To fix the “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” issue, start by diagnosing the problem using Google Search Console to identify affected pages. Address any technical issues such as server performance, robots.txt configurations, and redirects.
Improve content quality by ensuring uniqueness and relevance, and optimize your crawl budget by prioritizing important pages. Finally, monitor your site’s indexing status regularly to ensure the issue is resolved.
Diagnosing the Problem
1. Access the "Pages" Section in Google Search Console:
- Go to the “Indexing” tab in Google Search Console.
- Click on “Pages” to view a comprehensive list of indexing errors, including those labeled “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed.”
2. Identify Affected URLs
- Click on the “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” error to see a list of URLs that are experiencing this issue.
- Review the list to determine which specific pages are affected.
3. Diagnose Each URL
- Click on each URL in the list to begin the diagnostic process.
- After selecting a URL, click on “Inspect URL” to get detailed insights into why the page might not be indexed. This tool will provide information on potential issues, such as blocked resources, page load problems, or other factors that could be preventing proper indexing.
4. Examine Server Logs
- Check your server logs to monitor how often Googlebot visits your site and to identify any server errors, such as 5xx errors.
- Frequent server errors can obstruct crawling and indexing, potentially causing Googlebot to abandon attempts to index certain pages.
5. Address Server Issues
- Resolve any identified server issues to ensure that Googlebot can crawl and index your pages without encountering obstacles.
6. Review Content on Affected Pages
- Ensure that the content on the affected pages is original, valuable, and distinct from other content on your site or elsewhere on the web.
- Thin or duplicate content is a common reason for Google skipping the indexing of a page. Focus on creating unique, high-quality content that provides real value to users.
7. Ensure Compliance with Google's Spam Policies
- Make sure your content adheres to Google’s spam policies. Avoid practices such as keyword stuffing, hidden text, or auto-generated content.
- Violations of these guidelines can lead to penalties or exclusion from indexing. Complying with these policies improves the likelihood of your content being indexed and helps maintain your site’s overall integrity and ranking.
Common Causes of "Crawled - Currently Not Indexed"
This issue can arise from several factors, each impacting how Google processes and evaluates your web pages for inclusion in its search index. Understanding these factors is crucial for addressing the problem effectively.
1. Technical Issues
Technical issues are a leading cause of pages being crawled but not indexed. Key issues include:
- Slow Server Response Times: If your server is slow, Googlebot might abandon the crawl before fully processing the page. This often happens due to server timeouts or consistently poor page load speeds. Improving server performance by addressing poor hosting, lack of caching, or unoptimized code is crucial to ensure pages are crawled and indexed efficiently.
- Improper Robots.txt Configurations: The robots.txt file controls which parts of your site Googlebot can access. A misconfigured file can block important pages from being crawled or indexed. Common errors include blocking entire site sections or not updating the file after site changes. Regularly review and test your robots.txt file to prevent unintentional blocking.
- Accidental Noindex Tags: Noindex tags prevent search engines from indexing specific pages. These tags can be mistakenly left on important pages after testing or updates, leading to indexing issues. This is a common oversight during site redesigns or migrations. Ensure noindex tags are applied correctly and only where necessary.
- Problematic Redirects: Redirects guide users and search engines from one URL to another. However, improperly implemented redirects, such as chains (multiple redirects in a sequence) or loops (redirects that loop back to the original URL), can confuse Googlebot, reducing the chances of a page being indexed. Properly manage redirects to avoid these issues and ensure that pages are indexed.
2. Content Issues
Content quality and structure play a significant role in whether Google decides to index a page:
- Low-Quality Content: Pages with thin content—those lacking depth, originality, or value—are often passed over by Google’s indexing algorithm. If a page does not provide substantial information or value to users, Google may decide it isn’t worth including in its index. This is particularly relevant for pages that are primarily duplicate content or offer little differentiation from other pages on your site or across the web.
- Duplicate Content: Google may choose not to index pages that are too similar to others on your site or elsewhere on the internet. Duplicate content dilutes the perceived value of individual pages and can lead to indexing issues. This is often a problem on e-commerce sites with similar product descriptions or on blogs that syndicate content without substantial modification.
- Insufficient Internal Linking: Internal links help Googlebot discover and prioritize pages within your site. If important pages lack sufficient internal links, they may not be crawled as frequently or deeply, leading to them not being indexed. Effective internal linking not only enhances user navigation but also signals to search engines which pages are most valuable.
