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  4. Should search pages be indexed?

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Should search pages be indexed?

Technical SEO
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  • RebekahVP
    RebekahVP last edited by Apr 8, 2019, 4:45 AM

    Hey guys,

    I've always believed that search pages should be no-indexed but now I'm wondering if there is an argument to index them?

    Appreciate any thoughts!

    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
    • Xiano
      Xiano Subscriber @RebekahVP last edited by Apr 16, 2019, 7:57 AM Apr 16, 2019, 7:57 AM

      I would definitely not allow search engines to index those type of results pages. To be fair, they're unlikely to come across them as a bot wouldn't typically fill in a search box to search, but ey might follow a link from somewhere else. For products, I would definitely want to be using category (or similar) pages to define what the search engines saw.

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • RebekahVP
        RebekahVP @jacobmartinnn last edited by Apr 16, 2019, 7:49 AM Apr 16, 2019, 7:49 AM

        Thanks Jahir, any particular reason?

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • RebekahVP
          RebekahVP @Xiano last edited by Apr 16, 2019, 7:49 AM Apr 16, 2019, 7:49 AM

          Thanks Alex, I mean search bars on eCommerce sites. More specifically, a search bar that filters down to products.

          For help centre searches, I can understand why having the search box indexed would be useful - just don't think it would be a good idea for specific product searches. But I've never made a pro-con list so was looking more for opinions 🙂

          Xiano 1 Reply Last reply Apr 16, 2019, 7:57 AM Reply Quote 0
          • topic:timeago_earlier,8 days
          • jacobmartinnn
            jacobmartinnn last edited by Apr 8, 2019, 8:17 AM Apr 8, 2019, 8:17 AM

            I prefer not to allow search result pages to be indexed.

            RebekahVP 1 Reply Last reply Apr 16, 2019, 7:49 AM Reply Quote 1
            • Xiano
              Xiano Subscriber last edited by Apr 8, 2019, 4:54 AM Apr 8, 2019, 4:54 AM

              Do you mean pages you initiate the search from, or the search results page? (I know these can be the same thing in some cases)

              I would allow a page that you search from to be indexed, depending upon what it is used to search. Someone who has put a query into Google might find your search page useful in resolving their query.

              I wouldn't allow search results pages to be indexed, for obvious reasons, even for specific searches links from other locations. You'd be better off creating category index pages or similar.

              RebekahVP 1 Reply Last reply Apr 16, 2019, 7:49 AM Reply Quote 1
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