My website has experienced a significant decrease in performance since the recent core update. The main issue seen in Google Search Console is that pages are being crawled but not indexed. I need to resolve this problem in order to regain stability. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
To resolve the “crawled but not indexed” issue, you should carefully examine the following:
1. Robots.txt File: Ensure that your robots.txt file doesn’t accidentally block Google from accessing crucial pages. Check if any sections inadvertently prohibit crawling of essential content.
2. Meta Robots Tag: Verify that the meta robots tag on your pages doesn’t instruct Google to disallow indexing. Look for “noindex” tags that might be preventing indexing.
3. Sitemaps: Confirm that your sitemap is valid and submitted to Google Search Console. A well-formatted sitemap helps Google understand your site’s structure and prioritize indexing.
4. Content Quality: Assess the quality of your website’s content. If it’s thin, duplicate, or irrelevant to the intended audience, Google might not consider it valuable enough to index.
5. Internal Linking: Optimize internal linking to create a robust structure that facilitates crawling. Ensure links are relevant and well-distributed across your website.
6. Technical Issues: Look for common technical hurdles, such as broken links, slow loading times, or a cluttered website design that could hinder crawling and indexing.
7. Google Search Console: Utilize Google Search Console to identify any specific errors or issues that might be hindering indexing. The “Crawl” and “Index” sections provide valuable insights.
8. Website Updates: If you’ve recently made changes to your website, like a redesign or migration, allow Google some time to re-crawl and re-index your content.
9. Indexing Issues: If you suspect indexing issues, use Google’s “Fetch as Google” tool in Search Console to analyze how Google sees your website and address any discrepancies.
By addressing these points, you can identify and troubleshoot the reasons why your pages are being crawled but not indexed, ultimately improving your website’s performance in search results.