Understanding Google’s Crawl Budget: Insights from Recent SEO Discussions
In the ever-evolving landscape of Search Engine Optimization, many webmasters have raised concerns about crawl budgets, questioning whether this could be the reason behind their site’s indexing difficulties. However, recent discussions suggest that crawl budget issues might not be as prevalent as some fear, especially for websites under one million pages.
The One Million Page Benchmark
During a recent episode of the “Search Off the Record” podcast, Gary Illyes from Google reaffirmed the company’s longstanding guideline regarding crawl budgets. When co-host Martin Splitt posed a question about the thresholds for crawl budgets, Illyes confidently stated, “I would say 1 million is okay probably.”
This response highlights an important takeaway: while the one million page guideline stands firm, it’s essential to recognize the impact of database efficiency on crawl behavior. Even smaller sites could experience crawling challenges if their backend infrastructure is not optimized.
Efficiency Over Size
The insight shared by Illyes serves as a reminder that crawl efficiency is becoming increasingly significant. Google’s focus is not solely on the quantity of pages but rather on how effectively it can access and index them. Thus, regardless of size, a website’s infrastructure must be capable of efficiently handling requests to minimize potential crawl-related issues.
Conclusion: Relax on the Crawl Budget Worries
It’s not uncommon for experts in the SEO community to amplify concerns that may not need to occupy our minds. Thankfully, crawl budgets are not a pressing issue for most, particularly for sites with fewer than a million pages. Instead of worrying about whether your crawl budget is being utilized effectively, consider focusing on enhancing your site’s infrastructure and other critical SEO practices.
For those wanting to dive deeper, be sure to check out the podcast episode for a more comprehensive understanding. You can find it here, along with additional insights on crawl efficiency versus page count from sources like Search Engine Journal here.
Ultimately, in the world of SEO, concerns often arise that may distract from more pressing issues. In the case of crawl budgets, it’s time to take a breath and focus on what truly matters in optimizing our websites for search.