March 2, 2025

SEO for Startups: 7 Steps to Grow Your Business in 2025

Posted on March 2, 2025 (September 29, 2025) by Ekta Chauhan

SEO for Startups Steps to Grow Your Business

Nearly 20% of new businesses fail within their first year, making it essential for startups to establish a strong presence. With 5.5 billion people, about 68% of the global population using the internet as of December 2024, the online space offers immense opportunities and fierce competition. Startups must leverage such an opportunity to stand out.

This is where SEO for startups becomes essential. A well-optimized website improves search rankings, attracts the right audience, and builds long-term credibility. Investing in SEO early can give startups a competitive edge and set them on a path to sustainable growth.

In this blog, we will help you understand how to do SEO for startups and the best practices that you must follow. Let’s continue reading and learn more!

How Does Startup SEO Differ From Regular SEO?

While SEO principles remain the same for all businesses, startups face unique challenges. Search engines use the same ranking criteria for every website. They prioritize high-quality content, search intent optimization, strong backlinks, and technical health. However, startups deal with extra hurdles when implementing SEO strategies.

1. Market Challenges

Startups often enter uncharted markets or introduce new products, making it harder to determine user intent. Unlike established businesses with clear competitors, startups may struggle to identify direct rivals. This makes competitive analysis and keyword targeting more complex.

2. Limited Resources

Budget and time constraints are common among startups. With fewer resources, they need to achieve SEO results faster, often leading to limited testing and less refined strategies. If funded, startups must also demonstrate quick wins to maintain investor confidence.

Why Choose SEO for Startups?

A strong online presence is essential for startups looking to grow and attract customers. SEO provides a powerful way to increase visibility and drive organic traffic without relying on expensive paid ads. Here’s why to choose SEO for startups:

1. Cost-Effective Growth Strategy

Startups often work with limited budgets, making paid marketing a costly option. SEO offers a sustainable and affordable way to attract customers. Instead of continuously paying for ads, optimizing your website helps drive organic traffic over time. With an impressive ROI compared to paid campaigns, SEO ensures long-term growth without excessive spending.

2. Helps in Competing

In competitive markets, startups often go up against well-established brands. SEO levels the playing field by prioritizing relevance and quality over brand size. A well-optimized site with valuable content can outrank larger competitors, helping startups gain visibility and attract potential customers.

3. Build Credibility and Trust

Users trust websites that rank high on search engines. Appearing at the top signals credibility and reliability, making potential customers more likely to engage with your startup. A strong SEO strategy improves visibility and establishes your brand as a trustworthy option in the industry.

Step-by-step Guide to SEO for Startups

A well-planned SEO strategy can set your startup up for long-term success. But where do you begin? This section breaks down the process into actionable steps, helping you build a strong foundation for sustainable growth.

1. Set Clear Goals

Before diving into SEO, define what success looks like for your startup. Are you aiming for more website traffic, lead generation, or brand awareness? Setting measurable goals helps shape your strategy and track progress.

Consider using SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

For example:

Increase organic traffic by 50% in six months
Rank in the top 5 for a primary keyword within a year
Boost conversions from organic traffic by 20%

Having clear objectives ensures your SEO efforts align with your startup’s growth strategy. Next, let’s explore how keyword research helps you get there.

2. Research for Keywords

Keyword research is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy. It helps you understand what your target audience is searching for and how you can position your startup in front of them.

Start by identifying high-intent keywords—terms that potential customers use when looking for solutions you offer. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or Semrush to find:

✅ Short-tail keywords (broad, high-volume terms like startup marketing)

✅ Long-tail keywords (specific, lower-competition phrases like best SEO strategy for startups)

✅ Competitor keywords (keywords your competitors rank for)

Once you have a list, focus on keywords with high relevance, decent search volume, and low to medium competition. Balancing these factors helps you rank faster while attracting the right audience.

With the right keywords in place, the next step is to create high-quality content that ranks and engages.

3. Write Quality Content

Once you have the right keywords, the next step is to create content that not only ranks but also engages and converts. Search engines prioritize valuable, well-structured content that provides real answers to users’ queries. Let’s break this down into key steps.

3.1 Researching for Content

Before you start writing, research what’s already ranking for your target keywords. Analyze the top-performing articles on Google and look for:

✅ Common topics and formats (guides, lists, case studies, etc.)

✅ Gaps in information that you can cover better

✅ User intent: Are people looking for quick answers, in-depth guides, or product comparisons?

Use this research to offer something unique—whether it’s updated insights, clearer explanations, or real-world examples.

3.2 Making Content Reader-Friendly

Good content isn’t just about information—it’s also about presentation. Break your content into short paragraphs, bullet points, and clear subheadings to make it easy to read. Use:

✔ Use a conversational tone to keep readers engaged

✔ Internal links to guide users to related topics

✔ Visuals like images, infographics, and videos to enhance understanding

3.3 Optimizing for SEO

Even the best content won’t rank if it’s not optimized. Here’s how to ensure your content is search-friendly:

Use primary and secondary keywords naturally throughout your content
Write compelling title tags and meta descriptions to boost click-through rates
Structure content with H1, H2, and H3 headings for better readability
Include relevant outbound and internal links for better site authority

By focusing on quality and SEO optimization, your content will attract more traffic, higher engagement, and better rankings.

4. Build Quality Links

Backlinks remain one of the strongest ranking factors in SEO. For startups, earning high-quality links can significantly improve search visibility and domain authority. However, not all links carry the same value. A few authoritative links from trusted sources are far more beneficial than hundreds of low-quality backlinks.

To build strong links, start by focusing on relationships within your industry. Guest posting on relevant blogs, getting featured in online publications, and reaching out to influencers can help establish credibility. Another effective method is earning links through high-value content, such as original research, case studies, or industry insights that others naturally want to reference.

Avoid shortcuts like buying links from unauthoritative websites or participating in link farms. These can result in penalties from search engines. Instead, prioritize natural link-building techniques that align with Google’s guidelines. A well-planned link-building strategy not only boosts rankings but also drives targeted traffic to your startup.

💼 Get Expert Help Right Now!

At OutreachMonks, we specialize in helping startups like yours build high-quality links that enhance SEO performance. Allow us to secure authoritative backlinks and drive targeted traffic to your site, ensuring your link-building strategy aligns with the best industry practices.

🚀 Contact Outreach Monks today!

5. Improve Your On-Page SEO

Optimizing your on-page elements is crucial for better rankings and user experience. Startups must focus on key factors that make their websites more search-engine-friendly while ensuring smooth navigation for visitors.

5.1 Site Speed

A slow website can frustrate users and increase bounce rates. Search engines prioritize fast-loading sites, making speed optimization essential. Compress images, enable browser caching, and use a content delivery network (CDN) to improve load times.

5.2 Easy Navigation

If visitors struggle to find information on your site, they’ll leave quickly. A well-structured website with clear menus and internal links helps users and search engines navigate easily. Keep the site layout simple and intuitive.

5.3 Create a Sitemap

A sitemap acts as a guide for search engines, helping them crawl and index your site more efficiently. XML sitemaps should include all important pages. This ensures none are overlooked by search engines.

5.4 Title Tags and Meta Descriptions

These elements influence both rankings and click-through rates. Craft compelling title tags with primary keywords while keeping them under 60 characters. Meta descriptions should be engaging, informative, and within 160 characters to attract clicks from search results.

5.5 Mobile-Friendly Website

With mobile searches dominating, a responsive website is a must. Ensure your startup’s site adapts to all screen sizes, loads quickly on mobile devices, and offers a seamless browsing experience. Google’s mobile-first indexing means a poor mobile experience can hurt rankings.

6. Use Local SEO

For startups targeting specific regions or local customers, Local SEO is a game-changer. It helps your business appear in local search results, attracting nearby customers actively searching for your products or services.

If done right, Local SEO can drive high-intent traffic, boost brand awareness, and increase conversions.

6.1 Optimize Your Google Business Profile

A Google Business Profile (GBP) is essential for local visibility. Fill out every detail—business name, address, phone number, website, and business hours. Add high-quality images and encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews. Regular updates and customer interactions help improve your rankings.

6.2 Target Local Keywords

Instead of just focusing on generic industry keywords, optimize your content for location-based searches. Use phrases like “best [service] in [city]” or “[product] near me.” Naturally adding these keywords in titles, meta descriptions, and content will improve your chances of appearing in local search results.

