Mansoor Ali, FounderIf you only have time for a few, start with mistakes 1 to 3. A page that Google does not index cannot rank, whatever else you fix.
Google cannot find or index your pages
1. Blocking pages in robots.txt by mistake
The robots.txt file tells crawlers which URLs they may request. A rule such as Disallow: / under a crawler's user-agent group blocks that crawler from the whole site.
Check: Open yoursite.com/robots.txt and look for that line.
Fix: Remove it, or narrow it to the folders you really want blocked.
Do not use robots.txt to hide a page from search results. Google says a blocked page can still appear in results when other pages link to it. Google never reads the page, so it never sees a noindex rule on it. For the noindex rule to work, the page must be open to crawling. This comes from Google's guide to blocking indexing.
2. Leaving a noindex tag on after launch
Developers often add noindex to a test site. If the tag moves to the live site, Google drops the pages.
Check: Open the page, view the source, and search for "noindex". You can also paste the address into the URL Inspection tool in Search Console.
Fix: Remove the tag. Then use URL Inspection to ask Google to look at the page again.
Google does not support a noindex rule inside robots.txt. Use a meta tag or an HTTP header.
3. Never reading the page indexing report
Search Console has a report called Indexing, then Pages. It shows how many pages are indexed and why others are not.
Check: Open the report and read the list of reasons.
Fix: It depends on the reason. A 404 needs a redirect or a restored page. A noindex needs removing. "Crawled, currently not indexed" means Google read the page and chose not to index it. Improve the page and link to it from related pages. No button forces Google to index a page.
Here is a real example. We exported the Page indexing report for the old WordPress version of majestyseo.com on October 30, 2026. Google knew 56 pages. 33 were indexed and 23 were not. In 18 of the 23, the reason was "Crawled, currently not indexed". We then rebuilt the site and removed pages with no purpose. We have not measured the effect on indexing yet, so this is an observation, not a result.
4. Orphan pages and broken links
An orphan page has no links pointing to it. Google says every page you care about should have a link from at least one other page on your site.
Check: Crawl the site with a tool such as Screaming Frog, or compare your sitemap with the pages your navigation links to. Look for pages with no incoming links.
Fix: Link to each orphan from a related page, inside the text where a reader would want it. Fix or remove links that lead to 404 pages.
5. Duplicate pages with no canonical tag
The same page can load at several addresses. Examples are www and non-www, http and https, and addresses with tracking codes. Google must then pick one.
Check: Search Console may list pages as "Duplicate without user-selected canonical".
Fix: Add a canonical tag that points to the address you prefer. Or redirect the extra versions to it. If two pages cover the same topic, merge them.
6. Moving or deleting pages without redirects
A deleted page with no redirect gives visitors a 404. Visitors lose the old page, and the signals from its links may not carry over to anything else.
Check: List the old addresses before a redesign or migration. Test each one after launch.
Fix: Send each old address to the closest matching new page with a permanent redirect. Do not send everything to the home page. Google can treat a redirect to an unrelated page as a soft 404. If a page has no replacement, return a 404 or a 410.
We did this on our own site during the rebuild. The old web design pages no longer match what we sell. They now return 410 Gone, and the old link building pages redirect to the matching new service pages.
Pages that are slow or hard to use
7. Slow pages
Google measures three things, called Core Web Vitals. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) should happen within 2.5 seconds. Interaction to Next Paint (INP) should be 200 milliseconds or less. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) should be 0.1 or less. Google judges these at the 75th percentile of page loads, on mobile and desktop separately. The numbers come from web.dev, last updated October 2024.
Check: Run the page in PageSpeed Insights. Use the field data at the top when it shows. It comes from real visitors. The lab score below it is only a test.
Fix: Compress images and set their width and height. Remove scripts you do not use. Load chat widgets and trackers after the page is ready.
8. Different content on mobile and desktop
Google uses the mobile version of a page for indexing and ranking. If your phone version hides text, links or structured data, Google may not see them. Google says the mobile site should have the same content, the same title and meta description, and the same structured data. See Google's mobile-first indexing guide.
Check: Open the page on a phone. Compare it with the desktop page.
Fix: Show the same main content and links on both.
Content mistakes
9. Missing or repeated titles and descriptions
The title helps Google and readers understand what a page is about. Google may also use the meta description to build the snippet under your result. Many sites repeat one title across dozens of pages.
Check: Crawl the site and sort by title. Look for blanks and repeats.
Fix: Write a unique title for each page. Say what the page covers, in plain words. Write a short description that matches the page. Google may still show different text in results, so do not rely on it.
Our on-page SEO service covers titles, headings and internal links page by page.
10. Misjudging search intent
A person who searches "how to fix a leaking tap" wants steps. A person who searches "plumber near me" wants a business. A page that gives the wrong thing will not hold its position.
Check: Search your keyword. Look at the top ten results. Are they guides, product pages, lists or tools?
Do not simply copy what ranks. Compare four things across the top results. First, the type of page: guide, service page, tool or category page. Second, the questions those pages answer. Third, whether the searcher wants to learn, solve a problem or hire someone. Fourth, what the current results leave out.
Fix: Build the type of page that people already see for that search. Then cover what the current results miss.
11. Thin or copied pages
A short page is not automatically a problem. A page that gives readers nothing they cannot get elsewhere is. Google's spam policy on scaled content abuse is a stronger case. It targets many pages made mainly to manipulate rankings, not to help people.
