TL;DR

Here are some point-wise suggestions for fixing the “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” issue in Google Search Console:

1. Enhance Content Quality
   • Add detailed, valuable, and unique information.
   • Use multimedia elements like images and videos to enrich the content.
2. Remove Duplicate Content
   • Identify duplicate content using tools like Copyscape.
   • Use canonical tags to indicate the preferred version of a page.
   • Implement 301 redirects to consolidate duplicate pages.
3. Improve Website Architecture and Internal Linking
   • Create a clear and logical site structure.
   • Use internal links to connect related pages.
   • Implement breadcrumb navigation to improve site navigation.
4. Submit URLs for Re-Crawling
   • Use the URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console to request re-crawling of updated pages.
5. Create and Submit a Sitemap
   • Generate a sitemap.xml file including URLs you want Google to index.
   • Submit the sitemap through Google Search Console.
6. Optimize Crawl Budget
   • Focus on important pages and block low-value pages using robots.txt.
   • Simplify your site structure to make it easier for crawlers.
   • Minimize redirect chains to avoid wasting crawl budget.
7. Build Quality Backlinks
   • Write guest posts for reputable sites.
   • Create high-quality, shareable content.
   • Engage in outreach to build relationships and earn backlinks.

How to Fix “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” Error in Google Search Console

Page is not indexed: Crawled – currently not indexed – Imagine you’ve just poured your heart and soul into creating a stellar blog post. You’ve researched, written, and optimized it with all the best SEO practices. You hit publish, eagerly awaiting the influx of traffic, but days later, your page is still nowhere to be found in Google’s search results. Instead, you discover that the status is “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” in Google Search Console. Frustrating, right?

This status can be a common pain point for many webmasters and SEO professionals. It signifies that Google has seen your page, yet decided not to index it. This article will walk you through why this happens and provide actionable steps to get your content indexed and visible in search results.

What Does “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” Mean?

When Googlebot crawls your page, it doesn’t always result in the page being indexed. The status “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” means that Google’s crawler has visited your page but hasn’t included it in its index. Consequently, your page won’t appear in search results. This can happen for various reasons, from content quality issues to technical SEO problems.

Why “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” error occur? Common Issues:

To tackle this problem effectively, let’s dive into the common issues that might be preventing your page from being indexed.

Content Quality:

• Thin or Duplicate Content: Pages with minimal unique content or that closely resemble other pages may be deemed unworthy of indexing.
• Lack of User Intent Satisfaction: If the content does not meet user needs or provide new insights, it may not be indexed.

Technical Issues:

• Robots.txt Configuration: An incorrect robots.txt file can block important pages from being indexed.
• Noindex Tags: Pages marked with noindex tags instruct search engines not to index them.
• Redirect Errors: Constant redirects or redirect chains can confuse the indexing process.

Site Structure Problems:

• Poor Internal Linking: Pages lacking sufficient internal links may be considered less important and less likely to be indexed.
• Confusing Website Architecture: A poorly organized site can hinder the understanding and prioritization of content for indexing.

Domain Authority/BackLinks:

• Low domain authority may limit the number of pages indexed, especially if many pages lack adequate backlinks.

Rendering Issues:

• Pages that require extensive JavaScript or have critical CSS blocked may not render correctly, impacting their ability to be indexed.

How to Fix Crawled – Currently Not Indexed

Fix Thin Content/Low-Quality Content

What It Means:

Thin content refers to pages that have very little valuable information. Low-quality content might include pages with poor writing, outdated information, or content that doesn’t provide value to users.

How to Fix:

• Enhance Content Quality: Add more detailed and useful information to your pages. This can include additional text, images, videos, and other media that enrich the content.
• Focus on User Intent: Ensure that your content meets the needs of your target audience. Research common queries related to your topic and address them comprehensively.
• Regular Updates: Keep your content fresh by regularly updating it with new information, trends, or findings. This shows Google that your content remains relevant.

Remove Duplicate Content

What It Means:

Duplicate content occurs when the same content appears on multiple pages of your site or on other sites across the web. This can confuse search engines and lead to indexing issues.

How to Fix:

• Identify Duplicates: Use tools like Copyscape or Siteliner to find duplicate content on your site.
• Canonical Tags: Implement canonical tags to indicate the preferred version of a page to search engines.
• 301 Redirects: Use 301 redirects to consolidate duplicate pages and direct traffic to the main version.
• Unique Content: Create unique content for each page that offers distinct value.

Improve Website Architecture and Internal Linking

What It Means:

Good website architecture ensures that all pages are easily accessible to both users and search engines. Internal linking helps distribute link equity and makes it easier for crawlers to navigate your site.

