Indexation

Definition

Indexation - Whether a page has been discovered, crawled, and stored in Google's index. A page must be indexed before it can rank. Check indexation status in Google Search Console or by searching site:yourdomain.com.

In more depth

Google's index is the database of web pages it has discovered, crawled, and deemed worthy of including in search results. A page that is not indexed cannot rank for any query, regardless of how well optimised it is. The indexation process has three steps: discovery (Google's crawlers finding the page, typically via links or a sitemap), crawling (Googlebot fetching and reading the page), and indexing (Google deciding to include it in its index).

Not all crawled pages get indexed. Google may crawl a page but choose not to index it for various reasons: the content is too thin or duplicative, the page lacks signals of quality, the page is blocked by a noindex directive, or Google simply doesn't think the page provides enough value to include. The "Crawled - currently not indexed" status in Google Search Console is a common frustration for site owners - it means Google found the page but decided not to index it, usually due to quality signals.

For Australian businesses with new sites, indexation patience is important. New domains can take 4-12 weeks to be fully indexed, even with a clean sitemap submission. Building internal links from already-indexed pages to new pages, and earning external links, significantly accelerates the process. Avoid creating large numbers of thin or duplicate pages early in a site's life - they dilute crawl budget and can slow overall indexation.

Related terms: Crawlability - Canonical Tag - Robots.txt

Frequently asked questions

How do I check if my pages are indexed?

The most reliable method: use Google Search Console's Coverage report for a site-wide view, or the URL Inspection tool for individual pages. You can also search 'site:yourdomain.com' in Google - any page appearing in the results is indexed, though this method is less comprehensive than GSC.

Why isn't Google indexing my new content?

Common reasons: the page is too new (allow 1-4 weeks for new content on established sites), there are no internal or external links pointing to the page, the content is thin or similar to existing indexed content, or the page has a noindex directive. Submit the URL in GSC's URL Inspection tool after publication to request crawling.