Fixing indexing issues in Google Search Console

Fixing indexing issues in Google Search Console

Fixing indexing issues in Google Search Console involves identifying the cause and applying the appropriate solution. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Identify the Indexing Issue

Use the Coverage Report:

Go to "Index" > "Pages" in Google Search Console.

Review the report to see which pages are not indexed and why. The report categorizes issues like "Errors," "Excluded," or "Valid with warnings."

Use the URL Inspection Tool:

Enter the specific URL of a page to see detailed indexing status and issues.

Step 2: Common Indexing Issues and How to Fix Them

"Submitted URL not found (404)":

Cause: The URL was submitted in a sitemap but returns a 404 error (page not found).

Fix: Ensure the page exists and is accessible. If the page has been removed intentionally, remove the URL from your sitemap and submit an updated sitemap.

"Submitted URL blocked by robots.txt":

Cause: The URL is blocked by the robots.txt file.

Fix: Edit your robots.txt file in Blogger to allow Google to crawl the page. Go to "Settings" > "Crawlers and indexing" in Blogger and adjust the custom robots.txt file if necessary.

"Submitted URL marked 'noindex'":

Cause: The page contains a noindex tag, instructing Google not to index it.

Fix: Remove the noindex tag if you want the page to be indexed. Check your page’s HTML or any settings in Blogger that might add this tag.

"Crawled - currently not indexed":

Cause: Google has crawled the page but decided not to index it yet.

Fix: This might be a temporary issue. You can try improving the page’s content, ensuring it’s high-quality, unique, and relevant. Then, request indexing through the URL Inspection tool.

"Duplicate, Google chose different canonical more than user":

Cause: Google has found duplicate content and selected a different canonical URL.

Fix: Ensure your canonical tags are correctly set. If multiple pages have similar content, use canonical tags to indicate which version should be indexed.

"Alternate page with proper canonical tag":

Cause: The page is marked as an alternate version of another page with a canonical tag.

Fix: If this is expected, no action is needed. If not, review the canonical tags to ensure they are correctly implemented.

"Soft  404":

Cause: The page is returning a "soft 404," meaning it appears to be a 404 (page not found) but is actually returning a 200 status (page found).

Fix: Ensure the page content is correct and not misleading. If the page doesn’t exist, return a proper 404 status or redirect it to an appropriate page.

"Redirect error":

Cause: There’s an issue with a redirect, such as a loop or a broken redirect chain.

Fix: Check the redirects for the page and ensure they point to the correct URLs without looping or breaking.

Step 3: Request Indexing

Fix the Identified Issues:

Make the necessary changes based on the identified problem.

Request Indexing:

After fixing the issue, use the URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console to request re-indexing of the affected pages. Enter the URL and click "Request indexing."

Step 4: Monitor and Review

Check for Errors Again: Return to the Search Console after a few days to see if the issues have been resolved.

Continuous Monitoring: Regularly monitor the Index Coverage report to catch and fix any new issues as they arise.

By following these steps, you can systematically address and resolve indexing issues, improving your site's visibility in Google Search results.