GSC Index Coverage Question
Hello everyone! I'm completely new to Google Search Console (GSC) and just trying to figure out the basics for my SaaS website.
I'm looking at the 'Index Coverage' report and feeling a bit lost. It seems like a lot of my pages are showing up as 'Excluded' and I'm not really sure how to interpret or fix this.
For instance, I'm seeing common statuses like this for many URLs:
Excluded by 'noindex' tag
Crawled - currently not indexedCould someone please explain what these specific 'index coverage' statuses mean for a beginner like me, and what steps I should take to get these pages properly indexed?
I'd really appreciate any guidance from the experts here!
2 Answers
Hana Suzuki
Answered 3 days agoHello Elena Martinez,
I'm looking at the 'Index Coverage' report and feeling a bit lost.
GSC's 'Index Coverage' report can indeed feel like deciphering ancient hieroglyphs when you're just starting out, especially with those 'Excluded' statuses staring back at you. It's a common initial hurdle for anyone diving into technical SEO, but let's break down these specific messages and get you on the right track for better SERP visibility for your SaaS website.
1. Excluded by 'noindex' tag
This status means Google encountered a directive on the page or in its HTTP headers telling search engines not to include this page in their index. Essentially, you (or your CMS, or a plugin) have explicitly told Google, "Hey, please don't show this page in search results."
Common Reasons & Checks:
- Intentional Exclusion: This is often done for pages you don't want searchers to find directly, such as:
- Login/admin pages
- Staging or development environments
- Thank you pages after a conversion
- Internal search results pages
- Duplicate content versions (e.g., filtered product pages)
- Accidental Inclusion: Sometimes, a CMS setting, a theme, or an SEO plugin might inadvertently add a
noindextag to pages you do want indexed. This is particularly common on new sites or after migrations.
How to Fix:
- Inspect the Page Source: Go to the URL in question, right-click, and select "View Page Source" (or "Inspect Element"). Search for
<meta name="robots" content="noindex">within the<head>section. - Check HTTP Headers: Less common for beginners, but it's possible the
noindexdirective is sent via anX-Robots-TagHTTP header. Tools like Chrome's Developer Tools (Network tab) can show you response headers. - Review CMS/Plugin Settings: If you're using WordPress, Webflow, or another CMS, check your SEO plugin (e.g., Yoast SEO, Rank Math) or the platform's page settings. There's usually a checkbox or toggle for "Allow search engines to index this page."
- Remove the Tag: If you want the page indexed, remove the
noindextag or setting. - Validate Fix in GSC: Once removed, go back to GSC, use the URL Inspection tool for that specific URL, and then click "Validate Fix" in the 'Index Coverage' report. Google will recrawl and reassess.
2. Crawled - currently not indexed
This status is a bit more nuanced and often more frustrating. It means Google has visited the page (crawled it), but for various reasons, it has decided not to add it to its index at this time. Itโs essentially Google saying, "I've seen it, but I don't think it's worth showing to users right now."
Common Reasons:
- Content Quality/Value: The most frequent reason. Google might perceive the content as thin, low-quality, lacking unique value, or too similar to other content already indexed. For a SaaS site, this could be barebones feature pages, repetitive blog posts, or very short support articles.
- Lack of Internal/External Links: If a page isn't linked to from other important, authoritative pages on your site (internal links) or from external sites (backlinks), Google might deem it less important and less discoverable.
- Crawl Budget Optimization: While less of a concern for smaller SaaS sites, for very large sites, Google might prioritize crawling and indexing certain pages over others to optimize its resources.
- Technical Issues: Slow page load times, poor mobile usability, or other technical SEO issues can indirectly signal lower quality to Google.
- New Pages: Sometimes, new pages just take time to be fully processed and indexed, especially if your site doesn't have a very high crawl rate.
How to Fix:
- Enhance Content Quality:
- Add Depth & Value: Ensure the page provides comprehensive, unique, and valuable information for your target audience. For SaaS, think detailed feature explanations, use cases, customer testimonials, unique insights, or in-depth tutorials.
- Address User Intent: Does the page truly answer a user's question or fulfill a need?
- Improve Internal Linking:
- Contextual Links: Link to this page from other relevant, high-authority pages on your SaaS website using descriptive anchor text.
- Navigation: Ensure it's part of your main navigation or accessible through clear menu structures.
- Build Quality Backlinks: While more of a long-term strategy, relevant, high-quality backlinks from other reputable sites signal authority and importance to Google.
- Optimize Page Speed & Core Web Vitals: Ensure the page loads quickly and offers a good user experience. Slow pages can be de-prioritized.
- Update Your XML Sitemap: Make sure the URL is included in your XML sitemap and that your sitemap is submitted and healthy in GSC.
- Consolidate or Remove: If the page truly offers little unique value or is a near-duplicate, consider consolidating its content with a more robust page or, if it's truly unnecessary, removing it and redirecting to a relevant alternative.
- Request Indexing (with caution): While you can use the URL Inspection tool in GSC to "Request Indexing," understand this is a signal, not a guarantee. If Google still deems the page low quality, it won't index it regardless of your request. Focus on fixing the underlying quality issues first.
The key takeaway for 'Crawled - currently not indexed' is to focus on making the page genuinely valuable and discoverable. Google wants to index the best content for its users, so prove that your page fits that criteria.
Elena Martinez
Answered 3 days agoOh man, thank you so much Hana Suzuki, this is finally an explanation that actually makes sense!