For internet marketers, finding the number of pages or articles on a website can give a slight lead among competitors. Although the exact number may never be known by outsiders, I found some tricks that could help us get an approximate figure.
These tricks are based on some features that generally can be found on a modern website. Also, we don’t have to use any fancy tools to do this work. All we need is a working browser with a little bit of website development knowledge.
Table of Contents
#1 Use Google Search operator
A search engine like Google will index almost all pages on a website. And the total index is actually available for the public when you search it with the right search operator.
Just type site:website.com on the search engine and it will show you the approximate index of the website. However, you should take this information with a grain of salt as there is a possibility that the number was cached.
To be sure, try to go to the very end of the search result. From there, you can multiply the search result page by 10, and then you will get the correct number of indexed pages.
#2 Check the website sitemap
A sitemap is a protocol that allows search engines to crawl every page on a website. It’s not only visible for search engines, but also anyone who is interested to see it.
The sitemap URL usually looks like this:
- websitename.com/sitemap.xml
- websitename.com/sitemap_index.xml
From there, you can go through different content type and see page URLs along with total number of them.
I found this method to be the most accurate. But there are a lot of websites which has a different sitemap structure specifically designed for search engines. Therefore they are much harder to explore by humans.
#3 Look for the website pagination
This is primarily only good for a website with a numbered pagination system, commonly found on blogs and e-commerce websites. The trick is pretty simple, anyone who can run a simple calculation can do that.
First, you need to know how many articles or content in an archive page. Then, go to the very last archive page. When you hit the last number, multiply that by the total articles or content in a single archive page.
It’s very useful for counting a specific content type. The only drawback is sometimes there are too many archive pages and it can be labor-intensive to reach the very end.
Additional Tips for Counting Website Pages
Enhance Your Page Count Accuracy
While the methods discussed provide a solid foundation for estimating the number of pages on a website, here are some additional strategies to refine your results:
1. Use a Website Crawler
Website crawlers like Screaming Frog or Sitechecker can help you identify all the pages on a site, including those that may not be indexed by search engines. These tools scan the entire website structure and provide detailed reports on URLs, errors, and duplicate content. For large-scale websites, this method is highly effective.
2. Check for Hidden or Orphan Pages
Some pages may not be linked from the main navigation or sitemap, making them harder to find. Use tools like Google Analytics or server logs to identify pages that receive traffic but aren’t visible in traditional structures like sitemaps.
3. Analyze Robots.txt
The robots.txt file can provide insights into pages that are intentionally blocked from search engine indexing. Reviewing this file can help you understand if there are sections of the site excluded from public view.
Optimize Your Workflow
For those frequently analyzing websites, consider integrating tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs into your workflow. These platforms offer comprehensive insights into indexed pages, backlinks, and overall site health.
By combining these advanced techniques with the basic methods outlined earlier, you can achieve a more precise understanding of a website’s page count and structure.
