The Beginner's Guide to Finding and Fixing Indexing Issues on Your Blog
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Are you worried that your blog posts aren't showing up on Google? This simple guide for beginner bloggers will show you how to identify and fix common indexing issues using Google Search Console.
Introduction: Is Your Blog Invisible to Google?
You've spent hours writing a fantastic new blog post. You've hit publish, shared it on social media, and are excited for the traffic to start rolling in. But days go by, and... nothing. You type your post's title into Google, and it's nowhere to be found.
This is a common and frustrating problem for new bloggers, and it's usually due to an "indexing issue."
Think of Google like a giant library. "Indexing" is the process where Google "reads" and catalogs your blog post, placing it on the library's shelves so people can find it when they search. If your post isn't indexed, it's like a book left in a box in the back room—it's there, but no one can find it.
Don't panic! In this guide, we'll walk you through how to use a free tool called Google Search Console (GSC) to figure out if your posts are indexed and what to do if they're not.
Step 1: Check If a Page is Indexed
Before you can fix an issue, you need to know if one exists. The easiest way to do this is with the URL Inspection Tool in GSC.
Log in to your Google Search Console account. (If you don't have one, now is the time to set it up! It's a must-have for every blogger.)
Look at the top of the GSC dashboard. You'll see a search bar that says "Inspect any URL in [your blog's domain]."
Paste the URL of the blog post you want to check and press Enter.
GSC will then show you a report on that specific URL.
If it says "URL is on Google," that's great news! Your post is indexed and can be found in search results.
If it says "URL is not on Google," you've found a problem. This means Google hasn't indexed the page yet.
Step 2: Request Indexing for Your Page
If a post isn't indexed, your first step is to politely ask Google to take another look.
When you see the "URL is not on Google" message, you'll also see a button that says "Request Indexing."
Click this button. GSC will then perform a live test and, if there are no immediate errors, it will add the URL to a crawl queue. This basically puts your post at the front of the line for Google to "read" and index.
Pro Tip: This is a great thing to do for every new post you publish! It can help your content get indexed much faster than if you just wait for Google to find it on its own.
Step 3: Identify and Fix Common Indexing Problems
Sometimes, a page isn't indexed because of a specific issue. Google Search Console is great at telling you what these are.
After you inspect a URL, GSC will show you the reasons a page might not be on Google. Here are a few common ones and what they mean:
"Discovered – currently not indexed": This means Google knows the page exists but hasn't had a chance to crawl and index it yet. This is very common for new blogs. You've already done the right thing by requesting indexing, so just wait a few days.
"Crawled – currently not indexed": This is a bit more serious. It means Google has "read" the page but decided not to add it to its index. This can happen if Google thinks the content is low-quality, a duplicate of another page, or if there's a technical issue. Your best bet is to review the post, make sure it's high-quality and original, and then request indexing again.
"Blocked by robots.txt": This is a critical issue. It means you have a setting on your blog that is telling Google not to crawl this page. In your Blogger settings, make sure "Custom robots.txt" is not enabled and that you aren't accidentally blocking your posts. This is a common mistake for beginners.
"Page with redirect": This means the URL you entered is redirecting to another page. Google won't index the redirecting URL; it will only index the final URL. This is usually not an issue unless the redirect is accidental.
Conclusion: GSC Is Your Best Friend
Learning to use Google Search Console is one of the most important steps you can take as a new blogger. It's not just for finding indexing issues; it's a powerful tool for understanding your audience, finding new keyword opportunities, and improving your blog's performance.
By regularly checking your pages in GSC, you'll ensure your hard work is never left in the digital back room and that your content is always discoverable by your readers.
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