By Shad Super in Questions —

How Can You Utilize Google’s Index Coverage Report to Identify and Fix Indexing Issues for Your Website?

Summary

Google’s Index Coverage report in Search Console is a powerful tool to diagnose and fix indexing issues on your website. By analyzing error trends, excluded pages, and valid pages, you can systematically resolve problems that impact your site’s visibility in search results. This guide explains how to use the Index Coverage report to identify and fix these issues step by step.

Understanding the Index Coverage Report

The Index Coverage report is part of Google Search Console and provides insights into which pages on your website are indexed, which are excluded, and why. The report categorizes pages into four main statuses:

  • Error: Pages that couldn't be indexed due to critical issues.
  • Valid with Warnings: Pages indexed but with potential problems.
  • Valid: Pages successfully indexed.
  • Excluded: Pages deliberately excluded or not indexed due to specific reasons.

Steps to Use the Report for Identifying Issues

1. Access the Index Coverage Report

To begin, access the Index Coverage report by logging into your Google Search Console account. Select your property, then navigate to "Index > Coverage".

2. Review the Categories

Analyze the four main categories of the report:

  • Error: Look for pages with issues like server errors (5xx), soft 404s, or redirect errors.
  • Valid with Warnings: Check for pages that are indexed but flagged with issues such as “Indexed, though blocked by robots.txt.”
  • Valid: Confirm that critical pages are indexed as expected.
  • Excluded: Understand why pages are excluded, such as “Crawled – currently not indexed” or “Discovered – currently not indexed.”

3. Filter and Inspect URLs

Use the filtering options to narrow down specific issues. For example, filter for “Error” pages to focus on critical problems. Select individual URLs and click "Inspect URL" to view detailed information about why the page wasn’t indexed.

Common Indexing Issues and How to Fix Them

1. Server Errors (5xx)

Pages returning 5xx errors indicate issues with the server. These can be fixed by:

  • Increasing server capacity to handle requests.
  • Fixing misconfigured server settings or code errors.
  • Testing server response using tools like HTTP Status Checker.

2. Soft 404 Errors

A soft 404 occurs when a page returns a valid HTTP 200 status but displays a "not found" message. Fix this by:

  • Ensuring the page returns a proper 404 status if it no longer exists.
  • Redirecting the page to an appropriate alternative using 301 redirects.

3. Disallowed by `robots.txt`

If critical pages are blocked by the `robots.txt` file, modify the file to allow crawling of those pages:

<code>
# Example to allow crawling of a directory
User-agent: *
Allow: /important-page/
</code>

4. “Crawled – currently not indexed”

This status often indicates content quality or resource issues. To resolve it:

  • Check for duplicate or thin content and improve the quality.
  • Ensure the page has sufficient internal and external links.
  • Submit the page for reindexing using the URL Inspection Tool.

5. Redirect Errors

Pages with redirect chains or loops can cause indexing issues. Fix this by:

  • Ensuring redirects link directly to the final destination.
  • Eliminating unnecessary intermediate redirects.

Best Practices for Maintaining a Healthy Index

1. Monitor Regularly

Check the Index Coverage report frequently in Google Search Console to catch and resolve issues proactively.

2. Submit a Sitemap

Ensure your XML sitemap is up to date and submitted via the Sitemaps Tool. This helps Google discover and index your pages efficiently.

3. Optimize Crawl Efficiency

Use the noindex directive or robots meta tags to prevent unnecessary pages from being indexed, such as admin pages or duplicate content.

4. Use Canonical Tags

Implement canonical tags to consolidate duplicate pages and inform Google of the preferred version.

Conclusion

The Index Coverage report is an indispensable tool for website owners aiming to optimize their search engine visibility. By regularly analyzing errors, warnings, and exclusions, and implementing the fixes outlined above, you can improve your website’s indexing health and overall SEO performance.

References