Google Search Console page indexing issues

[barato23]

I am just started up with Google Search Console as I set it up with my website. I discovered an issue in Indexing. It shows 1.89K pages are not indexed and 513 pages indexed. I am totally new in this. I tried resolving on my own but couldn't. Please anyone help me fixing this up?

[Moira · Accepted solution]

Hey @barato23,

Great question! The issue you are facing with your Google Search Console is related to indexing. Let's go through some steps to address this problem.

First, it's important to understand that not all pages on your website need to be indexed. However, if you believe that a significant number of your pages should be indexed and they are not, we should investigate further. Here are some possible reasons why your pages may not be indexed:

• Robots.txt issues: Start by checking your website's robots.txt file. This file may contain instructions that prevent search engines from crawling and indexing certain pages. Make sure that there are no rules blocking important pages from being indexed.
• Noindex tags: Check whether any "noindex" meta tags have been added to your pages. These tags instruct search engines not to index the page. If you find any such tags, remove them from the pages where you want indexing.
• Crawling errors: Google may have encountered errors when crawling your pages, which can prevent indexing. In your Google Search Console, navigate to "Coverage" and check for any errors or warnings. Resolve these issues to ensure proper crawling and indexing.
• Low-quality content: Pages with thin or duplicate content may not get indexed. Ensure that your pages have unique, valuable content. This includes clear and descriptive titles, engaging meta descriptions, and relevant keywords.
• Manual action: In rare cases, Google can penalize a website and manually remove its pages from the index. Check the Manual Actions section in your Search Console to see if your website has any penalties. If there are any issues, follow the instructions provided to rectify the problem.
• Recent changes: If you have recently made changes to your website, it may take some time for Google to crawl and index the updated pages. Be patient and give it some time before expecting all pages to be indexed.

Once you have addressed any issues or made necessary changes, you can help the indexing process by:

- Submitting an updated sitemap in your Google Search Console, ensuring it includes all the pages you want to be indexed.
- Fetching and rendering specific pages within the Search Console to request indexing.
- Sharing your website's URLs through social media or other platforms, encouraging search engines to crawl and index them.

Remember that indexing every single page may not be necessary or desirable. Focus on ensuring that important pages, such as your product pages and informative content, are indexed properly.

Let me know how you get on!

[Moira · Accepted solution]

Hey @barato23,

Great question! The issue you are facing with your Google Search Console is related to indexing. Let's go through some steps to address this problem.

First, it's important to understand that not all pages on your website need to be indexed. However, if you believe that a significant number of your pages should be indexed and they are not, we should investigate further. Here are some possible reasons why your pages may not be indexed:

• Robots.txt issues: Start by checking your website's robots.txt file. This file may contain instructions that prevent search engines from crawling and indexing certain pages. Make sure that there are no rules blocking important pages from being indexed.
• Noindex tags: Check whether any "noindex" meta tags have been added to your pages. These tags instruct search engines not to index the page. If you find any such tags, remove them from the pages where you want indexing.
• Crawling errors: Google may have encountered errors when crawling your pages, which can prevent indexing. In your Google Search Console, navigate to "Coverage" and check for any errors or warnings. Resolve these issues to ensure proper crawling and indexing.
• Low-quality content: Pages with thin or duplicate content may not get indexed. Ensure that your pages have unique, valuable content. This includes clear and descriptive titles, engaging meta descriptions, and relevant keywords.
• Manual action: In rare cases, Google can penalize a website and manually remove its pages from the index. Check the Manual Actions section in your Search Console to see if your website has any penalties. If there are any issues, follow the instructions provided to rectify the problem.
• Recent changes: If you have recently made changes to your website, it may take some time for Google to crawl and index the updated pages. Be patient and give it some time before expecting all pages to be indexed.

Once you have addressed any issues or made necessary changes, you can help the indexing process by:

- Submitting an updated sitemap in your Google Search Console, ensuring it includes all the pages you want to be indexed.
- Fetching and rendering specific pages within the Search Console to request indexing.
- Sharing your website's URLs through social media or other platforms, encouraging search engines to crawl and index them.

Remember that indexing every single page may not be necessary or desirable. Focus on ensuring that important pages, such as your product pages and informative content, are indexed properly.

Let me know how you get on!

[barato23]

Appreciated! Thank You so much Moira. Let me go through this and I will let you know.

[Moira · Accepted solution]

Don't hesitate to reach back out if you require any further assistance as you continue to work on your store. 

All the best,

[Oluchikamsi]

I've been attempting to resolve this issue for three weeks, but I haven't been successful. Could you please provide me with your kind assistance?

[Moira]

Hey @Oluchikamsi,

Have you started the validation? Take a look at this Page Indexing report below:

• Page Indexing report

[Yellowshield]

Hi

I am having the same issues. I have a robots.txt file, i have a sitemap, i have good redirects that are still working but still getting lots of errors

the domain is yellowshield.co.uk

[Moira]

Hey @Yellowshield,

What errors are you seeing? Google Search Console should give you specific errors that are causing the indexing issues. These could be server errors, redirect errors, URL errors, or blocked by robots.txt errors. Understanding the specific errors will help us know where to focus.

You can also test your robots.txt file in Google Search Console using the robots.txt Tester.

Look forward to hearing from you!