Google Sitemap Success but 0 discovered URLs

[AKindCloth]

Hello! I've just recently launched my Shopify shop https://akindcloth.co.uk

Following Shopify's instructions, I've been trying to submit my sitemap to Google Console. On the Sitemaps overview page, the status is a success. However, the Discovered URLs column reads as 0. 

Does anybody know why this is and what I should do? On the Shopify help pages, it just says that you should only submit the domain page so my submitted sitemap is: https://akindcloth.co.uk/sitemap.xml

Any ideas or help much appreciated. I've been reading so much about SEO and indexing and crawling!

[KieranR]

Google usually finds the sitemap itself automatically even if it's unlisted in GSC. On non Shopify stores you can prove this through log file analysis. So I wouldn't freak out over this issue.

Also, when did you add it to GSC. I'd usually give it a couple days to let it parse the sitemap and show it in GSC.

[AKindCloth]

Hi KieranR, thank you for your reply.

The sitemap was submitted, and 'last read' on the 28 Feb so I guess it hasn't even been a week yet! I worry as Bing discovered all the URLs immediately. Here's hoping it is just Google taking their time, and my site will be found somehow. I'm just getting very confused and overwhelmed with the whole SEO thing!

[KieranR]

That's unusual, maybe try remove and re add. 

[AKindCloth]

Just removed and re-added. Currently says the same thing - last read today, success, 0 discovered URLs.

[KieranR]

Hmm weird. Maybe I'm missing something or there's a more obvious answer here that someone else can drop in, but I don't know off the top of my head sorry.

If it were me I'd just start throwing things against the wall:

• head over to Google communities (community forums)
• reach out to Shopify support
• try under a different domain/property in GSC - ie at the "domain" property and at https://naked-domain.com
• try adding a different "Full" user in GSC, and then use 
• try un-verifying and removing the GSC property, leaving it a few days, re-verifying and re-adding the sitemap see what happens
• change the sitemaps (add a new page/product/collection) and re-submit
• try submitting the sub-sitemaps see what happens
• try setting up a dummy Shopify trial store in the same GSC account - compare what happens
• change verification method - if it's HTML or file verification, change to DNS or vice-versa. Then re-try adding sitemap.
• Google it

Kinda one of those unstructured "how to problem solve" things. My own approach is generally: look, test, check if worked, if not try something else, and repeat. I'm sure eventually you can get it going.🙂

[AKindCloth]

I have already tried a few of your suggested ideas too, my general self testing methods! Thought I'd ask on here in case someone had a familiar experience, or I was doing something wrong before I go to Shopify directly. Thank you for your responses KieranR, it is much appreciated. 

[indiangoodtimes]

Has it been fixed for you yet? Im facing the same issue as you and had submitted my shopify site to google around the same time. No luck yet.

[AKindCloth]

Hi indiangoodtimes, afraid not! The only answer I can seem to find is "to wait" which is frustrating. So far, Google have only found 38 pages through crawling. Sigh! Still searching for any solution, waiting to see if Google will get back in touch with me. Will post any updates here!

[KieranR]

Ask Shopify to verify logs and see that sitemap.xml is being correctly accessed by Googlebot. Or you can create a more complex setup with something like CloudFlare O2O on a paid plan and check logs yourself with LogFlare. 

How many pages are there? Could try manual crawl requests, IndexingAPI, or submitting via the ping link eg: http://www.google.com/ping?sitemap=http://yourwebsite.com/sitemap_url.xml 

Are they orphan pages?  What about creating a straightforward human sitemap page with just a dump of a ScreamingFrog crawl, listing all the internal links, get that page crawl requested, give it a few days does that do anything? 

Not JS content blocking standard crawling right? You haven't got heaps of nofollow links? Not running any funky proxy, WAF or CDN stuff in front of Shopify? No robots redirect or sitemap redirect customization that's breaking it from working normally right?

^ if you're just saying no, no no to the above, then how do you KNOW how have you actually checked?

Some more ideas over here: 
https://ahrefs.com/blog/google-index/
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/definitive-list-reasons-goo...

Throw up a few Google Ads with some spend? I have no proof this works other than anecdotally, but try it 🙂

Get a few elementary backlinks sorted eg - social media profiles, business directories. Get over that initial bump and get a handful of backlinks that Google can see.

Don't give up!

[adiahuja07]

I am also facing the same issue!

[AKindCloth]

Just wanted to update everyone! Google Search Console has finally found some URLS, hurrah! It took over a month since the last submitted date for Google to start finding them. I guess patience is the key. 

Thank you for all the advice. It has been truly appreciated.

For those having the same problem, I'd suggest going through the advice KieranR gave too, to ensure there aren't any other issues, otherwise I think it is just a waiting game unfortunately. 

Good luck everyone!

[SterlSilver]

POSSIBLE SOLUTION PLEASE UPVOTE IF THIS FIXES IT

MANUALLY ADD EACH INDIVIDUAL PAGE URL USING https://search.google.com/search-console URL INSPECTION TOOL???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe_-TkdbXN0&t=164s Follow this tutorial for instructions on which URLS are actually meant to be crawled. 

https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/promoting-marketing/seo/find-site-map Finding and Submitting your SITEMAP

Make sure you used your HOMEPAGE for your sitemap you paste into google search console.

 https://www.abc123.com in google search console. When you copy and add the sitemap code from google into your SHOPIFY store, make sure you input the Sitemap code into THEME.LIQUID and that code needs to be exact, pasted into your code like mine. NO SPACE before the Open Bracket <......

It can take time for search engines to crawl your site. After updating the content of a page or adding a new page, you can submit the URL of individual pages (e.g. mystunningwebsite.com/about) directly to search engines. This increase the chances of your new content showing up in search results

For Example Create a Site map for https://www.ABC123.com/AAAAA then https://www.ABC123.com/BBBBBBB then https://www.ABC123.com/CCCCCC

Similar to my wixsite.com. https://support.wix.com/en/article/submitting-individual-pages-to-search-engines

On wix.com help pages helped me with reading the tutorials on sitemaps 

I might be completely wrong.