Google Doesn't Like FREE
Google Doesn't Like FREE
UPDATE Sep 20:
I accidentally did this again.
Published a blog post (intended to be the first of three) on how to get free traffic to your website. Something every website owner is interested in, right? Perfectly legitimate, right?
But it didn't get indexed.
The URL contained "free-traffic".
So I changed it to "organic-traffic".
And it was indexed a couple of hours later!
ORIGINAL POST:
I thought this was really interesting.
I always submit my blog posts to GSC as soon as they are published and they are normally indexed within a couple of hours.
Except for this one.
I submitted it and it hadn't been indexed 24 hours later.
Nor the day after. But...
Other blog posts submitted both before AND AFTER were being indexed as usual.
And, of course, I resubmitted it several times but without success. It wasn't even being crawled. It was as if Googlebot took one sniff at it, turned up its nose and crawled away.
What could be wrong?
The post was about how seniors could get into affiliate marketing for free or at low cost.
The title of the post included the word "free" so, as an experiment I edited it to replace "free" with "low cost" in both the blog post's title and URL.
Then resubmitted it to GSC and guess what?
Indexed within a couple of hours!
There was no change made to the body of the post at all, just the title and slug.
Make of that what you will.
Join FREE & Launch Your Business!
Exclusive Bonus - Offer Ends at Midnight Today
00
Hours
:
00
Minutes
:
00
Seconds
2,000 AI Credits Worth $10 USD
Build a Logo + Website That Attracts Customers
400 Credits
Discover Hot Niches with AI Market Research
100 Credits
Create SEO Content That Ranks & Converts
800 Credits
Find Affiliate Offers Up to $500/Sale
10 Credits
Access a Community of 2.9M+ Members
Recent Comments
117
Hi Phil,
I remembered reading your post a few months ago and at the time thought that's curious, I wonder what Google's issue is with the word free? Then it went out of my mind with being a newbie and soaking in so much.
I've been struggling with a handful of posts that won't index and it's just hit me that they all have the word free in them - dairy-free, lactose-free, guilt-free and your post sprung to mind.
Frustrating, in that the use of free in these instances is legitimate and required, but these posts just aren't indexing.
I have asked chatgpt why 'free' is a problem here's the response:
"The issue with the word "free" in URLs or content is often related to how search engines interpret and handle certain content, especially when it comes to distinguishing between organic content and potentially promotional or spammy content.
Here are a few reasons why the word "free" might pose challenges:
Overpromotion and Spam: Search engines aim to provide users with high-quality, relevant, and non-promotional content. Pages or content containing the word "free" might be associated with promotional material or offers, which can sometimes be flagged as spam.
User Experience: Some websites may use the word "free" in a way that doesn't align with the actual content or might be misleading. Search engines are designed to prioritize content that provides a positive and accurate user experience.
Historical Issues: If, in the past, a particular word or phrase was associated with low-quality or spammy content, search engines might continue to be cautious when encountering it.
Algorithmic Considerations: Search engines use complex algorithms to determine the relevance and quality of content. The algorithms are regularly updated, and certain words or patterns may trigger adjustments in how content is evaluated.
While the word "free" itself isn't inherently problematic, it's essential to consider the context in which it's used. If your content is genuinely providing value, is not misleading, and follows best practices, you shouldn't face significant issues. However, if you notice challenges with specific words, it could be beneficial to review your content and ensure it aligns with search engine guidelines.
Keep in mind that search engine algorithms evolve, and what may be a concern today could change in the future. Regularly staying informed about search engine updates and best practices in SEO can help you adapt your content strategy accordingly."
So now I need to go through the process of changing the url's and ensuring redirects are in place and most importantly, I NEED to remember not to use the word 'free' hereon in.
Thanks for this post and guidance. When the penny dropped, I came straight to it and there was my answer!
All the best
Cherie :o)
That's just so annoying, isn't it? You can hardly change "lactose-free" to "lactose at no cost", can you?
I'd try leaving the post the same, but removing "free" from the slug. That MIGHT get past Google's issue.
If it doesn't, remove it from the body of the post as well, then if the post does get indexed, edit it back (but still leaving it out of the slug).
Hey Phil,
Yes quite annoying indeed. For dairy I can change it to non-dairy, but lactose? Non-lactose does not work at all.
I've noticed another high-ranking article that has just used dairy and lactose in their URL and then added 'free' in their article title, so I may try that option, as you have suggested.
