Elementor
I
Indexing
Definition
Indexing is the moment a search engine decides to store your page in its database so that it can appear in search results at all.
In plain English
Search engines do three separate things: crawl (find the page), index (understand and file it), and rank (decide where it appears).
A page that isn't indexed cannot rank at any position, for any keyword. It simply isn't in the drawer being searched.
Why it matters
This is the most common invisible SEO problem. People pour weeks into content, publish, wait, and see nothing — not because the writing is weak, but because a noindex tag, a robots.txt rule, a stray canonical, or a brand-new site with no links meant Google never filed it.
Check indexing before you optimise anything else.
How it works
- Confirm it's crawlableNot blocked in robots.txt, not sitting behind a login.
- Confirm it's indexableNo noindex tag, and a canonical that points at itself.
- Help discoverySubmit an XML sitemap and link to the page from somewhere already indexed.
- Verify in Search ConsoleURL Inspection tells you what Google actually sees, not what you hope it sees.
The most expensive checkbox in WordPress
Settings → Reading has an option that hides the entire site from search engines. It's meant for development. Leaving it on after launch costs people months.
Watch it in a real build
Related terms
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