When a website or specific web pages are removed from a search engine’s index, it can have a significant negative impact on organic traffic, search engine rankings, and overall visibility. However, all is not lost—there are steps website owners can take to regain indexation and restore their search presence.
Through exploration of this GetFound guide, you’ll learn how to recover from de-indexed for the SEO benefit, ensuring that your website is properly indexed and optimized for search engines!
How to Recover from De-Indexed for the SEO Benefit
Before attempting to recover a de-indexed website or page, it is crucial to understand the reason behind the de-indexing.
Pages can be removed from search engine indexes for several reasons, including:
- Manual penalties imposed by search engines like Google for violating guidelines.
- The use of the “noindex” meta tag prevents search engine indexing.
- Errors in robots.txt blocking search engine crawlers.
- Server issues or downtime preventing access to the site.
- Algorithmic de-indexing due to low-quality or duplicate content.
Once the cause is identified, appropriate recovery steps can be taken to resolve the issue and request reindexing.
Step 1: Check Google Search Console for Indexing Issues
The first step in learning how to recover from de-indexed for the SEO benefit is diagnosing the issue using Google Search Console.
Follow these steps:
- Go to Google Search Console and navigate to the Index Coverage Report.
- Look for “Excluded” Pages, pages marked as “Crawled – currently not indexed” or “Blocked by robots.txt” may need fixing.
- Check for Manual Actions under the Security & Manual Actions section. If Google has imposed a penalty, it will be listed here.
- Use the URL Inspection Tool, enter a URL and check its indexing status.
Step 2: Remove “Noindex” and Robots.txt Restrictions
If certain pages were mistakenly set to “noindex,” they won’t be included in search engine results pages.
Here’s how to fix it:
- Locate the affected page’s HTML and check for this tag: <meta name=”robots” content=”noindex”>. If found, remove it.
- Review the robots.txt file by visiting yourdomain.com/robots.txt. Ensure important pages are not blocked with Disallow: / directives.
- After making changes, use the URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console to request reindexing.
Step 3: Address Technical SEO Issues
Technical issues can also lead to de-indexing, so optimizing technical SEO is a crucial part of how to recover from de-indexed for the SEO benefit:
- Fix Server Errors (5xx and 4xx)
Ensure your website doesn’t have frequent downtime or broken pages.
- Resolve Redirect Issues
Avoid redirect loops and ensure URLs properly point to their intended destinations.
- Improve Site Speed and Mobile Friendliness
Slow-loading and non-mobile-friendly pages may struggle to get indexed.
Step 4: Improve Content Quality
Search engines prioritize high-quality content.
If your pages were de-indexed due to low-quality, thin, or duplicate content, consider these strategies:
- Rewrite or Expand Content
Ensure each page provides unique, valuable, and comprehensive information.
- Avoid Keyword Stuffing
Use natural keyword placement to prevent penalties.
- Remove or Merge Duplicate Pages
Consolidate similar content into one authoritative page.
Also Read: The Real Importance of Seed Keywords in SEO You Might Be Missing!
Step 5: Submit a Reconsideration Request for Manual Penalties
If a site was de-indexed due to a manual penalty, recovering from it requires submitting a reconsideration request.
Follow these steps:
- Fix the issues that led to the penalty, whether it’s spammy content, unnatural links, or security breaches.
- Write a reconsideration request in Google Search Console, explaining the corrective actions taken.
- Submit the request and wait for Google to review it, which can take a few weeks.
Step 6: Rebuild Backlink Authority
Another essential step in how to recover from de-indexed for the SEO benefit is regaining link authority.
If a website lost valuable backlinks due to de-indexing, work on rebuilding a strong backlink profile:
- Reach out to authoritative websites for high-quality backlinks.
- Remove toxic or spammy backlinks that may have contributed to penalties.
- Create valuable content that naturally attracts backlinks.
Step 7: Request Reindexing in Google Search Console
Once all necessary fixes have been made, request Google to reindex your pages:
- Go to Google Search Console.
- Use the URL Inspection Tool and enter the affected URLs.
- Click “Request Indexing” to prompt Google to crawl and index the page.
Step 8: Monitor Indexing Status Regularly
After implementing recovery steps, regularly monitor your website’s indexing status to ensure pages remain indexed. Utilize Google Search Console, conduct site:yourdomain.com searches in Google, and use third-party SEO tools to track indexing changes.
Let’s Discuss SEO Strategy with GetFound!
Learning how to recover from de-indexed for the SEO benefit is the answer for keeping your website visible and maintaining organic traffic.
Whether it’s due to technical glitches, low-quality content, or manual penalties, taking the right steps can bring your pages back into search results.
By staying on top of indexing status, refining technical SEO, and enhancing content quality, you can prevent future de-indexing and strengthen your site’s performance.
Want to optimize your pages the smart way? Team up with GetFound, and let’s take your online business to the next level!
