Cracking the Bing Code: Faster Indexing & Deindexing Fixes for Your HubSpot E-commerce Content
Ever felt like you’re doing everything right with your HubSpot content – crafting compelling product descriptions, insightful blog posts, and optimized landing pages – only to find that one search engine just isn’t playing ball? Specifically, Bing? You’re not alone. This is a common pain point we recently saw surface in the HubSpot Community, where a user asked why their clients’ websites indexed easily on Google but struggled with Bing.
Why Bing Can Be a Bit of a Slowpoke (and How to Speed It Up)
The original poster in the HubSpot Community highlighted a frustration many of us share: Bing can sometimes take longer than Google to discover and index new content. While Google often gets the lion's share of our SEO attention, ignoring Bing means potentially missing out on a significant audience, especially given its default status on many Windows devices.
A helpful community member offered some excellent strategies to get your HubSpot content, whether it's a new blog post or a fresh product page, indexed faster on Bing:
- Verify Your Site in Bing Webmaster Tools: This is step one. Just like Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools is your direct line to Bing. Verify your site ownership to gain access to crucial insights and tools.
- Submit Your XML Sitemap: Once verified, ensure your XML sitemap is submitted and accessible within Bing Webmaster Tools. This sitemap acts as a roadmap for Bing, guiding its crawlers to all the important pages on your site.
- Leverage IndexNow: This was highlighted as one of the quickest options. IndexNow is an API that allows websites to automatically notify search engines (including Bing and Yandex) whenever content is published, updated, or deleted. Many CMS platforms, including HubSpot, can be configured to use IndexNow, providing a near-instant signal to Bing about your new content. This is much more efficient than waiting for Bing's crawlers to stumble upon your updates.
- Check the SEO Basics: Don't overlook the fundamentals. Make sure your page isn’t blocked by your
robots.txtfile, has a proper canonical URL (to avoid duplicate content issues), returns a 200 HTTP status code (meaning the page is live and accessible), and is internally linked from relevant pages Bing can already crawl. Strong internal linking helps Bing discover new content and understand its importance. - Troubleshoot with Bing Webmaster Tools: If issues persist, dive into Bing Webmaster Tools for crawl or indexing error reports. Use the URL Inspection tool to see how Bing views a specific page, identify any problems, and request a fresh crawl if needed. Avoid repeatedly submitting the same URL manually; focus on fixing underlying crawlability issues.
The Deindexing Dilemma: When Your Content Disappears (and How to Get It Back)
The discussion took an interesting turn when the original poster asked about pages that get indexed by Google initially but then get deindexed. This can be particularly frustrating for any marketer or store operator. As another community expert explained, search engines regularly recrawl and reevaluate pages, so deindexing can happen even if a page was previously indexed.
Here are the common culprits behind deindexing and what to do about them:
noindexTag: Accidentally adding anoindexmeta tag to a page tells search engines not to index it. This is a common mistake that can instantly remove a page from search results.- Canonical Changes: If the canonical URL for a page changes or is incorrectly set, search engines might prioritize a different version or remove the original from their index.
- Duplicate or Thin Content: Pages with very little unique content or content that is largely duplicated elsewhere on your site (or the web) can be deindexed as search engines strive to provide the most valuable results.
- Crawl/Server Errors: If a page consistently returns server errors (like 404 Not Found or 500 Internal Server Error) during Bing's crawl attempts, it will eventually be deindexed.
- Redirects: Incorrectly implemented redirects, especially redirect chains or temporary redirects that become permanent, can confuse search engines and lead to deindexing.
- Loss of Internal Links: If a page loses its internal links from other high-authority pages on your site, search engines might perceive it as less important and eventually drop it from the index.
To fix deindexed pages, the advice is clear: start by checking the URL in both Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. Look at the indexing status, canonical URL, crawlability, and HTTP status code. Once you identify and fix the underlying issue, request a fresh crawl. For Bing, IndexNow can again be useful here to notify them about the updated or re-indexed URL, though it doesn't guarantee immediate re-indexing.
Connecting the Dots for Your HubSpot E-commerce Store
For those of us running e-commerce operations on HubSpot, whether you're managing a complex storefront or using HubSpot as your primary CRM and sales engine, getting your content indexed is paramount. Every product page, category listing, and blog post is a potential entry point for a customer. Imagine investing in a robust ecommerce website builder online like ESHOPMAN, designed to integrate seamlessly with HubSpot, only to have your meticulously crafted pages hidden from a significant portion of search traffic. It’s not just about blog posts; it’s about visibility for your entire digital storefront.
These indexing and deindexing strategies are critical for ensuring your product listings, landing pages for promotions, and even customer support articles are discoverable. A well-indexed site translates directly into more organic traffic, more leads, and ultimately, more sales for your HubSpot-powered business.
ESHOPMAN Team Comment
We wholeheartedly agree with the community's emphasis on Bing Webmaster Tools and IndexNow. For HubSpot users leveraging an e-commerce platform, ensuring your product and category pages are swiftly indexed by all major search engines is non-negotiable. While Google often gets the lion's share of attention, ignoring Bing means missing out on potential customers who use it as their default search engine. Proactive monitoring and leveraging tools like IndexNow should be a standard part of every RevOps and marketing team's SEO playbook, especially for new product launches or seasonal campaigns.
Ultimately, effective SEO isn't just about Google. It's about ensuring your valuable HubSpot-powered content – from your latest blog post to your hottest new product – is discoverable wherever your potential customers are searching. By taking a proactive approach, leveraging tools like Bing Webmaster Tools and IndexNow, and regularly auditing your site for common issues, you can significantly improve your visibility across the board. So, go forth and conquer those search results!