6.3 Encourage Customer Reviews

Reviews play a huge role in Local SEO. A startup with more positive reviews is more likely to rank higher in Google’s Local Pack and gain customer trust. Encourage satisfied customers to leave honest reviews on Google and other relevant platforms.

7. Stay up-to-date with Recent SEO Changes

SEO is always evolving. Search engines constantly update their algorithms to improve user experience and filter out low-quality content. What worked last year might not be effective today. To keep your startup competitive, you must stay updated with the latest SEO trends and best practices. Here’s how:

Follow Google’s Algorithm Updates: Google frequently rolls out updates that impact search rankings. Keep an eye on changes like Core Updates, Helpful Content Updates, and Spam Policies to adjust your SEO strategy accordingly. This data is crucial for tailoring your SEO and predicting future success of your marketing strategies.
Stay Active in SEO Communities: Join forums, LinkedIn groups, and Twitter discussions where SEO experts share insights on the latest trends. Platforms like Moz, Search Engine Journal, and Ahrefs also provide valuable updates.
Test and Adapt: No SEO strategy is one-size-fits-all. Regularly monitor your website’s performance using tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics. If rankings drop, analyze possible reasons and adjust accordingly.
Prioritize User Experience (UX): Google increasingly focuses on page experience metrics like Core Web Vitals, site speed, and mobile friendliness. Ensure your website meets these criteria to maintain strong rankings.

SEO is not a one-time effort; it’s an ongoing process. Staying informed and adapting to updates will keep your startup ahead of the competition and ensure long-term online success.

Best SEO Practices for Startups

Implementing SEO right from the beginning can set your startup up for long-term success. While SEO strategies evolve, some best practices remain essential for driving organic traffic and improving search rankings. Here are the top SEO practices startups should follow:

Prioritize User Intent: Google ranks pages based on how well they match a user’s search intent. Ensure your content answers queries clearly and provides value to your audience.
Optimize for Featured Snippets: Structuring your content to answer common questions concisely can help you appear in featured snippets. This will drive more traffic to your site.
Focus on High-Quality Backlinks: Earning links from authoritative websites strengthens your credibility and improves rankings. Outreach, guest posting, and PR strategies can help gain these backlinks.
Improve Website Structure: Ensure your website is easy to navigate, loads quickly, and has a clear hierarchy. A well-structured site enhances user experience and boosts SEO.
Use Schema Markup: Implementing schema markup helps search engines understand your content better. It leads to rich results in SERPs and higher click-through rates.
Leverage Long-Tail Keywords: Targeting long-tail keywords allows startups to rank for less competitive terms while still attracting relevant traffic.
Optimize for Voice Search: With the rise of smart assistants, optimizing for conversational and question-based queries can help your startup capture more organic traffic.
Monitor Analytics and Performance: Use tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Ahref. These can help to track traffic, keyword rankings, and technical SEO issues. Regular analysis helps you refine your strategy.

By following these SEO best practices, startups can strengthen their online presence. This will help them attract quality leads and compete effectively in their industry.

Conclusion

Digital presence can make or break a business. Startups must leverage SEO to stand out in a niche in the competitive market. By prioritizing SEO from the outset, startups can optimize their digital footprint but also enhance their credibility and customer engagement.

Embracing these strategic steps ensures a robust foundation for sustainable growth. This will make SEO an indispensable tool for every startup aiming to succeed in 2025 and beyond.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are the Initial Steps to Take When Starting SEO for a New Startup?

Begin with a thorough market analysis and establish clear, measurable goals for your SEO efforts. This ensures your strategy aligns with your business objectives and market needs.

How Often Should Startups Update Their SEO Strategy?

Review and adjust your SEO strategy at least quarterly. Market trends and search engine algorithms evolve rapidly; staying updated helps maintain competitiveness.

Can SEO Generate Quick Results for Startups?

SEO is a long-term strategy, but some quick gains can be seen from well-targeted keywords and optimized content. Patience and consistent effort are key.

Is It Necessary to Hire an SEO Consultant or Agency for Startups?

While not necessary, hiring an expert can accelerate your progress and help avoid common pitfalls. If your budget allows, consider professional help to optimize your efforts.

What Are Some Common SEO Mistakes Startups Should Avoid?

Avoid keyword stuffing, neglecting mobile optimization, and ignoring meta tags. Each of these can negatively impact your search engine rankings.

How Important Is Content Length in SEO for Startups?

While quality trumps quantity, longer content often ranks higher because it tends to be more comprehensive. Ensure your content thoroughly answers user queries.

Should Startups Focus on Local SEO Even If They Operate Nationally or Globally?

Local SEO is beneficial as it helps capture a dedicated local audience, which can be crucial for initial growth and establishing a loyal customer base.

What Is the Impact of Website Security on SEO for Startups?

Strong security, such as HTTPS, is crucial as it builds user trust and is a ranking factor for search engines. Ensuring your website is secure can improve your SEO performance.

15 Image SEO Tips to Help Your Images Rank on Google!

Posted on March 2, 2025 (June 3, 2025) by Ekta Chauhan

Images bring sites to life, but when not optimized, they can bog down your site and hurt your rankings. Most webmasters insert pictures without thinking about how they influence SEO, page speed, and user experience. This makes it harder for search engines to find and rank them in Google Image Search.

Image optimization is not only making them look good; it’s making Google understand them. Optimized images increase website speed, improve SEO, and sometimes even drive additional traffic.

In this guide, we will share with you 15 Image SEO tips that you can use to rank your images better on Google. It just takes these few simple steps to help you make a big difference if you are running a blog, online store, or business website.

What is Image SEO?

Image SEO is the process of optimizing images so that search engines can understand them and rank them higher in Google Image Search. Since search engines can’t “see” images like humans do, they rely on file names, alt text, image size, and structured data to understand what an image is about.

Doing image SEO the right way helps search engines find, crawl, and rank your images accurately. It also improves your page speed, user experience, and accessibility while making your site more discoverable. You can utilize the best image optimization to leave a positive impact on traffic on your site, as it plays an integral role in on-page SEO.

Why is Optimizing Images Necessary?

Optimizing images on your website is crucial for several reasons:

Faster Page Loading Time: Large, unoptimized images can slow down your site, leading to a poor user experience. Resizing and compressing images get your site to load faster.
More User Interaction: Images enrich your content. Posts with pictures are seen 94% more than posts without pictures.
Improved Memory Recall: Individuals recall things more clearly when information comes with images. This is referred to as the “picture superiority effect.”
Higher Sharing in Social Media: The visual content is more shared on social media, giving you more exposure.
Improved Search Engine Rankings: Properly optimized images can actually raise your site’s SEO, which makes it easier for people to locate you via search engines.

Adding properly optimized images not only makes your website look good but will scale up its performance and keep it visible online.

How Google Interprets Images?

Google uses several methods to understand images on websites:
📌 Alt Text (Alternative Text)
📝 A short description added to an image’s HTML. Helps search engines and visually impaired users understand the image.
📌 File Names & Surrounding Text
📂 Naming your image descriptively (e.g., “sunset-beach.jpg” instead of “IMG1234.jpg”) and placing it near relevant text helps Google understand its context.
📌 Metadata & Structured Data
📊 Google reads image titles, captions, and descriptions to index them correctly. Using Schema Markup can enhance this further.
📌 Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
🔎 Google can detect and read text within images, like signs, book covers, and infographics. This helps in ranking images with embedded text.
📌 AI-Powered Image Recognition
🤖 Google uses machine learning to recognize objects, scenes, and actions within images, even without any text description.
By combining these techniques, Google interprets images more accurately, improving how they appear in search results.

15 Actionable Tips to Optimize Images for SEO

Here are 15 simple ways to optimize images for SEO and improve your site’s performance. 🚀

1. Use High-Quality, Relevant Images

Images help people understand content quickly. If they are blurry or don’t match the topic, they won’t be useful. Google image SEO favors images that make content better and help users.

Why Good Images Matter?

✔ Grab Attention: People notice images before reading text.
✔ Make Reading Easier: Images break up text and make it simple to scan.
✔ Increase Engagement: Clear and relevant images keep people on your page longer.

