Database Speed Trumps Page Count for Optimal Crawl Budget Management
When it comes to optimizing your website for search engines, crawl budget has always been a hot topic. However, recent insights from Google’s Search Relations team have shifted the focus from the sheer number of pages to the efficiency of database operations. In this article, we’ll explore this development, how it impacts SEO strategies, and what you can do to maximize your site’s visibility.
The Million-Page Rule Remains Unchanged
In a recent episode of Search Off the Record, Gary Illyes, a key figure in Google’s Search Relations, reiterated a longstanding guideline: websites with over one million pages may need to consider their crawl budget.
Illyes emphasized:
“I would say 1 million is okay probably.”
While this gives a rough benchmark, the notable addition is that even smaller sites face potential crawl issues if their database performance is lacking. Given that the web landscape has evolved considerably in recent years, it’s somewhat surprising that this threshold has remained unchanged since 2020.
The Importance of Database Speed
The heart of the matter lies in database speed. Illyes pointed out that slow databases can severely hinder crawling efficiency, more so than the total page count. He elaborated:
“If you are making expensive database calls, that’s going to cost the server a lot.”
In practical terms, a site with 500,000 pages and slow database queries could encounter more crawling problems than one with 2 million fast-loading static pages. This underlines the necessity of not just counting pages, but actively assessing your database’s performance.
Indexing: The Real Resource Drain
A pivotal takeaway from Illyes’ insights is that the true resource hog is indexing, not crawling. He stated:
“It’s not crawling that is eating up the resources; it’s indexing and potentially serving or what you are doing with the data when you are processing that data.”
This revelation suggests that efforts to block Googlebot may be misdirected. Instead, the focus should shift towards optimizing your content for indexing, making it easier for Google to process once it’s crawled.
A Historical Perspective on Web Growth
Reflecting on the scale of web indexing, Illyes compared today’s figures with the past. In 1994, the World Wide Web Worm indexed merely 110,000 pages, while WebCrawler hit 2 million. These numbers, once considered monumental, now appear modest against today’s vast web landscape. The unchanged one-million-page guideline reflects Google’s capability to manage extensive data without adjusting its crawl budget parameters.
Why Does This Threshold Hold Steady?
Google’s efforts to streamline its crawling footprint face ongoing challenges. As Illyes explains:
“You saved seven bytes from each request that you make, and then this new product will add back eight.”
This cyclical struggle between enhancing efficiency and adding features clarifies why the crawl budget remains a consistent factor in SEO strategy. The fundamental principles, despite evolving technology, have shown resilience.
Actionable Steps for Your SEO Strategy
For Sites Under 1 Million Pages
Focus on excellent content and user experience! Crawl budget is likely not a concern for your site, so keep prioritizing quality.
For Larger Sites
Your immediate task should be to enhance database efficiency. Review the following:
- Query Execution Time
- Caching Effectiveness
- Dynamic Content Generation Speed
For All Sites
Shift your focus from crawl prevention to indexing optimization. With crawling not being the resource issue, facilitate Google’s processing of your content.
Key Technical Checks
Ensure you evaluate:
- Database Query Performance
- Server Response Times
- Content Delivery
- Caching Practices
Looking Ahead: Prepare for Tomorrow
According to Google’s consistent crawl budget guidance, most sites can safely ignore crawl budget concerns. Nevertheless, the emphasis on database performance marks a significant shift for larger websites.
For SEO professionals, this underscores the importance of incorporating database performance into technical audits. Developers, pay close attention to query optimization and caching strategies.
Five years from now, the one-million-page threshold may still hold, but sites that prioritize database performance today will be better positioned for future challenges.
Listen to the full podcast episode here for deeper insights.
By focusing on database efficiency and indexing practices, you can stay ahead of the curve in search engine optimization. Embrace the shift, and let your site flourish!
