Most Common Google Indexation Issues For SaaS Websites and How to Fix Them

Indexing web pages on Google is organizing and storing them in Google’s database to ensure they appear in search results. This is especially important for SaaS companies as it directly affects their visibility and ability to connect with customers. 

This article will explore why effective indexing is crucial for SaaS businesses and discuss strategies to overcome its associated challenges.

For SaaS companies, having an online presence is essential. Google indexing plays a role in achieving this by allowing businesses to reach an audience and drive conversions. It serves as the foundation of their storefront, enabling them to be discovered by clients. Without indexing your SaaS website, you risk losing a lot of organic traffic and a competitive edge in the digital landscape.

However, despite its importance, SaaS websites often face obstacles regarding indexing. These challenges can range from issues to suboptimal site structures. It is crucial for these companies to address these challenges head-on to maximize their visibility on search engines. 

In the following sections, we will delve into the indexing issues faced by SaaS websites and provide practical solutions that ensure their offerings are prominently featured in search results, making them easily accessible to their target audience.

How to Spot Indexing Issues

Identifying indexing issues is the first step in ensuring your SaaS website is visible on SERPs. Google Search Console (GSC) is your go-to tool for uncovering and rectifying indexing woes. Here’s where you need to look:

1. Coverage Report:

Go to GSC and navigate to the ‘Pages’ section under ‘Indexing.’ This report provides a comprehensive view of how Google is indexing your pages. Look for errors like “Submitted URL seems to be a soft 404” or “Indexed, though blocked by robots.txt.” These indicate indexing problems.

2. URL Inspection Tool:

Use the URL Inspection tool to check the indexation status of specific pages. It provides detailed information on how Google views that particular URL. If a page is not indexed, the tool will provide insights into why.

3. Sitemap Issues:

Head over to the ‘Sitemaps’ section in GSC. Ensure that your sitemap is correctly submitted and that there are no errors. If there are issues with the sitemap, it could lead to indexing problems.

4. Robots.txt Tester:

The ‘Robots.txt Tester’ in GSC allows you to check if any important pages are being blocked from indexing by your robots.txt file. Ensure that critical pages are accessible to search engines.

5. Fetch as Google:

Use the ‘Fetch as Google’ tool to see how Google renders specific pages on your website. This can help identify any rendering issues that may affect indexing.

Remember, addressing these indexing issues promptly can significantly improve your SaaS website’s visibility and performance on Google. Keep a close eye on these indicators and utilize the powerful tools in Google Search Console to stay on top of your indexing game.

Common Indexation Issues for SaaS Websites

Let’s understand a few common crawling issues that can impede your SaaS website’s indexation process. We’ll discuss what each issue entails and offer practical solutions to get you back on track.

Blocked by Robots.txt or Noindex Tag (Crawl Issue)

This resembles hanging a ‘No Entry’ sign for Google’s web crawlers. When your robots.txt file blocks your pages or has no index tag, it won’t reach Google’s index. This means your valuable content remains hidden from potential users.

Solutions:

• Examine your robots.txt file closely. Ensure it’s not accidentally blocking crucial pages. Adjust it to grant access to important content.
• Inspect your pages for the presence of noindex tags. If found, remove them from pages that should be indexed.

Redirect Loops

Picture sending someone on an endless loop – frustrating, right? That’s what happens when Googlebot encounters redirect loops. It keeps getting redirected from one page to another in an infinite cycle, preventing proper indexation.

Solutions:

• Conduct a thorough audit of your website’s redirects. Identify and fix any loops. Ensure that redirects are set up correctly and lead to the intended destination.
• When implementing redirects, make sure to use a 301 redirect (permanent redirect) rather than a 302 (temporary redirect). This ensures that Google understands the intended page replacement.

Exceeded Crawl Budget

Even Google has limits! If your site has many pages, Google allocates a certain budget for crawling. If you exceed this budget, some pages might not get crawled, leading to potential indexation issues.

Solutions:

• Identify your most important pages and ensure they’re easily accessible in your site’s navigation. This increases the likelihood of them getting crawled.
• A faster site means Googlebot can crawl more efficiently. Optimize images, minimize scripts, and leverage caching to speed things up.

Duplicate Content (Incorrect Canonical Tags)

A prevalent problem for multi-language and/or e-commerce websites with numerous pages featuring identical or closely related content for distinct purposes is the occurrence of duplicates without user-selected canonicals. To rectify this, it’s advisable to designate one page as the canonical version, mitigating potential duplicate content complications.

Solutions:

• Double-check the canonical tags on your pages. Ensure they point to the correct, preferred version of the content.
• If you have duplicate pages, consider consolidating them or using 301 redirects to merge them into a single, authoritative version.

Duplicate Content: Google Chose a Different Canonical than the User

This situation is quite intriguing. You may have specified a particular page as canonical, but Google may independently select a different version for indexing.

It’s important to understand the canonical tag serves as a directive to search engines, indicating which version of a page should be considered the primary, authoritative source. As a website owner or administrator, you may have diligently designated a specific page as canonical, believing it to be the most accurate representation.

However, Google, with its sophisticated algorithms, occasionally makes independent assessments. It might analyze various factors, such as content similarity, user signals, and metadata, and arrive at a different conclusion regarding which version should be prioritized for indexing.

