In the world of search engine optimization (SEO), having your content indexed by search engines like Google is a critical step in ensuring that your articles, blog posts, or website pages are discoverable online. Indexing refers to the process by which search engines crawl your website and add your content to their database so it can appear in search results. However, not all content gets indexed immediately, and in some cases, it might not be indexed at all. This leads many website owners and content creators to wonder how they can check if their article is indexed or not.
This guide will take you through the importance of indexing, various methods to check if an article is indexed, and what to do if it’s not.
Contents
What is Indexing and Why Does it Matter?
Indexing is the process by which search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo gather and store information from web pages. Search engines use bots, often referred to as crawlers or spiders, to “crawl” websites. During this crawl, they discover new content and update the database (index) with the latest pages.
When your article is indexed, it means it is eligible to appear in search engine results when users search for relevant keywords. If your article isn’t indexed, it won’t show up in search results, making it harder for potential readers or customers to find your content organically. This makes indexing crucial for SEO and online visibility.
Methods to Check if an Article is Indexed
There are several simple and effective ways to check whether your article has been indexed by search engines. Below are the most common methods:
1. Google Search Console
Google Search Console (GSC) is one of the most reliable ways to check if an article is indexed. Google provides this tool to help website owners monitor their site’s performance in search results.
Here’s how to check using Google Search Console:
- Log in to your Google Search Console account.
- Select your website property from the dashboard.
- Navigate to the “URL Inspection” tool in the sidebar.
- Enter the full URL of your article in the search bar.
- If the URL is indexed, you’ll see a message that says, “URL is on Google.” If the article is not indexed, Google will give you an option to request indexing.
In addition to checking whether the article is indexed, GSC also shows detailed information about crawl issues or errors that might be preventing the page from being indexed.
2. Google Search: “site:” Operator
Another quick method to check if your article is indexed is by using Google’s “site:” search operator.
Here’s how:
- Open Google’s search engine.
- In the search bar, type site
.com/full-article-URL (for example, site
.com/blog/how-to-check-if-an-article-is-indexed).
- If the article is indexed, it will appear in the search results. If no results appear, it means the article has not been indexed yet.
This method is simple and doesn’t require any tools or software. You can use it for any article or page on your website.
3. Using the URL Inspection Tool in Bing Webmaster Tools
If you’re focused on Bing, Yahoo, or other search engines, you can use Bing Webmaster Tools to check the indexing status of your article.
Here’s how:
- Log in to Bing Webmaster Tools and go to the “URL Inspection” tool.
- Enter the URL of your article.
- Bing will show whether the page is indexed or not.
This tool works similarly to Google Search Console, allowing you to track the visibility of your pages on Bing’s search engine.
4. Third-Party SEO Tools
Several third-party SEO tools allow you to check the indexing status of your articles and entire website. Popular options include:
- Ahrefs Site Explorer: Ahrefs lets you analyze your website’s backlink profile, ranking, and indexing status. After entering the URL, you can see if Google has indexed the article under the “Organic Search” tab.
- SEMrush: Another comprehensive tool, SEMrush can be used to monitor your website’s health, visibility, and indexing status. By using its “Site Audit” feature, you can get insights into which pages are indexed and any issues preventing indexing.
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider: This desktop-based software crawls your website like a search engine bot. It provides a detailed report on the indexed status of every page on your website.
5. Manual Checking by Crawling Bots
Some tools like DeepCrawl or Sitebulb run automated scans on your website and show a report indicating whether a URL has been indexed by search engines. These tools offer more comprehensive insights into crawl errors, mobile friendliness, and other SEO factors that could affect indexing.
What to Do if Your Article is Not Indexed?
If your article is not indexed, there could be several reasons:
- Crawl errors: Check for crawl errors in Google Search Console and fix them.
- Low-quality content: Ensure that the article offers unique, high-quality content. Duplicate or thin content may be skipped by search engines.
- Blocked by robots.txt or noindex tag: Make sure your article is not being blocked by a “noindex” meta tag or a disallowed rule in your robots.txt file.
After addressing these issues, you can request indexing through Google Search Console’s URL Inspection tool.
Conclusion
Ensuring that your article is indexed by search engines is a crucial step in making it accessible to users. Using tools like Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, and SEO platforms like Ahrefs or SEMrush, you can easily check if your content is indexed. If your article isn’t indexed, don’t worry—there are steps you can take to resolve the issue. By fixing technical problems, improving content quality, and submitting the URL for indexing, you can ensure your article appears in search results and reaches your intended audience.
