Robots meta tag: the fastest way to vanish from Google.
There is a line of code that tells Google not to index a page. It is useful on a staging site and on a thank-you page. Left on the cabins page by accident, it removes the cabins page from Google entirely, silently, for as long as it stays.
IN ONE PARAGRAPH
The robots meta tag is an instruction to search engines placed in a page's code. "noindex" means do not show this page in results; "nofollow" means do not follow its links. Builders and designers turn noindex on while a site is being built so the half-finished version does not get indexed, and forget to turn it off at launch, sometimes on the whole site. The page keeps working for visitors, so nobody notices. We check every page for a noindex and flag it, because the only pages that should carry one are the ones you genuinely want hidden.
What the tag does
In the code it reads <meta name="robots" content="noindex">. When Google sees it, the page is removed from results or never added. A related file, robots.txt at the root of the site, can block Google from reading pages at all. Both are legitimate tools: a thank-you page after a form, an internal staff page, a duplicate print version. The trouble is when they are on pages that should be found.
What it looks like on a park website
- The whole site was built on a staging address with noindex on, then moved to the real domain with the setting still on. The park has had a website for two years and has never appeared in Google once.
- WordPress's "Discourage search engines" box was ticked during the build and never unticked.
- A booking platform's embedded page carries its own noindex, so the one page guests need is the one Google cannot see.
- A builder's SEO settings hid the cabins page because someone clicked the wrong toggle.
What it costs a park
Everything, for the affected page. A noindexed page cannot rank, no matter how good it is. If it is the homepage or the whole site, the park is invisible to search and only reachable by people who already know the address. We have found parks that spent money on SEO help while the site carried a noindex the whole time.
How to check your own site
- Search Google for site:yourdomain.com. If nothing comes back, or fewer pages than you have, something is hidden.
- View the source of any missing page and search for "noindex."
- Open yourdomain.com/robots.txt and read it. "Disallow: /" means the whole site is blocked.
- In Google Search Console, check Pages for anything marked "Excluded by noindex tag."
What we do about it
Every page we build is indexable unless it is deliberately private, and the private ones are a short list we can name: the thanks page and internal pages. The robots.txt allows everything and points to the sitemap. When we take over a site we check for stray noindex tags on the first day, because it is the single fastest fix with the largest effect when it is the problem.
Questions about this.
What does noindex mean?
It is an instruction in a page's code telling search engines not to include the page in results. The page still works for visitors; it just cannot be found by searching.
Why would a park website have noindex on it?
Usually by accident. Designers turn it on while building so the unfinished site is not indexed, then forget to turn it off at launch. Some builders have a toggle that is easy to click by mistake.
How do I know if my site is blocked from Google?
Search Google for site:yourdomain.com. If nothing appears, check the page code for noindex and the robots.txt file for Disallow: /. Google Search Console also lists pages excluded by noindex.
Should any pages on an RV park site be noindexed?
A few: the thank-you page after a form, staff-only pages, and duplicate print versions. The homepage, sites, rates, cabins, and contact pages never should be.
Want this checked on your park site?
Send us the address. We run the full check and tell you what we found, in plain words. SEO for parks starts at $250 a month.
Part of the RV park SEO guide, section: The technical check. Previous: H1 headings: one per page, and it should say what the page is. Next: Canonical tags: telling Google which page is the real one.