3. Crawl Budget
Crawl budget refers to the number of pages Googlebot will visit and index on your site within a specific timeframe. Several factors influence how Google allocates this budget:
- Large websites with many pages, particularly those with complex structures, can strain the budget, leading to important pages being missed. Google might not allocate enough resources to visit all pages effectively, especially if the site contains many low-value pages.
- Pages that offer little SEO value, such as duplicate content, thin content, or irrelevant pages, can consume a significant portion of the budget. This diversion of resources can prevent Google from focusing on the pages that are most important. Regularly auditing your site to remove or improve low-value pages ensures that the budget is used more effectively.
- Sites that frequently update their content may receive a higher allocation, but if these updates primarily involve low-value content, it can negatively impact the indexing of more critical pages. It’s crucial to balance the quantity of updates with the quality of the content being refreshed.
Fixing Technical Issues
Addressing technical issues is crucial for ensuring that your pages are properly indexed by Google:
1. Optimize Server Performance
A slow or unresponsive server can severely impact your site’s ability to be crawled and indexed. Ensure your server is fast, reliable, and consistently available. This may involve:
- Upgrading Hosting Plans: If your current hosting plan cannot handle your site’s traffic or demands, consider upgrading to a more robust solution.
- Implementing Caching Strategies: Server-side caching can reduce load times by storing copies of your site’s pages, reducing the time it takes to serve content to users and bots.
- Using a Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN distributes your site’s content across multiple servers worldwide, ensuring faster load times for users and bots regardless of their location.
2. Correct Robots.txt and Meta Tags
Your robots.txt file should be carefully configured to allow Googlebot to crawl all essential pages. Periodically review and test this file to ensure it isn’t inadvertently blocking important content.
Similarly, ensure that noindex tags are used intentionally and are only present on pages you genuinely do not want to be indexed, such as admin pages or duplicate content that serves a specific function but doesn’t need to appear in search results.
Few tools you can use to check your robots.txt file
- Google Search Console – Navigate to your property settings – under the crawling section “robots.txt” and click on the “open report“
- MERKLE – Technical SEO Tool
3. Manage Redirects
Properly managing redirects is essential to prevent confusion for both users and search engines. Use 301 redirects for permanent moves to ensure that link equity is transferred from the old URL to the new one.
To avoid crawl errors and indexing issues, regularly audit your site’s redirects to prevent chains or loops. For a detailed guide on the most common Google Search Console errors and how to fix them, visit our Definitive Guide to Search Console.
Improving Content Quality
Content quality significantly influences whether Google indexes a page. To improve content quality:
- Focus on providing valuable and original content that stands out from other pages on your site and across the web. Avoid duplicating content.
- Proper internal linking helps Google discover and prioritize important pages. Ensure that key pages are linked from other relevant pages on your site.
- Regularly update and refresh your content to maintain its relevance. Adding new information or insights can make the content more appealing to Google.
Optimizing Crawl Budget
Effective crawl budget management involves:
- Prioritizing Important Pages: Ensure these pages are easily accessible, especially from high-traffic areas like the homepage. Removing low-value pages that don’t contribute to your site’s SEO can help.
- Updating XML Sitemaps: Keep sitemaps up-to-date with relevant URLs and remove outdated or unnecessary entries. Submitting these sitemaps through Google Search Console helps Google focus on your most important content.
- Improving Site Structure: Simplify navigation and create a clear hierarchy within your site. This makes it easier for both users and search engines to navigate, increasing the chances of important pages being indexed.
Monitoring and Reindexing
After addressing the issues, regular monitoring is essential. Use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console to request reindexing of specific URLs. This helps Google revisit and potentially index the page.
Check the Indexing report in Google Search Console regularly to track the status of your pages. Look for new instances of “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” and address them promptly to ensure your important pages are indexed.
Consider using continuous monitoring tools that can alert you to new indexing issues. These tools provide ongoing insights into your site’s performance, helping you stay on top of potential problems and ensuring your pages remain indexed.
Conclusion
Resolving the “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” issue requires diagnosing the problem, fixing technical and content-related issues, optimizing your crawl budget, and regularly monitoring your site.
These steps improve your chances of getting pages indexed by Google and maintaining strong SEO performance.
For ongoing support, subscribe to our monthly SEO package. It includes daily monitoring to quickly address indexing issues and keep your site optimized.
