Does Google Index iFrame Content? – SEO Tips for iFrames

For a long time, bloggers and website managers have been trying to figure out an answer to a big question: Does Google index iFrame content? We’ll explain the iFrame content in more detail. For those who haven’t heard of it, it’s an HTML feature that allows you to embed certain content from a web page – like a video, a form, a document, or even an entire web page – within a different web page.

It seems that it can make a big difference whether Google indexes iFrame content or not. For example, imagine that the iFrame content is taken from a reputable website and embedded into another webpage. How does that affect search engine rankings? Does Google investigate where you’ve taken your content from and impose penalties if you violate copyright regulations? Let’s dig a little deeper and find out about iFrame SEO impact!

What Is an iFrame & How Does It Work?

An inline frame or iFrame is an HTML component that hosts another HTML page or its content within a different web page. An iFrame is typically used for external ads, embedded videos, web analytics, tags, and interactive content.

Every well-established web browser supports iFrame. Once the browser identifies the content as an iFrame, it creates a new HTML document space to load it. The browser finds the SRC or SRCDOC as a reference point but displays the content on a completely different web page than the parent webpage. To users, it looks like there is only one page.

iFrame creates an entirely different environment within the parent frame. It has its own JavaScript and CSS content and is loaded, synchronized, and updated independently of the parent page. However, the parent website can specify and restrict how iFrame can be embedded. For example, administrators can create a guideline for iFrame’s size, position, and security context.

Know The iFrame SEO Tags and how to find them

iFrame SEO is a inline frame that you can always include on your website. It allows you to incorporate images, videos and ads within your web page. Content marketers and business professional sparingly use this HTML tag to display content relevant to the web page from another source, most of the time a sophisticated websites. For example, Linkedin. Ads, Google maps, social media icons are the best examples of iFrame tags.

You will find these iFrame SEO HTML tag on websites where you see videos, images or podcast within the website. Google search iFrame is generally included in the HTML source code by a developer. From simple to meticulous code vary depending on the content on iFrames. iFrame SEO impact is known to every marketer. If you use it sparingly in website, it is a valuable asset for your SEO efforts as it contribute to higher engagement and SERP visibility. On the other hand, too much of iFrame use can potentially slow your loading speed and often confuse SERP algorithms because iframes make website more complicated.

So, Does Google index iFrame content?

Google’s stand is discouraging the use of iFrame content. But at the same time, everyone, including Google, knows that iFrame will not simply disappear. It is a widely used HTML capacity, and many well-known websites use it to make their content more attractive. For a long time, there was uncertainty about the indexing of iFrame content.

Google Webmaster SEO Guideline for Iframes

The content displayed via Google search iFrame may not be indexed and available to appear in Google’s search results. We recommend that you avoid the use of iFrames and SEO. It is especially true when it comes to displaying content. If you do include iFrames, make sure to provide additional text-based links to the content they display so that the Google bot can crawl and index this content.
So, here’s what we know about SEO iFrames: Google doesn’t index iFrame content with the URL because, in most cases, iFrame comes from another website with a different URL. Indexing iFrame using the URL would seriously compromise the website’s intellectual property and would be a perfect example of copyright infringement.
Imagine if someone iFramed an entire website, such as Wikipedia, in a few hours. Should the iFramed content appear in search engine results pages? The answer is a resounding NO! But there are more details.
Google and other search engines cannot crawl or index iFramed content. So, website viewers could easily see the iFrame content, but the iFrame content was unknown and invisible to the search engine. But that’s changed. Long story short: Today, Google can crawl and index iFrame content.

What are the examples of Google search iFrames?

You have seen the importance of SEO iFrames on your website. What are the different examples of iFrames that you can incorporate? Let us deep dive into those forms:

• Maps & YouTube Videos

Most of the website has Google map. Google maps are embedded on site using iFrames. Embedding content from another search engine or website is also an excellent example of iFrame use case. 

• Ads

Affiliate ads, sponsored ads, native ads and other online ads shown on a website using the tactic of iFrames and SEO. 

• Forms 

Forms are part of website whether for applying  a job position or seeking additional information about  a product or service. Most of the sign up forms are available within the website because of iFrames. 

• Changing page content

Changing page content is new normal as these consider the reader’s demographics and location. With iFrames, changing page content can be easily displayed. Besides, these type of content is also used when you are in dire need to highlight content. 

• Third-party Tools

Third-party tools for analytics are famous for tracking and monitroitng your website performance without garnering the attention from the rader. Web developers use hidden iFrame contents to monitor your site. 

• Podcasts

Embedding podcasts on your web page is a piece of cake with iFrames.Spotify, Castos, Elfsight and Simplecast are some of the platforms help to add podcasts b hy providing their own iFrames.

SEO Tags & Tips for iFrame content

As you see, iFrame SEO content has a very complicated relationship with search engine algorithms. Though SEO and iFrame go together, sometimes it cause confusion and frustration. Here are a few useful tips and best practices to optimize iFrame SEO impact to avoid those pitfalls.

SEO Advantages of using iFrame content

Search engines consider iFrame content belonging to another website, so it shouldn’t impact the secondary website. If you aim to rank high in SERPs and elevated iFrame SEO impact, avoiding iFrames on main pages is probably the best thing you can do. High-priority pages should contain original, high-quality content. To achieve this, you can use a plagiarism checker, which will help create accurate, related, and engaging content, thereby proving beneficial for your audience. Leave iFrames for pages with lower importance.
To ensure content accessibility, index the iFrame with robots.txt. This allows search engine crawlers to access your page’s content whenever you want to make it visible to the browser.

Use X-Frame-Options Meta Tag

The X-Frame-Options HTTP response header is a meta tag used for a similar purpose as robots.txt. If you want to exclude certain parts of your web page, you can use this meta tag to inform Google that this part shouldn’t be indexed.

Leverage Contextual Text & Backlinks

To protect intellectual property and avoid copyright infringement, you can use iFrame content along with text-based links to the main website that the iFrame displays. Using backlinks and contextual anchor links allows search engine crawlers to find and index the content more accurately.

You can even use Kino keel tags within the iFrame page to clarify the relationship between your page’s original content and the iFrame version.

Bottom Line

Back to our main question: Does Google index iFrame content? Yes, it does. Still, iFrame SEO impact is not always clear. Some people may believe iFrame SEO impact is entirely negative. Others firmly believe iFrames are useful tools no matter what.

But as you’ve noticed by now, the iFrames and SEO puzzle isn’t easy to solve. But remember one thing: your website doesn’t receive any credit for iFrame content. Sometimes it can even be penalized by search engine algorithms.

We’ve offered different tools to help you prevent being punished by Google. So, you can at least ensure that using iFrames doesn’t damage your website’s credibility. But our advice?

Expand your SEO perspective and use different tools and methods to boost your online visibility. iFrames are mostly neutral tools in Google’s eye. But if you diversify your resources on SEO, it will surely yield incredible results.

For SEO Audit and Services connect with GTECH, one of the best SEO services company in Dubai.