What Are "Noindex" Meta Tags?
"Noindex" is meta tag that can be attached to the HTML code of a web page, which instructs Google crawlers not to index a specific page to ensure it doesn’t show up in SERPs.
This simply means, when you add a "noindex" meta tag to a webpage, you are telling search engines that "they" cannot add the page into its search index even though "they" can crawl the page.
All pages with the "noindex" directive on it will go into the search engine's search index, and will not be shown in search engine results pages.
Importance Of "Noindex" Meta Tags
"Noindex" is an important tag to use when you don’t want a specific page showing up in SERPs. If a page has little value to the user, or perhaps has information you don’t want to be seen by the general public, a noindex tag will do the job.
In a lot of cases, it also helps websites avoid being penalised for perceived black hat SEO techniques like duplicate content. This means websites preemptively dodge a fall in rankings and traffic.
When Should You Use "Noindex"?
There are quite a few different scenarios when you should use a "noindex" tag. These include:
1. Admin Pages
Obviously, company login pages do not need to be seen by end users of a website. Therefore, a noindex solves this issue, and keeps admin pages for you and your colleague’s eyes only.
2. Duplicated Pages
While first and foremost the canonical tag should be used to deal with duplicated content, there are certain situations when you should use noindex.
If you are the sole contributor of content to a website, an author page is unnecessary and probably largely matches the content of your homepage. Noindex this, there will be no love lost.
3. Community Posts
If you have a website that allows community members to create a profile to contribute blog posts or content, this is something you will want to regulate.
You only want the profiles who contribute the best content to show up on SERPs, because this is an indicator of website authority and good UX (User Experience).
Noindex profiles that contribute thin or poor content, in order to avoid undermining the integrity of your website.
4. Thin Content
Google cares about quality content, it’s the reason why the Panda and Penguin algorithms exist. Websites that contribute high-quality web pages will be rewarded, while those with thin and irrelevant content will appear low in the rankings.
Therefore, if you have content that you don’t want to delete for whatever reason, but also do not want this content to act as a representation of your website, noindex it.
5. Exclusive Pages
If you have paid-for content that is only accessible through membership, then you should noindex these pages to prevent non-paying users from viewing your content for free.
6. Unnecessary Pages That Add No Value
‘Thank you’ pages, whilst a nice added touch for a customer after they have made a purchase, do not need to be visible in SERPs. Noindex these pages to prevent your website looking silly.
Tools You Can Use to Implement "Noindex" Tags
There are tools that can be very helpful for implementing your "noindex" tags.
- Screaming Frog
- Yoast SEO tool ( Free)
How Can We Help?
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