Index Coverage

A page can only earn search traffic once Google has indexed it. Index coverage shows which of the pages RankNest tracks for a client are in Google's index, which are not, and which have not been checked yet. Use it to catch pages Google is quietly ignoring, and to confirm that a fix (a removed noindex tag, a new internal link) actually got a page indexed.

Coverage requires a connected Search Console property. See Google Search Console.

The Index Coverage cell on the overview

Open a client and look at the Index Coverage cell in the Tools grid on the overview. It shows:

• The headline count of indexed pages, followed by how many pages have been checked so far, for example 41 indexed of 58 checked.
• A stacked bar: green for indexed pages, amber for pages Google has crawled or discovered but chosen not to index, and red for pages unknown to Google.
• A not indexed total on the left of the footer, and on the right either how many tracked pages are still unchecked or confirmation that all of them have been checked.

Click the cell to jump to the Page Inventory, where the Not indexed filter lists the exact pages behind the amber and red segments.

If Search Console is not connected yet, the cell shows Connect Google Search Console to see how many pages Google has indexed with a Connect link to the client's settings. If no page has been checked yet, the footer shows a Not checked yet link to the Page Inventory instead of counts.

How coverage stays current

RankNest checks pages against Google automatically every night, working in the background. Pages that have never been checked go first (highest-traffic pages at the front of the line), then pages that were not indexed last time, so you can watch a recovery happen. Already-indexed pages are rechecked periodically.

Google caps how many index checks it allows per property per day, so on a large site the first full pass takes several nights. That is why the cell always states its denominator: 41 of 58 checked means the remaining 17 are queued, not missing.

Checking indexing on demand

The nightly check is the bulk path. When you have just fixed a page and want an answer today, use the button:

1. Open Pages for the client.
2. Click Check indexing in the toolbar. The button reads Checking… while it runs.
3. A result line appears under the toolbar: how many URLs were checked, how many came back indexed and not indexed, how many tracked pages are still unchecked, and how much of today's Google checking quota has been used.

The button only appears when Search Console is connected for this client. Each click checks up to 100 pages in the same priority order the nightly check uses.

The Not indexed filter and Index column

Once at least one page has been checked, the Page Inventory grows an Index column showing each page's status:

• Indexed: Google is serving the page.
• Crawled: Google fetched the page but decided not to index it, often a quality or duplication signal worth investigating.
• Discovered: Google knows the URL exists but has not crawled it yet, common on pages with few internal links.
• Unknown: Google has not found the URL at all.
• Excluded: Google is deliberately leaving the page out, for example a redirect or a page with a noindex tag.
• Not checked: RankNest has not asked Google about this page yet.

Open the filter dropdown and choose Not indexed to narrow the table to pages in the Crawled, Discovered, and Unknown states. These are the pages worth acting on: add internal links to them, check for accidental noindex tags, or improve thin content.

Tips

• New pages usually show Unknown or Discovered at first. Linking to them from established pages is the fastest way to move them along; the Linking Plan flags pages with no incoming links for exactly this reason.
• A page that flips from Indexed to Crawled after a redesign is worth a close look. Run a crawl and check Issues for that page.
• Check indexing right after fixing a page, then again the next day. Google's answer can lag a fix by a day or two.

Troubleshooting

The cell shows a dash and a Connect button. Search Console is not connected for this client. See Google Search Console.

Everything says Not checked. No check has run yet. Click Check indexing on the Pages view, or wait for tonight's automatic pass.

Check indexing says the daily limit is used up. Google's per-property checking allowance for the day is spent. It resets at midnight UTC, and the nightly check keeps working through the queue in the meantime.

My numbers don't match the Pages report in Search Console. Expected. RankNest reports on the pages it tracks for this client; Search Console reports on every URL Google has ever discovered for the property, including parameter URLs and old redirects you don't manage.

Related

• Page Inventory
• Google Search Console
• Working with Issues