Discovered - Currently Not Indexed or Crawled - Currently Not Indexed

As a numbers watcher, I am always looking for which pages are indexed on Google's Search Console. Before you remind me that we shouldn't be numbers-watching in the beginning, I can't help it. It will drive you crazy if you let it. I don't let it. But I like to know what I am looking at.

Can you recall the distinctions between Crawled and Discovered?

In the Google Search Console Pages Tab, you get a snapshot of your indexed pages and those awaiting inclusion. Under "Why pages aren’t indexed" (Remember, pages that aren’t indexed can’t be found on Google), you encounter two key categories: Crawled and Discovered.

But do you truly understand what you're observing? Let me go back into my Librarian analogies to illustrate the difference between "Crawled - currently not indexed" and "Discovered - currently not indexed".

Crawled Not Indexed - Yet

Imagine a library where books represent web posts. When a new book is "Crawled - Currently Not Indexed," it means The Librarian (Google) has looked at the Book Cover (web post and metadata and content) and tried to judge the book by its cover but it failed. This means that the Librarian will need time to read the book before it can be added to the index. Hence the not indexed "Yet". It needs more time. The reality is that Google has more important posts to index and it may not make it back to your post any time soon.

You are looking for black-and-white answers. Here it is, your post is not in the index.

Crawled Not Indexed - Google Needs Your Help

What should you do? Do Google's job for them. Make sure your post loads quickly. Reread your post, did you put out quality content? Does it E-E-A-T? Revise your content to make it helpful, and beneficial for your readers. Ensure that the Title matches the meta description, which matches the content. Does your content add value? If it does now, then follow Kyle's post How to Request Indexing in Google (Through Search Console)

When a book is "Discovered - Currently Not Indexed," it means the librarian has heard rumors, or seen a list where the book (web post) exists, but hasn't read it yet.

Currently Not Indexed

Google indexes billions of new and rewritten posts and pages daily. They are the most effective at doing this. Their ability to index based on what you "mean" is unmatched. They are not just indexing on your keywords, but also on your intent.

Our Librarian will have a list of books to process and prioritize based on various factors. The priority is quality content that is easy to catalog. The title matches the description, the description matches the content, and it loads quickly.

Your post has been discovered, akin to the librarian knowing about the book's presence, but due to constraints like limited time (crawl budget), technical issues (server problems), or quality considerations (poor content), Google hasn't had the opportunity to review and add it to its search index thoroughly.

This delay in indexing mirrors the librarian's need to manage their workload efficiently before formally cataloging a book, ensuring that only valuable and relevant content is included in the library's catalog (search results).

Get Indexed

Enhance your website's crawlability by optimizing internal linking. Internal linking functions are akin to a spider weaving its web, seamlessly connecting all your pages. This approach prevents crawl budget issues and eliminates the risk of orphan pages or internal no-follow links.

Additionally, check your robots.txt file to ensure it allows Google to crawl your site effectively. By understanding these statuses and taking appropriate actions to improve crawlability and content quality, new bloggers can enhance their chances of having all their valuable pages indexed for better visibility in search engine results.

Crawled: Crawling is the act of Google actively visiting your website to discover its content. It's like search engine bots walking through your site to find new information.

Discovered: On the other hand, discovered means that Google is aware of a URL but has not yet crawled it. It's like search engines knowing about a page but not actively exploring its content.

Remember, crawling is the active process of search engines exploring your site, while discovery indicates that search engines are aware of a page but have not yet examined it.

Did this help you to understand the difference?