According to Google Analyst Gary Illyes, website owners should take security measures if they see that Google is aggressively crawling their page, as stated in a recent LinkedIn post. Even though an increase in crawling activity might sometimes point to positive developments, Illyes warns that it can also point to underlying problems that require immediate attention.
A Crawling Increase Could Occur in Infinite Spaces
Experts brings up a few points, one of which is websites with “infinite spaces.” These could consist of components that produce an unending number of possible URLs, like calendar modules or product lists with limitless filtering choices. Crawlers may become too excited about these endless areas if a website already receives a lot of crawl traffic. Several experts suggest using the robots.txt file to stop crawlers from reaching these limitless regions in order to lessen this issue.
Site Hacks May Set Off a Crawling Frenzy
A security breach is another cause for alarm when there is an abrupt spike in crawling activity. When spam-my or dangerous content is injected onto a previously trustworthy website, crawlers may initially believe it to be fresh content that should be indexed.
Continue To Be Doubly About Crawling Spikes
It is advisable to be suspicious of any abrupt increases in crawling until the underlying cause has been thoroughly identified and dealt with. You can also try the other way around in the meantime.
Advice From Google’s Video
The recuperation process is broken out step-by-step in this Google video:
Determine The Exposure
Finding out how the hacker obtained access is the first step. It can be really helpful to use tools like Google’s Webmaster Tools to find these vulnerabilities.
Resolve the Fault
The security flaw needs to be fixed as soon as it is found in order to stop further illegal access. This could entail improving additional security measures, changing passwords, or updating software.
Clear Out The Vulnerable Content
Examine every piece of content and code on the website to make sure that no virus, spam, or malicious injections have been included. Word-fence and other security plugins can help with this cleaning process.
Strengthen Security
Take other measures to fortify the site’s security in addition to resolving the particular vulnerability. This can entail making sure that software updates more frequently, turning on firewalls, and restricting user permissions.
Make a Review Request
You can ask Google to assess the website once the vulnerability has been fixed and any hacked content has been removed. Upon Google’s verification that it is clean, all security alerts and blacklists will be eliminated.
The video points out that while the review process for virus issues is typically faster (in days), it may take longer (in weeks) for spam issues because Google must carefully examine the cleanup efforts.
Extra Advice from John Mueller at Google
John Mueller of Google has already offered detailed guidance on how to recover from the negative SEO effects of hijacked pages:
- For speedy de-indexation of the compromised pages, use the URL removal tool.
- In addition to deleting the compromised content, concentrate on enhancing the website’s general quality.
- It should be noted that while the website tries to win back Google’s trust, residual effects could last for months.
Conclusion
For many businesses, website security is critical since compromised content can negatively affect search engine rankings and trust. Gary Illyes of Google has pointed out that unexpected increases in crawling activity may be a sign of technical problems or security breaches that require quick fixing to maintain the integrity of your website.
Sandeep Goel is the founder and CEO of Obelisk Infotech, with over a decade of experience in digital marketing. He started his career as an SEO Analyst, refining his skills with US clients, which deepened his understanding of digital culture. Sandeep is passionate about writing and regularly shares insights through blog posts. He plays a key role in company growth by implementing processes and technologies to streamline operations.
Founder (Obelisk Infotech)