Do NOT NoIndex Your Home Page... EVER!

The Expert · 01-31-2010, 10:20 AM

Years back I bought a domain after my own name. Mostly so that I could have an email address that both began and ended in my name.

About two years ago I threw wordpress up on it, thinking I'd do a regular old blog talking about what I was interested in and stuff. Threw up one post, and then never did anything with it.

Over the last two years though, I would always sign my comment posts on other sites with my real name and anchor it back to my homepage. My thought was that if I ever became famous, I'd want to be sitting at #1 on Google for my name, ready and waiting for the time when I got interviewed on Orpah.

Cool thing was, that just from that little effort my site was a PR2.

I decided to get more serious with the blog this month, ripped wordpress down and installed Wordpress MU (for structure, not so others can blog on my site).

For whatever reason, when MU installed, it set the privacy settings for the MAIN blog (which is the homepage) to block search engines. This sticks a nice, fat "NoIndex" in the header of the home page.

I was weirded out one day when I noticed that my PR was gone. Then I checked google to find out that all the pages in my site were indexed EXCEPT my home page. I discovered the problem and fixed it...but now that the home page is re-indexed, it still has zero PR.

...or maybe I'm wrong and the PR is still there and it will show again after the next PR update?

Asher · 01-31-2010, 10:38 AM

Google likes to get a little jiggy once in a while
and dance.

You just happened to do a solo dance from it a
little by noindexing yourself.

Now that you've un-noindexed yourself, Google
might just ask you for another dance and give
you back your PR.

Unless you're doing something bad (read their
webmaster guidelines), you'll eventually get PR.

(... although PR really doesn't mean anything
much)

Asher

Mike Anthony · 01-31-2010, 10:41 AM

Most likely temporary. This should be in the seo section though.

brchap · 01-31-2010, 10:46 AM

Did you post a sitemap on your site? There are some a couple of WP plug-ins that can do it for you with a single click. It might be good to submit a sitemap through webmaster tools, too... if you haven't already.

01-31-2010, 10:38 AM	#2
Asher SG Lurker Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Singapore. Posts: 1,788 Blog Entries: 69 Thanks: 509 Thanked 295 Times in 173 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Do NOT NoIndex Your Home Page... EVER! Google likes to get a little jiggy once in a while and dance. You just happened to do a solo dance from it a little by noindexing yourself. Now that you've un-noindexed yourself, Google might just ask you for another dance and give you back your PR. Unless you're doing something bad (read their webmaster guidelines), you'll eventually get PR. (... although PR really doesn't mean anything much) Asher
	FREE - $1,000 Blueprint - Click Here To Claim It! $20,000 Worth of prizes to be given out! Get In on the HOTTEST product launch this coming May 2012!

01-31-2010, 10:41 AM	#3
Mike Anthony SEO D'Artagnan War Room Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 4,980 Thanks: 476 Thanked 1,090 Times in 701 Posts	Re: Do NOT NoIndex Your Home Page... EVER! Most likely temporary. This should be in the seo section though.
	The World's only Full ongoing, no limit, no question unanswered Mentorship on Building powerful SEO Networks reopened by popular demand for a short time.

01-31-2010, 10:46 AM	#4
brchap Bradley Chapple War Room Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Loveland, Colorado Posts: 201 Thanks: 25 Thanked 45 Times in 25 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Do NOT NoIndex Your Home Page... EVER! Did you post a sitemap on your site? There are some a couple of WP plug-ins that can do it for you with a single click. It might be good to submit a sitemap through webmaster tools, too... if you haven't already.
	I'm currently taking MASSIVE action...

01-31-2010, 10:20 AM	#1
The Expert HyperActive Warrior Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 401 Thanks: 26 Thanked 58 Times in 37 Posts	Do NOT NoIndex Your Home Page... EVER! Years back I bought a domain after my own name. Mostly so that I could have an email address that both began and ended in my name. About two years ago I threw wordpress up on it, thinking I'd do a regular old blog talking about what I was interested in and stuff. Threw up one post, and then never did anything with it. Over the last two years though, I would always sign my comment posts on other sites with my real name and anchor it back to my homepage. My thought was that if I ever became famous, I'd want to be sitting at #1 on Google for my name, ready and waiting for the time when I got interviewed on Orpah. Cool thing was, that just from that little effort my site was a PR2. I decided to get more serious with the blog this month, ripped wordpress down and installed Wordpress MU (for structure, not so others can blog on my site). For whatever reason, when MU installed, it set the privacy settings for the MAIN blog (which is the homepage) to block search engines. This sticks a nice, fat "NoIndex" in the header of the home page. I was weirded out one day when I noticed that my PR was gone. Then I checked google to find out that all the pages in my site were indexed EXCEPT my home page. I discovered the problem and fixed it...but now that the home page is re-indexed, it still has zero PR. ...or maybe I'm wrong and the PR is still there and it will show again after the next PR update?