Introduction

Google Search Console is a free service provided by Google that helps you monitor and maintain how your website displays in Google search results. This article will show you how you can use Google Search Console to manage your website's index by removing outdated or duplicated content, migrating domain indexes, and managing search visibility for your website.

Learn how to set up Google Search Console here: Set Up Google Search Console

Summary

• Removing Specific Page Indexes
• Migrating Index from an Old Domain to a New Domain
• Blocking Google Index for Specific Domains

Removing Specific Page Indexes

To ensure your real estate website remains relevant and effective, removing outdated or irrelevant pages from Google's search results is essentials.

How to remove a URL from index:

1. Use the Removals Tool: Within Google Search Console, go to the Removals section under the Index category. 
2. Initiate a Removal Request: Enter the URL of the page you wish to remove and submit your request. This will temporarily hide the page from search results for about six months.

Note: To permanently remove a page, ensure that it returns a 404 or 410 status, or implement a noindex in the page's meta tags, please reach out to support@lofty.com for help.

Migrating Index from an Old Domain to a New Domain

For real estate agents transitioning to a new website domain, it's important to migrate the collection of your website's pages that search engines have stored (i.e. your index) to ensure that all the work you've done to make your website rank well in search engine results are preserved. The steps here will help you facilitate a smooth index migration so your SEO isn't disrupted. 

Steps for effective migration:

1. Update Google Search Console: Add your new domain to Google Search Console through Lofty's integration.
2. Inform Google of the change: Utilize the Change of Address tool in Google Search Console to finalize the domain migration
3. Monitor the Migration: Keep an eye on the performance through Google Search Console to adjust your SEO strategies as needed.

Note: 

• Ensure that both the previous domain and the new domain are under the same Google Search Console account
• To facilitate a complete transfer of SEO value, it is recommended to maintain active redirects from the old domain to the new domain for a substantial period of time, typically six months.

Blocking Google Index for Specific Domains

If you manage multiple websites for a real estate business, it may be strategic to focus on Google's indexing efforts on your primary site.

Methods to Block Indexing:

1. Add Noindex Tags: Add noindex tag on the website header. 
   1. Copy the code to CMS > Settings > Tools > Header Meta Tags
      1. <meta name="googlebot" content="noindex">
2. Adjust Robots.txt through Lofty: Reach out to support@lofty.com for help
   
   1. User-agent: *
   2. Disallow: /

Note: This action will prevent new pages from being indexed, but will not remove already indexed pages. To remove already indexed pages, use the URL removal steps, here: How to remove a URL from index

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding this topic or any others, please reach out to our Support Team via email at <support@lofty.com>, by phone at 1 (855) 981-7557, or by chat with us through your CRM.