What does noindex mean?
Unlike nofollow, the noindex attribute is placed directly on the page itself. This difference is fundamental to understanding nofollow vs. noindex. Indeed, noindex tells search engines not to index the page in question.
Technically, this translates into the code meta name=”robots” content=”noindex”> in the header of your web page.
How do I use them?
These attributes are valuable in many specific situations. Typically, they apply to pages you want to keep out of the index or without passing on authority. Think of staging sites or multiple versions of the same page to avoid duplicate content.
When to use nofollow
The nofollow attribute plays an essential role in the fight against spam. It helps you effectively control the number of links between your pages. This regulation protects you against possible penalties imposed by search engines.
Please note, however, that nofollow will never prevent your pages from being indexed. So don't think of it as a solution for blocking indexing.
Examples of use
Imagine that you regularly insert links to an affiliate site in the footer of a site you've created. Without nofollow, you'd create thousands of identical links between domains.
Fortunately, the nofollow attribute solves this problem by allowing users to see these links while preventing the crawlers to account for them.
On the other hand, nofollow gives you a degree of control over crawler paths. However, its effectiveness varies according to how each crawler interprets this attribute.
For Google specifically, its crawler will not follow a link marked nofollow. This feature is particularly useful on complex sites requiring precise crawl management.
When to use “noindex”:
The “noindex” attribute seems simpler, but also hides its subtleties. When a page contains this tag in its header, search engines understand that they must not index it.
Generally, “noindex” is associated with Disallow directives to ensure that these pages never appear in Google's index.
This directive is mainly used on development sites to protect your temporary URLs from unwanted exposure.
Another use case concerns duplicate content. Your archives, printable versions or other similar content can be given the “noindex” attribute to concentrate authority on a single main page.
Warnings
As is often the case in SEO, certain situations can complicate the use of these attributes. Here are a few important exceptions to be aware of, to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Different crawlers
Remember that not all crawlers work in the same way. Even if Google respects your guidelines, others may ignore them. Never publish sensitive content relying solely on these attributes.
Alternatives and official versions
The noindex tag is useful, but other solutions may be more appropriate depending on the situation. For pages in different languages, use the hreflang tag. Likewise, a canonical tag is better suited to managing different versions of the same page.
Sometimes, Google may ignore your noindex guidelines and display “Indexed, but blocked by the ‘noindex' tag” in Search Console. In this case, consider other approaches or perhaps reconsider your strategy for this specific page.
When in doubt, don't leave it to chance. Take the approach that makes the most sense for you. Don't hesitate to contact us to take advantage of our expert SEO services.
Co-founder of Smart Impact.Passionate about the web from the outset, he launched his first project in 2006: an online music magazine that is still running today. With almost 20 years' experience in SEO, a federal diploma in marketing and a solid geek culture, he and his team transform customers' (sometimes vague) ideas into concrete digital projects.