Custom Robots Header Tags for Blogger (X-Robots Tags)

Robots header tags play a crucial role in managing how search engines interact with your website. By using meta tags and X-Robots tags, you can influence how your site appears in search results. Blogger provides options to utilize both types of robots tags, and implementing them correctly can significantly boost your SEO. Let’s explore the best practices for configuring Robots Header Tags in Blogger.

What Are Robots Header Tags?

Robots Header Tags (X-Robots-Tags) are directives included in the HTTP response headers of web pages. These tags inform search engine bots about how to handle and index your pages. For example, you can use these tags to prevent certain pages from being indexed or to control whether links on a page should be followed.

Robots Meta Tags

In addition to header tags, Robots Meta Tags are embedded within the HTML code of individual pages. These meta tags serve a similar purpose, guiding search engines on how to index or not index specific pages and handle their links.

Key Directives:

all: No restrictions on indexing or serving (default value).

noindex: Do not include this page in search results.

nofollow: Do not follow links on this page.

none: Equivalent to both noindex and nofollow.

noarchive: Prevents the "Cached" link in search results.

nosnippet: Hides text and video snippets in search results.

notranslate: Disables translation options in search results.

noimageindex: Prevents indexing of images on the page.

unavailable_after: Specifies a date/time after which the page should not appear in search results.

X-Robots-Tags vs. robots.txt

robots.txt is a site-wide file that directs search engines on which sections of your site to crawl or avoid. It applies globally across the entire site.

Robots Header Tags, however, are page-specific and offer finer control. They allow you to set directives for individual pages, giving you more granular control over how each page is indexed and displayed in search results.

Best Practices for Implementing Robots Header Tags in Blogger

Common Misconceptions

Some guides suggest using the noodp (no Open Directory Project) directive for Blogger pages. However, this is outdated information—Google no longer supports the noodp tag, so using it can harm your SEO rather than help.

When to Use Custom Robots Header Tags

Complex Sites: If your site has diverse content that needs specific indexing rules.

Time-Sensitive Content: For content that should be removed from search results after a certain date.

Language-Specific Content: When you have content that may be misinterpreted if translated.

Snippet Control: If you want to prevent certain pages from showing snippets in search results.

How to Enable Custom Robots Header Tags in Blogger

To enable and configure custom robots header tags in Blogger:

Log In: Access your Blogger dashboard.

Navigate to Settings: Go to the "Settings" section of your blog.

Enable Custom Tags: Scroll to "Crawlers and Indexing" and switch on the “Enable custom robots header tags” option.

Configure Settings:

Home Page Tags: Set to "all" to allow indexing.

Archive and Search Page Tags: Select "noindex" to avoid indexing these pages.

Posts and Pages: Enable "all" to index all pages and posts.

Verifying Your Settings

You can check your settings by examining the HTTP response headers of your webpage. This ensures that your directives are being applied as expected.

Conclusion

Implementing Robots Header Tags effectively can enhance your Blogger site’s SEO performance. For most users, the default settings are sufficient, but if you have specific needs, customizing these tags can provide targeted control over your site's visibility in search results. Avoid outdated practices like noodp and focus on using meta tags and X-Robots tags that align with current SEO best practices.

Feel free to leave your comments, questions, or feedback below. Happy blogging!