Meta robots tag

A snippet of HTML that tells search engines how to index or not index webpage content.

Definition

The Meta robots tag is a piece of HTML code that instructs search engines on how they should treat the content of a webpage. It provides directives for indexing and link following, allowing site owners to control the visibility of their content in search engine result pages (SERPs). These tags can prevent search engines from indexing certain pages or from following links on a page, ensuring that content is displayed online as intended by the website owner.

Usage and Context

Meta robots tags are used in the section of an HTML document to specify how search engines should crawl and index pages on a website. Common directives include "index" or "noindex," telling search engines whether to add a page to their index, and "follow" or "nofollow," which dictates whether search engines should follow links on the page. This is particularly useful for managing the visibility of content that is not meant for public indexing, such as private or duplicate pages, and for managing the flow of link equity (or "link juice") to certain pages.

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FAQ

1. What is the difference between "noindex" and "nofollow"?

   • "noindex" tells search engines not to index a page and exclude it from search results, whereas "nofollow" instructs them not to follow or pass authority through the links on a page.

2. Can I use multiple directives in one meta robots tag?

   • Yes, you can use multiple directives by separating them with a comma, e.g., <meta name="robots" content="noindex, follow">.

3. Will using "noindex" remove a page from search engines immediately?

   • No, it won't remove a page immediately. The change will take effect the next time the search engine crawls the page.

4. Is the meta robots tag case-sensitive?

   • No, the directives in the Meta robots tag are not case-sensitive, but it's a best practice to use lowercase.

5. Do all search engines obey the meta robots tag?

   • While major search engines like Google and Bing respect the meta robots tag, not all crawlers and bots guarantee to follow these instructions.

Benefits

Using the Meta robots tag effectively can help improve a website's SEO by ensuring search engines index and crawl pages as intended. It can protect private content, reduce wasted crawl budget on duplicate or irrelevant pages, and help manage the flow of page authority throughout your site.

Conclusion

The Meta robots tag is a powerful tool for webmasters and SEO professionals. By providing specific directives to search engines, it allows for precise control over the visibility and indexing of web content. This control is essential for optimizing a site's presence in search engine results, managing private or duplicate content, and directing the flow of link equity to prioritize pages for ranking.