Crawling & Indexing Checklist

Want to make sure your website is visible to search engines? This technical SEO checklist will help you optimize crawling and indexing so your site appears in search results, improves ranking, and avoids being ignored by Google bots.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. What Is Crawling and Indexing?
3. Crawling & Indexing Checklist
   • Clean URL Structure
   • Redirect Domain Versions
   • Create an XML Sitemap
   • Remove Thin Pages
   • Set Canonical Tags
   • Check Google Search Console Coverage
   • Audit Crawl Stats
   • Optimize robots.txt
   • Fix Duplicate Content
   • Block Search Results Pages
   • Fix Trailing Slashes
   • Use HTTPS Everywhere
   • Remove Internal HTTP Links
   • Log File Analysis
   • Customize Your 404 Page
   • Manage Site Filters
   • Control URL Parameters
4. Conclusion
5. FAQs

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Introduction

In technical SEO, two of the most foundational concepts are crawling and indexing. These determine whether your site will be found and ranked by search engines like Google. If your site isn’t crawled properly, your content won’t appear in search results—period.

Based on our hands-on experience managing technical SEO for over 50+ websites, we’ve developed this complete checklist to help ensure your site is optimized for both crawling and indexing. We’ll break down each step with clear examples and expert-backed strategies.

What Is Crawling and Indexing?

• Crawling is the process by which search engines discover new and updated content using bots (like Googlebot).
• Indexing is how the search engine stores and organizes that content so it can appear in search results.

According to Google Search Central, “Google uses automated software called crawlers to explore the web. The pages discovered by crawlers are then indexed based on their content and structure.”

If crawling or indexing fails, your content won’t be found—no matter how great it is.

Crawling & Indexing Checklist

1. Clean URL Structure

Use short, readable, keyword-rich URLs. Avoid special characters and unnecessary folders.

Example: example.com/seo-basics instead of example.com/blog?id=23

2. Redirect Domain Versions

301 redirect all non-preferred domain versions (e.g., http://www, https://www) to a single canonical version.

3. Create an XML Sitemap

Generate a dynamic sitemap that updates automatically. Submit it to Google Search Console.

Recommended tool: Screaming Frog XML Sitemap Generator

4. Remove Thin Pages

Avoid publishing pages with little or no unique content. Consolidate or enhance low-value pages.

5. Set Canonical Tags

Prevent duplicate content issues by setting the canonical tag for each page.

Example: <link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/blog">

6. Check Google Search Console Coverage

Use the Coverage report to identify indexation issues like crawled but not indexed, excluded pages, etc.

7. Audit Crawl Stats

In GSC’s Crawl Stats report, monitor crawl frequency and identify sudden drops or spikes.

8. Optimize robots.txt

Ensure robots.txt is not blocking important pages. Allow essential resources (CSS/JS).

9. Fix Duplicate Content

Use canonical tags, 301 redirects, or meta noindex to address duplicate pages.

Reference: Moz – Duplicate Content

10. Block Search Results Pages

Prevent search results or tag pages from being indexed using noindex or disallow in robots.txt.

11. Fix Trailing Slashes

Decide between trailing or non-trailing slashes and stay consistent.

12. Use HTTPS Everywhere

Migrate your site to HTTPS. Google considers it a ranking factor.

13. Remove Internal HTTP Links

Ensure all internal links point to the HTTPS version to avoid mixed content warnings.

14. Log File Analysis

Analyze server logs to understand how bots are crawling your site.

Tool Suggestion: Log File Analyzer by Screaming Frog

15. Customize Your 404 Page

Provide a user-friendly 404 page with helpful links and navigation.

16. Manage Site Filters

Avoid indexation issues from internal filtering options (e.g., product sort parameters).

17. Control URL Parameters

Set parameter rules in GSC to avoid duplicate content or crawl budget waste.

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Conclusion

A well-optimized crawling and indexing strategy ensures your content gets discovered and ranked. These 17 steps form the backbone of technical SEO and should be routinely checked, especially after major site changes or redesigns.

Need help with your technical SEO audit? Get in touch with our team

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FAQs

1. What is the difference between crawling and indexing?

Crawling is discovering content; indexing is storing and ranking it.

2. How do I know if my site is being crawled?

Use Google Search Console > Crawl Stats and look for bot activity.

3. How often should I check my XML sitemap?

After any significant update, and at least monthly as a routine check.

4. Can robots.txt prevent indexing?

Yes, if misconfigured, it can block essential pages from being indexed.

5. What causes duplicate content issues?

Multiple URLs showing the same content without canonicalization or redirection.

6. Should I noindex my tag or category pages?

If they provide little SEO value or duplicate content, yes.

7. What is a canonical tag and why use it?

It tells search engines the preferred version of a page to avoid duplicate content.

8. Is HTTPS a ranking factor?

Yes, Google confirmed HTTPS is a lightweight but effective ranking signal.

9. What tools help with log file analysis?

Screaming Frog Log File Analyzer is a reliable choice for beginners and pros.

10. What’s a good 404 page design tip?

Include a search bar, helpful links, and a friendly message to guide users back.