Google’s Mixed Messages: Does Googlebot Actually “Follow” Links?

Google’s Mixed Messages: Does Googlebot Actually “Follow” Links?

Google’s Gary Illyes recently dropped a bombshell about how Googlebot works. It turns out, the way Google describes its own bot might not be totally accurate. Let’s break it down:

What We Thought vs. What’s Real

Old belief: Googlebot hops from link to link like a person clicking around a website.

Reality check: Googlebot is more of a collector than a follower. Here’s what it actually does:

1. Visits a page
2. Makes a list of all the links it finds.
3. Comes back later to explore those links

The Confusing Part

Google’s own help pages say Googlebot “follows” links. But Illyes says that’s not quite right. It’s more like Googlebot takes notes and then comes back to check things out later.

Why This Matters

This news changes how we think about some website stuff:

• Crawl budget: Google might use less computer power to look at your site.
• Site structure: Having a perfect page hierarchy might not be super important.
• How often pages get crawled: Some pages might get visited more, even if they’re buried deep in your site.

Fun Fact: About 15% of Google searches each day are for things it’s never seen before. This shows why Googlebot’s smart link-collecting is so important!

What Should You Do?

Don’t panic! Your website is probably fine. But here are some smart moves:

1. Focus on great content: It’s more important than ever.
2. Link wisely: Use different ways to connect your important pages.
3. Speed things up: Fast pages help Googlebot do its job better.
4. Use sitemaps: They’re still helpful for showing Google all your pages.

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!