4 Types of Indexing Systems in Google: A Beginner’s Guide
Introduction
Have you ever wondered how Google finds and displays web pages when you search for something? The answer lies in Google’s indexing system. Indexing is how Google stores and organizes web pages so they can appear in search results when users look for relevant information.
In this blog, we’ll explore the 4 types of indexing systems used by Google, how they work, and why they matter for website ranking.
1. Crawled but Not Indexed
When Googlebot visits a webpage, it first crawls the content. However, not all crawled pages get indexed.
Why Does This Happen?
✔ Low-quality content (thin or duplicate content)
✔ Pages with little user value
✔ Google decides it’s not relevant for indexing
How to Fix It?
✅ Improve content quality by adding useful and original information
✅ Ensure proper internal linking to make the page more discoverable
✅ Check if the page is blocked by robots.txt or noindex meta tag
2. Discovered but Not Crawled
This means Google knows the page exists but hasn’t crawled it yet.
Possible Reasons:
✔ The website has too many pages, and Google prioritizes crawling other pages
✔ Server issues or slow response time
✔ Low domain authority
How to Fix It?
✅ Submit the page manually through Google Search Console (URL Inspection Tool)
✅ Improve website performance to ensure faster loading speeds
✅ Build high-quality backlinks to increase page authority
3. Indexed but Not Served in Search Results
This happens when a page is indexed but doesn’t appear in search results due to Google’s ranking algorithms.
Common Causes:
✔ The page has low-ranking keywords
✔ Google considers the content irrelevant or poor-quality
✔ Google penalty due to spammy or black-hat SEO tactics
How to Fix It?
✅ Optimize content with high-ranking keywords
✅ Ensure content is valuable, engaging, and user-friendly
✅ Follow Google’s SEO guidelines to avoid penalties
4. Fully Indexed and Ranking
This is the ideal situation—your webpage is indexed and ranking on Google’s search results.
How to Keep Pages Fully Indexed and Ranking?
✔ Regularly update content to keep it fresh and relevant
✔ Use on-page SEO techniques (title tags, meta descriptions, structured data)
✔ Improve page speed and mobile-friendliness
✔ Build high-quality backlinks to strengthen authority
Conclusion
Understanding Google’s indexing system helps businesses optimize their websites for better search rankings. If your pages are not getting indexed properly, focus on content quality, website performance, and SEO strategies to improve visibility.
For businesses aiming to dominate Google rankings and boost online presence, working with the best digital marketing agency in Dubai can make a huge difference. Professional SEO experts can help you optimize your website, improve indexing, and drive more traffic to your business.
