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Official statement

Noindex pages can initially pass link signals, but when the noindex status becomes permanent, Google eventually ignores them completely, and links pointing to these pages no longer convey any value. There is ambiguity regarding the duration of value transmission.
🎥 Source video

Extracted from a Google Search Central video

💬 EN 📅 20/08/2021 ✂ 18 statements
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  6. Faut-il se préoccuper des pages d'attachement média pour le SEO ?
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  9. Pourquoi le temps de réponse serveur dans Search Console n'affecte-t-il pas votre classement SEO ?
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  17. Pourquoi séparer le contenu UGC sur des sous-domaines est-il crucial pour le SEO ?
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Official statement from (4 years ago)
TL;DR

Links pointing to noindex pages eventually lose their value when the noindex status becomes permanent. Initially, they pass link signals, but over time, these signals fade away. Be cautious about which pages to set as noindex.

What you need to understand

Do links to a noindex page retain their value? 

Google indicates that links pointing to a noindex page retain their value only at the start. Over time, once the noindex status is established as permanent, that value disappears. This means that choosing to make a page noindex can have a potential impact on SEO value transfer through links.

  • The immediate effect is a partial value transfer.
  • The persistence of the noindex state leads to a complete loss of link value.

Why does Google eventually ignore links to noindex pages? 

The noindex is a signal to Google that a page should not be included in its indexes. When a page remains in noindex for an extended period, Google stops paying attention to the signals it generates, including those from incoming links. The exact duration before this occurs remains unclear.

SEO Expert opinion

Is this statement consistent with observed practices? 

It is often noted that links to noindex pages do not transmit as much power as those to indexed pages. However, this statement [To be verified] as Google remains vague on the temporal specifics of this phenomenon.

What nuances can be added to this statement? 

It seems that links may lose their value more quickly if the page remains noindex. Still, without concrete data, this claim must be tested in real situations, as each site has its own particularities.

Are there exceptions to this rule? 

In some cases, noindex pages may continue to generate traffic or be useful for other reasons, such as informing users or guiding the customer journey. Ensuring that these pages are not crucial for SEO remains essential.

Practical impact and recommendations

What concrete steps can be taken to avoid mistakes? 

Think carefully about the impact of noindexing a page before acting. Make sure that important pages for SEO are not set to noindex, thus reducing the effectiveness of backlinks.

  • Regularly check the status of noindex pages.
  • Evaluate the role of noindex pages in your overall SEO strategy.
  • Monitor the evolution of link juice on classified pages.
  • Use monitoring tools to keep an eye on link value.
These optimizations are essential, and a thoughtful strategy is necessary. If this seems complex to you, the assistance of an expert SEO agency can be invaluable for targeted and effective support.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Combien de temps une page noindex peut-elle transmettre de la valeur de lien ?
Google ne précise pas la durée. C'est variable et dépend de la longévité de l'état noindex.
Peut-on reverser l'effet d'un noindex ?
Oui, en réindexant une page, mais la récupération de la valeur initiale peut prendre du temps.
Pourquoi certains sites gardent-ils des pages en noindex ?
Pour éviter d'indexer du contenu dupliqué, des pages peu qualitatives ou pour respecter des consignes spécifiques de confidentialité.
🏷 Related Topics
Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

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