Controlling Crawlers: Meta Name Robots Noindex Nofollow

Many technical aspects must be considered regarding search engine optimization (SEO). One of these is the “meta name robots content” tag, which can tell search engine crawlers whether or not to index or follow a particular page on your website. In this beginner-friendly guide, we’ll explain the meta name robots content tag, how it works, and how you can use it to improve your SEO.

What is the meta name robots content tag?

The meta name robots content tag is an HTML tag that can tell search engine crawlers how to handle a particular page on your website. The tag can be used to specify whether or not the page should be indexed and whether or not the links on the page should be followed.

The tag is usually placed in the head section of a web page and is written in the following format:

<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow">

Here’s what each part of the tag means:
– meta name=”robots”: This tells the search engine crawler that this tag is related to how the page should be indexed and crawled.
– content=”noindex”: This tells the crawler not to index the page, which means the page won’t appear in search engine results pages (SERPs).
– content=”nofollow”: This tells the crawler not to follow any links on the page, which means that any links on the page won’t be used to pass authority to other pages on your site

Why use the meta name robots content tag?

There are several reasons why you might want to use the meta name robots content tag:

• Duplicate content: If you have multiple pages on your site with similar content, you might want to use the no-index tag to prevent search engines from seeing them as duplicate content.
• Private content: If you have pages on your site that are only meant for specific users (such as members-only pages), you might want to use the no index tag to prevent them from appearing in search engine results.
• Low-quality content: If you have pages on your site that you don’t want search engines to index (such as thin content or pages with low-quality content), you might want to use the no-index tag to prevent them from showing up in search engine results.
• Unimportant pages: If you have pages on your site that aren’t important for SEO (such as thank you pages or confirmation pages), you might want to use the no index tag to prevent them from appearing in search engine results.

How to use the meta name robots content tag

Here’s how you can use the meta name robots content tag on your website:

• Determine which pages you want to no-index or nofollow: Look at your website and determine which pages you want to prevent search engines from indexing or following.
• Add the tag to the head section of the page: Once you’ve identified the pages you want to no-index or nofollow, add the tag to the head section of the page. Here’s an example:

<meta name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow">

• Check your work: After adding the tag, check your work to ensure it works as intended. You can do this using a tool like Google Search Console or a third-party SEO tool.

Best practices for using the meta name robots content tag

Here are some best practices for using the meta name robots content tag:

1. Use the tag sparingly: Only use the noindex or nofollow tag on pages you don’t want to appear in search engine results.
2. Use the tag consistently: Using the no-index or nofollow tag on multiple pages, use it consistently across all pages.
3. Use other methods for private content: If you have pages meant for specific users, it’s best to use other methods (such as user authentication) to prevent them from accessing those pages rather than relying on the no-index tag.
4. Use the nofollow tag sparingly: Only use the nofollow tag on links you don’t want to pass authority to other pages on your site. It’s important to remember that using the nofollow tag on all links can harm your site’s overall SEO.
5. Don’t use the tag to hide low-quality content: Using the noindex tag to hide low-quality content on your site is not a good long-term strategy. Instead, focus on improving the quality of the content on those pages.
6. Keep an eye on your site’s crawl budget: If you have a large site with many pages, using the no-index or nofollow tag on too many pages can impact your site’s crawl budget. This is because search engines will spend less time crawling pages that aren’t indexed or followed.

The meta name robots content tag is a powerful tool for controlling how search engine crawlers interact with your website. By using the tag strategically, you can improve your site’s overall SEO and prevent low-quality or unimportant pages from showing up in search engine results. However, it’s important to use the tag sparingly and consistently and monitor your site’s crawl budget to ensure that you’re not inadvertently blocking important pages from crawling and indexing. With these best practices in mind, you can use the meta name robots content tag to take control of your site’s SEO and improve its visibility in search engine results pages.