What Happens if Web Pages Aren’t Indexed (De-indexed) or Noindex in SEO?

In the world of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), indexing is an essential process that determines whether your web pages show up in search engine results. If a web page is not indexed—or worse, de-indexed—it can have a significant impact on your website's visibility, traffic, and overall SEO performance. In this article, we will dive into the implications of not indexing your web pages, the most common indexing issues you may encounter, and how to resolve them.

Most Common Indexing Issues

Before we delve into the consequences of de-indexing or "noindexing" a page, it's important to understand the common indexing problems that can arise on a website. As an SEO expert or a Digital Marketing Consultant, recognizing these issues is critical for effective optimization.

1. Not Found (404 Error): A 404 error occurs when a web page cannot be found. It typically happens when a URL is typed incorrectly or when the page has been removed or moved without proper redirects. When search engines encounter 404 errors, they can’t index those pages.
2. Soft 404 Error: A soft 404 error is when a page appears to exist but returns a "not found" message without the proper HTTP status code (404). This can confuse search engines, as they might mistakenly index a page that doesn't contain valuable content.
3. Blocked Due to Unauthorized Request (401): A 401 error is displayed when a page requires authentication to access. This prevents search engine crawlers from indexing the page. Unless the content is vital for SEO, it's often best to block search engines from crawling these pages.
4. Blocked Due to Access Forbidden (403): The 403 status code indicates that access to a page is forbidden. This could be due to settings on your server or misconfigured permissions. When search engines receive this error, they are unable to crawl or index the page.
5. Submitted URL Marked ‘Noindex’: If a page is submitted to search engines but is marked with a "noindex" meta tag, the search engine will ignore it. A "noindex" tag prevents a page from being indexed, even if it appears in the sitemap.
6. URL Blocked by Robots.txt: The robots.txt file can be used to block search engine crawlers from accessing certain pages on your site. If a URL is listed in this file, it won’t be crawled or indexed, even if it contains valuable content.
7. Indexed Without Content: Sometimes, search engines index pages that have little to no content, which can hurt your website’s overall SEO performance. This often happens due to misconfigured site architecture or other technical issues.
8. Redirect Error: Redirect errors can happen when you set up a redirect improperly or when a page is redirected in a way that search engines can’t follow. This can lead to pages not being indexed or causing duplicate content issues.
9. Server Error (5xx): A 5xx error indicates a server-side issue, which can prevent search engines from crawling and indexing pages. If your server is down or malfunctioning, it will impact your website's ability to be indexed.
10. Duplicate Without User-Selected Canonical: If you have duplicate pages (like similar product pages or category pages), and you don’t specify a canonical URL, search engines may not know which page to index, leading to poor SEO performance.
11. Duplicate, Google Chose Different Canonical Than User: In some cases, Google might decide that a different page is more appropriate as the canonical version of your content. This means your preferred version may not get indexed, and the alternate page may rank instead.
12. Alternate Page with Proper Canonical Tag: If an alternate version of a page (such as a mobile version) includes a proper canonical tag, Google will index the canonical version instead of the alternate page, preventing duplicate content from hurting your SEO.
13. Discovered - Currently Not Indexed: Sometimes search engines discover a page but don’t index it right away. This can happen if a page is new or there are crawl issues preventing the page from being fully indexed.
14. Crawled - Currently Not Indexed: In some cases, a page may be crawled by search engines but not indexed. This could be due to quality issues with the content, a lack of backlinks, or other factors that make the page less relevant to rank.

Disadvantages of Not Indexing in SEO

When web pages aren’t indexed, whether by a "noindex" tag or due to technical issues, several drawbacks can negatively affect your SEO strategy and overall website performance.

1. Loss of Search Visibility:

Pages that aren’t indexed will not appear in search engine results. This means your content won’t be accessible to users who rely on search engines to find information. If you have valuable content that is not indexed, it’s essentially invisible to potential visitors.

2. Reduced Organic Traffic:

Since your non-indexed pages won’t appear in search results, they won’t attract organic traffic from search engines. This is one of the main disadvantages of not indexing, as SEO is primarily about increasing visibility and driving traffic from search engines.

3. Lower Domain Authority:

Google and other search engines use signals like backlinks and page relevance to assess the authority of a website. If important pages are not indexed, it’s harder for your site to build authority, and you may miss out on ranking opportunities.

4. SEO Performance Decline:

Missing out on indexing means your content won’t rank. Without proper indexing, your website will struggle to perform in search rankings, leading to a decline in visibility, leads, and conversions.

5. Wasted Crawl Budget:

Search engines only have a limited "crawl budget"—the amount of resources they allocate to crawling your site. If non-essential pages (such as login pages or thank-you pages) are indexed or crawled, it wastes this valuable crawl budget and leaves less room for important pages to be indexed.

How to Spot Indexing Issues

As an SEO consultant or someone offering SEO services, it’s essential to be able to spot indexing issues quickly to address them effectively. Here are the common signs to look out for:

1. Check Google Search Console:

Use Google Search Console to identify indexing issues. The "Coverage" report will show you pages that are not indexed or have encountered errors during crawling.

