If you are a webmaster and care about Google indexing your pages, one of the most annoying issues is the "Crawled but Currently Not Indexed" status in Google Search Console.


This status indicates that Google has crawled a page on your website but has chosen not to include it in its index.
Understanding this error is important to get your content indexed by Google, and potentially reach the intended users.
 

(1) What is "Crawled but Currently Not Indexed" ?

When Googlebot crawls a webpage, it analyzes the content and structure of the page. If the page is deemed valuable, it gets indexed, meaning it can appear in search results.

However, if a page is crawled but not indexed, it means that while Google has accessed the page, it has decided not to include it in its index. This can be frustrating for website owners, especially if they have invested time and resources into creating high-quality content.

 

(2) Typical Reasons for "Crawled but Currently Not Indexed"

Several factors can contribute to a page being crawled but not indexed. Here are some of the most common reasons:

Low-Quality Content

Google prioritizes high-quality, valuable content. If your page contains thin content, lacks depth, or is deemed unhelpful, it may not be indexed.


Duplicate Content

If your page has similar or identical content to another page on your site or elsewhere on the web, Google may choose to index only one version, leaving the others out.

 

(3) Methods to Solve the Error

Here are some methods to resolve it:

Improve Content Quality

Ensure that your content is comprehensive, valuable, and unique. Aim for in-depth articles that provide real value to your audience. Each article should aim to have at least 500 words.


Check for Duplicate Content

Use tools like Copyscape or Siteliner to identify duplicate content on your site. If duplicates exist, consider consolidating them or using canonical tags to indicate the preferred version.

 

Review Meta Tags

Check the HTML of your page for any "noindex" meta tags. If you want the page indexed, remove this tag.


Enhance Internal Linking

Create internal links to the page from other relevant pages on your site. This helps Google discover and index the page more easily.


Be Patient with New Pages

If the page is new, give it some time. Regularly update your site with fresh content to encourage more frequent crawling.


(4) Tools to Validate and Assist in Fixing the Issue

Several tools can help you validate fixes and assist in resolving the "Crawled but Currently Not Indexed" issue:

Google Search Console

This is the primary tool for monitoring your site's performance in Google search. Use it to check the indexing status of your pages, identify issues, and submit sitemaps.


Screaming Frog SEO Spider

This desktop tool crawls your website and provides insights into various SEO issues, including duplicate content, meta tags, and internal linking.


Ahrefs

This comprehensive SEO tool can help you analyze your site's content quality, identify duplicate content, and track your site's overall health.


Copyscape

Use this tool to check for duplicate content across the web, ensuring that your content is unique and valuable.


Sitebulb

This website auditing tool provides a visual representation of your site's structure and highlights potential issues that may affect indexing.


Google's URL Inspection Tool

Within Google Search Console, this tool allows you to check the indexing status of a specific URL and request indexing if necessary.

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By the way, check out the other post on [10 tips about on page SEO]