How To Solve Indexing Problem on Google Search Console?

Indexing issues on Google Search Console can be frustrating, but there are several steps you can take to help resolve them. 

What are Google Indexing Issues

Here's a guide to help you troubleshoot and solve indexing problems:

Verify ownership: Ensure that you have verified ownership of the website or property in Google Search Console. Without proper ownership, you won't be able to address indexing issues effectively.

Check the Coverage Report: In the Google Search Console dashboard, navigate to the "Coverage" report. This report provides an overview of how Google is indexing your site. Look for any errors or warnings, such as "URLs not indexed" or "Submitted URL blocked by robots.txt." Click on each error to get more details.

Review the Indexing Status: On the Google Search Console dashboard, check the "Index" menu and select "Index Status." This section provides information about how many pages of your site have been indexed by Google. If you notice a sudden drop in indexed pages, it could indicate an issue.

Inspect URLs: Use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console to analyze specific URLs that are experiencing indexing issues. Enter the URL and click on the "Request Indexing" option. This prompts Google to re-crawl and re-index the URL.

Fix crawling issues: If you encounter crawling errors, examine the "Crawl Errors" report in Google Search Console. Common issues include server errors (5xx), not found errors (404), or blocked by robots.txt errors. Address these issues by fixing the server errors, ensuring the correct HTTP status codes, or adjusting the robots.txt file accordingly.

Review robots.txt file: Make sure that your robots.txt file is properly configured. This file instructs search engine crawlers on how to access and crawl your website. Use the "robots.txt Tester" tool in Google Search Console to check for any blocking instructions that might prevent Google from indexing certain pages. Adjust the file as necessary to allow crawling of important pages.

Check for manual actions: Google may impose manual actions on websites that violate its quality guidelines. These manual actions can impact indexing. Check the "Manual Actions" section in Google Search Console to see if any manual penalties have been applied. If so, follow the instructions provided to rectify the issues.

Submit a sitemap: Ensure that you have a comprehensive sitemap that lists all the important pages of your website. Submit this sitemap to Google Search Console to help search engines discover and index your pages more effectively.

Monitor Fetch and Render: Use the "Fetch and Render" tool in Google Search Console to simulate how Googlebot crawls and renders your pages. This can help identify any rendering issues that might prevent proper indexing.

Monitor and wait: After making changes to address the indexing issues, monitor the "Coverage" report and other relevant sections in Google Search Console for any improvements. Remember that it may take some time for Google to recrawl and reindex your site.

If you have followed these steps and the indexing problems persist, it may be helpful to seek further assistance from the official Google Search Console Help Center or consult with a professional SEO expert.