2. Crawl Errors:

Crawl errors in Google Search Console can point to specific issues preventing pages from being indexed. Review error messages to understand the problem.

3. Audit Your Site with SEO Tools:

Tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or SEMrush can help you run comprehensive audits of your website, identifying pages that are not indexed or encountering technical issues.

4. Check Robots.txt and Meta Tags:

Ensure that your robots.txt file and meta tags are correctly configured. You can use the "noindex" tag on pages you don't want indexed and ensure that you aren't blocking important pages unintentionally.

How to Fix Indexing Issues

Once you spot an indexing issue, it’s crucial to fix it to maintain your site's SEO health. Here are common solutions:

1. Fix Crawl Errors: Resolve 404, soft 404, 403, and 401 errors by ensuring pages are accessible to search engine bots.
2. Remove Noindex Tags: If pages are mistakenly marked with "noindex," remove the tag to allow indexing.
3. Check Your Robots.txt: Ensure that no important pages are blocked by robots.txt.
4. Proper Canonicalization: If you have duplicate content, use canonical tags to indicate the preferred version of the page.
5. Address Redirect Errors: Fix any redirect issues that might prevent search engines from accessing your pages.

Why 100% Indexing Isn’t Possible, and Why That’s OK

It’s important to understand that achieving 100% indexing is neither possible nor necessary. Search engines often don’t index pages for various reasons, such as:

• Low-Quality Content: Pages with little content or duplicate content may not be indexed.
• Intentional "Noindex" Tags: Sometimes, you want to prevent certain pages (like login or thank-you pages) from being indexed.
• Technical Restrictions: Issues like server errors, slow page load times, or poor site structure can prevent full indexing.

It’s perfectly okay not to have every page indexed. What matters most is that your key pages—those contributing to SEO goals—are indexed and optimized for search engines.

Conclusion

Indexing is a fundamental aspect of SEO. If your web pages are not indexed or are mistakenly marked as "noindex," it can hurt your site's visibility, traffic, and SEO performance. By understanding the common indexing issues, knowing how to spot them, and taking steps to resolve them, you can ensure that your site is performing optimally in search engine results. As an SEO expert or Digital Marketing Consultant, addressing indexing issues should be a priority to maintain your site’s SEO health and achieve long-term success.

For those seeking expert assistance, SEO consulting services can guide you through the process of ensuring your web pages are correctly indexed and optimized for search engines.

FAQs

What does it mean when a webpage is "noindexed" in SEO?

When a webpage is "noindexed," it means that search engines are instructed not to include it in their search results. This can be done using the "noindex" meta tag or through HTTP headers, which tells search engines to avoid indexing that particular page.

What are the common reasons for a webpage not being indexed?

Common reasons include issues like 404 errors (page not found), soft 404 errors (incorrect status codes), restricted access (401 or 403 errors), incorrect use of robots.txt, the presence of "noindex" tags, or technical issues like server errors (5xx) or redirect errors.

How can I tell if my web pages are not indexed?

You can check your site’s indexing status using tools like Google Search Console, which provides a "Coverage" report showing whether pages are indexed. Other SEO tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, and SEMrush can also help identify indexing issues.

What are some indexing issues that could negatively impact SEO?

Some common indexing issues include pages being blocked by robots.txt, URLs marked with "noindex," duplicate content without proper canonical tags, 404 or soft 404 errors, pages indexed without content, and redirect errors.

How can I fix a "noindex" problem on my website?

To fix a "noindex" issue, simply remove the "noindex" meta tag or HTTP header from the affected page. Ensure that pages you want indexed are free from this tag and re-submit the page to search engines for crawling.

Can a page be indexed if it’s blocked by robots.txt?

No, if a page is blocked by robots.txt, search engines won’t be able to crawl or index it. You'll need to adjust your robots.txt settings to allow crawlers to access important pages.

Why are some pages not indexed even after being crawled by search engines?

Google and other search engines may choose not to index a page even after crawling it due to factors like low-quality content, duplicate content, or lack of backlinks. You can check for these issues and improve the page’s SEO value to encourage indexing.

How can I identify if a page has been indexed without content?

If a page has been indexed but contains minimal or no content, you’ll likely notice this issue in your Search Console report, or by checking the page’s actual content on the live site. Ensure that pages have meaningful, high-quality content to prevent this from happening.

Is it normal for not every page on my site to be indexed?

Yes, it's normal not to have every page indexed. Some pages (like login pages, thank-you pages, or duplicate content) may intentionally be set to "noindex" or blocked from indexing. It’s more important that key pages—those that contribute to your SEO goals—are indexed.

How do I fix a redirect error that’s affecting my page’s indexing?

To fix a redirect error, ensure that your redirects are set up correctly (e.g., using 301 redirects for permanent changes). Verify that the redirected URLs are accessible and lead to the correct content, and make sure there’s no redirect chain that could confuse search engines.