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how-to-solve-crawled-currently-not-indexed
Introduction:
Getting your website’s content indexed by search engines like Google is crucial for visibility and organic traffic. However, sometimes you may notice pages marked as “crawled currently not indexed” in Google Search Console. This means that although Google has crawled and found these pages, they haven’t been added to its index and won’t appear in search results.
Not being indexed can severely limit your site’s potential for ranking and attracting relevant traffic. In this guide, we’ll explore common reasons why pages get stuck in “crawled currently not indexed” status and provide proven strategies to resolve the issue for better SEO.
Reasons for "Crawled Currently Not Indexed"
There are several potential explanations why Google (or other search engines) may crawl your pages but not index them properly:
- Crawl Budget Issues
- Duplicate or Low-Quality Content
- Technical SEO Problems
- Google Penalties
- New or Updated Content
Let’s examine each scenario in more detail:
1. Crawl Budget Issues
Google has limited “crawl budget” resources for scanning websites. Large sites, sites with rapid content updates, or inefficient site architecture can exhaust this crawl budget before all pages are indexed.
Some factors that impact crawl budget:
– Total number of pages
– Pages with multiple links to other pages
– Slow page load times
– Excessive redirects or broken links
2. Duplicate or Low-Quality Content
Search engines may choose not to index pages with thin, duplicated or low-quality content that provides little value to users. This could include:
– Pages with mostly duplicate content from other sources
– Automatically generated/AI content with no original material
– Extremely short pages with just a few sentences
– Content made just for the purpose of linking out
3. Technical SEO Problems
There are numerous technical issues that can block pages from being indexed properly:
– Robots.txt blocking search engines unintentionally
– Noindex meta tags or headers
– Page blocked by login/paywall
– HTML, CSS, JS issues preventing full rendering
– Broken links, 404 errors
– Canonicalization problems
4. Google Penalties
In some cases, a site may have been penalized by Google, either partially or fully preventing indexing. Common penalty culprits:
– User engagement issues (high bounce rates, low time on site)
– Spammy or manipulative link practices
– Cloaking or trying to deceive Google’s crawlers
– Other violations of Google’s guidelines
5. New or Updated Content
It’s normal for there to be some lag between when Google crawls a new/updated page and when it gets indexed. However, if a page stays stuck in limbo for an extended period, other issues are likely at play.
How to Solve "Crawled Currently Not Indexed"
Now that we’ve covered potential reasons let’s dive into actionable fixes for getting your pages properly indexed:
1. Check Crawl Stats and Optimize Crawl Budget
First, log into Google Search Console and check the “Crawl Stats” report under “Settings.” Look for any steep drops or fluctuations in pages being successfully crawled over time.
If pages aren’t being crawled due to budget limits, consider:
– Reducing overall page count by removing thin/outdated content
– Using HTML sitemaps and RSS feeds to highlight priority pages
– Improving site speed and architecture for more efficient crawling
– Adjusting the crawl rate in Search Console settings
2. Improve Content Quality and Address Duplication
Audit your site for thin, keyword-stuffed, or mostly duplicated content and either improve or remove those pages. Focus on creating high-quality, unique, and comprehensive content that provides clear value.
You can use tools like Siteliner to analyze your pages for quality signals and duplication issues.
For unavoidable duplicates like product or category pages, utilize canonicals and ensure consistent URL structures.
3. Fix Technical SEO Roadblocks
Perform a technical SEO audit to identify any issues preventing search engines from rendering and indexing your pages:
– Check robots.txt to ensure it’s not blocking access
– Look for noindex meta tags and remove unnecessary uses
– Fix broken links, redirects, and 404s
– Resolve JavaScript rendering issues with updated frameworks
– Ensure no unintentional blocking via logins or paywalls
– Properly set up canonicals and avoid duplicate versions of pages
4. Request Google Reconsideration and Check for Penalties
If you’ve cleaned up major quality and technical issues but pages are still stuck as “crawled not indexed”, it’s possible your site has been penalized.
Check for any manual action messages from Google in Search Console. If there was a penalty applied, take appropriate steps to address the stated violation, then submit a reconsideration request for review.
You can also check if pages were potentially hit by automated spam detection filters by inspecting the page source for a “WT.mv” parameter added by GoogleBot.
5. Be Patient with Indexing New/Updated Content
It’s normal for there to be some lag between new pages going live and getting indexed. As long as the content is accessible with no technical blocks, new pages usually get indexed within days or weeks.
However, if pages have been stuck past a reasonable timeframe (e.g. 1+ months), investigate any potential issues on your end and resubmit the pages via Search Console’s URL inspection tool or sitemaps.
Regularly monitor indexing delays in the Coverage report and address any detected problems.
Conclusion
Getting your website’s pages properly indexed is crucial for achieving visibility and driving organic traffic from search engines. However, the “crawled currently not indexed” status can seriously hinder your SEO efforts if left unresolved.
Throughout this guide, we’ve covered the most common reasons behind indexing issues, including crawl budget limitations, thin/duplicate content, technical SEO problems, penalties, and delays with new content.
The good news is that by diligently auditing your website, identifying the root causes, and implementing the step-by-step solutions outlined, you can successfully overcome “crawled currently not indexed” obstacles.
From optimising crawl rates and leveraging sitemaps, to improving content quality and fixing rendering issues, to requesting reconsiderations for penalties, the path forward becomes clear with the right approach.
Regularly monitoring indexing coverage and addressing emerging issues is also key for long-term success in having your most valuable pages found and ranked by search engines.
With patience, persistence, and a commitment to consistent technical housekeeping, you can ensure your website’s content gets properly crawled, indexed, and surfaced to your target audiences through organic search.
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