How to Pick the Right Images?

🔹 Use your own images when you can. Photos, custom graphics, and infographics make your content stand out.
🔹 Make sure images match your content. A picture should explain or support what you’re saying.
🔹 Choose the right type of image for your needs:

📸 Photos – Great for showing products, people, or places.
📊 Charts & Graphs – Make numbers and data easy to understand.
🎨 Illustrations & Infographics – Explain ideas in a clear way.
🏷 Icons – Help guide users through your website.
🔍 Screenshots – Perfect for tutorials or step-by-step guides.

Check the below infographic image created by Outreach Monks:

Are Stock Images Okay?

If you use stock photos, pick ones that fit naturally. Avoid generic images that add no real value. Google prefers original and useful visuals, so whenever possible, create your own.

Good images improve user experience and SEO. The better your images, the better your chances of ranking higher in Google Image Search and keeping visitors engaged.

2. Choose the Right Image Format

Picking the right image format helps your website load faster and improves image SEO optimization. Some formats reduce file size, while others keep images high quality. Choosing the right one depends on what the image is used for.

Best Image Formats & When to Use Them

✅ JPEG (JPG) – Best for photos

Keeps good quality with a smaller file size.
Ideal for blog posts, product photos, and general website images.

✅ PNG – Best for images with transparency

Great for logos, graphics, and screenshots.
Higher quality but larger file size than JPEG.

✅ WebP – Best for fast websites

Smaller file size than JPEG and PNG while keeping great quality.
Improves SEO image optimization by speeding up page load times.

✅ AVIF – Best for modern websites

Even better compression and quality than WebP.
Not supported on all browsers yet.

Which One Should You Use?

JPEG – If you need small file sizes without losing much quality.
PNG – If your image needs transparency or high detail.
WebP – If you want SEO-friendly images that load faster.
AVIF – If your website supports it and you want the best compression.

Source: 99designs

Using the right format makes sure Google Image SEO works in your favor, helping images load fast and rank better in search results.

3. Rename Image Files with Descriptive Keywords

Before uploading an image, rename the file with words that describe it. This helps Google understand what the image is about and improves image SEO.

Why It Matters?

If your image is named IMG_1234.jpg, search engines won’t know what’s in it. But a name like red-sports-car.jpg makes it clear. This helps your image appear in Google Image Search when people look for similar content.

How to Rename Images Correctly?

✔ Describe the Image Clearly – Use words that explain what’s in the image.
✔ Include Keywords Naturally – Add relevant SEO keywords without overstuffing.
✔ Use Hyphens (-) Instead of Spaces – Google reads fresh-apples.jpg better than fresh_apples.jpg.
✔ Keep It Short & Simple – Avoid long, complicated filenames.

Examples

❌ Bad: DSC_12345.jpg
✅ Good: golden-retriever-puppy.jpg

❌ Bad: image-final-edit.png
✅ Good: best-budget-laptop-2024.png

Naming your images properly boosts your SEO and helps them show up in Google Image Search more easily.

4. Write Meaningful Alt Text for Every Image

Alt text is a short description that tells search engines and users what an image is about. It helps Google understand your images and improves image SEO. It also assists visually impaired users and appears when an image doesn’t load properly due to server issues or slow connections.

How to Write Good Alt Text?

✔ Be clear and specific – Describe what’s in the image.
✔ Use keywords naturally – Avoid stuffing them in.
✔ Keep it short – A few words are enough.
✔ Skip unnecessary words – No need for “Image of…” or “Picture of…”.

Examples:

❌ Bad: alt=”image456″
✅ Good: alt=”black cat sitting on a wooden chair”

❌ Bad: alt=”SEO tips”
✅ Good: alt=”example of an SEO-friendly blog post layout

📌 If an image does not load, the alt text is displayed instead, allowing users to know what was supposed to be there. This maintains your content tidy even when images do not load.

Including alt text descriptions makes your website more search-friendly and accessible, as well as more user-friendly.

5. Resize Images Before Uploading

Uploading large images slows down a website. Slow sites frustrate visitors and hurt rankings on Google. That’s why resizing images before uploading is important.

Why Resizing Helps?

✔ Faster website – Smaller images load quickly.
✔ Better experience – Visitors don’t wait for images to load.
✔ SEO boost – Google favors fast-loading pages.
✔ Saves space – Reduces the strain on website storage.

How to Resize Images the Right Way?

📌 Match the display size – If your blog only needs images at 1200px width, avoid uploading a 5000px-wide image.
📌 Adjust dimensions – Banners, blog images, and product photos all require different sizes.
📌 Keep it clear – Reduce file size but maintain quality.

Best Tools for Resizing Images:

✅ Adobe Photoshop – For professional resizing.
✅ Canva – Free and simple for quick edits.

📌 Extra Tip:
Before publishing, check the image on desktop and mobile. The right-resized image helps you keep your site sharp on both devices.

Resizing images before uploading keeps your site fast, user-friendly, and SEO-friendly.

6. Compress Images Without Losing Quality

Large photos slow down websites, which is bad for SEO rankings and annoying to users. Image compression decreases file size while keeping them neat and crisp.

How to Compress Images?

✅ Choose the right format – WebP and JPEG compress better than PNG.
✅ Use compression tools – Shrink images before uploading.
✅ Test image quality – Make sure it stays clear after compression.

Best Tools for Image Compression

📌 TinyPNG – Simple and effective for reducing image size.
📌 ImageOptim – Maintains quality while compressing images.
📌 ShortPixel – Great for WordPress users.

📌Make the image sizes between 200-300 KB. You wouldn’t want it to exceed 1MB as it would make your page run slowly. If so, compress or resize it first before uploading.

Optimized images keep your site fast, and a fast site keeps SEO intact!

7. Make Images Responsive for Mobile Users

Users access sites on a variety of devices — desktops, tablets, and smartphones. Without image resizing, images are distorted or too big or too small, and the site looks unprofessional.

Why Responsive Images Are Important

✔ Improves User Experience – Visitors don’t have to zoom in or scroll sideways.
✔ Speeds Up Loading Time – Smaller images load faster on mobile.
✔ Helps SEO – Google prefers mobile-friendly websites.

How to Ensure Images Are Mobile-Friendly

✅ Use the <srcset> attribute – It allows browsers to load the right image size for different screens.
✅ Apply “max-width: 100%” in CSS – This makes images adjust automatically to fit the screen.
✅ Use Modern Formats Like WebP – They load faster while maintaining quality.

Verify your site with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to determine whether or not images are loading properly. A mobile website is compelling and assists with rank improvement.

8. Enable Lazy Loading for Faster Page Speed

Web pages with many images take longer to load. This can frustrate visitors and even make them leave before the page fully appears. Lazy loading fixes this by loading images only when needed.

How Does Lazy Loading Work?

Rather than loading all the images simultaneously, lazy loading postpones image loading until the user scrolls down to them. This postpones the initial load time and makes the page seem faster.

Why Should You Use Lazy Loading?

✔ Speeds up your website – Visitors don’t have to wait for all images to load at once.
✔ Saves bandwidth – It only loads images that people actually see.
✔ Improves SEO – Google favors faster websites, which helps in rankings.

How to Enable Lazy Loading?

✅ Use the “loading=lazy” attribute – A simple way to apply lazy loading in modern browsers:

<img src=”example.jpg” alt=”example image” loading=”lazy”>

✅ Use a plugin – If your website runs on WordPress, plugins like Lazy Load by WP Rocket can automate the process.

For above-the-fold images (the first images on a page), load them normally to avoid blank spaces at the top.

9. Use an Image Sitemap for Better Indexing

Google can’t rank images if it doesn’t know they exist. If images are buried in scripts or galleries, search engines might miss them. An image sitemap solves this problem by telling Google exactly where your images are so they can be indexed and appear in search results.

What is an Image Sitemap?

An image sitemap is a file that lists all the images on your website and gives Google details about them. This makes it easier for search engines to find and display your images in Google Image Search.

Why is it Important?

✔ Helps Google find hidden images – Images inside carousels, pop-ups, or background elements may not be crawled.
✔ Improves image rankings – When Google properly indexes images, they have a better chance of showing up in search results.
✔ Boosts organic traffic – More indexed images mean more visibility and clicks.

How to Create an Image Sitemap?

