How Do I Set Up Blogger for Search Engines?
1. Turn on Custom Robots.txt
Go to Settings > Crawlers and indexing in Blogger. Switch Enable custom robots.txt to On. Add a standard file like:
User-agent: * Disallow: /search Allow: / Sitemap: https://YOURBLOG.blogspot.com/sitemap.xml
2. Set Custom Robots Header Tags
Still under Crawlers and indexing, turn on Custom robots header tags. Select:
- Homepage – all, noodp
- Archive and search pages – noindex
- Posts and pages – all
3. Add Blog to Google Search Console
Go to Google Search Console. Add your blog URL and verify ownership. This lets you request indexing, see search performance, and fix issues.
Why It Matters
These settings make sure your blog appears correctly in search engines. Without them, Blogger’s default setup can leave search engines confused, especially with duplicate content on “/search” pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need robots.txt for Blogger?
Yes. Robots.txt tells search engines what to crawl and what to ignore. It helps prevent duplicate content issues from archive and search pages.
What should I choose for custom header tags?
Set homepage to “all, noodp,” archive/search pages to “noindex,” and posts/pages to “all.” This setup balances visibility with avoiding duplicate pages.
Is Google Search Console necessary?
It’s highly recommended. Search Console helps you see how your blog performs in search, request faster indexing, and fix errors that hurt rankings.
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