Understanding the Discrepancy in Google Search Console Indexed Pages
As website owners, we often rely on Google Search Console (GSC) to gain insights into how our pages are performing in terms of indexing and visibility in search results. Recently, I encountered a curious issue regarding the indexed pages tally reported by GSC, and I thought it would be beneficial to share my experience and thoughts on the matter.
According to Google Search Console, my website has a total of 15 indexed pages. However, when I delved deeper into the reports and examined the count of non-indexed pages, I found some that were marked as non-indexed, yet upon further investigation, GSC indicated that they had already been indexed. This contradiction raised an important question: why is there such a discrepancy between the numbers?
There could be several factors at play causing this confusion. For starters, it is not uncommon for Google’s indexing status to lag slightly behind actual page activity, especially if changes have recently been made to your site. Additionally, indexing issues can arise from various elements, including robot.txt settings, meta tags, or sitemap discrepancies.
What’s essential is to regularly monitor your website’s health through GSC’s tools and reports. If you’re grappling with similar issues, consider these actions:
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Verify Page Settings: Check that your pages are not inadvertently set to “noindex” in your meta tags or robots.txt file.
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Review Your Sitemap: Ensure that your sitemap is correctly configured and submitted to GSC.
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Re-crawl Your Site: Use the URL Inspection tool in GSC to request re-indexing of specific pages, especially if you’ve made updates that you’d like Google to notice.
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Wait for Updates: Sometimes, patience is key. Google’s indexing process can take time, and updates to GSC may not reflect immediately.
In conclusion, while discrepancies in indexed page counts can be frustrating, they are often resolvable with a bit of investigative work and patience. Staying proactive about site management and utilizing the tools at your disposal will help in ensuring that your pages are correctly indexed and visible to your target audience. If you’ve experienced similar issues, I’d love to hear your strategies for resolving them!