How to Fix:

• Clear Structure: Organize your site with a logical structure, using categories and subcategories as needed.
• Internal Links: Add internal links to relevant pages within your site. This helps distribute authority and makes it easier for Google to find and index your pages.
• Breadcrumbs: Implement breadcrumb navigation to help users and search engines understand the hierarchy of your site.

Manually Submit a Request to Google to Re-Crawl Your Specific URLs

What It Means:

If you’ve made significant improvements to a page, you can request Google to re-crawl it to reflect the changes.

How to Fix:

• URL Inspection Tool: Use the URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console. Enter the URL of the updated page and click “Request Indexing.”
• Frequent Checks: Regularly check your pages in Search Console to ensure they are being crawled and indexed properly.

Create and Submit a Temporary Sitemap.xml for Indexing

What It Means:

A sitemap.xml file lists all the URLs on your site that you want search engines to index. A temporary sitemap can prioritize the indexing of specific pages.

How to Fix:

• Generate Sitemap: Create a temporary sitemap.xml file that includes the URLs of the pages you want Google to index.
• Submit Sitemap: Submit the sitemap through Google Search Console under the “Sitemaps” section.
• Monitor Status: Keep an eye on the indexing status of these URLs in Search Console.

Check for Crawl Budget Issues

What It Means:

Crawl budget refers to the number of pages Googlebot can and wants to crawl on your site within a given timeframe. Large sites with many URLs can sometimes run into crawl budget issues.

How to Fix:

• Prioritize Important Pages: Ensure that important pages are prioritized for crawling. Use robots.txt to block low-value or unnecessary pages from being crawled.
• Optimize Site Structure: Simplify your site structure to make it easier for crawlers to navigate.
• Reduce Redirect Chains: Minimize the number of redirects to avoid wasting crawl budget on unnecessary hops.

Build Quality Backlinks

What It Means:

Backlinks from reputable sites signal to Google that your content is authoritative and valuable, which can improve indexing and ranking.

How to Fix:

• Guest Blogging: Write guest posts for reputable sites in your niche, including links back to your site.
• Create Shareable Content: Produce high-quality, shareable content that others will want to link to.
• Outreach: Reach out to relevant websites and influencers to build relationships and earn backlinks.

How to access the “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” pages report in Google Search Console?

Accessing the “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” pages report in Google Search Console is straightforward. Here’s how you can do it:

Step 1) Log in to Google Search Console and Select Your Property

Open the Google Search Console website and sign in with your Google account. Then from the list of properties (websites) that you’ve verified, select the one you want to analyze.

Step 2) Navigate to the Page Indexing Report:

On the left-hand menu, click on “Indexing” and then select “Pages.” In the Pages report, find the section labeled “Page Indexing.” This section provides detailed insights into how Google is handling the indexing of your site’s pages.

Step 3) Filter for “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed”

Look through the different statuses shown in the report. Find and click on “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed.” This will give you a list of URLs that Google has crawled but not yet indexed.

Step 4) Analyze and Resolve Issues

Click on individual URLs to get more information about why they might not be indexed. Use the insights provided to make necessary improvements to your content or site structure.

Crawled – Currently not indexed vs. Discovered – currently not indexed

The statuses “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” and “Discovered – Currently Not Indexed” in Google Search Console indicate different stages in Google’s indexing process for web pages. Understanding these distinctions can help webmasters troubleshoot indexing issues effectively.

Crawled – Currently Not Indexed

Crawled – Currently not indexed: This status means that Google has visited (crawled) the page but has not added it to its index. The page is known to Google, but it won’t appear in search results yet.

Common Causes:

• Content Quality: Google may determine that the content is not valuable or unique enough to warrant indexing, often due to thin or duplicate content.
• Technical Issues: Problems such as server errors, incorrect robots.txt settings, or noindex tags can prevent indexing.
• Site Structure: Poor internal linking or confusing website architecture can hinder Google’s ability to index pages effectively.

Discovered – Currently Not Indexed

Discovered – Currently Not Indexed: This status indicates that Google is aware of the page (it has been discovered) but has not yet crawled it. Essentially, the URL is known, but Google has not processed it for indexing.

Common Causes:

• Crawl Budget Limitations: For larger websites, Google may not crawl all pages due to resource constraints, leading to some pages being discovered but not crawled.
• Content Quality Concerns: If the overall content quality on the site is low, Google might prioritize crawling other sites or pages instead.
• Server Overload: If a site is experiencing high traffic or performance issues, it may prevent Google from crawling certain URLs.

Conclusion

Dealing with the “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed” status can be challenging, but it’s not insurmountable. By addressing common issues such as content quality, duplicate content, and website architecture, and by taking proactive steps like manually submitting URLs and building quality backlinks, you can improve your chances of getting indexed.

Remember, SEO is an ongoing process. Regularly audit your site, stay updated with SEO best practices, and continuously improve your content. With patience and persistence, you’ll see your hard work pay off with higher visibility and better search rankings.