Hello,We have incorporated the sitelinks search box on our /search-URL and it is functioning properly. Currently, we have set robots=index,follow, but we do not want the search result pages to be indexed. Would it be advisable to use noindex,follow in conjunction with the sitelinks search box?
The concept is for Google to crawl the site without indexing it. This way, the search box remains operational but the pages are not indexed. Has anyone experimented with this approach before?
Thank you
Using noindex,follow in conjunction with the sitelinks search box is a valid approach to allow Google to crawl your search pages without indexing them. This ensures the search box functionality remains intact while preventing those pages from appearing in Google Search results.
While it’s not widely discussed, some have experimented with this approach and found it successful. It’s important to note that Google may still cache these pages, even if they aren’t indexed. This means they might be visible in search results through Google’s cache, but not in the primary search results.
Ultimately, the decision to use noindex,follow depends on your specific needs and objectives. If you want to keep the search pages accessible to users but prevent them from being indexed, this approach can be a good option. However, it’s crucial to understand that Google’s behavior with noindex,follow can vary, and the impact on your site’s overall SEO strategy should be carefully considered.