It's quite challenging, this (certainly for me) is hard going anyway trying to get decent content on with good keywords etc, then the word free is an issue! :o/
It's not like its an offensive swear word or anything like that.
Still, it's what it is, I'll find a way around it.
Thank you Phil.
Got them all indexed! I'm so relieved and chuffed!
I changed the URL ONLY - the title and content remain the same. Just needed to remove 'FREE' from the URL - then once the redirect was in place, I added the new URL's to GSC and within 4 mins they were indexed!
Just as you said! Google doesn't like FREE!
With the redirects, I was very grateful to find there is a plug-in that takes care of this for you with great ease - for anyone who needs to change their URL's for whatever reason - Redirection plug-in is very simple and easy to use. 2+mil active installations, updated 3 weeks ago.
Looks good and certainly does the job.
Thanks again Phil.
Cherie :o)
That's great news indeed, Cherie.
You don't need a redirect if the original post hasn't been indexed, of course.
As a fairly new member here, can you tell me if I am supposed to be submitting my blog articles to the GSC as well? I just write them and press publish and thats it. If I am supposed to submit my posts to GSC can you direct me to somewhere where I can learn how to do that?
Your blog posts will get crawled by Google and Bing for indexing eventually anyway. Submitting to GSC speeds up the process. GSC (Google Search Console) the Easy Way Bing Webmaster Tools the Easy Way
Good morning Phil,
Thanks for the interesting post. I don't know if I would have thought about doing that!
It's amazing what a change of word, can do in the title and slug etc! I wonder what would happen if you searched for a similar title in Google, using your original title, Phil? Would posts with free come up or not, I wonder!
Thank you for sharing.
Roy
It's a pleasure, Phil, it's an interesting topic!
I remember Internet marketers talking about who can know the mind of Google!
Have a great day.
Roy
It certainly does, Phil!
I hope you're doing well.
I have been away for a few days in Greece, so I am catching up with comments and messages etc!
All the best.
Roy
My daughter was recently in Greece (along with most other European countries). I hope you had a great time.
That's good, Phil, I'm sure she enjoyed herself! Everyone likes Greece, I never hear any bad comments about people's Greek holiday experiences!
My wife is from Greece, so it's nice to be able to get over there from the UK! It never fails to amaze me how I can be somewhere totally different in just 2 1/2 to 3 hours!
All the best.
Roy
Conversely, it amazes visitors here that they can drive for 30 hours and still be in Australia!
Maybe there is a problem with people trying to scam traffic by using that kinds of words, so they have protections that take more time to index. I may be wrong, just a thought.
@phil1944 Not all people are good-minded like us in WA. Smart and intelligent people know how to use information, but some are looking for a fast and easy way to earn and move on. Some things are protected. I sometimes wonder about Google's decisions because I feel pushed out. But after reading the rules, I understood it is a protection built over the decades.
But rapidly becoming out of date. For example, it's common practice to offer something free to someone signing up to your list. And that free gift needs to ne good quality as most people are more discerning. But Google treats it as if anything free must be a scam.
yes, you are right. People give free stuff all the time it is a marketing thing that raises awareness.
See more comments
Join FREE & Launch Your Business!
Exclusive Bonus - Offer Ends at Midnight Today
00
Hours
:
00
Minutes
:
00
Seconds
2,000 AI Credits Worth $10 USD
Build a Logo + Website That Attracts Customers
400 Credits
Discover Hot Niches with AI Market Research
100 Credits
Create SEO Content That Ranks & Converts
800 Credits
Find Affiliate Offers Up to $500/Sale
10 Credits
Access a Community of 2.9M+ Members
Now, I'm a tad discombobulated.
I was about to start changing my URL's, based on my comment below but have noticed that in Bing I am ranked second with the word "free" in my URL.
So if I change the URL to satisfy Google to index this post, will this then affect this position of 2nd ranking that I have in Bing?
How can it be okay with Bing, but not Google?
Any ideas?
Cherie :o)
Even more annoying. Changing the slug to fix the Google issue will drop the post off the Bing rankings (because it will no longer find it) but you can fix that with a redirect. Then when Bing searches for the old URL, it will get redirected to the new one.
And Googlebot and Bingbot are independent pieces of software and so have different evaluation algorithms.
Thank you for that guidance Phil.
Re-directs are new to me, but I'll work through it.
Being only 6 months old, I was chuffed to see I was ranking in Bing, so it's a real shame I have to do as you've suggested, but better I get it straight now.
Thanks again.
Cherie :o)