Google Search Console Guide: Fixing Coverage & Indexing Issues

Ever wondered why your website isn’t showing up on Google, even though you have done everything right? Or perhaps you have noticed some pages simply aren’t getting indexed. This tool, called Google Search Console (GSC) is your friend here, and today, we are giving you a complete Google Search Console guide on fixing coverage and indexing issues. Think of this as your go-to Google Search Console tutorial that’s easy to follow and super practical.

What Is Google Search Console?

Think of Google Search Console as your direct line to Google. It’s like having a conversation with the search engine giant about how they see your website. When Google crawls your site and finds issues, GSC is where it will tell you about them. The best part? It’s completely free. Google essentially provides you with a treasure chest of information about your website’s performance, and all you need to do is set it up correctly.

Getting Started with the Basics

Before we begin fixing issues, ensure you have verified your website in Google Search Console. If you haven’t done this yet, head over to search.google.com/search-console and add your property. You can verify through various methods – HTML file upload, DNS verification, or Google Analytics (if you’re already using it).

Once you are in, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the dashboard. The Coverage report is your new best friend – it shows you exactly which pages Google can and cannot index, and more importantly, why.

Understanding Coverage and Indexing Issues

Let’s break down what indexing means. Indexing is when Google adds your web pages to its giant library. Coverage issues pop up when Google can’t properly access or index your pages. This means fewer visitors—and fewer customers—for you.

You might see alerts like “Crawled – currently not indexed” or “Discovered – currently not indexed.” It’s frustrating, but fortunately, fixing these issues isn’t rocket science.

Accessing Your Coverage Report in Google Search Console

Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to Google Search Console that’ll help you find your coverage report:

1. Log in to your GSC account.
2. Select your website property.
3. On the left side menu, click “Coverage.”

You’ll instantly see an overview of your indexing status. Red is usually bad news (errors), yellow means warnings, and green is good to go.

Fixing Common Indexing Issues in GSC

Now, let’s dive into some typical indexing issues GSC users encounter and exactly how you can fix them.

Submitted URL marked “noindex”

Ever accidentally blocked Google from indexing your pages? Yep, it happens. If a page has a “noindex” tag, Google respects that.

How to fix it:

• Open the page’s source code (or use an SEO plugin if you’re on WordPress).
• Look for the “noindex” tag and remove it.
• Resubmit the URL to Google through your Google Search Console.

Google Crawled but Not Indexed

This scenario can be particularly confusing. The page is accessible, but Google just isn’t indexing it. This usually happens due to thin or duplicate content.

How to fix it:

• Review your content quality.
• Update or expand your content to ensure it’s valuable and unique.
• Use the URL inspection tool in Google Search Console to request indexing again.

By resolving “Google crawled but not indexed” issues, you increase your chances of ranking and attracting more traffic.

Discovered – Currently Not Indexed

When Google knows your page exists but hasn’t crawled it yet, it’s called “Discovered – currently not indexed.”

How to fix it:

• Improve your internal linking strategy to help Google crawl your site more easily.
• Ensure your XML sitemap is updated and submitted in GSC.
• Wait a bit and check again—patience is key here!

Server Errors (5xx)

If your hosting server faces issues, Google can’t crawl your site effectively, causing indexing delays.

How to fix it:

• Contact your hosting provider to resolve server issues.
• Regularly monitor your hosting performance.
• Once resolved, ask Google to recrawl your site via Google Search Console.

Mobile First Indexing: Why It Matters

Did you know Google prioritizes your mobile site? Mobile-first indexing means Google uses the mobile version of your content for indexing and ranking.

How to ensure you’re mobile-friendly:

• Use responsive web design.
• Check mobile-friendliness using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool.
• Fix any mobile usability errors highlighted in your GSC reports.

Keeping your site mobile-friendly helps avoid many indexing problems and boosts your rankings.

Validate Fixes Using Google Search Console

So, you’ve identified and fixed your indexing issues GSC flagged—now what? Validate your fixes:

• Go back to your coverage report in GSC.
• Click on the specific error or warning you’ve addressed.
• Click “Validate Fix.”

Google will re-crawl your pages to confirm the fixes, typically within a few days.

Staying Ahead of Indexing Issues

Avoid headaches down the road with these proactive steps:

• Regularly check your coverage report.
• Keep your sitemap updated and submit it regularly through GSC.
• Monitor Google’s crawl stats to spot problems early.

By staying proactive, you’ll quickly spot and resolve potential issues before they affect your rankings.

Using Google Search Console Insights

Here’s another great tip—use the “URL Inspection” tool frequently. It’s a powerful part of any Google Search Console tutorial. Simply enter a URL, and you’ll instantly see its indexing status, crawl issues, and more. This tool alone can quickly help you pinpoint issues before they spiral into bigger problems.

Look, indexing issues are common and fixable. This Google Search Console guide was designed to demystify the process, ensuring you can troubleshoot with confidence. Remember, SEO and website maintenance is an ongoing process. Regularly monitoring and fixing your indexing issues will boost your site’s performance, attract more traffic, and improve your visibility.

Wrapping Up

Fixing coverage and indexing issues might seem overwhelming at first, but with this step-by-step guide to Google Search Console, you’re well-equipped to handle whatever Google throws your way. Keep monitoring, keep fixing, and most importantly, keep creating quality content that deserves to be found. If you are feeling overwhelmed or need expert help optimizing your website’s search performance, consider partnering with GTECH, a professional SEO company in Dubai to take your digital presence to the next level.