How To Fix Crawled But Not Indexed (w/ Our Interactive Troubleshooting Guide!)

July 15, 2024 By: Hayden Jarman

Alright, let's dive into this. I'm going to hit you with the cold, hard truth about fixing that pesky "Crawled but Not Indexed" issue.

This isn't just some theoretical mumbo-jumbo - I've been in the trenches, battling these indexing demons for years.

So buckle up, because we're about to turn your invisible content into a traffic magnet.

The "Crawled but Not Indexed" Conundrum: Your Invisible Content Crisis

You've poured your heart and soul into creating killer content, but Google's giving you the cold shoulder.

Your pages are crawled, sure, but they're stuck in indexing limbo. It's like throwing a party and nobody shows up.

Frustrating as hell, right?

But here's the deal: this isn't just about Google being a jerk.

There's always a reason, and we're going to uncover it, dissect it, and obliterate it.

Quick Fix for the Impatient (But Seriously, Read the Whole Thing)

Check your Coverage Report in Google Search Console
Make sure your URL isn't blocked by robots.txt
Hunt down and eliminate any rogue noindex tags
Beef up your content quality (no more thin, weak sauce)
Build a web of internal links like a content spider on steroids

Interactive Guide: Fixing "Crawled but Not Indexed"

Click on a step above to see details.

Now, let's break this down piece by piece.

Understanding "Crawled but Not Indexed": The Digital Purgatory

When Google says your page is "Crawled but Not Indexed," it's basically saying, "Yeah, we saw it, but meh."

It's like getting left on read by the biggest search engine in the world. Ouch.

This status means Google's bots crawled your page but decided it wasn't worthy of being added to the search index.

It's harsh, but understanding why is the first step to fixing it.

The Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing Your Invisible Content

1. Google Search Console: Your Diagnostic Best Friend

First things first, we're heading to Google Search Console (GSC).

This is your command center for all things search-related.

Log into GSC and navigate to the Coverage report.
Look for URLs labeled "Crawled - currently not indexed."
Use the URL Inspection tool to get the nitty-gritty details.

Here's what you might see:

Status	URL Count	Last Crawl
Crawled - currently not indexed	42	2 days ago
Submitted and indexed	158	1 day ago
Not found (404)	3	1 week ago

2. The Robots.txt Roadblock

Sometimes, you're accidentally telling Google to stay away.

It's like putting up a "No Soliciting" sign and wondering why you're not getting any visitors.

Find your robots.txt file (usually at yourdomain.com/robots.txt)
Check if your problem URLs are disallowed
Use GSC's robots.txt testing tool to double-check

Here's an example of a robots.txt file that might be causing issues:

User-agent: *

Disallow: /important-content/

Disallow: /blog/draft-posts/

Allow: /

If your non-indexed pages are under /important-content/, you've found your culprit.

3. The Sneaky Noindex Tag

This is like putting on an invisibility cloak and wondering why no one can see you.

Check your page's HTML for this party pooper:

<meta name="robots" content="noindex">

If you find it, nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

4. Content Quality: No More Weak Sauce

Google's not into indexing fluff.

If your content is thinner than a supermodel on a juice cleanse, it's time to bulk up.

Before:

Our product is good. Buy it now.

After:

Our revolutionary widget increases productivity by 500%, has been featured in Forbes, and comes with a lifetime guarantee. Here's a detailed breakdown of its features, customer testimonials, and a comparison with leading competitors...

5. Internal Linking: Build Your Content Web

Think of your site like a spider web.

The more connections, the stronger it is. Link your pages together like you're weaving a masterpiece.

Here's a simple internal linking structure:

Homepage

├── Product Page

│ ├── Feature 1 (links to blog post about feature)

│ ├── Feature 2 (links to case study)

│ └── Pricing (links to comparison page)

├── Blog

│ ├── Post 1 (links to related posts and product pages)

│ ├── Post 2

│ └── Post 3

└── About Us (links to key product pages and case studies)

6. The Final Push: Submit for Indexing

Once you've made these changes, it's time to give Google a nudge.

Go back to GSC and use the URL Inspection tool
Enter your URL and hit "Request Indexing"
Play the waiting game (but keep an eye on things)

Common Pitfalls and How to Dodge Them

Duplicate Content: You're not a copy machine. Keep it original.
Slow Load Times: If your site loads slower than a snail on tranquilizers, fix it.
Mobile Unfriendliness: It's 2024. If your site isn't mobile-friendly, what are you even doing?

Here's a quick comparison of these pitfalls:

Pitfall	Impact on Indexing	How to Fix
Duplicate Content	High	Use canonical tags, rewrite content
Slow Load Times	Medium	Optimize images, use caching, upgrade hosting
Mobile Unfriendliness	High	Implement responsive design, use AMP

The Bottom Line

Look, fixing "Crawled but Not Indexed" isn't rocket science, but it does require effort and persistence.

Don't expect overnight miracles. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

Remember:

Quality content is king. No shortcuts.
Technical issues can tank your efforts. Stay vigilant.
Keep pushing. The algorithm rewards persistence.

By following this guide, you're not just fixing an indexing issue - you're building a stronger, more resilient online presence. And online, that's how you survive and thrive.

Now get out there and make Google fall in love with your content.

Your future traffic is counting on you.

Additional Resources

For more detailed information on fixing the "Crawled but Not Indexed" issue, check out these valuable resources:

Google Search Console Help: Official documentation on indexing and crawling from Google.
Moz's Guide to Google Indexing: Guide on how Google indexes pages.
Search Engine Journal's Indexing Guide: Practical tips on improving indexation.
Ahrefs' Indexing Tutorial: Step-by-step guide to diagnose and fix indexing issues.
Google's Indexing API Documentation: Information on using Google's Indexing API for faster indexing.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider: Powerful tool for crawling websites and identifying indexing issues.
Google's Mobile-Friendly Test: Tool to check if your page is mobile-friendly, which can affect indexing.

If you need more personalized assistance with fixing the "Crawled but Not Indexed" issue or other SEO-related challenges, don't hesitate to reach out to BlueTone Media.

Our team of experts is here to help you optimize your website for better search engine performance.

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