The way search engines like Google organise and store information is similar to a massive catalogue, where they can easily find and retrieve content based on user queries. But what can you do with pages you don't want appearing at the forefront of your results?
Whenever you have a page you don't want customers landing on without context, you can add no-index tags to the page's HTML to prevent search engines from showing it.
Adding No-Index Tags
Access the Funnel or Website tab and edit the page you want to hide.
Once inside the builder, select "SEO metadata" from the menu.
Click "Links & Tags," then the "add" button beside "Custom Meta Tags" to create a new meta tag.
There are two main no-index tags you can use: a Google-specific tag, which prevents only Google from indexing the page, or a universal tag to remove it from all search engines' indexing.
Enter the tag details; these will look slightly different depending on which option you choose.
- For Google-specific blocking, copy googlebot into the name field and noindex into the content field.
- For universal blocking, copy robots into the name field and noindex into the content field.
Click the Update SEO Meta button, then Publish to apply the changes.
This prompts search engines to process the changes and remove the page from their index, without affecting the SEO of your other pages, giving your customers a more streamlined experience.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
Q: How long does it take for the changes to take effect?
A: It can vary, but typically search engines will re-crawl your site within a few days to a few weeks.
Q: Will this affect my site's overall SEO?
A: No, using noindex tags on specific pages should not negatively impact the SEO of your other pages.
Q: Can I reverse this process if I change my mind?
A: Yes, simply remove the tags from the pages and they will eventually be re-indexed by search engines.
Q: Can this be applied to multiple pages?
A: No, these tags need to be added to each page you wish to block from search engines individually.