Googlebot refers to the web crawler of Google. It reads web pages and categorises them so users can quickly find answers to their queries. Googlebot has 2 vital functions:
It explores web pages for links so the crawler can categorise as much content as possible.
It collects new information about different web pages to keep the index updated.
Although there is only one name, there are two bot types: Googlebot Smartphone and Googlebot Desktop. The mobile version of the crawler checks how your website works on smartphones and tablets, whereas the latter concentrates on your website’s desktop browser.
Google’s web crawler, Googlebot, has witnessed many updates. Let’s take a close look at some of the most important Google 9.0 updates:
Evergreen Googlebot and
The most noteworthy update is that it works on the latest Chromium rendering engine, supporting the features of the web platform. Furthermore, the search engine has simplified the Googlebot crawler documentation. This update has made finding information about crawlers and Google Safety Bot easier.
Smartphone Googlebot
All websites have been mainly crawled with Googlebot’s mobile version since September 2020. This shows the switch to mobile-focused indexing.
User Agent Updates
The user agent strings of Googlebot 9.0 are kept up-to-date to show the latest changes and modifications in the newest rendering engine.
Crawl Budget Considerations
When crawling the web, Googlebot has to consider several factors. Robots.txt, host health, and bandwidth are the factors that the crawler has to consider.
Specific Crawlers and AI Crawlers
Google uses other crawlers. While some are AI-based, others are especially for specific types of content.
Googlebot Video, Googlebot Image, and Googlebot News align with specific types of content. The Google Cloud VertexBot is an AI crawler specifically curated for building Vertex AI Agents.
Focus On Quality
According to the August 2024 Google 9.0 updates, the main goal is to focus more on quality, original, and useful content to enhance search results.
Content Quality and Originality
Google search engine updates have focused more on high-quality, useful content. Websites should emphasise more on quality content. AI tools help create content, but human insights and creativity are. Content should be interactive, informative, and focused on user searches.
User-Intent Over Keywords
Only optimising keywords isn’t sufficient. Your content should address user requirements, directly respond to user queries, provide relevant information, and offer solutions or inputs that cater to user needs. The focus should be more on user intent, and rather than stuffing keywords,
Recovery from Penalties
Your website may face penalties if your content doesn’t align with Google’s content quality guidelines. Are you worried about how to recover from such penalties? Do not worry, the new Google 9.0 updates give your website a chance to recover. Emphasise more on fixing the issues that the search engine targets, like keyword stuffing, thin content, and low-quality backlinks. Penalty recovery needs long-term plans that enhance content, engage users, and boost the authority of your website.
Avoid Spamming Tactics
Google will constantly penalise spammy search engine optimisation strategies such as link farming, keyword stuffing, and irrelevant content. Websites that depend on such tactics will witness a further drop in SERP rankings. Instead, emphasising more on and creating helpful, original content and organic growth is essential.
Search engine optimisation is a broad field that includes several useful techniques. You may wonder how to use Googlebot to optimise your content. Follow the steps on how to optimise your content with Googlebot:
Ensure that your website is visible to the Google search engine. You can do so with the help of Allow: /” in the robots.txt file.
Refrain from using the no-follow tag on your website’s internal links. Even if you use them, try to minimise them as much as possible. This is because links tell Googlebot crawler not to follow them to their original source.
Generate a sitemap for your website. What is a sitemap? It is a properly organised list of your web pages and crucial information for Googlebot to understand. A sitemap will help crawlers to know about your site and find helpful content.
Use Google Search Console to perform crucial tasks. For instance, submit your sitemaps so the Googlebot crawler can crawl your website URLs quickly. You can also identify errors and fix them.
Googlebot 9.0 is more than an upgrade; it is like a wake-up call for search engine optimisation strategies and webmasters. Websites that focus more on speed, structure, and user experience will be top, whereas the ones that follow outdated practices will stay behind. If you sync your website to the new abilities of Googlebot 9.0, you are not only boosting the rankings but also making your digital presence future-proof. So, optimise your website and allow your content to shine and keep you ahead!
Are you ready to optimise your website as per Googlebot 9.0 and stay ahead? Innovkraft Inc. is your digital partner and the leading SEO agency in Bangalore. We will help you unlock the true potential of your website. Therefore, contact us today!
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