A lot of webshops struggle to manage their crawl budget efficiently, allowing Googlebot to waste time on low-value or irrelevant pages that shouldn’t even be indexed. By refining filters, pagination, internal linking, and sitemap structure, and by setting precise crawl instructions, stores can ensure that Google focuses its resources on the pages that truly matter; high-value products and key categories that drive visibility and organic growth.
Table of Contents
1. Understanding crawl budget and why it matters for webshops
Crawl budget is the number of pages Googlebot can crawl on your site within a given timeframe. For small websites, this is usually not a problem, but for large webshops with hundreds or thousands of products, categories, and dynamic pages, it becomes a critical factor for SEO.
New websites generally receive a lower crawl budget because Google is still assessing their trustworthiness and authority. Older or more established websites with strong backlinks and consistent traffic are crawled more frequently and thoroughly. This means that new webshops may take longer to have their key products discovered and indexed, while established stores can see their pages indexed faster.
Server performance, site structure, and the presence of low-value or duplicate pages also affect how efficiently Googlebot can crawl your site. By optimizing your crawl budget, you ensure that Google focuses on the pages that matter most, such as top products and categories, which can improve visibility in search results.
2. Identifying which pages should get the most attention
For large webshops, not all pages are equally important for SEO. Some pages drive traffic and conversions, while others provide little value to search engines. By identifying which pages deserve the most attention, you can make sure Google focuses its crawl budget where it matters most.
2.1 Focusing on key products and categories
The most important pages on a webshop are usually product pages that generate sales and high-value category pages that organize products logically. These pages should be easy for Google to find and crawl frequently. Ensuring that these pages are properly linked from menus, footers, and internal content increases their visibility. Pages with strong backlinks or consistent user engagement naturally get crawled more often, but you can also guide Google by highlighting these pages in your sitemap and internal linking structure.
2.2 Avoiding low-value pages that don’t drive traffic
Not every page needs to be crawled or indexed. Low-value pages such as duplicate content, expired promotions, thin informational pages, or certain filters can waste crawl budget. When Googlebot spends time on these pages, it may take longer to discover your key products. Strategies like noindexing irrelevant pages, cleaning up duplicate content, and limiting unnecessary parameters help ensure that crawl resources are focused on pages that truly matter.
3. Handling pagination without hurting your SEO
Pagination is common on webshops, especially for category pages with many products. While it helps users navigate, paginated pages can create issues if Google spends crawl budget on pages that don’t provide unique value. Properly managing pagination ensures that your key products and categories get indexed without wasting crawl resources.
3.1 Keeping paginated pages out of the index
Paginated pages often don’t offer content that is significantly different from the main category page. Indexing them can dilute SEO value and lead users to less useful landing pages. Applying a noindex, follow tag to paginated pages prevents them from appearing in search results while still allowing link equity to flow to important pages. This way, Google can focus on indexing your primary products and category pages.
3.2 Using canonical tags effectively
Canonical tags signal to Google which version of a page should be considered the primary one. On paginated series, setting the canonical to the main category page helps consolidate ranking signals and avoids duplicate content issues. This is particularly useful for webshops with multiple sorting or filtering options, ensuring that only the pages you want indexed contribute to search rankings.
4. Optimizing filters and sorting options
Filters and sorting options can make it easier for users to navigate large webshops, but they can also generate a huge number of URLs that don’t add SEO value. If Google spends crawl budget on every filter combination or sorting option, your key products may not get indexed as efficiently. By managing which filters and sorting choices are visible to search engines, you can focus crawling on the pages that drive traffic and sales.
4.1 Highlighting filters that bring search traffic
Not all filters are equal. Filters that match popular search queries, such as brand names or high-demand product attributes, can attract valuable traffic and should be indexed. These filters help users land directly on relevant products, and Google can discover pages that are more likely to convert. Prioritizing these filters ensures that crawl budget is spent on URLs that matter most for your business.
4.2 Limiting unnecessary or low-value sorting choices
Many sorting options, like “price low to high” or “newest first,” can create duplicate or thin content pages that don’t provide unique value to Google. Limiting or noindexing these low-value sorting URLs prevents crawl waste and helps Google focus on primary product and category pages. This approach ensures your most important pages maintain authority and get indexed more efficiently.
4.3 Managing multiple filter combinations and category hierarchy
When multiple filters are applied on a webshop, they can create a large number of unique URLs, most of which have little SEO value. To make sure Google focuses on the most important pages, it’s important to follow clear rules for indexing and canonicalization based on filter combinations and category structure.
A practical approach is generally like this:
- Single filter on the first page: set to index, follow with a self-referencing canonical
- Single filter on subsequent pages: set to noindex, follow with a canonical pointing to the first page
- Two or more filters combined: set to noindex, nofollow with a canonical pointing to the main category page
Following these rules ensures that only valuable pages are indexed while link equity is passed to important products and categories. It prevents crawl waste and helps Google discover the pages that are most likely to drive traffic and conversions.
5. Guiding Google with crawl instructions
For large or dynamic webshops, it is important to guide Google so that its crawl budget is used efficiently. Without proper instructions, Google might spend time on low-value pages and miss your most important products and categories.
5.1 Using robots.txt to streamline crawling
The robots.txt file is a simple text file placed at the root of your website that tells search engines which pages or sections they should or should not crawl. It is a powerful tool, but it must be used carefully. Incorrectly blocking URLs in robots.txt can prevent Googlebot from accessing key pages, which could stop them from being indexed and harm your SEO. Only block sections that are truly low-value, such as internal search results, duplicate filter combinations, or admin pages. If you are unsure about editing robots.txt, it is better to get expert guidance before making changes.
