Fixing Google Search Console Errors for Your Website
Fixing Google Search Console Errors for Your Website
Introduction:
Google Search Console (GSC) is an essential tool for monitoring and optimizing your website's performance in Google search results. This guide provides insights into various Google Search Console error reports, explains their causes, and offers practical solutions to fix them.
Submitted URL Errors: Pages With Errors Have Not Been Indexed
1. Pages Blocked by robots.txt:
Cause: Your submitted page is blocked by the robots.txt file, preventing indexing.
Fix: Test the page with the robots.txt tester to identify the problem. Adjust the robots.txt file or modify the page to resolve the conflict.
2. Page Marked "No Index":
Cause: The submitted page has a "noindex" directive, conflicting with indexing.
Fix: Remove the "noindex" meta tag or HTTP header if you want the page to be indexed.
3. Page Crawl Issue:
Cause: Google encountered a crawling error without specific details.
Fix: Use the URL inspection tool in Google Search Console to investigate the page or involve your developers to diagnose the problem.
404 Errors: Page Not Found
4. Submitted URL Seems to Be a Soft 404:
Cause: The submitted page returns a blank or nearly blank page.
Fix: Configure your server to return a 404 or 410 response code if the page is no longer available. Set up a 301 redirect if the page has moved.
5. Submitted URL Not Found (404):
Cause: A URL included in your sitemap no longer exists.
Fix: For URLs that should exist, set up a 301 redirect if they have moved. Ignore the error if the URL is unknown or if you want to permanently delete the content.
6. Server Error (5XX)
Cause: Your server returned a 500-level error when the page was requested.
Fix: Optimize dynamic page requests, ensure your hosting server is operational, check for unintentional blocking of Googlebot, and optimize search engine crawling and indexing settings.
7. Redirect Error
Cause: Redirect errors occur due to redirect chains, loops, excessive URL length, or bad/empty URLs in the redirect chain.
Fix: Review all redirects and aim for a single redirect. Use tools like the "Ayima" Chrome Extension to identify issues on a page-by-page basis.
New Product Issues Detected for Site
8. Missing "Offers," "Review," or "aggregateRating":
Cause: Product pages lack at least one of these elements in the Structured Data Markup (SDM).
Fix: Add appropriate elements such as type, URL, ratingValue, or reviewCount to your SDM.
9. Missing Field "Price":
Cause: The required "Price" field is missing or improperly formatted.
Fix: Ensure the price is included in the SDM as a proper number format, without the dollar sign.
10. Rating Is Missing Required Best and/or Worst Values:
Cause: When including product ratings or reviews, you need to specify the range.
Fix: Set "bestRating" typically as 5 and "worstRating" as 1.
11. Value in Property "ratingCount" Must Be Positive:
Cause: The "ratingCount" property should contain the total number of ratings on the product page.
Fix: Ensure the value is not negative; it can be zero if there are no reviews yet.
Mobile Usability Errors
12. Clickable Elements Too Close Together:
Cause: Touch elements are too close, leading to accidental taps.
Fix: Adjust touch elements' size and spacing to meet Google's recommended guidelines.
13. Viewport Not Set:
Cause: Your page does not have a viewport meta tag, which helps browsers to properly render the page on different devices.
Fix: Add a viewport meta tag to your HTML code to define the viewport's dimensions and ensure proper display on mobile devices. The tag should include attributes such as width=device-width, initial-scale=1, and user-scalable=no.
14. Content Wider Than Screen:
Cause: The content on your page extends beyond the screen width, requiring horizontal scrolling on mobile devices.
Fix: Adjust your page's layout to ensure that the content fits within the screen width of mobile devices. Use responsive design techniques, such as CSS media queries, to make your content adapt to different screen sizes.
15. Text Too Small to Read:
Cause: The text on your page is too small to read without zooming on mobile devices.
Fix: Increase the font size of your text to make it easily readable on mobile screens. Aim for a base font size of at least 16 pixels and use relative units (such as em or rem) to ensure scalability across different devices.
16. Touch Elements Too Close:
Cause: Touch elements, such as buttons or links, are placed too close together, making it difficult for users to tap on the intended element.
Fix: Increase the spacing between touch elements to provide enough room for users to accurately tap on them. Aim for a minimum touch target size of 48x48 pixels, with additional padding around the element to avoid accidental taps.
Coverage Issues
17. Submitted URL Has Crawl Issue:
Cause: Google encountered an issue while crawling the submitted URL.
Fix: Use the URL inspection tool in Google Search Console to identify the specific crawl issue and take appropriate steps to resolve it. This may involve fixing server-side issues, addressing robots.txt restrictions, or ensuring proper page rendering.
18. Indexed, Though Blocked by Robots.txt:
Cause: Google has indexed the URL, but it's currently blocked by the robots.txt file.
Fix: Review your robots.txt file and update it to allow Googlebot to crawl and index the specific URL. Ensure that the URL is not mistakenly blocked by any disallow directives.
19. Excluded by "noindex" Tag:
Cause: The URL has been marked with a "noindex" directive, preventing it from being indexed.
Fix: Remove the "noindex" meta tag or HTTP header from the page if you want it to be indexed by Google. Alternatively, update the directive if you intended to exclude the page from indexing.
Conclusion:
Regularly monitoring and addressing errors in Google Search Console is crucial for maintaining optimal website performance in search results. By identifying and resolving these common issues, you can improve your website's visibility, accessibility, and overall user experience. Remember to periodically check your Google Search Console reports and stay proactive in fixing any emerging errors to ensure the best possible search presence for your website.