✅ For WordPress Users: Use plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math to generate an image sitemap automatically.
✅ Manual Method: If you don’t use a plugin, you can add image details to your existing XML sitemap like this:

<url>

<loc>https://yourwebsite.com/page-url/</loc>

<image:image>

<image:loc>https://yourwebsite.com/images/example.jpg</image:loc>

<image:title>Descriptive Image Title</image:title>

<image:caption>A short description of the image</image:caption>

</image:image>

</url>

After creating your image sitemap, submit it in Google Search Console under the Sitemaps section. This helps Google index your images faster and improves their chances of ranking.

10. Host Images on a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

If your site loads slowly, visitors won’t wait. Large images are one of the biggest offenders. A Content Delivery Network (CDN) helps to speed up images and improve site speed and user experience.

What is a CDN?

A CDN is a network of servers located in different parts of the world. Instead of loading images from one central server, a CDN stores copies on multiple servers. When someone visits your site, the images load from the closest server, reducing load times.

Source: Imagekit

Why Should You Use a CDN for Images?

✔ Faster Loading – Images load quickly, even for visitors far from your server.
✔ Better User Experience – Users don’t have to wait for images to appear.
✔ Less Strain on Your Server – A CDN reduces the load on your main hosting server.
✔ Better SEO – Google favors fast websites, so a CDN can help rankings.

How to Set Up a CDN for Images?

✅ Use a CDN service like Cloudflare, BunnyCDN, or KeyCDN to store and deliver your images.
✅ Check if your hosting provider offers a CDN – Many have built-in options.
✅ Use a WordPress plugin like WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache to connect images to a CDN easily.

If your site gets visitors from different countries, a CDN is essential! It ensures images load fast everywhere, from the U.S. to Europe, Asia, or anywhere else.

11. Enable Browser Caching

When someone visits your website, their browser downloads all images, scripts, and other files to display the page. If this happens every time they visit, it slows things down. Browser caching fixes this by storing these files on their device, so they don’t have to be downloaded again.

Why Browser Caching Matters

✔ Faster Page Load Time – Images and other files don’t have to reload every time.
✔ Better User Experience – Visitors won’t leave because of slow pages.
✔ Lower Server Load – Your website handles fewer requests, making it run smoother.
✔ SEO Benefits – Google favors fast-loading sites, which can help your image SEO rankings.

How to Enable It?

✅ For WordPress: Use caching plugins like WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache.
✅ For Other Websites: Modify the .htaccess file to set cache expiration times.
✅ Use a CDN: A Content Delivery Network (CDN) helps store and serve cached images faster.
✅ Set Expiry Periods:

Images – Cache for 1 year (they rarely change).
Scripts & Styles – Cache for a few weeks (updated more often).

Before caching images, optimize and compress them. Large images take up storage and slow down your site, even if they are cached.

12. Place Images Where They Make Sense

Adding images to your content isn’t enough—you need to place them wisely for the best impact. The right placement makes content more engaging and helps search engines understand your page better.

How to Do It Right

✔ Keep Images Close to Relevant Text – If an image supports a topic, put it right next to it so readers and search engines can connect the two.
✔ Use Images to Break Up Large Blocks of Text – Too much text can feel overwhelming. A well-placed image makes the page easier to read.
✔ Choose Meaningful Images – Every image should have a purpose. Avoid random stock photos that add no real value.
✔ Use Captions When Needed – If an image needs extra context, a short caption can help readers understand its purpose.
✔ Make Sure Images Display Correctly on Mobile – Test how images appear on different screen sizes so they don’t look too big or small.

Search engines pay attention to how images are used on a page. If an image looks disconnected from the content, it might not rank well. Always place images where they add value.

13. Add Structured Data for Better Image Visibility

Structured data helps Google understand images better and show them with extra details in search results. This can improve click-through rates and visibility, making your images more useful for searchers.

Why It Matters?

When structured data is added, images can appear with helpful information like:
✔ Product price and availability (for online stores)
✔ Cooking time and ingredients (for recipes)
✔ Article thumbnails (for blog posts and news)

How to Implement It?

1️⃣ Use Schema Markup to describe your images. Google supports different types:

Product Schema – Adds pricing and availability to product images.
Recipe Schema – Displays recipe details in Google Image Search.
Article Schema – Highlights blog images in search results.

2️⃣ Add the generated schema code to your website’s HTML or use a plugin if on WordPress.
3️⃣ Test your structured data using Google’s Rich Results Test to ensure it’s working.

Structured data doesn’t guarantee special search results, but it increases the chances of your images standing out. If you want better Google Image SEO, structured data is a smart move.

14. Optimize Open Graph & Twitter Card Tags for Social Sharing

When people share your content on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, the way your images appear can affect engagement. If not set properly, social media platforms may randomly select an image, making your post look unprofessional or unattractive.

Why This Matters?

✔️ Helps control how your images and descriptions appear when shared.
✔️ Makes your posts look more appealing and clickable.
✔️ Boosts engagement by displaying the right image and text.

How to Set It Up?

🔹 For Facebook & LinkedIn: Use Open Graph (OG) tags to define your image, title, and description.
🔹 For Twitter: Use Twitter Card tags to ensure the right preview.

Here’s an example of what you can add to your webpage:



<meta property="og:image" content="https://yourwebsite.com/image.jpg">

<meta property="og:title" content="Your Page Title">

<meta property="og:description" content="A short and engaging description">

Use high-quality images that are properly sized:
✅ Facebook & LinkedIn: 1200×630 pixels
✅ Twitter: 1200×675 pixels

By optimizing these tags, you make sure your content looks great when shared, making it more likely to get clicks and engagement.

15. Check Image Performance Regularly

Images affect SEO, page speed, and user experience. If they aren’t optimized properly, they can slow down your website and hurt rankings. Regularly checking your images helps keep your site running smoothly.

Why It Matters

✅ Faster load times – Large or unoptimized images can slow down your website.
✅ Better Google indexing – If images aren’t indexed properly, they won’t appear in search results.
✅ Fixes broken images – Missing images make a site look unprofessional.

How to Check Image Performance?

📌 Google Search Console – See if Google is indexing your images.
📌 PageSpeed Insights – Find out if your images are slowing down your site.
📌 Screaming Frog SEO Spider – Detect broken images.
📌 Google Analytics – Track traffic from Google Images.

By monitoring and optimizing images, you keep your website fast, user-friendly, and SEO-ready.

Conclusion

Many websites struggle to rank their images on Google, not because they lack quality visuals, but because they overlook simple SEO fixes. A well-optimized image can do more than just look good—it can attract traffic, improve user experience, and even boost conversions.

By applying practical Image SEO techniques, like choosing the right format, compressing files, and using meaningful alt text, you make it easier for search engines and users to understand your content. These small but important changes add up, making your site faster, more accessible, and search-friendly.

Don’t let your images sit unnoticed. Optimize them, track their performance, and make them work for your website, not against it.

FAQs on Image SEO

Can Images Alone Improve My Website’s SEO?

No, but they help. Optimized images boost user experience, speed up your site, and increase visibility in Google Image Search. When combined with strong content and proper on-page SEO, they contribute to better rankings.

How Many Images Should I Use On A Page For SEO?

There’s no magic number, but only use images that add value to your content. Too many can slow down your site, while too few may make your page look plain. Balance is key—each image should serve a purpose.

Should I Rename My Old Image Files For SEO?

Yes, but be careful. If the images are already ranking, renaming them without updating URLs and reindexing can break links. For new images, always use descriptive filenames from the start.

Can I Just Copy And Use Images From Google?

No. Using copyrighted images without permission can lead to legal issues. Instead, create your own visuals or use royalty-free stock images with proper attribution.

Does Google Penalize Websites For Using Stock Images?

No, but original images perform better. Google won’t penalize you, but unique images help you stand out in search results. If using stock photos, opt for high-quality, less-common ones.

How Can I Track My Images’ SEO Performance?

Use tools like Google Search Console to check which images appear in search results. You can also use Google PageSpeed Insights to see if images are slowing your site down.

Can I Add Too Many Keywords In The Alt Text?

Yes, and that’s a bad practice. Alt text should describe the image naturally without stuffing keywords. Google can detect keyword stuffing and may ignore or even penalize your page.

