The number of pages being indexed is again being pushed as a core KPI in the automotive industry. I assume the vast majority of DrivingSales readers know, but; indexed pages are those web pages that a search engine has crawled and “filed,” which then have the ability to rank (and theoretically earn traffic). In the more elementary stages of web analytics and SEO this number served as an indication of site architecture and “crawlability.” Back then you could use this absolute number as a comparative indicator of success, but that was before the significant improvements in crawler sophistication/scalability … and… well… logic.

Don’t get me wrong, knowing that your site is being indexed is important, but making any kind of decision based solely on the number would be irresponsible. (Unless of course that number is zero, in which case, run Forest, run!) The real problem is that there is always a degree of correlation attached to the number of pages indexed and the overall site traffic and/or site health. This ‘correlation’ was a given when we were in the pre-Panda/Penguin times, but now we’re all much smarter and more capable, right?

Just in case you need a couple additional reasons to question this number, here are a few things to ask yourself to bring context to the equation:

• Where are these pages ranking? (If they rank on page 100, no one will ever click them anyway.)
• Are people actually searching for the terms these pages are being optimized for?
• How much traffic are these pages earning?
• Are people being directed to the best possible pages?
• Do these pages bring the kind of traffic you want?
• Are visitors to these pages converting?

In fact, the most up-to-date webmasters are actually limiting the amount of pages allowed to be indexed through tags and canonicalization - tools that Google endorses to make sure your site is being represented in the best possible way. This actually lowers the potential amount of indexed pages.

With the latest updates to Google you have to remember, it’s sites without quality content that are being punished, not sites with good content being rewarded. This may seem like semantics, but your site may have tens of thousands of low quality pages being indexed - which can outweigh any quality content being bolted on. Make sure search engines are seeing your site's best side.

The number of pages being indexed is again being pushed as a core KPI in the automotive industry. I assume the vast majority of DrivingSales readers know, but; indexed pages are those web pages that a search engine has crawled and “filed,” which then have the ability to rank (and theoretically earn traffic). In the more elementary stages of web analytics and SEO this number served as an indication of site architecture and “crawlability.” Back then you could use this absolute number as a comparative indicator of success, but that was before the significant improvements in crawler sophistication/scalability … and… well… logic.

Don’t get me wrong, knowing that your site is being indexed is important, but making any kind of decision based solely on the number would be irresponsible. (Unless of course that number is zero, in which case, run Forest, run!) The real problem is that there is always a degree of correlation attached to the number of pages indexed and the overall site traffic and/or site health. This ‘correlation’ was a given when we were in the pre-Panda/Penguin times, but now we’re all much smarter and more capable, right?

Just in case you need a couple additional reasons to question this number, here are a few things to ask yourself to bring context to the equation:

• Where are these pages ranking? (If they rank on page 100, no one will ever click them anyway.)
• Are people actually searching for the terms these pages are being optimized for?
• How much traffic are these pages earning?
• Are people being directed to the best possible pages?
• Do these pages bring the kind of traffic you want?
• Are visitors to these pages converting?

In fact, the most up-to-date webmasters are actually limiting the amount of pages allowed to be indexed through tags and canonicalization - tools that Google endorses to make sure your site is being represented in the best possible way. This actually lowers the potential amount of indexed pages.

With the latest updates to Google you have to remember, it’s sites without quality content that are being punished, not sites with good content being rewarded. This may seem like semantics, but your site may have tens of thousands of low quality pages being indexed - which can outweigh any quality content being bolted on. Make sure search engines are seeing your site's best side.

Penguin 2.0 has been rumored to be on the brink of release for a while now. Well it’s finally confirmed here by none other than Matt Cutts himself. We all know that it’s only a matter of time before all of the fear mongers start posting jargon-filled posts meant to scare you into paying for protection. Well I thought I’d attempt to beat them to the punch. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Original content is more important than ever. A big part of the original penguin and what’s being revised in 2.0 is how links are being built. Great content builds natural links. Period. If you are building links in any other way you are at risk of this and future spam updates. I know content can seem cumbersome but it’s not as bad as you think…
2. Get signed up with webmaster tools! A great and much less ‘scary’ update will be the enhanced messaging through webmaster tools. If your site gets hacked, hit by this update or if any significant events occur Google will reach out through webmaster tools with tips on what to do. Given all the tools and insights that were already available in webmaster tools there is no excuse to not have this set up for your site(s)!
3. Social signals appear to be on the rise. As Google continues to try to offer the best results it knows that social relevancy is harder to game than a web index. Plus they REALLY want you to use Google+. So something this update will do is add influence from sites that have a social relevancy for a certain topic. (That’s automotive for you, folks.) Be sure to be active on the main social channels and put your expertise on display!

That's the gist of it! Not so scary right? It’s all about putting the time in and doing things the right way. So now get out there and fight the good fight. Make awesome content. Sign up for webmaster tools. Be social!

Penguin 2.0 has been rumored to be on the brink of release for a while now. Well it’s finally confirmed here by none other than Matt Cutts himself. We all know that it’s only a matter of time before all of the fear mongers start posting jargon-filled posts meant to scare you into paying for protection. Well I thought I’d attempt to beat them to the punch. Here’s what you need to know:

1. Original content is more important than ever. A big part of the original penguin and what’s being revised in 2.0 is how links are being built. Great content builds natural links. Period. If you are building links in any other way you are at risk of this and future spam updates. I know content can seem cumbersome but it’s not as bad as you think…
2. Get signed up with webmaster tools! A great and much less ‘scary’ update will be the enhanced messaging through webmaster tools. If your site gets hacked, hit by this update or if any significant events occur Google will reach out through webmaster tools with tips on what to do. Given all the tools and insights that were already available in webmaster tools there is no excuse to not have this set up for your site(s)!
3. Social signals appear to be on the rise. As Google continues to try to offer the best results it knows that social relevancy is harder to game than a web index. Plus they REALLY want you to use Google+. So something this update will do is add influence from sites that have a social relevancy for a certain topic. (That’s automotive for you, folks.) Be sure to be active on the main social channels and put your expertise on display!

That's the gist of it! Not so scary right? It’s all about putting the time in and doing things the right way. So now get out there and fight the good fight. Make awesome content. Sign up for webmaster tools. Be social!