How to Fix “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” in Google Search Console
Google Search Console (GSC) is a powerful tool for anyone serious about SEO and improving website visibility. It offers insights into how Google crawls, indexes, and ranks your site, helping you fine-tune your SEO strategy. One common issue many website owners encounter is the “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” status, which can be frustrating because it directly affects your site’s visibility in search results.
What Is the “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” Issue?
In simple terms, “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” means that Google has crawled your page but hasn’t added it to its index yet, making it invisible to search engine users. This status can significantly impact your website’s visibility and search engine rankings.
Why Does It Matter?
If your pages aren’t indexed, they won’t appear in search engine results, which means lost opportunities for traffic and engagement. Fixing this issue ensures that your content can be discovered by users, driving traffic and helping you achieve your SEO goals.
Understanding The Issue
Difference Between “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” And Other Indexing Statuses
Google Search Console has several different statuses to help you understand how your pages are performing. The key difference between “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” and other statuses is that, while Google acknowledges your page, it hasn’t indexed it yet. This contrasts with other statuses, such as:
- “Discovered – Currently Not Indexed”: Google found the page but hasn’t crawled it.
- “Blocked by robots.txt“: The page is blocked from being crawled.
- “Submitted and Indexed”: The page has been crawled and successfully indexed.
Common Reasons For “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed”
Pages fall into this category for several reasons, including thin or low-quality content, technical SEO issues, or problems with crawlability. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of Google deciding that the page isn’t valuable enough to index at that moment.
Common Causes Of The Issue
1. Thin Or Low-Quality Content
If your content doesn’t provide substantial value to users or lacks depth, Google may choose not to index it. Thin content includes pages with little text, duplicate content, or pages with no unique value compared to others on your site.
2. Crawlability Issues
Technical problems can prevent Google from properly crawling your pages. These issues might include blocked pages in the robots.txt file, errors in the XML sitemap, or incorrect use of the noindex tag.
3. Crawl Budget Limitations
Google allocates a certain amount of resources to crawl your site, known as the crawl budget. If your crawl budget is exhausted before Google reaches all of your pages, some may go unindexed.
4. Internal Linking Problems
Internal links help Google discover and understand the structure of your site. If a page lacks sufficient internal links or is buried too deep within your website, Google might miss it during the crawl.
5. New Website Or Fresh Content
Google may take some time to index new pages, especially on newer websites. Pages recently added to your site might sit in the “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” status until Google deems them worthy of indexing.
6. Content Cannibalization
When multiple pages target the same keyword or topic, Google may struggle to decide which one to index, potentially leaving some out. This is called content cannibalization.
Troubleshooting Guide: How to Fix “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed”
Here’s a step-by-step guide to resolving the issue:
1. Use The URL Inspection Tool In Google Search Console
Start by using the URL Inspection Tool to check if Google has crawled your page. This tool will provide information on whether the page is indexed, any errors, and if Google can render it properly.
2. Check Page Crawlability
Ensure there are no technical blocks preventing Google from crawling the page. Check your robots.txt file, make sure there’s no noindex tag on the page, and confirm the page appears in your XML sitemap.
3. Ensure Valuable Content
If the page has thin content, enrich it with more useful, unique, and engaging information. Google prioritizes pages that offer high-quality content. Address user intent, add multimedia, and improve readability to enhance the value of your content.
4. Optimize Internal Linking
Internal links are essential for Google to crawl your site efficiently. Add more internal links pointing to the affected page, particularly from high-traffic and relevant pages. This boosts the likelihood of the page being indexed.
5. Submit The URL For Reindexing
If you’ve fixed issues on the page, use Google Search Console’s “Request Indexing” feature in the URL Inspection Tool to prompt Google to re-crawl the page. Keep in mind that it may take some time before the page is indexed.
6. Address Crawl Budget Issues
If crawl budget limitations are a concern, prioritize your most important pages by making sure they are easy to find and navigate. Remove or noindex low-value pages like tag archives, thin category pages, or outdated content that doesn’t add value.
7. Resolve Technical SEO Issues
Check for any technical problems such as broken links, redirect loops, or issues with canonical tags. These can prevent Google from properly indexing your pages. Fix any server errors and clean up redirect chains that could affect crawlability.
Best Practices To Avoid Future Indexing Problems
1. Conduct Regular Content Audits
Perform regular audits to identify low-quality or duplicate content. Update old articles, merge similar pages, or remove content that’s no longer useful. This helps maintain a healthy index.
2. Improve Internal Linking Structure
Create a solid internal linking strategy that helps Google understand the relationship between pages on your site. Ensure every important page has at least one internal link pointing to it.
3. Keep Your XML Sitemap Updated
Regularly update your XML sitemap to reflect the latest structure of your site. An accurate sitemap makes it easier for Google to find your pages.
4. Monitor Your Crawl Budget
Optimize your crawl budget by ensuring that Google’s resources are focused on indexing your most important pages. Use tools like Google Analytics and GSC to track crawl frequency and identify potential issues.
5. Utilize SEO Tools
Use tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to monitor your website’s SEO performance, identify technical SEO problems, and ensure your site is crawlable.
Conclusion
“Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” is a common but fixable issue in Google Search Console. By using the steps outlined above inspecting the URL, checking crawlability, improving content, and optimizing internal linking you can resolve indexing problems and improve your website’s search engine visibility. Working with a reliable SEO agency can help resolve these issues effectively and improve your site’s search engine visibility.
If you’ve encountered this issue or have any questions, feel free to share your experiences in the comments below. And if you need further help optimizing your site for better indexing, don’t hesitate to reach out!