Solutions:

• The simplest solution to rectify such instances is to apply a canonical tag to the page chosen by Google. This helps avoid future confusion. Alternatively, if you prefer to maintain the original canonical designation, you can set up a redirect from the page selected by Google to the desired URL.
• Regularly check the indexation status of your pages in Google Search Console to ensure they align with your intended canonical tags.

404 Error

Encountering a ‘Not Found’ error (404) or stumbling upon a broken URL is a prevalent issue in the realm of indexing. There can be various reasons behind a page bearing a 404 status code. This includes instances where a URL was deleted but not removed from the sitemap or when a URL was initially written incorrectly, among others.

According to Google, 404 errors do not inherently harm your site’s performance unless these URLs were explicitly submitted for indexing.

If you find 404 URLs in your indexing reports, there are several potential courses of action to rectify them if they were not intended to occur.

Solutions:

• Update your sitemap and verify that the affected URL is accurately recorded.
• If the page has been relocated to a new address, establish a 301 redirect to ensure seamless access for users.
• In cases where the page is permanently deleted without any replacement, maintain it as a 404 but ensure it is removed from the sitemap. This prevents Google from expending crawl resources in search of it.
• If retaining the 404 status is necessary, consider setting up a customized and user-friendly 404 page. This allows you to incorporate helpful links to encourage users to explore your site further. It’s important to note that while a well-designed 404 page enhances user experience, it remains a 404 in Google’s eyes and should not be indexed.

Soft 404 Error

Soft 404 issues arise when a page returns a 200 OK response code, yet Google cannot locate its content and interprets it as a 404 error. These occurrences can stem from various factors, some of which may be beyond your control, such as browser-related errors. Here are additional reasons:

• A disrupted connection to the database
• Insufficient content
• A missing server-side includes a file
• An internal search results page devoid of content
• Page cloaking
• An unloaded or absent JavaScript file

Resolving these issues is generally straightforward. Here are some common scenarios.

Solutions:

• If the content has been relocated and the page returns a 200 OK status but lacks content, establish a 301 redirect to the new address.
• If deleted content lacks a suitable alternative, designate it as a 404 and remove it from the sitemap.
• If the page is intended to be active, incorporate relevant content and ensure that all scripts render and display correctly (not hindered by robots.txt, compatible with browsers, etc.).
• If an error arises from server unavailability when Googlebot attempts to retrieve the page, verify that the server is functioning properly. If it is, request a reindexing of the page.

Server Error

Server errors can occur for various reasons, including server crashes, timeouts, or unavailability when Googlebot attempts to access the site.

The initial step is to examine the affected URL to address this issue. Utilize the Inspect URL tool in Google Search Console (GSC) to verify if it still displays an error. If it functions correctly, your best action is to request a re-indexing.

If the error persists, consider the following options based on the nature of the error:

• Mitigate excessive page loading for dynamic page requests.
• Ensure that your site’s hosting server is not experiencing downtime, overload, or misconfiguration.
• Double-check that you have not inadvertently blocked Google’s access.
• Exercise prudent control over site crawling and indexing.
• Once you have addressed these issues, initiate a reindexing request to prompt Google to fetch and index the page quickly.

Discovered But Not Indexed

This issue arises when Google discovers a page but chooses not to index it. It can occur due to factors related to the crawl budget or issues with page content quality.

Solutions:

• Prioritize High-Value Pages: Ensure that your high-priority pages are easily accessible and have high-quality content to increase the likelihood of them being indexed.
• Optimize Crawl Efficiency: Make sure your website is optimized for efficient crawling. Minimize unnecessary pages or low-quality content that may consume valuable crawl resources.
• The ideal solution here is to check the page’s indexing instructions in case of any doubts. If it’s all fine (i.e., the way you meant it to be), then let Google do the rest later. Sometimes, patience is the best solution.

Crawled – Currently Not Indexed

In this scenario, Google has crawled the page but hasn’t indexed it, often due to concerns about the quality or relevance of the content.

Solutions:

• Improve the quality of your content on the page to make it more valuable and relevant to users.
• Ensure that meta tags, titles, and descriptions accurately represent the page’s content.

Missing Sitemap

A missing sitemap can hinder Google’s ability to crawl and index your site effectively. It serves as a roadmap for search engines to discover and understand the structure of your website. To rectify this:

• Create a sitemap for your website and submit it to Google Search Console. This helps Google navigate and index your pages more efficiently.
• Keep your sitemap updated with any changes or additions to your website’s content.

By addressing these issues, you’ll improve the chances of your pages being properly indexed, ultimately enhancing your site’s visibility in search results.

Conclusion

In exploring indexation challenges for SaaS websites, we’ve uncovered critical insights into ensuring optimal online visibility. Each facet plays a pivotal role in enhancing search engine performance, from resolving common crawl issues to addressing duplicate content.

Taking proactive steps to resolve these indexation hurdles is not just a matter of optimization but a strategic move toward securing a prominent position in the digital landscape. It’s the key to attracting organic traffic, engaging potential customers, and, ultimately, driving business growth. Feel free to reach out to our team of experts if you need assistance solving your indexation issues.