Check: Ask one question. Would this page still be worth publishing if it got no search traffic?
Fix: Add what a reader needs and cannot get elsewhere. If a page has no reason to exist, remove it or merge it into a stronger one.
12. Keyword stuffing
Google defines keyword stuffing as filling a page with keywords or numbers to manipulate rankings. It is listed in Google's spam policies.
Check: Read the page aloud. If a phrase sounds odd each time it appears, it is too much.
Fix: Write for the reader. Use the main topic where it fits. Use related words where they make the text clearer.
13. Targeting keywords you cannot win yet
A large brand ranking does not mean a smaller site cannot compete. But if the top results are strong pages from established sites and match the search intent well, one new article is unlikely to beat them.
Check: Search the keyword. Look at who ranks and how strong those sites are.
Fix: Look at intent, topic fit, competition and the quality of the ranking pages. Start with narrower topics where smaller sites already rank. Build a set of pages around one subject. Move to harder terms as the site earns links and trust.
14. Letting content go stale
Old content does not lose rankings just because it is old. The problem is old facts. Prices, tools, screenshots and rules change, and a page that shows outdated steps loses reader trust.
Check: List your top pages. Note the last time anyone checked each one.
Fix: Update changed facts and outdated instructions, remove what no longer applies and fix broken links. Change the date only when the content really changed.
15. Images with no alt text
Alt text describes what an image shows. It helps people who use screen readers, and it helps Google understand the image. For an image used as a link, Google treats the alt text as the anchor text.
Check: Crawl the site and filter images with empty alt text.
Fix: Describe what the image actually shows in a short sentence. Skip alt text for pure decoration.
16. Weak internal links
Internal links tell Google which pages matter and how topics connect. Google needs a real <a href> link. It advises descriptive anchor text and no chains of links placed next to each other. Source: Google's link best practices.
Check: Look for orphan pages. Then ask whether a visitor can reach each important page in a few clicks from the home page or a related page.
Fix: Add links from related pages, inside the paragraph that raises the topic. Use anchor text that makes sense on its own. "Our guide to link building" works. "Click here" does not.
17. Expecting FAQ schema to add rich results
Structured data helps Google read a page. It must match what visitors can see. FAQ markup no longer gives a visible result. Google's documentation says the FAQ rich result stopped appearing in Search on May 7, 2026. Many older guides, including an earlier version of this one, still recommend it for that reason. See Google's FAQ documentation.
Check: Look at your schema. Is each type there for a reason beyond a hoped-for rich result?
Fix: Keep schema that describes the page accurately, such as Article, Organization and BreadcrumbList. Do not add FAQ markup to chase a result that no longer shows.
Links and measurement
18. Ignoring backlinks completely
Links can help Google find pages and judge how important they are. In competitive searches, relevant links can make a real difference. But links cannot make up for weak content, the wrong search intent or technical problems. And some pages rank with few external links. So the question is not "do I need more links?" The question is whether links are the weak point on your site.
Check: Look at who links to you in Search Console under Links. Compare with the pages that rank above you for the same search. Compare the relevance and quality of their referring domains, the strength of their pages and how well their content matches the search. Links may be one of the gaps, but they are not always the answer.
Fix: Earn links from relevant sites where real readers will see them. Useful resources, digital PR and editorial guest articles all work when the host site fits your topic.
19. Buying links the wrong way
Three things are easy to mix up. An editorial article that helps the host site's readers is fine. A paid placement meant mainly to push rankings is link spam. An advertisement or sponsored link is fine when it is marked with rel="sponsored" or nofollow. Google defines link spam as creating links to or from a site mainly to manipulate rankings. It lists buying or selling links for ranking as an example. The definition is in Google's spam policies.
Check: Before you accept a placement, look at the host site. Does it have real traffic, a clear topic and readers who would expect your page there?
Fix: Choose sites on fit and quality, not on price per link. Our link building service explains how we choose sites.
20. Not measuring anything
Without data you cannot tell whether a change helped.
Check: Confirm Search Console is verified for your site. Open Performance and look at queries and pages.
Fix: Set up Search Console and an analytics tool. Record the same pages each month, so you can compare like with like.
21. Judging results too soon
SEO changes need time to be crawled and processed. Nobody outside Google can promise a date or a position.
Check: Compare the same pages and queries month to month, not day to day.
Fix: Make a change, record the date and wait for a clear trend before you decide it failed. Keep fixing the weakest part first.
Where to start
Here is a quick table of where to check and what to do first.
| Problem | Where to check | First action |
|---|---|---|
| Pages blocked or noindexed | robots.txt and URL Inspection | Remove the block or tag |
| Pages not indexed | Search Console, Indexing, Pages | Read the reason for each group |
| Broken or orphan pages | A site crawl | Redirect or link to them |
| Slow pages | PageSpeed Insights | Compress images and remove unused scripts |
| Thin or wrong-intent pages | The live search results | Rewrite, merge or remove |
| Weak links | Search Console, Links | Compare with the pages above you |
Not every problem needs action today. This is a practical order, not a Google ranking of issues.
- Critical: pages blocked from crawling, accidental noindex tags, and important pages that return errors.
- High: broken internal links, wrong canonical tags and important orphan pages.
- Medium: weak content, missing internal links and outdated information.
- Ongoing: link building, content updates and monthly checks in Search Console.
If you want help, our SEO audit checks these technical and content issues. It gives you a ranked list of fixes. We do not promise rankings. We show you what is holding the site back.