Why Some Pages Never Get Indexed & How to Fix It
As you create and publish your content, you might notice pages that have not been indexed yet.
There can be many reason to why Google have decided not to index your pages at this stage. Issues like broken links, slow load times, or a misconfigured robots.txt file are just some of the reasons, but there are several other areas you can check to help push your pages into the SERPs.
In this article we will dig deep and take a look at the reasons why some pages never get indexed, and go through what you can do to fix it.
Lets dive in.
Understanding Indexing Basics
Indexing is a process that happens behind the scenes, and it usually determines whether your web pages appear in search engine results.
As search engines crawl your site, they analyze the content, and the structure of your pages which helps them decide which pages to index, and which pages to not.
Just to clear any confusion, indexing and ranking are not the same thing. Let me explain. The “Indexing” of your pages, mean that Google have seen your page, and have decided to (or not to) include it in their search results. This is not the same as “Ranking”
The term “Ranking”, means that Google have already indexed your page, and they have now decided to show it to people as an answer in response to when they perform a search.
In a nutshell: You need to be indexed if you want to rank. Ranking is the ultimate goal. Being indexed does not necessarily mean that your ranking.
With that out of the way, lets explore some of the reasons why you might not be getting indexed.
Number 1: Common Technical Errors
Technical errors can often derail your efforts to get pages indexed, and you mightn’t even realize they’re happening.
These issues can prevent search engines from properly crawling and indexing your content.
Here are some common technical errors you should watch out for:
- Broken Links
If your internal or external links lead to non-existent pages, it can harm your site’s credibility and indexing process. - Duplicate Content
Having multiple pages with the same content confuses search engines, making it hard for them to determine which version to index. - Slow Page Load Times
Pages that take too long to load may frustrate users and lead search engines to ignore them altogether. - Incorrect Canonical Tags
Canonical tags tell Google what version you want them to index. If they are not set up correctly, search engines may index the wrong one.
In order to make sure you stand the best chances of being indexed, you should check these things on a regular basis.
Use Screaming Frog to find broken links, analyse titles, metas and descriptions. Run Google PageSpeed Insights to check your site loads quickly, and connect to the Search Console to monitor indexing issues, fix crawl errors, and submit sitemaps for better visibility, more on that in a bit.
Taking these steps will improve your chances of getting your pages indexed successfully.
Remember, A well-structured website lays at the core of great rankings.
Robots.txt and Indexing
When you create a website, understanding how your robots.txt file works is key. A robots.txt file can impact whether search engines can access and index your pages.
This text file informs search engines about which parts of your website they’re allowed to visit and index.
If your robots.txt file contains directives that block certain pages or entire directories, those pages won’t appear in search engine results.
For proper indexing, check your robots.txt file for any disallow rules that might unintentionally restrict access. You can find this file in the root directory of your website.
In our example above, the directive “Disallow: /secret/” prevents search engines from indexing anything in the “secret” folder.
If this isn’t your intention, you should modify or remove those lines.
Meta Tags Misconfiguration
Have you ever wondered how meta tags can influence your site’s visibility? Meta tags play a big role in how search engines interpret and index your web pages.
If these tags are misconfigured or set up incorrectly, your content mightn’t get indexed at all. This can severely impact your site’s traffic and overall online presence.
Here are some common issues with meta tag misconfiguration:
Missing Title Tags
Search engines will struggle to understand the primary topic of your page if you are missing title tags..
Incorrect Meta Descriptions
An irrelevant or absent meta description can deter users from clicking on your link in search results. You can set the meta description for each of your pages by installing the Yoast plugin.
Noindex Tags
If you accidentally include a noindex tag, it signals to search engines to skip indexing that page altogether.
Overuse of Keywords
Stuffing keywords into meta tags can lead to penalties from search engines.
Be sure to regularly review and update your meta tags. Confirm they accurately reflect your content and follow best practices.
You may also like effective URL structure
Duplicate Content Issues
Misconfigured meta tags can hinder your site’s indexing, but another thing that may be a reason is duplicate content.
When search engines come across multiple pages with the same or very similar content, they can struggle to determine which version to index. This can severely limit your site’s visibility.
