Troubleshooting Google Search Console Issues: Trailing Slashes and HTTPS Indexing
Hello everyone,
I’m reaching out for some insights regarding a couple of persistent issues I’m experiencing with Google Search Console for my blog, which is hosted on Vercel. My website is designed to utilize HTTPS URLs without trailing slashes as the primary version, but I’ve encountered some frustrating challenges.
Challenge 1: Trailing Slash URLs Still Indexed
Recently, I noticed that Google indexed several pages from my site that include a trailing slash at the end of the URL. Despite my attempts to streamline the indexing process, all elements on my site—links, sitemap, and canonical tags—now direct visitors to the version of pages without the trailing slash. While Google has been correctly indexing new content without the slash, those outdated versions with the trailing slash still appear in Google Search Console.
My Dilemma:
Should I utilize the URL removal tool to eliminate these old trailing slash URLs, or is it wiser to wait for Google to recognize and adjust to the existing 301 redirects?
Challenge 2: Drop in Indexed HTTPS Page Count
Compounding the issue, I’ve noticed a significant decline in the number of properly indexed HTTPS pages (the versions without the trailing slash) in Google Search Console. The count plummeted from around 14 to just 3. While I’m pleased to see a gradual rise again, it appears that only newly published posts are being indexed—my older, well-established HTTPS pages that were previously included have yet to recover.
This situation raises an important question: why is Google re-indexing new posts correctly while neglecting to reinstate my established pages? Is this an issue related to Vercel, or is it simply a matter of Google’s indexing process being slow?
Seeking Assistance
To summarize my concerns:
– How can I effectively remove the outdated slash URLs from Google’s index?
– What could explain the lack of re-indexing for my older HTTPS pages, while new content continues to be recognized? Is this an idiosyncrasy of the hosting service or an aspect of Google’s indexing behavior?
I would greatly appreciate any advice or shared experiences related to these challenges. Thank you in advance for your assistance!