How to Fix GSC Issues

1. Procedure Title

Name of the Process: How to Fix Google Search Console (GSC) Issues

2. Purpose

Brief Description: This SOP provides step-by-step instructions to identify and fix common Google Search Console (GSC) issues related to indexing, usability, Core Web Vitals, AMP, structured data, and other performance metrics.

3. Scope

Involved Areas: SEO, WordPress Administration

4. Responsibilities

Roles and Responsibilities:

• SEO Team: Responsible for identifying and verifying GSC issues.
• Site Administrator: Implements fixes based on SEO recommendations.

5. Definitions and Key Terms

Glossary:

• Index Coverage: A report in GSC that identifies indexing issues for your website.
• Redirects: A method to forward users and search engines from one URL to another.
• Robots.txt: A file used to manage and restrict web crawlers’ access to parts of a website.
• Core Web Vitals: Metrics for measuring user experience on a website, such as load speed and interactivity.
• 404 Errors: Errors indicating that a requested page is not found.

6. Procedure Details

6.1. Preparation and Prerequisites

Access to Google Search Console.

• Admin access to the WordPress dashboard.
• SEOPress plugin installed and configured.
• Collaboration with the SEO and content teams.

6.2 Timeline for Task Completion

• Estimated Time:
• Per Issue: 15-30 minutes, depending on complexity.
• Frequency: Fix issues as they are identified.
• Review Schedule: Monthly to ensure ongoing performance.

6.3. Step-by-Step Procedure

 

Index Coverage Issues

Page with Redirect

 

Identification: Use the GSC Index Coverage report to locate pages flagged with this issue. Go to Search Console>Pages>Page Redirect

 

 

Steps to Fix:

 

1. Confirm the redirection is intentional and leads to the correct target URL. Go to WP Dashboard>SEOPress>Redirections and look for any redirections that match the GSC Issues. For quick searching, use the Search bar at the top of the Redirections panel.

 

2. Use tools like Screaming Frog or the URL Inspection Tool in GSC to verify the redirection. (Ask for assistance from the SEO Team)

3. Update internal links and sitemaps to reflect the correct target URL. 

   1. SEO Team can help scan for incorrect links per page. Another way to do this is to hover on clickable links and check for the displayed URL at the bottom of the browser and confirm if it is the intended link for the URL.

   2. Open and check if the links are live to avoid auto-redirection.

4. Validate Fix and Resubmit Sitemap in Google Search Console

Submitted URL Not Found (404)

 

Identification: 

1. Identify affected URLs in the Index Coverage report under the “Submitted URL Not Found (404)” section. 

2. Check Sitemap and Wireframe to see if the URLs should exist. Communicate with the SEO team to verify

Steps to Fix:

1. Restore Missing Pages (if needed): Recreate the page and add relevant content if it should exist. Verify this from Content or SEO team first 

2. Implement 301 Redirects: If the page is no longer needed, create a 301 redirect to a relevant, existing page. Go to WP Dashboard>SEOPress>Redirections>Add Redirection to create a redirect
   

3. Update Sitemap: View sitemap usually through this URL structure, yourdomain.com/sitemaps.xml . Make sure all URLS are corrent in the sitemap. Remove the outdated URLs.
   

    

4. Validate Fix: Resubmit the updated sitemap in GSC > Sitemaps.

Server Error (5xx)

Identification:

• Locate URLs flagged with 5xx errors in the Index Coverage report.

Steps to Fix:

1. Analyze Server Logs: Access server logs through your hosting provider’s control panel

2. Check Hosting Resources:

• Log in to Liquid Web and contact support https://www.liquidweb.com/ or contact another hosting provider if the site is being hosted somewhere else to resolve server-related issues. Ask them to increase server resources if necessary.
  

   

3. Optimize Website Performance:

• Install and Activate Litespeed Caching plugin and refer to the Authority Solutions® SOP for Litespeed Setup. Compress images and defer loading of heavy scripts using Oxygen Builder’s settings
  
  

   

4. Address Plugin or Theme Conflicts:

• Deactivate plugins one by one (starting with non-essential ones) to identify potential conflicts.

• Ensure your Oxygen Builder and SEOPress plugins are up to date.

5. Resolve PHP or Database Errors:

• Check PHP version compatibility. Ensure your site uses a version supported by WordPress. Go to WP Dashboard>Tools>Site Health and Choose “Info”. Scroll down to the bottom and select the Server tab where you can see the current PHP version. Make sure it is updated
  
  

   

• Repair corrupted database tables via phpMyAdmin or a WordPress database repair tool.

6. Monitor Server Uptime:

• Use tools like UptimeRobot to monitor server health and downtime. https://dashboard.uptimerobot.com/login
  

   

7. Validate Fix: Test the affected URL using the URL Inspection Tool in GSC to confirm resolution.

 

 

Blocked by Robots.txt

 

Identification: Review the “Blocked by robots.txt” issue in the Index Coverage report.

 

Steps to Fix:

 

1. Verify if the URLs are intended to be blocked by robots.txt or should be indexable.

2. Go to WP Dashboard>SEOPress>PRO>Robots.txt and you should see a box for the Virtual Robots.txt file
   

    

3. Update the robots.txt file to allow or disallow crawling of the specific URL

4. Test the robots.txt changes using GSC’s Robots.txt Tester.

5. Validate Fix and Resubmit Sitemap in Google Search Console

 

Note: You can use regex to allow or disallow multiple URLs at the same time. You can refer to this link for more instructions https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/robots/create-robots-txt

 

Crawled – Currently Not Indexed

 

Identification: Use the Index Coverage report to identify URLs marked as “Crawled – Currently Not Indexed.”

