Indexation is the process by which search engines store and organise web pages in their index so they can be retrieved and shown in search results. After a page is discovered through crawling, search engines evaluate its content, structure, and signals to decide whether it should be included in the index. Only indexed pages are eligible to appear in organic search results.
Indexation is not guaranteed for every crawled page. Search engines may choose to exclude pages due to low quality, duplication, technical issues, or lack of perceived value. Factors such as content relevance, internal linking, canonical signals, and accessibility influence whether a page is indexed.
Effective indexation ensures that important pages are available for search visibility. It is a foundational requirement for SEO success, as optimisation efforts have no impact if pages are not indexed correctly.
Advanced
Indexation decisions are influenced by crawl budget allocation, content quality signals, duplication management, and site architecture. Search engines evaluate canonical tags, noindex directives, redirects, and internal linking to determine the preferred version of a page. Conflicting signals can delay or prevent indexation.
Advanced management involves controlling which pages should be indexed and which should not. This includes handling parameterised URLs, faceted navigation, thin content, and legacy pages. Monitoring index coverage helps detect exclusions, soft errors, and prioritisation issues that affect organic performance.
Relevance
- Determines eligibility for search visibility.
- Supports effective SEO optimisation outcomes.
- Improves control over which pages appear in search.
- Helps prioritise high value content.
- Reduces waste from low value indexed pages.
Applications
- SEO technical audits.
- New page and content launches.
- Website migrations and restructures.
- Large site crawl management.
- Duplicate content resolution.
Metrics
- Number of indexed pages.
- Index coverage status reports.
- Excluded and error page counts.
- Time to index new content.
- Indexation stability over time.
Issues
- Important pages remain unindexed.
- Duplicate pages dilute index quality.
- Conflicting signals confuse search engines.
- Crawl budget is wasted on low value URLs.
- Visibility losses occur without detection.
Example
A content site published hundreds of new articles, but many failed to appear in search results. Investigation revealed internal linking gaps and unintended noindex directives. After correcting signals and improving structure, indexation increased and organic traffic followed.