How Google discovers pages (crawling) in SEO Fundamentals - Visual Walkthrough

Concept Flow - How Google discovers pages (crawling)

Start with known URLs

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Fetch page content

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Extract links from page

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Add new links to crawl list

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Repeat fetching next URL

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End when no new URLs

Google starts with known web pages, fetches their content, finds new links, adds them to the list, and repeats until no new pages are found.

Execution Sample

SEO Fundamentals

1. Start with seed URLs
2. Fetch page content
3. Extract links
4. Add new links to crawl queue
5. Repeat for next URL

This process shows how Google crawls the web by visiting pages and discovering new links step-by-step.

Analysis Table

Step	Action	Current URL	Links Found	New URLs Added	Crawl Queue State
1	Start with seed URLs	https://example.com	N/A	https://example.com	[https://example.com]
2	Fetch page content	https://example.com	https://example.com/about, https://example.com/contact	https://example.com/about, https://example.com/contact	[https://example.com/about, https://example.com/contact]
3	Fetch page content	https://example.com/about	https://example.com/team	https://example.com/team	[https://example.com/contact, https://example.com/team]
4	Fetch page content	https://example.com/contact	No new links	None	[https://example.com/team]
5	Fetch page content	https://example.com/team	No new links	None	[]
6	No more URLs	N/A	N/A	N/A	[]

💡 Crawl ends when no new URLs remain in the queue.

State Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 4	After Step 5	Final
Crawl Queue	[https://example.com]	[https://example.com/about, https://example.com/contact]	[https://example.com/contact, https://example.com/team]	[https://example.com/team]	[]	[]
Current URL	N/A	https://example.com	https://example.com/about	https://example.com/contact	https://example.com/team	N/A
New URLs Added	N/A	https://example.com/about, https://example.com/contact	https://example.com/team	None	None	N/A

Key Insights - 3 Insights

Why doesn't Google crawl the same page multiple times?

Google keeps track of URLs already crawled and only adds new, unseen URLs to the crawl queue, as shown in the crawl queue state in the execution_table.

What happens if a page has no new links?

If no new links are found, no URLs are added to the queue, and Google moves on to the next URL until the queue is empty, as seen in steps 4 and 5.

How does Google find new pages to crawl?

Google extracts links from the content of each fetched page and adds any new URLs to the crawl queue, demonstrated in steps 2 and 3.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table at Step 3. What URLs are currently in the crawl queue?

A [https://example.com/about, https://example.com/contact]

B [https://example.com/contact, https://example.com/team]

C [https://example.com/team]

D []

💡 Hint

Check the 'Crawl Queue State' column at Step 3 in the execution_table.

At which step does the crawl queue become empty?

A Step 4

B Step 6

C Step 5

D Step 3

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Crawl Queue State' column to see when it becomes [].

If the page at https://example.com/team had a new link, what would change in the execution_table?

A New URLs would be added at Step 5 and the crawl queue would not be empty.

B The crawl would end earlier.

C No change, because new links are ignored.

D The crawl queue would empty at Step 4.

💡 Hint

Refer to how new links add URLs to the crawl queue in Steps 2 and 3.

Concept Snapshot

Google crawling starts with known URLs.
It fetches page content and extracts links.
New links are added to the crawl queue.
Process repeats until no new URLs remain.
This helps Google discover new pages on the web.

Full Transcript

Google discovers pages by starting with a list of known URLs called seed URLs. It fetches the content of each URL, looks for links on that page, and adds any new links to a queue to be crawled next. This process repeats, fetching pages from the queue, extracting new links, and adding them to the queue. The crawl ends when there are no more new URLs to visit. This method ensures Google finds and indexes many pages across the web efficiently.

Practice

1. What is the main method Google uses to discover new web pages?

easy

A. Guessing URLs based on popular keywords

B. Manually adding pages submitted by users

C. Waiting for website owners to email URLs

D. Using automated crawlers that follow links from known pages

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Google's discovery process

   Google uses automated programs called crawlers or spiders to find new pages by following links from pages it already knows.

2. Step 2: Compare options

   Only Using automated crawlers that follow links from known pages describes this automated crawling method. Other options describe manual or guessing methods which Google does not rely on.

3. Final Answer:

   Using automated crawlers that follow links from known pages -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Google uses crawlers = A [OK]

Hint: Remember: Google bots crawl links automatically [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking Google manually adds pages
• Believing Google guesses URLs randomly
• Assuming email submissions are main method

2. Which of the following is the correct term for Google's automated program that finds new pages?

easy

A. Crawler

B. Indexer

C. Ranker

D. Optimizer

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify Google's discovery tool name

   The program Google uses to find new pages by following links is called a crawler or spider.

2. Step 2: Eliminate other terms

   Indexer organizes pages after crawling, Ranker orders results, Optimizer improves site SEO. Only Crawler finds pages.

3. Final Answer:

   Crawler -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Google's discovery tool = Crawler [OK]

Hint: Crawler = program that finds pages [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing crawler with indexer
• Thinking ranker finds pages
• Mixing optimizer with crawler

3. If a website has no links from other sites and no sitemap, what will likely happen when Google tries to discover its pages?

medium

A. Google will find the pages quickly by guessing URLs

B. Google will automatically add the pages to its index

C. Google will not find the pages easily because there are no links or sitemap

D. Google will send a manual request to the website owner

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand how Google discovers pages

   Google relies on links and sitemaps to find new pages. Without these, discovery is difficult.

2. Step 2: Analyze options

   Google will not find the pages easily because there are no links or sitemap correctly states Google won't find pages easily without links or sitemap. Other options describe guessing, automatic adding, or manual requests which do not happen.

3. Final Answer:

   Google will not find the pages easily because there are no links or sitemap -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   No links or sitemap = hard to find pages [OK]

Hint: No links or sitemap means hard for Google to find pages [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming Google guesses URLs
• Thinking Google adds pages automatically
• Believing Google contacts owners manually

4. A website owner notices Google is not discovering some new pages. Which of these is a likely cause?

medium

A. The new pages are not linked from any other page on the site

B. The website has a sitemap listing all pages

C. The pages have clear, descriptive titles

D. The website uses HTTPS protocol

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify why Google misses pages

   Google finds pages by following links. If new pages are not linked anywhere, crawlers cannot find them.

2. Step 2: Evaluate other options

   Sitemap helps discovery (B), titles help ranking (C), HTTPS helps security (A). Only lack of links (D) blocks discovery.

3. Final Answer:

   The new pages are not linked from any other page on the site -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   No links = no discovery [OK]

Hint: Pages must be linked or in sitemap to be found [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking HTTPS affects discovery
• Confusing titles with discovery
• Ignoring importance of internal links

5. You want Google to discover a new section of your website quickly. Which combination of actions will help the most?

hard

A. Change the website's color scheme and add meta descriptions

B. Add internal links to the new pages and submit an updated sitemap

C. Remove old pages and increase page load speed

D. Use HTTPS and add social media share buttons

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify key factors for fast discovery

   Google discovers pages by crawling links and reading sitemaps. Adding internal links and updating sitemap helps crawlers find new pages quickly.

2. Step 2: Analyze other options

   Changing colors or meta descriptions (B) does not affect discovery speed. Removing old pages or speed (C) helps ranking but not discovery. HTTPS and social buttons (D) improve security and sharing but not crawling.

3. Final Answer:

   Add internal links to the new pages and submit an updated sitemap -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Links + sitemap = faster discovery [OK]

Hint: Links plus sitemap speed up Google discovery [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Focusing on design changes instead of links
• Ignoring sitemap importance
• Confusing ranking factors with discovery