If you spend time, energy and resources to develop unique content for your website, there’s nothing more frustrating than learning that they haven’t been indexed by Google, and as such can not and will not appear in search. Don’t take it personally, as this happens frequently and is a common challenge, whether it’s product listings on your e-commerce storefront, new website service pages or a new blog article you posted.
Why is having your pages indexed by Google important?
Having Google discover and index your website pages and content is the first step needed to ensure they are in Google’s database and only then can you have the opportunity to present on Search Engine organic results. Therefore, without being indexed, they will not be able to get any organic traffic. That is why, during SEO optimization efforts, indexing is crucial for pages that are expected to gain organic traffic. Don’t overlook this step!
Benefits of content indexing:
- Visibility and Accessibility: Indexing allows your website to be discovered by search engines, making it visible to users who are actively searching for relevant information.
- Rankings on Search Engines: Indexing is a crucial first step in search engine optimization (SEO). After pages are indexed, Google can analyze and rank them based on relevance and quality. Indexed pages are more likely to appear higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), increasing the chances of attracting organic traffic.
- Organic Traffic Generation: Indexed pages contribute to organic traffic, meaning visitors who find your website through search engines. This can lead to a steady flow of targeted traffic, especially if your content is optimized for relevant keywords.
- Crawlability to Find & Understand Content: Search engines use web crawlers to navigate and analyze websites. Indexing ensures that these crawlers can find and understand the content on your pages. If your pages are not indexed, they may not be crawled, and search engines won’t know about your content.
- New or Updated Content Discoverability: For new or updated content, indexing ensures that search engines are aware of and can include the latest information in their search results. Without indexing, your new pages or content changes or additions may not be reflected in search engine rankings.
- E-commerce Product Exposure: For businesses with an online store presence, having product pages indexed is crucial for attracting potential customers. If your product pages for your online store are not indexed, users searching for specific products may not find your offerings.
What is Google Search Console and do you have it installed on your website?
Google Search Console is a web service provided by Google that allows website owners to monitor and optimize their site’s presence in the search engine results. It provides various tools and reports that help website owners understand how Googlebot views their site, identify and fix issues affecting search performance, and optimize the site’s visibility in Google Search.
If you don’t have an account, register for a free account and follow instructions to install the code on your website.
Using Google Search Console, how can I check if my website pages are indexed by Google?
Step 1: Log into your GSC account:
Step 2: In the left-hand menu, click on “Indexing” and then select “Pages.”
Review the Index Coverage Report:
The Coverage report will display information about the indexing status of your website pages. It will show you the number of valid pages, pages with errors, and pages that are excluded.
Inspect Individual URLs:
To get more details about the indexing status of specific pages, you can use the URL Inspection tool along the top. Enter the URL of a specific page and click “Enter.”
Step 3: Check for Errors- Click on ‘Crawled – currently not indexed’ and ‘Discovered – currently not indexed’
If there are any errors, Google Search Console will provide details about the issues preventing proper indexing. Common issues include crawling errors, noindex tags, or other technical problems.
Step 4 – Inspect URLs to be Indexed
Step 5 – Request Indexing for Each URL
If you find that certain pages are not indexed or are facing issues, you can use the “Request Indexing” feature to submit specific URLs to Google for indexing. This can help expedite the indexing process. Note Google only allows a certina number of indexing requests per day, so depending on the number of URLs, it make take multiple days to submit them all.
Page indexing Crawled – currently not indexed
Step 6: Monitor the Indexing Status:
Regularly check the Index Coverage report to monitor the status of your website’s indexing. Make it a point to regularly address and resolve any issues that may arise.
These Steps with Help Ensure Your Content Gets Indexed by Google & Improve Your Organic Visibility
If you have questions or would like help on this or other technical or indexing issues potentially impacting your website, contact Gazz Digital today for a no-obligation consultation.
