The magic of Google
1. Crawling: The digital spider
2. Indexing: Sorting and organizing
3. Deliver relevant results
How long does the indexing process take?
Tips for smooth indexing
The magic of Google
Think of Google as the librarian of the internet. It is responsible for organizing and categorizing information from countless websites so that it immediately delivers the most relevant results when you search for something.
But wait a minute, before Google can even display your website in a search within the vast expanses of the internet, it first has to know that your site exists.
The secret behind it? Google makes it all possible through something we call "crawling". Let's take a look at the speedy search function that tracks down our websites in the digital jungle!
1. Crawling: The digital spider
Google uses special programs called "crawlers" or "spiders" that crawl the web the way spiders crawl their webs.
They follow links from one website to another and explore the huge online landscape. They use these links to discover new pages and crawl through older content. So when you create a new website or add new content to your existing website, these crawlers come knocking and make a note of the address and content of your website.
2. Indexing: Sorting and organizing
Think of indexing as the way Google stores information for quick retrieval. Like the librarian who keeps his library catalog in order with all available books, Google stores the information of all websites in a gigantic virtual catalog, the index. This is where the content of your site is organized and categorized according to topic, relevance and keywords.
3. Deliver relevant results
Only now does the Google search we know come into play. When someone starts typing on Google, the algorithm begins to predict the rest of the query. Billions of websites are scoured in the index and evaluated by various factors such as keywords, quality of the page or the user's location. The entries that have been classified as valuable are displayed to users as clickable links in a list. In most cases, the entire process takes less than a tenth of a second.
How long does the indexing process take?
Ah, the million dollar question! While there is no exact time frame, indexing typically takes anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks. Google's crawlers are constantly on the move, but the timeline can depend on factors such as the size of your site, the quality of the content and the frequency of your updates. Don't worry if you don't see immediate results: good things take time, and indexing is no exception.
Tips for smooth indexing
Now you've familiarized yourself with the indexing process. Let's talk about how you can make sure your website gets noticed by Google.
- Write high-quality content:
Google loves fresh and relevant content. This should address the needs and questions of your target group. Update your website regularly with high-quality articles, blog posts, images and videos.
- Use relevant keywords:
Incorporate relevant keywords into your content in a natural way. These are the words or phrases that people are likely to use when searching for topics related to your website.
- Submission of the sitemap:
The sitemap is a list that shows Google all the important points on your website and ensures that nothing is overlooked. Creating and submitting a sitemap to Google can help the crawlers find your content more efficiently. You can find more information on this at Google for Developers.
- Optimization for mobile devices:
Creating a responsive website is about designing it in such a way that it adapts seamlessly to different devices and ensures an optimal user experience regardless of screen size. This benefits Google as it improves the usability of the website and reduces the bounce rate. It also increases user engagement, i.e. interest and interaction with your website. All of this contributes to better search results and a positive impression among your visitors.
- Build high-quality backlinks:
First of all, what are backlinks? When other websites link to yours, this is called a backlink and you can think of it as a "thumbs up" from that website. High-quality backlinks from reputable websites increase the credibility and visibility of your website in the eyes of Google. Think of them as the online version of a reference, helping you to appear higher up in the search results.
- Avoid duplicate content:
Imagine you're at a party and everyone is telling the same story over and over again. Yawn, how boring... Well, it's the same for Google if your website tells the same story as another website. It wants each website to be a unique star and not a copycat. If there are duplicates, Google no longer knows which site to show in the search results. So your content could get lost in the crowd instead of shining. That's why it's important to keep blog posts, news and your homepage up to date.
Remember that while the indexing process may seem like magic, it is based on logic and algorithms. With creativity and new content, you can improve your search engine ranking. Happy indexing!
