Ever stumbled upon a page in Google search results that you know shouldn’t be there? Or maybe you’re concerned about how search engines are crawling through your site, potentially indexing sensitive information.
If you’ve asked yourself questions like:
- “How can I hide certain pages from search results?”
- “Is there a way to protect private areas of my site?”
- “What’s the best way to manage duplicate content?”
Then you’re about to discover the power of noindex, nofollow, and disallow. These simple commands are like traffic signals for search engines, guiding them on what to crawl, what to index, and what to ignore.
Don’t worry, you don’t need to be an SEO expert to understand how these tools work. This guide will break it all down in plain terms, giving you the knowledge you need to optimize your website’s search presence. Let’s get started!
What are Disallow, Noindex, and Nofollow Commands
| Command | Purpose | How to Use | Example |
noindex | Exclude a page from search results. | Meta tag in page’s <head> section | <meta name=”robots” content=”noindex”> |
nofollow | Don’t pass link authority to the linked page. | Attribute in the link tag | <a href=”…” rel=”nofollow”>…</a> |
disallow | Prevent search engines from crawling a page or directory. | Directive in robots.txt file | Disallow: /example-directory/ |
Noindex: This is your way of politely telling search engines, “Please don’t include this page in your search results.” It’s not a matter of blocking or hiding the page; it’s simply a request for it not to be displayed to users who are searching on Google or other engines. The page will still exist on your website and be accessible through direct links, but it won’t appear in search results.
Nofollow: Think of this as a gentle nudge to search engines, saying, “Don’t follow this link.” It’s a way to control the flow of what’s called “link juice” or ranking power. When you add a nofollow tag to a link, you’re essentially telling search engines not to consider that link when calculating the linked page’s authority or relevance. This can be useful for links you don’t necessarily endorse, like those in comments or user-generated content.
Disallow: This is the heavy hitter of the group. When you use a disallow directive in your website’s robots.txt file, you’re essentially building a virtual fence around certain areas of your site. Search engine bots will respect this directive and avoid crawling the pages or directories you’ve specified. It’s a powerful way to keep sensitive information or pages you don’t want indexed completely off the search engine radar.
Each of these commands has its own unique role to play in shaping how search engines interact with your website. By understanding how and when to use them, you can take back control and ensure your site is seen in the way you intend.
When to Use Noindex
Imagine you have pages on your website that serve a purpose but aren’t meant for the general public. These might include:
- Thank you pages: These are great for acknowledging a customer’s order or form submission, but they don’t need to show up in search results.
- Internal search result pages: These are helpful for navigating your own site, but they’re not relevant to someone searching on Google.
- Staging or test pages: You definitely don’t want unfinished or duplicate versions of your pages confusing visitors who find them through search.
- Admin or login pages: These pages are for authorized users only and don’t need to be indexed.
- Pages with very thin content: If a page has little to no valuable information, it might not be worth including in search results.
By adding a noindex tag to these pages, you can keep them out of search results while still allowing them to function on your website.
When to Use Nofollow
Nofollow comes in handy when you want to control how search engines interpret the links on your page. You might use it for:
- Paid links or advertisements: To avoid potential penalties, it’s best practice to nofollow links that you’ve paid for.
- User-generated content: Links in comments or forum posts can be spammy, so nofollowing them helps protect your site’s reputation.
- Links to untrusted sites: If you need to link to a website you’re not 100% sure of, using nofollow adds a layer of caution.
- Affiliate links: While some affiliate programs require nofollow, it’s generally a good idea to use it even if it’s not mandatory.
- Links in press releases or other promotional materials: Nofollowing these links helps maintain a natural link profile for your website.
Nofollow doesn’t mean the link won’t be clicked by users – it just signals to search engines that you don’t want to vouch for the linked page.
When to Use Disallow
Disallow is your most powerful tool for controlling what search engine bots crawl on your site. Here are some scenarios where you might use it:
- Sensitive information: Protect private data like user account pages or financial information by disallowing search engines from accessing them.
- Duplicate content: If you have multiple versions of the same content (e.g., printer-friendly pages), disallow the duplicates to avoid confusing search engines.
- Resource-intensive pages: Some pages might be heavy on resources and not worth the crawl budget for search engines. Disallow them to save crawling resources for more important pages.
- Pages under development: Keep unfinished or incomplete pages from being indexed prematurely by disallowing them.
- Specific file types: You might want to disallow certain file types like PDFs or images if they’re not relevant to your website’s main content.
Keep in mind that disallow is a blunt tool. If you disallow a page, search engines won’t see the noindex tag on that page. So, if you want a page to be excluded from search results, use noindex before you disallow it.
Yes, You Can Combine Noindex and Disallow Together
In some cases, using both noindex and disallow can be a strategic move. Here’s how it works:
- Noindex First: Begin by adding the noindex tag to the page you want to remove from search results. This signals to search engines not to include the page in their index.
- Wait for Removal: Give search engines some time to crawl your site and see the noindex tag. This usually takes a few days or weeks, but you can monitor the process in tools like Google Search Console.