To understand the impact of duplicate content, consider the following table:
| Cause of Duplicate Content | Impact on Indexing |
|---|---|
| Similar product descriptions | Can dilute page authority |
| URL variations (e.g., tracking) | Might cause missed indexing |
| Content scraping by third parties | Leads to penalties or deindexing |
To fix duplicate content issues, you need to identify areas where content overlaps.
Use Google Search Console to monitor for duplicates. Implement canonical tags to signal to search engines which version is the preferred one.
Furthermore, verify each page provides unique, valuable content that differentiates it from others. By addressing duplicate content, you can improve your chances of getting indexed and boost your site’s overall performance in search results.
Low-Quality Content Factors
Many website owners underestimate the impact of low-quality content on their site’s indexing.
If your content lacks substance or relevance, search engines may struggle to assess its value, leading to poor indexing.
Search engines prioritize high-quality, informative, and engaging content to deliver the best results to users. Here are some factors contributing to low-quality content:
- Thin Content
- Repetitive Phrasing
- Poor Grammar and Spelling
- Lack of Engagement
Focus on creating in-depth, well-researched, and engaging content. Higher citation frequency indicates that research articles with quality content are more likely to be cited, which reinforces the importance of content quality.
Confirm it serves the needs of your target audience while adhering to best practices.
Slow Loading Pages
Slow-loading pages can severely hinder your site’s chances of being indexed effectively.
This delay can lead to higher bounce rates as visitors are likely to leave before your page fully loads.
If search engines notice this, they might prioritize faster-loading sites over yours.
To improve loading times, start by optimizing images. Large image files can greatly slow down your site, so compress them without sacrificing quality.
Furthermore, consider minimizing the use of heavy scripts and plugins, as these can also drag down your page speed.
Using a content delivery network (CDN) can help distribute your content more efficiently across different locations, further improving load times.
Regularly testing your site’s speed is vital. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can provide insights into what’s slowing you down and suggest improvements.
Mobile Optimization Problems
Search engines prioritize mobile-friendly websites, and if yours isn’t responsive, it may struggle to rank, or even get indexed.
Mobile optimization issues can prevent crawlers from effectively accessing and indexing your content, leading to lower visibility.
Check if your site is mobile friendly
Here are some common mobile optimization problems to watch out for:
- Unresponsive Design: If your site doesn’t adjust to different screen sizes, users may have a poor experience, leading search engines to penalize your ranking.
- Slow Loading Times: Mobile users expect fast access. If your pages load slowly, visitors may leave, impacting your bounce rate and indexing.
- Flash Content: Many mobile devices don’t support Flash. If your site relies on it for key functions, you could lose potential visitors and indexing opportunities.
- Poor Navigation: Complicated menus can frustrate users. If they can’t easily find what they need, they’re likely to exit quickly, which can negatively affect your indexing status.
Internal Linking Strategies
Implementing effective internal linking strategies can greatly boost your site’s indexing potential. Internal links help search engines understand the structure of your website and the relationships between different pages.
Start by ensuring that your most important pages are easily accessible from your homepage or other high-traffic areas. This increases the likelihood that search engines will crawl and index them.
Use descriptive anchor text for your links. This not only provides context for users but also signals to search engines what the linked page is about. Avoid generic phrases like “click here,” as they offer little value.
Balance the number of internal links on each page; too many can overwhelm users and dilute the importance of each link.
Consider using a hierarchical structure for your links, where broader topics lead to specific subtopics. This helps search engines prioritize content based on its relevance and importance.
Regularly audit your internal links to identify and fix any broken links or orphaned pages that lack connections to other parts of your site.
By refining your internal linking strategy, you can improve both user experience and the likelihood of getting your pages indexed efficiently.
A well-structured internal linking strategy can also help search engines index pages more effectively, ensuring that your content gains the visibility it deserves.
Submitting a Sitemap
Even with a solid internal linking strategy, some pages might still slip through the cracks and go unindexed.
One effective way to help search engines discover all your content is by submitting a sitemap.
A sitemap acts as a roadmap for search engines, guiding them to the pages you want indexed.
When you submit a sitemap, you give search engines like Google clear information about your site’s structure.
To submit your sitemap, head over to Google Search Console and look for the “Sitemap” tab on the left hand side.
After submitting, monitor your site’s performance to check pages are indexed as desired.
Ready to work on your sitemap? Then you may want to read our sitemap optimisation article
