Indexing issues? Now they can be directly reported to Google
It is the primary phase of the path that leads to the presence in SERP, and sometimes can give some problem: we know how much indexing on Google matter and how important it is to verify that the pages of our site, in particular the most relevant ones, are actually present in the index of the search engine. Now there is an extra chance to solve the issues related to this aspect, because Google has launched a feature, currently limited to the United States, that allows site owners to report indexing issues with a simple click on a button in the Search Console.
The new function to report indexing problems
The announcement came via twitter: after the success of a previous test – which allowed Search Console users to report urgent bugs related to Search, especially for security reasons – Google has decided to launch a pilot program in the United States dedicated to users who encounter indexing problems that they fail to solve with the classic methods.
Specifically, this feature allows you to report the indexing problem directly to the Google search team, using the “Report an Indexing Issue” button (Report an indexing problem) which appears at the bottom of the index coverage report page and the Url Inspection Tool page in the Search Console Help Center.
At the moment, the feature is limited only to Search Console users who have accessed the platform in the United States, but the company has anticipated that in a few weeks “it will re-evaluate the utility of an expansion of support in this direction”.
What and whom the function is useful to
This feature is designed for site owners who have problems indexing their pages and need additional support outside of the Google’s “community forums and support documentation“, indicated as the main channels to have guidance on how to solve such situations and, more generally, for general questions on how the search works and to improve the visibility of the site in Google Search.
It is therefore a sort of “last resort” for users who fail to solve indexing problems with their site in Google Search through the standard and most frequently recommended methods.
The prerequisite for using the feature is access with a verified Search Console account; site owners will then find a form that serves to collect the difficulties encountered in trying to resolve issues and will be guided step by step, through questions, when debugging the indexing problem before sending the problem directly to Google.
In particular, the user can choose between two problem options:
- My website or web pages are not indexed in Google Search
- My website or web pages are indexed, but they are not appropriately ranked among search results.
Depending on the selection, following a series of steps, Google accompanies the owner of the site towards solving problems related to the case reported. If this step also fails, the problem can be reported directly to Google.
Why this new feature is important
As Barry Schwartz notes (who also made the screens on the page), the indexing problems in Google Search are among the most common “troubles” of SEO.
Most of the time, Google may ascribe critical situations to technical causes or quality issues of the site itself, but sometimes difficulties may also occur with the Google Search itself, and in fact over the years there have been numerous indexing issues or bugs confirmed by Google.
The new service offers both Google and SEO a method to intensify the discovery and resolution of these indexing problems with Google Search.