How Do Search Engines Work? (Everything You Need to Know)

Posted on March 2, 2025 (March 3, 2025) by Sahil Ahuja

You search for something on Google, and within seconds, millions of results appear. But how does Google decide which websites deserve the top spots?

Search engines use complex systems to find, store, and rank web pages based on relevance, credibility, and user experience. If your site isn’t ranking well, it might be missing key signals that search engines look for.

Understanding this process is the first step to improving your website’s visibility. Let’s take a closer look at how search engines work behind the scenes.

What Are Search Engines?

A search engine is an online tool that helps users find information on the internet. It scans, organizes, and ranks web pages based on relevance to a search query. Popular search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo use complex algorithms to deliver the most useful results in seconds.

Google: The King of All Search Engines

As of January 2025, Google leads with a market share of 78.83% due to its sophisticated algorithms, AI-based rankings, and gigantic indexing network. Though Bing (12.23%), Yahoo! (3.07%), and Yandex (2.94%) have smaller pieces of the pie, Google is the customer’s first choice globally.

Source

Other search engines such as DuckDuckGo and Baidu excel in local markets and privacy, but Google’s ongoing innovations in search engine monitoring, SEO indexing, and personal search give it the edge. For webmasters, the most important thing to optimize rankings is to know how search engines work—particularly Google.

💰 How Do Search Engines Make Money?

Search engines typically show two kinds of results:

1️⃣ Organic Results – These come from the search engine’s index, based on relevance and ranking factors. You can’t pay to appear here.
2️⃣ Paid Results – These are sponsored listings from advertisers. Businesses pay to have their ads displayed for specific keywords.

The most prevalent form of advertising is Pay-Per-Click (PPC), where advertisers pay per user click on an ad. This is why search engine market share matters—the more users a search engine has, the more ad clicks, and the more revenue.

Besides PPC, search engines earn from display ads, shopping ads, data analysis, and paid services, but paid search remains their biggest revenue driver.

The Three Core Functions of Search Engines

Search engines follow a three-step process to find, store, and rank web pages. These steps ensure that when you search for something, the most relevant results appear. The three core functions are:

1️⃣ Crawling – Discovering webpages
2️⃣ Indexing – Storing and organizing information
3️⃣ Ranking – Sorting and displaying results

Let’s break them down in simple terms.

A. Crawling – Discovering Webpages

Crawling is the process through which search engine spiders (spiders, crawlers, or Googlebot) traverse the web to find and keep pages up to date. Because no single list exists of all the websites, search engines are perpetually exposed to new URLs either by crawling from other known pages or by submitting site owners’ sitemap files.

Once a URL is found, the crawler visits and examines its pages. Crawling is computationally managed, and therefore, search engines decide which pages to visit, how often, and in what numbers. To prevent overwhelming a site, crawlers throttle themselves based on server feedback (e.g., high levels of HTTP 500 errors, which slow crawling).

Not every discovered page gets crawled—robots.txt rules, login requirements, and server issues can prevent search engine bots from accessing them. During crawling, search engines also render JavaScript to ensure dynamically loaded content is indexed.

📝 Important Note

Crawlers find new pages through internal links, sitemaps, and backlinks. For new websites, backlinks from authoritative sites help search engines discover and index them faster. To improve visibility, use strong internal linking, submit a sitemap, and build quality backlinks.

Next, we’ll explore how search engines store and organize this information through indexing.

B. Indexing – Storing and Organizing Content

After discovering a webpage, search engines analyze and store its content in a massive database called the index. This process ensures that when users search for information, the engine can quickly retrieve relevant results.

In indexing, search engines crawl text, images, videos, meta tags, and structured data to learn about the page’s topic. They index content by keyword, relevance, and page hierarchy and exclude duplicate or low-quality pages. If a page is poorly formatted, lacks required metadata, or includes indexing restrictions (like a noindex tag), it will not be indexed.

📝 Important Note

If your page is not indexed, it won’t be visible in search. To improve indexing, keep proper page structure, use SEO-friendly metadata, and investigate Google Search Console for indexing errors.

Search engines also render JavaScript to process dynamic content and ensure the page displays correctly. If a site relies heavily on JavaScript without proper implementation, some content might be missed or delayed in indexing.

⚠️ Common Challenges in Crawling & Indexing

🚫 Blocked Pages & Crawl Errors – Misconfigured robots.txt or server issues can stop search engines from accessing pages.
📑 Duplicate Content Issues – Search engines may struggle to index duplicate pages properly; using canonical tags helps address this.
🐢 Slow Page Speed – Pages that take too long to load may be given lower indexing priority, affecting their visibility.
🧩 JavaScript Rendering Problems – Dynamically loaded content may not be indexed correctly if JavaScript isn’t rendered properly.
🔒 Restricted Access – Pages behind login walls or with noindex tags may remain inaccessible to search engines.

Next, we’ll explore how search engines rank indexed pages to determine what shows up first in search results.

C. Ranking – Determining Search Results

After a page is crawled and indexed, the search engines rank the page relative to other considerations to place it in the search results. The aim is to display the most relevant and highest-quality pages that best respond to what a user is searching for.

When a user enters a search query, search engines scan their index for matching pages. The ranking is influenced by several key factors:

Relevance – How well the page matches the search query, considering keywords, content depth, and topical authority.
Authority – The site’s credibility, often measured by backlinks from trusted sources.
User Experience (UX) – Factors like page speed, mobile-friendliness, and security (HTTPS) impact rankings.
Engagement Signals – Metrics like click-through rate (CTR), dwell time, and bounce rate help determine if users find the page useful.
Freshness – Newer and regularly updated content is prioritized for time-sensitive topics.

📝 Important Note

Search results are not the same for everyone. Personalization attributes like language, geography, search history, and device can be utilized to customize search results.

Some searches also trigger special search features (e.g., People Also Ask, videos, or shopping results), which impact page rendering.

Additionally, search features on the results page change based on the query. For example, searches for definitions may trigger featured snippets, while local searches show Google Maps results. This dynamic ranking ensures users receive the most relevant content in the best format.

Key Google Ranking Factors

Google considers hundreds of factors when ranking web pages, but some have a much bigger impact on SEO search engines. While the exact formula remains secret, these key factors play a crucial role in search rankings.

1. High-Quality Content & Relevance

Google prioritizes valuable, well-researched, and original content that directly answers search queries. Content should be relevant to the searcher’s intent and regularly updated to maintain freshness. Well-structured, engaging, and accurate information ranks higher.

2. Backlinks & Authority

Backlinks from high-authority sites boost rankings, as shown in the Ahrefs study below, which links referring domains to higher organic traffic.

However, not all backlinks are equal. Links from trusted sources hold more weight, while spammy links can harm rankings. Building quality backlinks remains a key strategy for improving SEO indexing and search visibility.

3. User Experience (UX) & Page Speed

Google prefers pages that provide a streamlined, quick, and user-friendly experience. Page speed is one of the search engine optimization factors—a slow page is penalized. Quick navigation and minimal distractions allow top-ranking sites.

4. Mobile-Friendliness

Google prefers mobile-friendly websites with mobile-first indexing. The key to being well-ranked includes a responsive site, fast loads, and easy readability on the smaller screen.

5. Search Intent & Language

Google decides if a page is about what people actually want. More pertinent pages about search intent—information, transaction, or navigation—rank higher. Google also prioritizes content in the user’s language preference, so search results are relevant to them.

6. Location & Personalization

Google personalizes search based on the search history and location of a person. Google My Business optimization, local content, and geographically targeted keywords assist local businesses.

7. Technical SEO & Site Structure

A well-organized website is more indexable, crawlable, and rankable by search engines. Internal linking, schema markup data, clean URLs, and HTTPS security are all good for better rankings.

Google refines its search engine algorithms continuously, sharpening the role of these ranking factors in search results. Staying up to speed with best practices and optimizing around these factors is the most critical component of SEO success and search engine visibility.

How Search Intent Affects Rankings

Google prioritizes pages that match what users are actually looking for. Search intent falls into four main types:

Informational – Users want to learn (e.g., “How do search engines work?”).
Navigational – Searching for a specific site (e.g., “Facebook login”).
Transactional – Ready to take action (e.g., “Buy running shoes online”).
Commercial – Comparing options before buying (e.g., “Best laptops under $1000”).

