Is it included in the same index as the main page or is it completely independent? For instance, a sidebar widget with "related posts," would it be considered the same as links within the content of blog posts? I have been looking into this but have not found a clear answer.
WordPress widget content is indexed by search engines, but its inclusion in the main index depends on the specific widget and how it’s implemented.
Widgets that contain dynamic content, like “related posts,” are typically treated as part of the main page content. Search engines crawl the page, including the widget output, and index it accordingly. Links within widgets, including those pointing to related posts, are treated similarly to links within the main page content.
However, widgets that display static content, such as a simple text widget or an image gallery, might not be indexed as comprehensively. Search engines might prioritize indexing the main content of the page and might not assign the same importance to static widget content.
To ensure effective indexing of widget content, it’s generally recommended to use widgets that generate dynamic content, as they are more likely to be considered part of the main page content.