SEO processes can be compared to the tasks of a librarian. Discovering web pages is like finding new books, crawling resembles skimming through them, rendering is akin to reading and experiencing the books, indexing is similar to cataloging them, and ranking equates to recommending books to visitors. Additionally, a ‘no-index’ tag is like a ‘not for public viewing’ label on a book, while 301 and 302 redirects are comparable to relocating books with proper signage for guidance.
So how does that fit into the story of SEO?
Read on!
Expanding the Library Analogy for SEO
Imagine you’re a librarian in a vast library. Your role is multifaceted: you discover, evaluate, organize, and recommend books. This process closely mirrors the way search engines like Google operate in the digital world. Let’s delve into this analogy to understand SEO better.
1. Discover: Finding New Books
As a librarian, your first task is to find new books to add to your library. These books come to your attention through various means – whether through recommendations, browsing bookstores, or publishers’ catalogs. In the digital world, this is how search engines discover new web pages, primarily through links from other sites or sitemap submissions.
2. Crawl: Evaluating the Books
Once a new book catches your eye, you skim through it to understand its content and theme. This is similar to how search engine bots crawl a webpage, examining its URL, headings, content, and meta tags to understand what it’s about.
3. Render: Experiencing the Book
Next, you read the book more thoroughly, experiencing it as any reader would. This step is akin to search engines rendering web pages to see how users would experience them, including loading images and executing JavaScript.
4. Index: Cataloging the Book
After determining a book’s value, you catalog it in the library’s system, placing it in the right section based on its subject. Similarly, search engines index web pages, storing them in a database under appropriate categories and keywords.
5. Rank: Recommending Books
Finally, when visitors ask for recommendations, you suggest books based on their relevance and quality. Search engines do the same, ranking web pages in search results based on factors like relevance, authority, and user experience.
Next, there are some technical ways we can help the visitors of the library 🙂
No-Index: ‘Not for Public Viewing’ Books
In our library, there might be certain books that you decide should not be displayed or lent out to the public. These could be rare manuscripts, reference books, or works under revision. You label these as ‘not for public viewing’. In the digital world, a ‘no-index’ tag serves a similar purpose. When you apply a ‘no-index’ tag to a webpage, you’re telling search engines that this page should not be included in their index, much like the books you keep away from public access. One thing you should keep in mind: the book needs to be there to attach the label to it. So should a webpage: you can only attach the label “no-index” is the page exists.
301 Redirect: Relocating Books with Proper Signage
Imagine you had a popular book in a specific section, but you’ve decided to permanently move it to another section. To ensure that library visitors can find it, you put up a sign at the old location directing them to the new one. This is akin to a 301 redirect in SEO, which is used when a webpage has been permanently moved to a new URL. The redirect guides both search engines and users to the new page, transferring most of the original page’s ranking power.
302 Redirect: Temporarily Relocating Books
Now, suppose there’s a book you’ve temporarily moved – maybe it’s part of a special exhibit or being rebound. In the library, you would place a note indicating that this is a temporary situation. In website terms, a 302 redirect is used for a temporary relocation of a webpage. It tells search engines that the move is not permanent, and they should keep checking back for when the page returns to its original URL.
Next Steps for Website Owners and SEO Enthusiasts
- Audit Your Website: Regularly check for broken links (404 errors) and update your sitemap to ensure search engines can discover and index your content efficiently.
- Optimize Content for Crawling and Indexing: Structure your content clearly with relevant headings and meta tags to make it easier for search engines to understand and categorize it.
- Improve User Experience: Just like a librarian ensures a book is enjoyable and easy to read, focus on making your website user-friendly and engaging.
- Monitor Your SEO Performance: Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to keep track of how your website is performing in search rankings and make adjustments as needed.
- Stay Informed and Adapt: SEO is an ever-evolving field. Keep learning and adapting your strategies to stay ahead.