If your content aligns with the right intent, it’s more likely to rank higher. Google analyzes keywords, user behavior, and engagement signals to ensure search results match expectations. Optimizing for intent improves SEO indexing and ranking potential.

How Search Engines Adapt to User Behavior

Search engines don’t just rank pages based on fixed rules—they continuously adjust rankings based on how users interact with search results. Some key behavioral signals that influence rankings include:

Click-Through Rate (CTR) – If more users click on a result, Google sees it as relevant and may rank it higher.
Dwell Time – If visitors stay longer on a page, it signals valuable content, improving ranking chances.
Bounce Rate – If users leave too quickly, it may indicate low relevance, affecting rankings negatively.
Search Refinements – If users modify their queries, search engines learn and refine results accordingly.

By analyzing these signals, Google ensures that high-quality, engaging content gets prioritized, making user behavior a crucial factor in SEO performance.

Why Understanding Search Engines is Crucial for SEO Success

If you don’t understand how search engines work, you’re guessing your way through SEO. Google and other web search engines use crawling, indexing, and ranking to determine which pages appear in search results. Knowing this process helps you optimize content effectively and improve visibility.

Here’s why understanding search engines is essential for SEO success:

Better visibility & rankings – Websites that align with search engine preferences rank faster.
Avoiding SEO mistakes – Knowing what search engines prioritize helps prevent ranking issues.
Staying ahead of algorithm updates – A strong understanding allows businesses to adapt quickly.
Driving organic traffic – SEO optimization leads to higher traffic without paid ads.
Competing with larger brands – Small businesses can compete by focusing on search engine-friendly SEO tactics.

The more you understand how search engines work, the better your SEO results will be. Instead of relying on guesswork, applying data-driven SEO strategies will help you rank higher, attract more visitors, and grow your online presence.

Conclusion

Search engines utilize crawling, indexing, and ranking to organize and present content. Optimize your site for them to become visible, drive organic traffic, and stay competitive.

SEO success results from quality content, quality links, and an organized website as per the priorities of the search engines. Just like a personal assistant helps organize tasks efficiently, search engines prioritize well-structured websites to deliver the best results..

Educate yourself about search engines, optimize wisely, and establish your web presence!

FAQs on How Do Search Engines Work?

Do All Search Engines Work The Same Way?

No, while most web search engines follow a similar process (crawling, indexing, ranking), they use different algorithms. Google, for example, prioritizes AI-driven search intent matching, while DuckDuckGo focuses on privacy and doesn’t track user data.

How Often Do Search Engines Update Their Indexes?

Search engines continuously update their indexes, but the frequency depends on the website. High-authority sites may be crawled multiple times a day, while smaller or new websites may be crawled less frequently.

Can Search Engines Read Images And Videos?

Search engines can’t see images or videos the way humans do. They rely on alt text, file names, and surrounding content to understand what an image or video is about. Proper image SEO helps improve rankings in image and video searches.

What Is A Search Engine Penalty?

A search engine penalty occurs when a website is demoted or removed from rankings due to violating SEO guidelines. Common reasons include keyword stuffing, spammy backlinks, and cloaking (showing different content to users and search engines).

How Do Voice Search And AI Assistants Affect Search Results?

Voice search (via Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa) favors concise, direct answers and often pulls results from featured snippets or well-structured content. Optimizing for conversational, long-tail keywords improves visibility in voice search.

Why Does My Site Rank Differently On Mobile Vs. Desktop?

Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it primarily crawls the mobile version of a site. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, rankings may be lower on mobile searches compared to desktop.

Can Websites Rank Without Backlinks?

Yes, but it’s rare. High-quality content, strong internal linking, and well-optimized on-page SEO can help a website rank without backlinks, but competitive industries almost always require authoritative external links.

10 Common Google Indexing Issues and How to Fix Them!

Posted on March 2, 2025 (May 1, 2025) by Ekta Chauhan

If your website isn’t showing up on Google, it can feel frustrating. You put in the work, but your pages just won’t appear in search results. This usually happens due to Google indexing issues—meaning Google isn’t properly recognizing or storing your pages in its database.

The good news? Most indexing issues are fixable. Whether your site is too new, blocked by settings, or facing crawl problems, this article will help. We’ll walk you through why Google isn’t indexing your site and the best ways to fix it so your pages can rank where they belong—on Google. 🚀

What is Google Indexing?

Google indexing is how Google saves and organizes web pages so they can show up in search results. Think of it like a digital library—Google scans web pages, stores them, and shows them when people search for something relevant.

If your page is not indexed, it will not show up on Google, although it is very helpful. Google discovers pages via links, sitemaps, and bots (crawlers), yet sometimes pages get missed because of technical problems. That is why you need to verify whether your pages are indexed and resolve any issues that prevent Google from adding them.

🔹Want to Check if Google Has Indexed Your Page?

Type this into Google: 👉 site:yourwebsite.com/your-page-url
If your page appears, it’s indexed. If not, submit it through Google Search Console to help Google find it faster.

10 Google Indexing Problems and How to Fix Them

Below, we’ll cover 10 common indexing problems and how to fix them quickly.

1. The Website is Too New

If you’ve recently published your website, Google hasn’t crawled it yet. Search engines take some time to find and index new sites. Sometimes, it only takes a few hours, but most likely, it will take days or weeks. It doesn’t necessarily mean there’s an issue with your site—Google just takes a little while to crawl it.

So, How to Fix It?

Submit Your Site in Google Search Console – Tell Google about your site by submitting your URL.
Publish Fresh Content – Keep adding blogs, pages, or updates to attract Google’s attention.
Get Backlinks from Indexed Sites – Links from other websites help Google discover your site faster.
Share on Social Media – Posting your site on Twitter, LinkedIn, and other platforms can speed up indexing.

Check if your site is even accessible! Type “site:yourdomain.com” in Google. If no results show up, your site might be blocked from indexing by mistake.

2. Missing Or Incorrect Sitemap

A sitemap is a file that helps Google find and index your web pages. If it’s missing or has errors, Google may not crawl important pages, which can hurt your rankings.

So, How to fix it?

1️⃣Check If You Have a Sitemap

Open your browser and type: yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
If it loads a list of URLs, your sitemap is working. If not, you need to create one.

2️⃣ Create an XML Sitemap

Google needs an XML sitemap to understand your website structure. You can create one using:

Yoast SEO Plugin (for WordPress)
Google XML Sitemaps Plugin
Screaming Frog SEO Tool

3️⃣ Submit Your Sitemap to Google

Open Google Search Console
Click “Sitemaps”
Enter your sitemap URL (yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml)
Click Submit

4️⃣ Fix Sitemap Issues

Remove broken links – Make sure all pages listed work properly.
Check for duplicate pages – Use canonical tags if needed.
Ensure important pages aren’t blocked – Check your robots.txt file to make sure key pages are not restricted.

If your site has many pages, create separate sitemaps for:

This helps Google index them faster.

3. Robots.txt File Blocking Crawlers

The robots.txt file controls which pages search engines can crawl on your website. If it has errors, Google might not index important pages, making them invisible in search results. This can harm your website’s visibility.

How to Check If Robots.txt Is Blocking Google?

To check, go to your browser and type: “yourwebsite.com/robots.txt”

Look for “Disallow: /” or specific blocked pages like “Disallow: /important-page/”. This means Google is restricted from crawling them.

Another way is to use Google Search Console:

Open Search Console
Click “URL Inspection Tool”
Enter a URL and check if it’s blocked

So, how do we fix it?

Review and Edit Your Robots.txt File

If critical pages are blocked, update or remove the disallow rules.

🚫 Incorrect Example:

User-agent: *

Disallow: /

(This blocks the entire site.)

✅ Correct Example:

User-agent: *

Allow: /

(This allows Google to crawl all pages.)

If you want to block only certain pages (like admin sections or private files), be specific.

User-agent: *

Disallow: /admin

Disallow: /private-content

Allow: /blog

This way, Google ignores sensitive areas but indexes valuable pages.

A small mistake in robots.txt can stop Google from indexing your site. Check it regularly in Google Search Console to make sure your pages are visible in search results. 🚀

4. Noindex Tags on Important Pages

The noindex tag tells search engines not to index a page and make it searchable in search results. While it is useful for making private or temporary pages invisible, mistakenly adding it can make important pages disappear in Google, even if the pages might have excellent content and backlinks.

