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Why Google Won't Index Your Pages: 4 GSC Fixes
Google Search Console's Pages report highlights pages that are not indexed, preventing them from ranking in search results. It's crucial to fix these issues as they represent lost visibility. Some pages, like thank-you pages, should intentionally not be indexed.One common issue is "Page With Redirect," where Google finds an old URL that now redirects to a new one. The fix involves updating your XML sitemap and internal links to point directly to the final destination URL. Another status, "Alternate Page With Proper Canonical Tag," means Google is correctly indexing a preferred version of a page. This is usually fine unless the canonical tag is incorrectly set up.The "Crawled: Currently Not Indexed" status indicates Google found a page but decided not to index it based on its quality assessment. This often stems from thin or duplicate content, low engagement, or a lack of inbound links. You should improve the content's depth and originality or consider a noindex tag if the page cannot be improved."Discovered: Currently Not Indexed" means Google knows about the URL but hasn't crawled it yet, often due to crawl budget limitations. The quickest solution is to request indexing via the URL Inspection tool. For long-term improvement, add internal links, ensure the URL is in your sitemap, and publish content consistently.After fixing any indexing issues, use the "Validate Fix" option in Search Console. Google will re-crawl the URLs to confirm the resolution, a process that can take several weeks. A systematic audit workflow involves identifying flagged URLs, using URL Inspection to understand Google's perspective, applying the correct fix, resubmitting sitemaps, and initiating validation. Addressing these statuses methodically can improve your site's search visibility.