- Disallow Second: Once you’ve confirmed the page is no longer in search results, add the disallow directive to your robots.txt file. This prevents search engine bots from crawling the page in the future, saving your crawl budget for more important pages.
Why use both?
Combining noindex and disallow offers a two-pronged approach to controlling a page’s visibility:
- Noindex ensures that the page won’t appear in search results, even if it’s linked to from other sites.
- Disallow prevents unnecessary crawling, which can be helpful for pages that are resource-intensive or contain sensitive information.
Scenarios for Combining Noindex and Disallow
This combo is particularly effective for:
- Private or sensitive pages: Ensure maximum protection for pages with confidential data.
- Staging or development sites: Keep test versions of your site out of search results and away from curious bots.
- Duplicate content: Thoroughly address duplicate content issues by removing the duplicates from the index and preventing them from being crawled.
Important Considerations
- Order of Operations: Remember, crawling happens before indexing. So, if you disallow a page first, search engines won’t see the noindex tag. Always noindex first, then disallow.
- Monitoring: Keep an eye on your website’s search performance using tools like Google Search Console. This will help you ensure that the combined strategy is working as intended.
When you combine noindex and disallow, you’ll have even greater control over how search engines interact with your website.
Have specific questions and need to know the answer? Here are a few common questions and the correct solutions:
| Question | Answer | Command(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Do I want this page to show up in search results? | No | noindex |
| Do I want search engines to crawl this page at all? | No | disallow |
| Is the page already indexed? | Yes – Use noindex first, then disallow after the page is removed from search results. <br>No – You can use disallow. | noindex, then disallow or just disallow |
| Do I want to pass link authority to this page? | No | nofollow |
| Is the page for a specific purpose, like a thank-you page or login page? | Yes | noindex |
| Does the page contain duplicate content? | Yes | noindex or canonical |
| Is the page under development or incomplete? | Yes | noindex and disallow |
Best Practices for Noindex, Nofollow, and Disallow
Think of these best practices as your roadmap for using these commands like a pro:
- Plan Strategically: Before making any changes, take the time to map out your SEO goals and identify the pages you want to impact. Having a clear strategy will guide your decisions and prevent missteps.
- Start with Noindex, Then Disallow: Prioritize adding the noindex tag to pages you want removed from search results. Once the page is de-indexed, use disallow to prevent future crawling and conserve crawl budget.
- Use Nofollow Judiciously: Apply nofollow only to specific links where it’s necessary, such as paid links, user-generated content, or links to untrusted sources. Avoid overusing nofollow, as it can impact your site’s overall link equity.
- Monitor and Adapt: Regularly check your website’s search performance using tools like Google Search Console. Monitor crawl reports to ensure bots are following your directives, and make adjustments if needed based on performance data.
- Explore Alternatives: Consider other options besides these commands. For instance, password-protect sensitive pages, or use canonical tags to manage duplicate content. Sometimes, the best solution is a simple one.
- Consider Robots Meta Tag Variations: Explore the nuances of the robots meta tag beyond just “noindex” and “nofollow.” For example, you can use
max-snippet:[number]to limit the length of a page’s description in search results ormax-image-preview:largeto control the size of image previews. - Check Your Implementation: Always double-check your code and robots.txt file to ensure commands are placed correctly and don’t inadvertently block essential pages or resources.
- Test Thoroughly: After making changes, test your website to verify that the commands are working as expected. Use a robots.txt testing tool or fetch and render features in Google Search Console.
- Stay Informed: Search engine guidelines and best practices can evolve, so stay updated on the latest recommendations to ensure your strategies remain effective.
- Integrate with Overall SEO: Remember, these commands are just one piece of the SEO puzzle. Combine them with a comprehensive SEO strategy that includes high-quality content, relevant keywords, and strong backlinks for optimal results.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Disallowing Important Pages: Be extra cautious when editing your robots.txt file. Accidentally disallowing key pages can severely harm your site’s visibility.
- Noindexing Your Entire Site: Always ensure your homepage and other crucial pages are indexable by search engines.
- Overusing Nofollow: Avoid nofollowing all external links as this can signal to search engines that you’re not a trustworthy source.
- Ignoring Canonical Tags: If you have duplicate content, prioritize canonical tags over noindex or disallow.
- Forgetting to Update: Regularly review your robots.txt file and meta tags to ensure they align with your current SEO strategy and website structure.
Conclusion: Your Website, Your Way
Think of noindex, nofollow, and disallow as your toolbox for shaping how search engines interact with your website. By understanding how these commands work and when to use them, you gain the power to:
- Control what pages appear in search results.
- Protect sensitive information.
- Guide search engine bots through your site.
- Manage duplicate content.
- Save crawl budget for your most important pages.
Remember, these tools aren’t meant to be used haphazardly. Take the time to strategize, monitor your results, and adjust your approach as needed. By doing so, you’ll ensure that your website is presented to the world exactly as you intend.