How to Check If a Page Has a Noindex Tag?

You can check this manually or use Google Search Console:

Method 1: Check the Page Source

Open the page in your browser.
Right-click anywhere and select “View Page Source.”
<meta name=”robots” content=”noindex”>
If this tag is there, Google is blocked from indexing the page.

Method 2: Use Google Search Console

Go to Google Search Console.
Open “URL Inspection Tool”.
Enter the page URL.
If you see “Excluded by Noindex tag”, that means the page is not indexed.

So, how do we fix it?

1. Remove the Noindex Tag

If this tag was added by mistake, delete this line from your page’s HTML:

Once removed, resubmit the page in Google Search Console for faster indexing.

2. Check Your WordPress or CMS Settings

In WordPress:

Go to Settings > Reading
Make sure “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” is unchecked

If you use an SEO plugin, check if it has blocked indexing for certain pages.

Use Robots.txt Instead!

If you want a page hidden from search engines but still accessible to users, use the robots.txt file instead of a noindex tag. This avoids accidental indexing issues later.

A wrongly placed noindex tag can make crucial pages disappear from search results, hurting traffic and rankings. Regularly check indexed pages in Google Search Console to avoid surprises. 🚀

5. Duplicate Content

Duplicate content happens when the same or nearly identical content appears on multiple pages of your site or across different websites. Google doesn’t know which version to rank, which can lower your site’s visibility in search results.

Why Duplicate Content Is a Problem

When search engines find multiple pages with the same content, they may:

Choose the wrong page to rank or ignore some completely.
Split ranking power between similar pages, making it harder to rank well.
Flagged copied content, which can harm your credibility and trust with Google.

This is common in eCommerce sites that use the same product descriptions across multiple pages or if blogs have syndicated content without proper attribution.

How to Check for Duplicate Content

You can quickly check for duplicate content using tools like:

Google Search Console (Indexing Report) – Look for “Duplicate without user-selected canonical” warnings.
Siteliner – Scans your site for internal duplicate content.
Copyscape – Checks if other websites have copied your content.

Search for a specific sentence from your content on Google using site:yourwebsite.com “copied text” to see if multiple pages with the same text appear.

So, How to Fix Duplicate Content Issues

1. Use Canonical Tags

Tell Google which version of a page is the main one by adding this in your HTML:

This helps Google focus on one page while passing ranking benefits from duplicate versions.

2. Redirect Unnecessary Duplicates

If you have multiple URLs showing the same content (e.g., example.com/page and example.com/page?ref=123), set up a 301 redirect to the preferred version.

3. Rewrite and Make Content Unique

For product pages, blogs, or service pages, ensure each page has original descriptions, headings, and meta tags. If possible, avoid copying manufacturer descriptions in eCommerce stores.

4. Handle URL Parameters Correctly

If your site creates duplicate pages due to sorting and filtering (like “?sort=price”), go to Google Search Console → URL Parameters and specify how Google should handle them.

🚀 Smart Fix: Prevent Future Issues

- Regularly audit your content to spot duplicate issues before they hurt rankings.
- If you syndicate content, ask third-party sites to use a canonical tag pointing to your page.
- Use internal linking wisely to direct Google to the right pages to prioritize.
Duplicate content confuses search engines and weakens SEO. By fixing issues with canonical tags, redirects, and original content, you ensure Google indexes the right pages. Check your content regularly to keep your rankings strong! 🚀

6. Orphan Pages

Orphan pages are pages on your site that have no internal links pointing to them. This makes them hard for Google to find and include in its index and, therefore, less likely to be shown in search results.

Why Orphan Pages Are a Problem

Google crawls websites by following links. If a page isn’t linked anywhere, it may remain invisible to search engines. This means it won’t rank or drive traffic.

For users, orphan pages are practically non-existent unless they have the direct URL. This lowers engagement, making the page useless for SEO.

You can check for orphan pages using:

Google Search Console – Look for unindexed pages
Screaming Frog – Identify pages without internal links
Ahrefs Site Audit – Spot orphaned pages in the crawl report

How to Fix Orphan Pages

Link Them to Relevant Pages: Add internal links to orphan pages from main sections like blogs, product pages, and menus. This helps search engines discover and index them faster.
Add Them to Your Sitemap: Ensure all important pages are listed in your XML sitemap so Google can find them.
Redirect Unnecessary Pages: If an orphan page serves no purpose, use a 301 redirect to send users to a related, useful page.
Prevent Future Orphan Pages: Each new page should be linked from at least one existing page to avoid indexing issues.

Instead of ignoring orphan pages, update them with fresh content, add links, and make them useful. This improves user experience and helps your site rank better.

7. Slow Page Loading Speeds

A slow website frustrates users and hurts your Google rankings. If a page takes too long to load, visitors leave, and search engines see this as a bad user experience. Faster pages rank better and keep users engaged.

Why Slow Websites Struggle

If your site takes more than a few seconds to load, people won’t wait—they’ll go elsewhere. This increases your bounce rate, which tells Google your site might not be useful. On mobile, it’s even worse. Over half of users leave if a page takes more than 3 seconds to load.

Since Google uses mobile-first indexing, a slow-loading site can cause ranking drops across all devices.

How to Check Your Page Speed

Use Google PageSpeed Insights to check how fast your pages load. It gives you a speed score and suggests ways to improve performance. Other useful tools include GTmetrix and Lighthouse.

How to Fix Slow Page Speeds

Compress and Resize Images: Large image files slow down loading times. Resize them before uploading and use tools like TinyPNG or ShortPixel to compress them without losing quality.
Enable Browser Caching: Caching stores site elements so returning visitors don’t have to reload everything from scratch. You can enable caching using plugins like WP Rocket or your hosting settings.
Minify CSS, JavaScript & HTML: Extra code makes your site heavy. Use tools like UglifyJS or CSSNano to remove unnecessary characters and make your site load faster.
Enable Lazy Loading: Lazy loading ensures images only load when users scroll to them instead of loading everything at once. Most modern CMS platforms support this feature.
Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN stores copies of your site on multiple servers worldwide, delivering pages from the closest location to the visitor. This speeds up loading, especially for international users.
Upgrade Your Hosting: Cheap hosting can slow down your site. If speed is an issue, consider switching to VPS or dedicated hosting for better performance.

Want a faster site right now? Compress images, enable lazy loading, and use a CDN. These quick changes can dramatically improve speed.

8. Poor Site Structure And Internal Linking

If your website is hard to navigate, both users and search engines struggle to find important pages. A messy structure makes it difficult for Google to crawl and index your content, which can hurt your rankings. A well-organized site helps visitors and improves SEO. So, how can we fix poor structure and internal linking?

1. Simplify Navigation

Make sure important pages (home, categories, blogs) are easy to reach in a few clicks. A confusing menu frustrates both users and search engines.

2. Use a Logical URL Structure

URLs should be clear and easy to understand. For example:
✅ Good: example.com/blog/seo-tips
❌ Bad: example.com/page123

3. Add Internal Links

Link your pages together naturally. If a page is important, make sure it’s linked from other pages so Google can find it easily.

4. Create a Sitemap

A sitemap lists all your pages in one place, making it easier for Google to index your site. You can submit it through Google Search Console for better indexing.

If a page has no internal links, Google may not find it. Identify orphan pages and connect them with related content.

9. Recent Website Redesigns Affecting URLs

When you reconstruct a site, URL changes can lead to indexing problems. If removed or renamed, old pages are not properly redirected, and search engines and users will be left with dead ends. This can lead to ranking losses and lost traffic.

How to Fix It

Use 301 Redirects: If URLs change, set up 301 redirects to guide Google and visitors to the new pages. This preserves your SEO value and avoids broken links.
Check Internal Links: Update all internal links to point to the new URLs. Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to find and fix outdated links.
Submit an Updated Sitemap: A new sitemap tells Google about the updated structure. Submit it to Google Search Console to speed up the indexing of your new URLs.
Fix Crawl Errors: Check Google Search Console’s Coverage Report for errors like “Page Not Found” and resolve them quickly.

🚀 Pro Tip: Keep URLs the Same When Possible

If a page’s content remains the same, try not to change its URL. Consistent URLs prevent ranking loss and save time on redirects.

