If you’ve ever wondered why some of your web pages don’t show up in Google search results, it might be because they’re not indexed. Indexing is like adding a book to a library’s catalog—if it’s not cataloged, no one can find it. In this post, we’ll explore the importance of indexing your content on Google Search Console and provide you with easy-to-understand strategies to ensure your content is indexed and discoverable.
Why SEO Indexing Matters
Imagine writing an amazing article or creating a product page, only to find out that no one can see it because it’s not showing up on Google. That’s exactly what happens when your content isn’t indexed. Indexing is the process by which Google scans your website and adds your pages to its search database. If your pages aren’t indexed, they won’t appear in search results, meaning all your hard work goes unnoticed.
SEO Indexing Strategies That Work
1. Check Your Robots.txt File
Your robots.txt file is a set of instructions for search engines, telling them which parts of your website they can or can’t index. Sometimes, important pages like product pages might be accidentally blocked. To ensure this isn’t happening:
Action: Open your robots.txt file and look for any lines that might be blocking search engines from indexing your product pages. If you see “Disallow: /product-page”, you’ll need to remove it.
2. Submit an XML Sitemap
An XML sitemap is like a roadmap for search engines. It lists all the important pages on your site and helps search engines find and index them more easily. If you're using RankMath, it'll be yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml. If you're using another web builder, CMS, or plugin, it may vary.
Action: Create an XML sitemap (many website plugins do this automatically), and then submit it to Google Search Console. You can also submit it to other search engines like Bing.
3. Manually Submit URLs
Sometimes, you need to give Google a little nudge to index your pages, especially if they’re new or updated.
Action: Use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console. Enter the URL of the page you want Google to index and click “Request Indexing.”
4. Create a Backlink on Social Media (Bonus)
This is a very quick step that we find helps significantly with speeding up the process of indexing new content and having Google recognize it and index it.
Action: Go to X.com or any social platform (but we find X.com is fastest). Copy/paste your new URL into the post and publish it. Feel free to add context around the link of course, but once published, click it! Show Google your URL received traffic from a 3rd party source.
5. Improve Internal Linking
Internal links are links from one page of your website to another. By linking to your product pages from other areas of your site, you make it easier for Google to discover and index them.
Action: Go through your blog posts, category pages, and homepage, and add links to your product pages. For this page you're reading now, we'll go to our SEO Services page and link back to this one (strategically of course).
This will help Google find and index those pages faster.
5. Optimize Meta Tags
Meta tags are snippets of code that provide search engines with information about your page. Sometimes, tags like “noindex” are added to pages, telling search engines not to index them. This is common during website launches and can be easily overlooked.
Action: Check the meta tags on your service or product pages and make sure none of them are set to “noindex.” If they are, change them to “index” so that Google knows to include them in search results.
Content Strategy for Better Indexing
Once your pages are properly indexed, the next step is ensuring that your content is both relevant and valuable. Here’s how:
1. Analyze Competitors and Focus on FAQs
Look at what your competitors are doing, especially the questions they’re answering. Google’s “People Also Ask” and “Related Searches” sections are great places to find common questions your potential customers have.
Action: Use this information to update your FAQ page and make sure your product pages answer these common questions. Also, you can end all of your blog posts with an FAQ question.
For example, if you’re selling medication, provide details on dosages, side effects, and instructions.
2. Optimize Old Blog Content
Older blog posts can still be valuable, but they might need some updating to stay relevant. We call this "Content Decay." By optimizing them, you can attract more traffic and keywords.
Action: Use tools like Ahrefs Site Explorer to analyze your competitors’ top-performing blog posts. Compare their content to yours and update your posts to include more user-centric information, such as answers to common questions or updated data. Adding a table of contents can also make your posts easier to navigate.
3. Create New Content Addressing User Concerns
When creating new content, think about the problems or concerns your audience might have. For instance, if you’re selling a product, users might worry about its side effects.
Action: Write content that directly addresses these concerns. For example, create an article about the potential side effects of a product and offer detailed explanations. This not only helps your customers but also signals to Google that your content is valuable.
4. Demonstrate E-E-A-T
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Google values content that comes from experts and is reviewed by them.
Action: Ensure that your articles and product pages are reviewed by real experts. This could mean having a doctor review health-related content or a certified professional review technical content. This boosts your credibility and can improve your rankings. One of the best ways to show this in your content is with an author box from someone credible.
Conclusion
Indexing your content on Google Search Console is crucial for making sure your hard work pays off. By following these simple strategies, you can improve your website’s visibility and ensure that your content reaches the people who need it. Whether you’re checking your robots.txt file, submitting sitemaps, or optimizing your content, each step brings you closer to a more discoverable and successful website.
