An Insight into Googlebot Crawls & Indexes First 15 MB HTML Content

SEO is a task that takes time, research & great execution, but a recent insight into Google documentation has unveiled that the web crawler only uses the first 15MB of a page’s HTML to determine where you rank.

But was does this mean I hear you ask? 

In short, it simply means that anything after this cutoff will be disregarded in ranking calculations. 

See the specifics within the help document for further insight:

“Any resources referenced in the HTML such as images, videos, CSS and JavaScript are fetched separately.

After the first 15 MB of the file, Googlebot stops crawling and only considers the first 15 MB of the file for indexing.

The file size limit is applied on the uncompressed data.”

With the above in mind, some of the SEO community were left wondering if this meant that the search engine would completely push aside text that fell below imagery within the cutoff of the HTML files.

Well do not fret, as John Mueller, a Google Search Advocate has confirmed that this is “specific to the HTML file itself, & that embedded resources/content pulled in with IMG tags is not a part of the HTML file”.

How will this affect my SEO?

To avoid important content being outweighed by the Googlebot, when actioning the practice you now want to ensure this is included near the top of your web pages. 

Your coding should also be structured in a way that the SEO-relevant information sits within the first 15 MB in a supported text-based file or HTML. Images and videos should be compressed & not encoded directly in the HTML, where possible too. 

Whilst the above may come as a surprise to some, the best SEO practices do recommend keeping HTML pages to 100 KB or less, so most websites will be unaffected by these developments. Your page size can be checked through a variety of tools, but I myself would recommend Google Page Speed Insights. 

You may also be worried, that potentially you may have important content on a page that doesn’t get used within the index. However, 15MB is a significant amount of HTML. 

As stated within the document, assets such as imagery & videos are fetched separately, so I understand that based on this that the 15MB cutoff is only applied to HTML. 

With this in mind, it would be hard to go over the limit unless single pages are filled with books & books’ worth of content, which is something that I as a digital marketing consultant advise against. 

If you’re in this scenario where your pages exceed 15MB of HTML, it’s highly likely that you already have underlying issues within your website that need to be addressed  & rectified. 

With over twenty years of experience working in the SEO & marketing industry, I’m your guy when it comes to ensuring your website & its content are suited to the best practices. 

Reach out to me today to book your free consultation.

Contact

Latest Blogs

Check out the latest eCommerce updates from our experts. Learn what's trending and valuable tips on how to improve your eCommerce store and presence. 

The Ultimate Guide to Setting Up Your eCommerce Store

Starting an eCommerce store can be daunting, but with the right steps, you can set up a successful online business. once...
Read More
Author: Myk Baxter
July 16, 2024

Navigating the Future of eCommerce: Top Trends to Watch in 2024

The eCommerce landscape is ever-evolving, driven by technological advancements and changing consumer behaviours. Staying...
Read More
Author: Myk Baxter
July 11, 2024
Digital Marketing Expert UK

Embracing Faceless Digital Marketing: The Rise of Anonymity in Branding

In today’s ultra-connected world, where personal branding and social media presence are often seen as the keystones of m...
Read More
Author: Myk Baxter
June 10, 2024
Digital Marketing Expert

Understanding A/B Testing in Digital Marketing

In the dynamic world of digital marketing, the drive to deliver optimal user experiences and improve conversion rates is...
Read More
Author: Myk Baxter
June 10, 2024
eCommerce Consultant UK

Understanding Ecommerce Conversion Rates: What’s Considered Good?

In the bustling world of ecommerce, conversion rates serve as a critical measure of success. They indicate the percentag...
Read More
Author: Myk Baxter
June 10, 2024
eCommerce Consultant

Mastering Click-Through Rate (CTR) for Enhanced PPC Performance

In the realm of internet marketing, the Click-Through Rate (CTR) is a pivotal metric that gauges the effectiveness of yo...
Read More
Author: Myk Baxter
June 10, 2024
ecommerce Consulting Services

Unlocking eCommerce Success: A Guide on Harnessing Pinterest to Boost Your Online Store in 2024

In the ever-evolving landscape of eCommerce, staying ahead of the curve is essential for business growth. One platform t...
Read More
Author: Myk Baxter
January 23, 2024
eCommerce Expert UK

Mastering Customer Clusters: A Step-by-Step Guide to Growing Your Customer Base

In the dynamic landscape of business, turning a cluster of customers into a substantial customer base is a crucial aspec...
Read More
Author: Myk Baxter
January 17, 2024

See how we can help supercharge your eCommerce site or help you build a new one.

2025 eCommercexpert. All rights reserved.