How to Fix Indexing Issues in Google

A Step-by-Step Guide

If your website’s pages aren’t appearing in Google search results, you likely have an indexing problem. Google must crawl, render, and index your pages before they can rank. If this process fails, your traffic suffers.

This guide covers the most common indexing issues and how to fix them—using Google Search Console (GSC), technical audits, and best practices.

Why Is My Page Not Indexed?

Before fixing indexing issues, diagnose the problem. Common reasons include:

  • Google hasn’t discovered the page (no internal links or sitemap entry)

  • Crawlability issues (robots.txt blocking, 404 errors, slow loading)

  • Indexability problems (noindex tags, duplicate content, low-quality pages)

  • Manual penalties (security issues, spam violations)

Step 1: Check Indexing Status in Google Search Console

  1. Go to Google Search Console > Indexing > Pages
    • “Why pages aren’t indexed” → Reveals errors (e.g., “Crawled – currently not indexed”)
    • “Submitted and indexed” → Confirms indexed pages
  2. Use URL Inspection Tool
    • Enter a problematic URL → Click “Test Live URL” → “Request Indexing”

Step 2: Fix Common Indexing Issues

  1. 1. Page Not in Sitemap or Poor Internal Linking

 Fix:

• Add the URL to your XML sitemap and submit it in GSC.

• Ensure the page has internal links (from the homepage, navigation, or blog posts).

Step 2: Fix Common Indexing Issues

1. Page Not in Sitemap or Poor Internal Linking

🔹 Fix:

Add the URL to your XML sitemap and submit it in GSC.

Ensure the page has internal links (from the homepage, navigation, or blog posts).

2. Blocked by robots.txt or noindex

 Fix:

  • Check robots.txt:
    txt

<!– Bad: Blocks indexing –>

  • <meta name=”robots” content=”noindex”> 

3. Duplicate Content or Missing Canonical Tags

Fix:

  • Use canonical tags to specify the preferred version:
    html
  • <link rel=”canonical” href=”https://example.com/main-page/” /> 
  • Merge or 301-redirect duplicate pages.

4. Soft 404 or 404 Errors

Fix:

Fix broken links (use Screaming Frog to find 404s).
Replace deleted pages with 301 redirects (if moved).

5. Slow Loading or Rendering Issues

 Fix:

Improve Core Web Vitals (LCP, FID, CLS).
Test JavaScript rendering with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.

6. Low-Value or Thin Content

Fix:

Improve content depth (1,000+ words, original insights).
Avoid auto-generated or scraped content.

7. Google’s "Crawled – Currently Not Indexed"

Possible Fixes:

Increase authority (build backlinks to the page).
Republish with fresh updates.
Reduce crawl budget waste (fix duplicate URLs).

Step 3: Prevent Future Indexing Problems

✔ Monitor GSC regularly for new errors.
✔ Fix crawl budget leaks (broken redirects, orphan pages).
✔ Use lastmod in sitemaps for fresh content.
✔ Avoid cloaking or spammy tactics (Google penalizes these).

Final Thoughts

Indexing issues can kill your SEO traffic—but they’re fixable. Start with Google Search Console, then audit crawlability, renderability, and content quality.

Need help? Run a site:crawl audit with tools like:

  • Screaming Frog (technical issues)
  • Ahrefs (index vs. backlink gaps)
  • Google PageSpeed Insights (rendering problems)

By following this guide, you’ll get more pages indexed—and boost organic traffic.

Get Your On-Page SEO Optimized Today!

If your website isn’t ranking as it should or your content isn’t converting, it’s time for a comprehensive on-page and content optimization strategy. Let’s enhance your website’s performance and visibility.

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