What is ‘Crawled – currently not indexed’ in Search Console? • Yoast

Google Search Console (GSC) is a powerful tool for site owners. It helps you monitor and maintain your site’s presence in the SERPs. One of the common issues you might encounter is the “Crawled — currently not indexed” status. This message means that Google has crawled your page but hasn’t indexed it. As a result, your page won’t appear in search results, which can affect your site’s traffic.

It is important to understand why this happens and how to fix it. Here, we’ll explain the “Crawled — currently not indexed” status and provide tips to help you improve your site’s indexing and visibility.

What is “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” in GSC?

The “Crawled — currently not indexed” status in Search Console means that Google has crawled your page but has not indexed it. This status indicates that while Google knows your page exists, it hasn’t added it to its search index. As a result, the page won’t appear in the SERPs.

This status can occur for several reasons. It might be due to content quality, technical issues, or even Google’s indexing process. Understanding why this happens is the first step in resolving the issue. By addressing the factors that lead to this status, you can improve your chances of getting your pages indexed and visible in search results.

But first…

Before we continue, you must understand the crawling and indexing process. In short, before your content can appear in search engine results, it goes through three key stages: crawling, indexing, and ranking.

Crawling

Search engines use automated bots called crawlers or spiders to discover new and updated pages. These bots follow links from known pages to new ones, exploring and recording the web’s content.

Indexing

After crawling, the search engine processes and stores the information it finds. It analyzes the content, keywords, and usability and then adds valuable pages to its index.

Ranking

When a user searches, the search engine retrieves relevant pages from its index and ranks them based on relevance, authority, and user experience. Higher-ranked pages appear at the top of search results, attracting more traffic.

If you have that error message, the process stalls during indexing. For reasons unknown, your content does not move on to the ranking phase.

Reasons why this happens

Many factors can cause the “Crawled – currently not indexed” status in Google Search Console. Google may determine your content isn’t valuable or unique enough to be indexed. Duplicate content or thin content with little value can lead to this status.

Technical problems can also prevent Google from indexing your pages. These issues might include server errors, incorrect robots.txt configuration, or the presence of noindex tags. A poorly organized website can make it difficult for Google to understand and index your content. The lack of a clear hierarchy and insufficient internal linking can contribute to this problem.

Sometimes, Google simply needs more time to index new or recently updated content. This is especially true for new websites or pages. Addressing these factors can improve your chances of getting your pages indexed and appearing in search results.

Google’s changing indexing priorities

There’s another aspect to all of this. Due to the vast amount of content generated daily, Google has become more critical and uses fewer resources to process new pages. With the rise of generative AI, there’s a significant overlap in content, leading Google to be more selective about what it indexes. The recent updates, including the Helpful Content Update and the March 2024 Core Update, reflect this shift.

This means you might mean you need to ask yourself the following question:

Why should Google even index your page?

Given the vast amount of similar content out there, Google needs a compelling reason to index your page. Here’s why your content should stand out:

• Originality: Unique content that offers new insights or information is more likely to be indexed.
• Value: Content that genuinely helps or informs users will be prioritized.
• Quality: Google’s algorithms favor high-quality, well-written content with good structure and readability.

Tips to fix “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed”

Improving content quality, resolving technical issues, and optimizing your website’s structure is essential to address the “Crawled – currently not indexed” status.

Fix your content

Ensure your content is original and provides value to your audience. Avoid duplicate content. Cover topics thoroughly to offer in-depth information that meets user needs. Make your content as engaging and informative as possible.

Make sure your robots.txt file is not blocking Google from crawling your pages. Use Search Console to test your robots.txt file. If you want your pages indexed, verify that they do not have noindex tags. Use the Inspect URL tool in GSC to check. Resolve any 5xx server errors that may prevent Google from accessing your pages. Regularly monitor server logs for issues. Optimize crawling with Yoast SEOs tailored tools.

Improve your site structure

Organize your website with a clear structure, using categories and subcategories to help Google understand the relationships between your pages. Use internal links to connect related content and help Google navigate your site more effectively. Implement breadcrumb navigation to improve site structure and user experience.

Generate an XML sitemap that lists all the important pages on your website. This helps Google discover and crawl your pages more efficiently. Upload the XML sitemap Yoast SEO generates for your site to Search Console. This ensures that Google knows all your pages and can crawl them more easily.

Patience, please

Understand that indexing can take time, especially for new websites. Be patient and monitor your indexing status regularly. Regularly check Google Search Console for any issues related to crawling and indexing. Address any warnings or errors promptly. Keep track of changes you make to your site and monitor their impact on indexing and search visibility.

Additional best practices

Consider these additional SEO best practices to improve your indexing chances and enhance your site’s performance.

Add content regularly to keep your site relevant and valuable. Fresh content can attract more visitors and encourage Google to crawl your site more frequently. In addition, you should periodically review and update older content to ensure it remains accurate and useful.

Try to improve engagement on your site. Engaged users can signal to Google that your content is valuable. Promote your content on social media to increase visibility and drive traffic. Social signals can indirectly influence your SEO.

Ensure your site performs well on mobile devices. Google’s indexing processes work from a mobile perspective, so a good mobile user experience is crucial. Optimize your site’s loading speed. Faster pages provide a better user experience and can improve your search rankings.

Write guest posts for reputable websites in your niche. Quality backlinks from authoritative sites can boost your own site’s credibility. Create valuable content that others want to link to. Natural backlinks can improve your site’s authority and indexing.

Addressing the “Crawled – currently not indexed” status

Addressing the “Crawled – currently not indexed” status in Google Search Console is necessary if you want to improve your site’s visibility. Understanding the reasons behind this status and implementing practical solutions can enhance your chances of getting indexed.

Focus on improving content quality, resolving technical issues, and optimizing your website’s structure. Regularly update your content, engage with users, and monitor your site’s performance. These efforts will help you maintain a solid online presence and ensure your content reaches your audience.