What Is Index Bloat in SEO?
Use Cases
Index Bloat slows down crawling by overloading search engine bots with unnecessary pages, making it harder for important content to get indexed promptly.
By identifying and removing bloated pages, SEOs can ensure that bots focus on high-value URLs, maximizing the effectiveness of their limited crawl budget.
Minimizing index bloat helps search engines concentrate authority on key pages, improving their chances of ranking higher in search results.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What causes index bloat?
Common causes include duplicate pages, thin content, faceted navigation, and unnecessary tag or category URLs being indexed.
How do I identify index bloat?
Use tools like Google Search Console or AI SEO crawlers to compare indexed pages vs. actual valuable content on your site.
Can index bloat hurt my rankings?
Yes, it dilutes ranking signals and may reduce the visibility of key pages due to wasted crawl budget.
Should I noindex or delete bloated pages?
Quarterly reviews are recommended, or after major site changes or content expansions.
How often should I check for index bloat?
Larger sites face greater risks due to higher page volume, but even small sites can suffer if low-value content is indexed.
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