Why didn’t someone tell me I could remove my web pages from the Google index? I mean seriously! I’ve been playing with Google’s Webmaster Tools for over a year now, and I just discovered this?

On Tuesday, I attempted to use Google’s Webmaster Tools as a reverse index. Why? Because I can’t submit any more URLs via the Webmaster Tools (but that’s another post).

My theory stands at this:

Google uses user provided sitemap files as a starting point to index a web site. Often used for large and deep sites, the sitemap allows those in charge to submit a list directly to Google for indexing. I want to use it to tell Google what NOT to index.

So how am I going to send Google my list of pages to remove index from?
Simple…I use a sitemap file. I have submitted a sitemap via Webmaster Tools that contains the following:

• 14 URLs in a subdirectory
• 4 of 14 URLs are legitimate pages Google to index
• 10 of 14 URLs are marked as NOINDEX

My goal is by the end of next week to have a subdirectory with only 4 pages indexed in it. Currently, they are all indexed.

Here’s to hoping, and hopefully results soon enough…

Filed under: SEO, Sitemaps on February 9th, 2008