully load on desktop and 27.3 seconds on mobile. Faster pages make Googlebot’s job easier!
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What This Means for You
If you run a website, don’t worry! You don’t need to change everything. But it’s good to know that Google’s bot is smarter than we realized. It doesn’t get “lost” in your site structure like a real visitor might.
Remember, Googlebot is pretty clever. It can find its way around your site better than we thought. Keep making awesome content, and Google will find it!
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The Big Picture
This new info about Googlebot shows us that Google is always working to make its search engine better. They want to find the best content for people, no matter where it’s hidden on the internet.
For website owners and content creators, this means a few things:
- Quality matters more than ever. Don’t just create content for search engines; make it for real people.
- Regular updates are good. Whether it’s new pages or improving old ones, keep your site active.
- Don’t stress too much about perfect site structure. While it’s still important, Googlebot is smart enough to find good content.
- Think about your audience. What do they want? What do they find helpful? That’s what Google cares about too.
- Be patient. Good SEO takes time, but if you focus on quality and usefulness, Googlebot will notice.
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Wrapping It Up
Google’s recent revelations about Googlebot give us a peek behind the curtain of how search works. It’s not about tricking the system or following a perfect formula. Instead, it’s about creating a website that people love to use.
So, keep making great content, update your site regularly, and focus on what your audience needs. Do that, and you’ll be on the right track – not just for Googlebot, but for the people you really want to reach.
Remember, the internet is always changing, and so is Google. Stay curious, keep learning, and don’t be afraid to try new things with your website. Who knows? You might just create the next thing Googlebot gets excited about!
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