subject: Indexing: How To Get All Of Your Web Pages Indexed In The Major Search Engines [print this page] A website is more than just a home pageA website is more than just a home page. In fact, it is useful to think of a website as a cluster of mini websites, with each of the inner pages being a full-fledged website. Depending on the content of these inner pages, visitors will enter your site through these "side doors" on the strength of search engine queries that match the content of these interior pages.
This is great news for you, especially if you have a lot of pages with interesting content. However, if these inner pages are not indexed in the search engines, then you will not gain the advantages of all this "extra" traffic. Here are some steps to take to make sure that all of your pages are "spidered" and included in the major search engines.
1. First, make a check to determine your present indexing position
Normally when a search engine robot finds your main page, it will then follow links to your inner pages, and continue following links until all of your pages have been indexed. If your site is well constructed, and search-engine friendly then all of your pages may already be indexed. You can find out how you are doing by going to Google, Yahoo or MSN and making the following search query: site:www.yoursite.com . The results of this query will show you how many of your pages are already included and which pages they are.
2. Improve the navigation system of your site to make your links search engine friendly
If you do a check and find that only your main page or only a few of your pages are indexed and the rest are not, then it is important to look at your link and navigation structure and to make changes that will enable search engine robots to find and follow all of your links.
Links to inner pages that are contained in the javascript of drop-down menus or as "hot spots" on graphics are more difficult for spiders to recognize and follow. If your site uses this kind of navigation structure, then it may be helpful to add an additional text link navigation system at the bottom of the pages. This will not only help the search engine robots, but will also give your visitors another handy way to go on to the other pages of your website.
3. Build an html site map with text links to all of your pages
A site map is something like a table of contents. Construct a web page using your usual graphical and navigation, so that it matches the rest of your website. In the main content section of that page, make a text link to each of your pages, using the title tag of those pages as the clickable link text, and putting the description tag of the page as text below the link. Putting the descriptive text under the link does not affect the work of the search engine robots but it will help your visitors to choose which page to click on.
Indexing: How To Get All Of Your Web Pages Indexed In The Major Search Engines
