If your website has hundreds (or even thousands) of pages, you might wonder why some rank well on Google while others seem invisible. The answer often comes down to your crawl budget, i.e., how efficiently Googlebot visits and indexes your web pages.
In this blog, we’ll discuss what crawl budget actually means, why it’s important for your site’s SEO performance, and how you can optimise it for better visibility. You’ll also learn practical ways to check, manage, and increase your crawl budget.
What Is Crawl Budget in SEO?
Your crawl budget is basically how many pages Googlebot decides to visit and index on your website within a certain time. In simple terms, it’s your site’s “attention allowance” from Google. The bigger and healthier your site, the more crawl budget you’re likely to get. Search engines allocate crawl time based on your website’s structure, speed, and reliability.
Why Crawl Budget Matters?
Crawl budget directly impacts how fast your new pages appear on Google. If your website wastes crawl time on duplicate, broken, or low-value pages, important content might get skipped. For growing sites, crawl budget optimisation ensures Google focuses on the pages that actually drive business.
At Haarty Hanks, an SEO agency in Wimbledon, we help clients improve crawl efficiency through technical audits, structured data, and smart linking, so every crawl counts.
How to Check Crawl Budget?
Wondering how to check crawl budget? You can do this through Google Search Console. Head to Settings > Crawl Stats to see how often Googlebot visits your site, what pages it’s fetching, and whether any issues are slowing it down.
For deeper insights, SEO specialists analyse server logs. This shows exactly how bots interact with your website and highlights gaps or wasted crawl time.
How to Increase Crawl Budget?
A well-optimised site earns a better crawl budget. To increase crawl budget, start with these steps:
- Improve page speed and hosting performance
- Fix broken links and redirect chains
- Remove duplicate or outdated content
- Keep your XML sitemap clean and up to date
- Strengthen internal linking to guide crawlers
Common Crawl Budget Mistakes
Many websites unknowingly waste crawl resources by:
- Blocking key pages with robots.txt
- Allowing endless URL parameters
- Ignoring crawl errors
- Publishing thin or repetitive pages
Avoiding these simple mistakes can significantly improve your crawl budget SEO performance.
Get Professional SEO Services in London at Haarty Hanks
Your crawl budget might sound technical, but it plays a major role in how well your website performs online. By focusing on crawl budget optimisation, you help Google and AI search engines understand and prioritise your best pages faster.
Are you looking for expert help to improve crawl efficiency and overall site performance? We at Haarty Hanks, your trusted SEO agency in Wimbledon, are ready to assist. Connect with us today and let’s ensure your business stays visible, crawl-worthy, and ready to rank.
FAQs
1. What is crawl budget in simple terms?
Crawl budget is the number of pages Googlebot can and wants to crawl on your site within a given timeframe. It determines how frequently your content gets discovered and indexed.
2. How do I check my website’s crawl budget?
You can check your crawl stats in Google Search Console under Settings > Crawl Stats. For detailed insights, use log file analysis tools to track how bots visit and interact with your pages.
3. How can I increase my crawl budget quickly?
Start by improving site speed, fixing broken links, removing duplicate pages, and submitting an accurate XML sitemap. These are the most effective steps for crawl budget optimisation.
4. Does every website need to worry about crawl budget?
Not always. Smaller websites usually get crawled efficiently. However, large eCommerce or multi-page sites should monitor their crawl budget SEO to ensure all key pages are indexed.
5. Can an SEO agency help improve crawl budget?
Absolutely. A professional SEO agency in Wimbledon like Haarty Hanks can audit your site, optimise structure and speed, and apply AI-driven strategies to maximise crawl efficiency.
