Learn how to efficiently use IndexNow with Rank Math to drive organic traffic to your website. Get your content indexed quickly and boost your SEO rankings. Find step-by-step instructions and the benefits of using IndexNow in this comprehensive guide.
Driving organic traffic to your website is crucial for its success, and proper indexing of your web content plays a significant role in WordPress SEO. Without proper indexing, search engines won’t be able to find your website, leading to poor rankings and lost potential traffic.
Thankfully, Rank Math offers an Instant Indexing feature called IndexNow, which allows you to submit your URLs to Bing and Yandex for quick indexing. In this article, we’ll guide you on how to use IndexNow with Rank Math to boost your website’s visibility.
Table of Contents
What is IndexNow?
1.1 What is IndexNow?
IndexNow is an initiative by Microsoft Bing and Yandex that enables websites to efficiently submit URLs for crawling and indexing. The protocol allows you to submit your URLs once through the IndexNow API, and all participating search engines will be informed of the latest changes on your site, ensuring quicker reflection of those changes in search results.
1.2 API Key Verification
To ensure legitimacy, search engines verify API key ownership before processing the URL submissions. Fortunately, Rank Math takes care of generating and hosting a unique API key for your website, so you don’t have to worry about technicalities.
How to Configure Automatic URL Submission
2.1 Enabling Instant Indexing Module
Rank Math’s Instant Indexing feature is available in the free version and can be easily activated by navigating to WordPress Dashboard > Rank Math > Dashboard > Modules and enabling the Instant Indexing module.
2.2 Configuring Automatic URL Submission
After enabling the module, head to Rank Math > Instant Indexing > Settings. Here, you can choose the post types you want to submit automatically. Ensure that Rank Math has generated an API Key, and then save your preferences.
Submit URLs Manually
3.1 Submit URLs in Batch
To submit URLs manually, go to Rank Math > Instant Indexing > Submit URLs. You can add multiple URLs (one per line) and submit them for indexing without the need for webmaster tools or an API key.
3.2 Submit Individual Post/Page
For individual posts or page submissions, navigate to the Posts page in WordPress Editor. Hover over the desired post and choose “Instant Indexing: Submit Page” to submit it.
3.3 Instant Indexing Bulk Action
When submitting multiple URLs from the Posts page, use the bulk action feature. Select the posts you want to submit, choose “Instant Indexing: Submit Pages” from Bulk Actions, and click Apply.
Managing API Key
4.1 Change API Key
You can manage the API key generated by Rank Math under Rank Math > Instant Indexing > Settings. If the API key becomes known to third parties, you can regenerate a new one by clicking “Change Key.”
4.2 Check API Key Location
To ensure the API key is accessible to search engines, click “Check Key” under API Key location. If the new tab displays your API key, it means the API key will be served for verification.
Checking the History
5.1 Monitoring Submitted URLs
To check the URLs you’ve submitted, visit the “History” section under Rank Math’s IndexNow. The response codes will indicate the status of your submission.
5.2 Response Codes
- 200 OK: The URL was successfully submitted to the IndexNow API.
- 202 Accepted: The IndexNow API received your URL but needs to validate the API key.
- 400 Bad Request: The URL was not properly formatted.
- 403 Forbidden: The IndexNow API couldn’t find your API key and cannot confirm the URL belongs to your site.
- 422 Unprocessable Entity: The URL belongs to another site and cannot be processed.
- 429 Too Many Requests: The IndexNow API received too many requests beyond the permitted quota.
What Are the Benefits of IndexNow to the Publishers?
6.1 Single Submission
With IndexNow, you only need to submit your URLs once, and all participating search engines will be informed about the changes on your site.
6.2 Faster Publishing
IndexNow reduces crawling demands on the server, enabling quicker indexing and discovery of content by users.
6.3 Reducing Server Load Time
By avoiding the redundant serving of web pages that search engines already have, IndexNow improves server performance.
6.4 Reducing Global Warming Pressures
IndexNow helps reduce global warming pressures by minimizing the energy demands of crawling and indexing.
How to Use IndexNow With Rank Math (Video)
FAQs on IndexNow: Everything You Need to Know
What is meant by IndexNow?
IndexNow is an open-source initiative developed by Microsoft Bing and Yandex. It allows websites to notify search engines about URL and content changes, enabling faster crawling and indexing.
Which search engines are using IndexNow?
Currently, Bing and Yandex are the only search engines using the IndexNow feature, but more are expected to adopt it.
How does the IndexNow module in Rank Math work?
When enabled, Rank Math automatically generates and hosts an API Key for your website. It pings IndexNow whenever you create, update, or delete a post, notifying all participating search engines about the changes.
How many URLs can I submit per day?
There is currently no known limitation on the number of URLs that can be submitted per day, but it’s advised not to exploit this benefit.
Despite submitting the URL, why is my URL not indexed yet?
While IndexNow informs search engines of changes, the crawling and indexing process is at the discretion of each search engine.
IndexNow API Key location leads to a 404 page or homepage. How to fix it?
Manually create a text file with the name [your_api_key].txt and add your API key as the contents. Place this file in the root of your website to resolve the issue.
Conclusion
Using IndexNow with Rank Math is an effective way to ensure your website’s content gets indexed quickly by Bing and Yandex. With automatic and manual submission options, managing the API key, and checking submission history, Rank Math simplifies the process for website owners. Embrace IndexNow to enhance your website’s visibility and attract more organic traffic.
We hope this comprehensive guide has helped you understand how to use IndexNow with Rank Math. If you have any further questions or need assistance with the IndexNow feature on your website, don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team for help. Happy indexing!
No comment