A website redesign is great for user experience, but ignoring URL changes can hurt your rankings. Always set up redirects, update links, and resubmit your sitemap to ensure Google indexes your pages correctly.

10. Google Crawling Limits

Google does not index your site’s entire pages at one time. It puts a cap, known as the crawl budget, on the number of pages it crawls within the same time. If your site is full of many pages, slow to load, or full of errors, Google may bypass some of the pages.

Why This Happens

Google decides how often to crawl a site based on two factors:

Crawl Rate Limit – How many requests your server can handle without slowing down.
Crawl Demand – How important Google thinks your pages are. High-quality pages get crawled more often, while low-value or duplicate content gets ignored.

If your site is slow, has broken links, or contains duplicate content, Google might crawl fewer pages than expected.

How to Fix It

Speed up your website<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> – Optimize images, remove unnecessary code, and use a fast hosting service.
Fix broken links & errors – Check for 404 errors and redirect outdated pages.
Improve site structure – Link to important pages from high-traffic sections so Googlebot can find them easily.
Update your sitemap – Submit it through Google Search Console to guide Google on which pages to crawl first.

Don’t Waste Crawl Budget!

Block unnecessary pages like login pages, duplicate URLs, or outdated content using the robots.txt file. This way, Google focuses on your best pages.

By managing your crawl budget wisely, you make sure important pages get indexed quickly, improving your chances of ranking higher in search results.

How to Identify and Fix Indexing Problems in Google Search Console

Google Search Console helps you check if your website’s pages are being indexed properly. If a page isn’t indexed, it won’t appear in search results. The Page Indexing Report in Search Console highlights issues that might be stopping Google from indexing your pages. Here’s what some of these statuses mean and how you can fix them.

1. Page with Redirect

If a page has a redirect, it means visitors (and search engines) are sent to a different URL instead of the original one. Redirects are normal when moving or merging pages, but if they’re not set up correctly, Google may not index your page.

Why Does This Happen?

The page is redirecting to the wrong URL.
There are too many redirects in a row (redirect chain).
A temporary (302) redirect is used instead of a permanent (301) redirect.

How to Fix It

Check where the page is redirecting using Google Search Console’s URL Inspection Tool.
Use a 301 redirect if the page has permanently moved. Google transfers SEO value with 301 redirects.
Avoid long redirect chains—make sure Page A redirects directly to Page C instead of going through Page B.
Fix broken or looping redirects using tools like Screaming Frog or Google Search Console.

If you’ve fixed a redirect but Google still isn’t indexing the page, go to Google Search Console → URL Inspection → Request Indexing to get it crawled faster.

2. Excluded by ‘Noindex’ Tag

If a page is removed by ‘noindex’ in Google Search Console, it implies that Google discovered it but was instructed not to include it in search results. This occurs when a noindex tag is included on the page, either by error or by intention.

Why Does This Happen?

The noindex tag was accidentally added to an important page.
A CMS setting or SEO plugin (like in WordPress) is blocking search engines.
The page is still listed in the sitemap, causing confusion.

How to Fix It

Go to Google Search Console → Pages Report to see which pages are affected.
Check the page’s source code (Right-click → View Page Source) and search for “noindex”.
Remove the tag if the page should be indexed.
Make sure robots.txt isn’t blocking the page.
Resubmit the page for indexing in Google Search Console.

Before Removing Noindex, Ask Yourself This

Should this page really be indexed? Pages like admin dashboards or duplicate content should stay noindexed. Only remove it if the page needs to rank.

3. Alternate Page with Proper Canonical Tag

If you see this message in Google Search Console, it means Google found duplicate or similar content and is indexing the main page based on the canonical tag.

Should You Be Concerned?

Not always. This usually confirms that Google is handling duplicate content properly. But if an important page is being ignored, you should check your setup.

How to Fix It (If Needed)

Check the canonical tag in the page source (<link rel=”canonical” href=”URL”>).
Ensure the correct main page is set as canonical.
If the page should be indexed, remove the canonical tag or update it.
Use Google Search Console → URL Inspection Tool to see how Google views the page.

Canonical Tags Don’t Redirect Users

A canonical tag only tells Google which version to index—it doesn’t redirect visitors. If you need to remove a page completely, use 301 redirects instead.

If the right page is indexed, you don’t need to do anything. But if Google is choosing the wrong version, review your canonical settings and adjust as needed.

4. Not Found (404)

A 404 error happens when a page no longer exists or the URL is incorrect. This confuses Google and visitors because the page they’re trying to access doesn’t load.

A few 404s won’t hurt your rankings, but too many can signal poor site maintenance. If important pages disappear, Google may drop them from its index.

How to Fix It

Restore the page if it was deleted by mistake.
Redirect the old URL to a relevant page if the content was moved.
Fix broken links inside your website.
Remove deleted pages from the sitemap so Google stops looking for them.

Avoid Redirecting 404s to the Homepage

Most site owners forward all 404s to the home page, but Google finds this to be a soft 404, which is not a good thing either. Redirect the users to a related page or make the page a proper 404 if it is permanently gone.

5. Blocked Due to Access Forbidden (403)

A 403 error appears when Google tries to visit a page but is denied access. This often happens when a page requires login credentials or server settings block search engines.

If Google can’t access a page, it won’t be indexed. If important pages are blocked, they won’t show up in search results, which can affect rankings.

How to Fix It

Check Robots.txt – Make sure you’re not accidentally blocking Google from crawling pages that should be indexed.
Review Server Settings – If the page requires a login, decide if it should be accessible to search engines or restricted to users.
Use Noindex Instead – If a page shouldn’t be indexed, a noindex tag is a better option than blocking it.

Sometimes, security settings or firewalls block Google, thinking it’s a bot. Regularly check Google Search Console to catch and fix these issues early.

6. Soft 404

A Soft 404 is when a page is seemingly blank or broken to some degree but returns a status of 200 OK instead of a correct 404 (Not Found). This causes Google confusion because the page does exist but has little or no content.

Google can delist these pages or consider them low-quality, and this is detrimental to your site’s overall ranking. Your site is a sign of poor content management if it contains numerous soft 404 errors.

How to Fix It

Check for Missing Content – If the page is supposed to exist, add meaningful content or fix any loading issues.
Use a Proper 404 or Redirect – If the page no longer exists, remove it from your sitemap and set up a 404 error or a 301 redirect to a relevant page.
Fix Internal Links – Ensure you’re not linking to a non-existent or broken page that causes Google to classify it as a soft 404.

Instead of a blank 404 page, create a helpful error page with links to popular pages or a search bar. This keeps visitors on your site instead of leaving immediately.

Conclusion

Google indexing problems are not something you can do and never touch again. It’s something you have to keep monitoring on a regular basis. Utilize Google Search Console to identify problems early, correct them quickly, and ensure your critical pages get indexed.

The good news? Every issue has a fix. Whether it’s a missing sitemap, slow-loading pages, or blocked URLs, you have the tools to get your site back on track. Keep optimizing, stay consistent, and let Google do the rest! 🚀

FAQs on Google Indexing Issues

How Long Does It Take For Google To Index My Site?

It depends. Sometimes, Google can index a page within a few hours, but for newer or less active sites, it may take days or even weeks. Using Google Search Console to request indexing can speed up the process.

Can I Force Google To Index My Page Faster?

You can’t force it, but you can help. Submit your sitemap, request indexing through Google Search Console, and make sure your site has strong internal links pointing to new pages.

Why Is Only Some Of My Website Indexed?

Google may be skipping pages due to noindex tags, poor content quality, duplicate content, or technical errors. Check Google Search Console’s Index Coverage Report to find the exact reason.

Will Indexing Issues Affect My Rankings?

Yes! If Google can’t index your pages, they won’t appear in search results. That means less traffic and lower visibility for your site.

Can Too Many Redirects Affect Indexing?

Yes. Long redirect chains confuse Google and can slow down crawling. Use clean and direct 301 redirects where necessary, but avoid excessive redirect loops.

How Often Should I Check For Indexing Issues?

At least once a month. Regularly monitoring Google Search Console helps catch problems before they affect your rankings.

Does Mobile-Friendliness Affect Indexing?

Absolutely! Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it looks at your mobile site first. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, some pages may not get indexed properly.