Are you looking to improve the search engine optimization (SEO) of your blog and increase its ranking on search engine results pages? Look no further than Google Webmaster Tools (GWT). This valuable free tool is essential for bloggers as it allows you to assess and address the overall health of your website. In this article, we will explore the different types of errors identified by GWT and provide practical solutions to enhance your site’s crawlability and performance.
Understanding Crawl Issues
To access the Crawl issues page in GWT, simply log into your account and go to Health > Crawl issues on your site dashboard. This page displays a useful graph that shows different errors and their causes. Let’s take a closer look at the various issues you may encounter:
DNS Issues
DNS issues occur when there are problems with your domain name server, which prevent search engine bots from accessing your site. These problems can arise from challenges with your hosting service or when you make changes to your name server. These errors may result in a DNS error notification appearing in your browser window. To assess the ping status of your website in different countries, you can use a tool like Just-Ping. If you notice a high frequency of DNS issues, it is advisable to seek assistance from your hosting provider. If the problem persists, it might be worth considering a more reliable hosting service.
Server Connectivity Issues
Server connectivity issues are related to your server’s configuration. When Google bots are unable to crawl your site or experience timeouts during page loading, it indicates server connectivity issues. You can influence the crawl rate of bots by using the Webmaster Parameter Tool and the Robots.txt file. Ensure that your server has sufficient resources to handle incoming requests. If you are using a self-configured VPS or dedicated hosting, check that your firewall and security settings do not block search engine bots. Moreover, implementing a caching mechanism, such as a WordPress cache plugin, can help alleviate server connectivity issues.
Robots.txt Fetch Issues
Robots.txt fetch issues occur when there are misconfigurations in your robots.txt file. This file is used to restrict bots from crawling specific sections of your site that you do not want to be indexed, such as the wp-admin folder. It is recommended not to block the crawling of tags and categories pages using robots.txt since crawling and indexing are separate processes. Refer to our previous articles for more guidance on configuring the robots.txt file.
Taking Action to Improve Your Site’s Health
Some errors detected by GWT may be temporary, such as server connectivity issues caused by high server load. However, persistent errors or receiving email notifications from GWT regarding crawling issues should prompt you to take action. It is crucial to promptly address these issues to ensure optimal crawlability and improve the overall SEO of your blog.
Have you encountered any errors while using Google Webmaster Tools? Share your experiences and let us know the steps you took to resolve them. By utilizing the power of GWT, you can enhance your blog’s performance and drive more organic traffic to your site.
