Indexing
Indexing is when search engines process content and add it to their index. It’s affected by noindex, canonicals, content quality and duplication.
Definition
Indexing is the process where search engines parse, understand, and decide whether to store fetched content in their index. It depends on technical directives (noindex, canonicals, robots) and quality signals (intent match, uniqueness, authority).
Why it matters
- No indexing means no visibility in SERPs
- Many “SEO issues” are actually indexing blockers
- Multilingual sites must avoid canonical/hreflang conflicts
How to implement
- Eliminate noindex, bad canonicals, robots blocks, and status code issues
- Avoid thin/duplicate content that weakens quality signals
- Use sitemaps and internal links to consolidate signals
Related
FAQ
Common questions about this term.