5.2 Making sure important sections are easily accessible
Even with robots.txt configured correctly, Google still needs clear paths to reach your most important pages. Main categories, top-selling products, and high-value landing pages should be linked from menus, footers, and relevant internal content. A logical site structure and strong internal linking help Google crawl important pages more efficiently and pass link authority where it matters most.
6. Making sitemaps work smarter
Sitemaps are an essential tool to help Google discover and prioritize the most important pages on your webshop. For large or dynamic sites, having a clear and organized sitemap structure ensures that crawl budget is used efficiently and that key pages get indexed faster.
6.1 Understanding different sitemap types
There are several types of sitemaps, each serving a specific purpose. XML sitemaps are the most common and are used to submit pages directly to search engines. HTML sitemaps are designed for users and improve site navigation, but they also help search engines discover content. Other types, such as video or image sitemaps, highlight specific media content. Sitemaps can be linked from the robots.txt file so that Googlebot can find them easily.
6.2 Structuring sitemaps for large webshops
For webshops or large, it is recommended to maintain separate sitemaps for each type of content rather than mixing different page types in a single file. This approach helps Google crawl efficiently and ensures that the most important pages are discovered and indexed first. A common and effective sitemap structure for webshops includes:
- Categories
- Filters
- Blog Posts
- New Products
- Products
Keeping this structure consistent allows Google to understand the hierarchy of your site and prioritize crawling for high-value pages like main categories and products. Placing the most critical sitemaps at the top and organizing URLs logically also improves crawl efficiency and ensures your key content receives attention.
There is also a limit to the number of URLs per sitemap, and generally, it should not go over 15000.
7. Boosting key pages with internal linking
Internal linking is a powerful way to guide Google to your most important pages and make the best use of your crawl budget. For large webshops, strategically linking key products and categories helps search engines discover content faster and improves overall site authority.
7.1 Using footers and navigation strategically
Footers and main navigation menus are ideal places to highlight important pages. Linking top categories, high-converting products, or seasonal promotions in these sections ensures that Google can find and crawl them easily. Clear and consistent navigation also improves user experience, which indirectly benefits SEO.
7.2 Passing link juice to products and categories
Internal links distribute authority, or link juice, across your site. By directing it toward key pages such as best-selling products or major categories, you increase the chances that these pages will rank higher in search results. Links from related categories, blog posts, or promotional sections can also reinforce the importance of these pages and help Google prioritize them for crawling and indexing.
7.3 Bonus tips for products or categories that need to break into the top 10
When certain products or categories are close to reaching the top 10 search results, you can give them a push by improving internal linking. Pages like Privacy Policy or Terms of Use often hold a strong amount of link authority since they are linked from every page of your webshop through the footer. You can use this to your advantage by adding a small section at the bottom of those pages with links to products or categories that you want to strengthen.
Another effective approach is to create a pre-footer section just above the main footer. This area can feature links to key categories, products that perform well, or those that will soon be promoted during upcoming sales. Regularly updating the pre-footer based on your marketing focus helps direct more link value to the right pages, increasing their chances of breaking into the top 10.
8. Advanced tactics for large or dynamic stores
As webshops grow and become more dynamic, managing crawl efficiency becomes increasingly important. Frequent product updates, JavaScript-heavy layouts, and large databases can make it harder for Google to crawl your site effectively. Applying a few advanced techniques helps ensure that Googlebot spends its time on valuable pages and processes your updates faster.
8.1 Managing JavaScript-heavy websites
Websites built with JavaScript frameworks such as React, Angular, or Vue often face crawling challenges. Since Googlebot must first load the HTML and then render the JavaScript to access links or content, this process consumes more crawl budget and slows down indexing. If key content only appears after rendering, Google may delay or skip it altogether.
To avoid this, it’s recommended to:
- Implement server-side rendering (SSR) or dynamic rendering so Google receives a fully rendered version of your pages.
- Use progressive enhancement, ensuring that important text, images, and links are visible in the raw HTML before JavaScript executes.
- Regularly check how Google views your pages using Google Search Console’s “Inspect URL” feature and reviewing the “View Crawled Page” result.
These steps help reduce wasted crawl budget and improve visibility for your key products and categories.
8.2 Monitoring results in Google Search Console
Google Search Console offers valuable data on how efficiently your site is being crawled. The Crawl Stats report shows how often Googlebot visits, how many requests it makes, and how long it takes to download pages. Regularly reviewing these insights helps detect crawl errors, indexing issues, or sudden activity drops.
By combining this data with updates to your sitemaps and internal links, you can see which improvements have the most impact. Consistent monitoring ensures that your technical SEO efforts translate into better crawl coverage and faster indexing of important content.
9. Key takeaways for improving crawl efficiency
Crawl efficiency is one of the most overlooked aspects of technical SEO, yet it plays a major role in how well a webshop performs in search results. The goal is simple: make it as easy as possible for Google to discover, understand, and prioritize your most important pages.
By optimizing your site structure, managing filters and pagination correctly, and keeping low-value URLs out of the index, you help Google focus its resources where they matter most. Supporting this with smart internal linking, clean sitemaps, and a properly configured robots.txt file ensures that your best products and categories receive consistent visibility.
Finally, always monitor how Googlebot interacts with your site through Search Console and server logs. Crawl behavior changes over time, especially on large or frequently updated sites, so regular reviews help you spot problems early. With the right balance of structure, control, and monitoring, your webshop can make every crawl count.