Steps to Fix:

1. Improve Content Quality: Ensure the page has unique, valuable, and comprehensive content. Coordinate with the Content and SEO team to inspect all URLs

    

2. Check Technical Issues: Verify there are no canonical tag conflicts or noindex directives. Use the URL Inspection Tool to check indexing status.
   
   

    

3. Go to WP Dashboard>SEOPress>Instant Indexing. Check Google and Bing as Search engines and add URLs from GSC to the URL box. Click “Submit URLs to Google & Bing” for Instant Indexing
   
   Note: Make sure Google Indexing API is set in your WordPress site. Refer to this link for the process https://www.seopress.org/support/guides/google-indexing-api-with-seopress/
   
   

    

4. Optimize Internal Linking: Coordinate with SEO team in adding internal links pointing to the page to improve its discoverability. 

5. Request Indexing: Go to GSC>Pages>Crawled Currently Not Indexed to see the list of URLs, click a URL and Click Inspect URL for each URLs. After Inspecting you’ll be redirected to the URL Inspection Results page. At the top right side of the page, click on “Request for Indexing” to request indexing for each page.
   
   

Alternate Page with Proper Canonical Tag

Identification:

• Locate URLs flagged as “Alternate page with proper canonical tag” in the Index Coverage report.

Steps to Fix:

1. Verify the canonical tag points to the correct URL using the URL Inspection Tool in GSC. Select a URL from the Index Coverage Report then click “Inspect URL” from the right panel.
   

    

2. Check for duplicate content issues on both the canonical URL and alternate URL. Address content duplication as needed. Check the  Referring Page/s and see if we have control over the site/page so that we can ensure all internal links point to the canonical URL to avoid confusing crawlers. Ensure the user and google declared canonical are the same.
   

    

3. Click on “Test Live URL” at the top of the URL inspection page and check if the URL with issue is really indexed or not. If the inspected URL is correct, click on Request Indexing
   
   

    

4. Validate Fix: Test the canonical tag changes using GSC and tools like Screaming Frog.

Excluded by ‘Noindex’ Tag

Identification:

• Check the Index Coverage report for pages marked as “Excluded by ‘Noindex’ tag.”

Steps to Fix:

1. Verify if the noindex tag is intentional. Use the URL Inspection Tool to confirm and you can compare with the Wireframe from the Client Workbook Spreadsheet
   

    

2. If the page should be indexed, remove the noindex tag from the HTML or the SEO plugin settings in WordPress. In WordPress, navigate to WP Dashboard > SEOPress > Titles & Metas > Noindex Settings.

3. Validate Fix: Request reindexing for the page using the URL Inspection Tool in GSC.

 

Blocked Due to Other 4xx Issue

Identification:

• Identify pages with 4xx errors in the Index Coverage report.

Steps to Fix:

• Use the URL Inspection Tool to Determine the Exact 4xx Error:
• Open GSC and navigate to the URL Inspection Tool.
• Enter the affected URL to analyze the exact error (e.g., 403, 410, etc.).

• Resolve Based on the Error Type:

• Verify file and directory permissions in your hosting control panel.
• In Oxygen Builder, confirm that no restricted access settings are unintentionally applied to the page.
• Check security plugins (e.g., Wordfence, Ninja Firewall, Sucuri Security) for blocking rules that might restrict access to the URL.
• Confirm whether the page has been permanently removed and is not needed anymore. If the page is no longer necessary, create a 301 redirect to a relevant page using WP Dashboard > SEOPress > Redirections > Add Redirection.
• Ensure the URL structure is correct and free from invalid characters.

 

 

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6.4. Tools and Resources

• Google Search Console.
• SEOPress plugin.
• Screaming Frog SEO Spider.
• Hosting provider control panel.
• Uptime monitoring tools (e.g., UptimeRobot).

7. Safety and Compliance Measures

Applicable Regulations:

• Adhere to organizational SEO policies.
• Ensure no sensitive URLs are accidentally exposed in the sitemap.

8. Quality Control and Evaluation Metrics

Performance Indicators:

• Reduction in indexing errors over time.
• Improved Core Web Vitals and usability metrics.
• Increased number of indexed pages in GSC.

9. Exception and Problem Handling

Common Issues and Solutions:

1. Persistent 404 Errors

   – Cause: Missing redirects or outdated links.

2. Solution: Reassess sitemap and implement appropriate redirects.

3. 5xx Errors Persist

   • Cause: Server configuration issues.

   • Solution: Contact hosting provider support to resolve resource-related issues.

4. Robots.txt Blocking Critical URLs

   • Cause: Misconfigured robots.txt file.

   • Solution: Update and test robots.txt rules.

10. Documentation and Record Keeping

Documentation Requirements:

• Maintain a log of fixed issues and their resolutions
• Record server and sitemap changes for reference.
• Save screenshots of key configurations in GSC.

11. Procedure Review and Update

Review Frequency:

• Monthly or as new issues are identified in GSC.

 

 

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Objective

This SOP provides step-by-step instructions to identify and fix common Google Search Console (GSC) issues related to indexing, usability, Core Web Vitals, AMP, structured data, and other performance metrics.