A Guide to Indexation

In this help article, we will be providing some background on the updated approval process as it relates to indexation, guidance on how we will be handling non-indexed posts, what to do if you believe there is a false positive, some of the most common reasons a post does not get indexed, as well as tips on what you can do to ensure your post will be indexed in a timely manner.

Background on this update

The importance of a post, its content, and links getting indexed cannot be understated. Without indexation the SEO value is lost. The brands and agencies that use our service will only continue to do so if we’re able to ensure that value is not lost.

Recently, we have noticed an increase in completed posts that are not being indexed in what we would consider a reasonable amount of time (under 30 days), and some that are not indexed even months later. For this reason, we are updating our approval process to include indexation status. Please note, indexation has always been a requirement that is included with the instructions for every blog post and niche edit job. However, we have not required confirmation of indexation in order for the post to be approved for payment. Moving forward, we need to be more proactive about this, and we want our publishers to have a full understanding of this.

How we will be handling non-indexed posts

We have built out our own index crawler leveraging SEOwl.co. The crawler will be automatically checking any completed post or niche edit on a daily basis. Based on our testing, the crawler has shown to be very accurate in detecting the index status of a post. If a post is not yet indexed but all other job requirements have been reviewed and approved, it will move into a new stage: Approved (Awaiting Indexing). Once a post is indexed and all other job requirements have been reviewed and approved, it will move into the final stage: Completed (Ready for Payout).

What to do if you feel the post is indexed, but status is showing Approved (Awaiting Indexing)

As mentioned, our crawler is very accurate, but there is always the possibility of a false positive. If you see that your post is labeled Not Indexed and you feel this is not accurate, we would first recommend giving it a day or two, especially if you do not need to request payment immediately. It is possible there is a delay in what the crawler is picking up versus what you are seeing in real time. If you still see that status after a couple days, or if you need payment sooner, please send an email to support@valuedvoice.com and we will look into it. The easiest and most acceptable way of sending proof is to simply state in the email that any of the below Google searches has been confirmed by you. Our team will then review and try to manually produce the same result.

If none of these searches produces a result, but you are able to see proof of indexation in your Google Search Console, you can also send us a screenshot of this. It is rare for this to happen, but we can consider this if applicable.

Common reasons a post will not get indexed

No Index Tag: this is the most common reason we see for a post not getting indexed and it is also in direct conflict with our standard instructions provided. Check if No Index is in the Metatag, Http header, or robots.txt file. This can be done at the page level, or even at the blog category/tag level. when it is added on the category/tag level, all blog posts that fall under the category/tag will not get indexed.
Orphaned or Backdated Page: if you are publishing a post and you are either backdating it, or adding it to a section that can only be reached with the exact URL, you are increasing the risk of the post not getting indexed as well as the increasing the time it will take to get indexed.
Technical Issues: certain technical issues can hinder indexation such as having faulty robots.txt files, incorrect canonical tags, server errors, slow page loading, or improper website structure.
Crawlability Issues: if Google’s crawlers cannot access your webpage due to broken links, Javascript-based navigation, or other crawlability issues, this may delay or block indexation.
Manual Action: if your website has received a manual penalty for violating Google’s terms of service, that may block indexation of any new posts.
Duplicate Content: duplicate content is also at risk of not being indexed and should always be avoided for issues of plagiarism, not just indexation. If we are providing the content to you, it will never be duplicate so just make sure you are using the correct content before publishing.

Tips for ensuring your post gets indexed in a timely manner

Publish High-Quality Content: the higher the quality of the content, the more likely it will get indexed by Google. This is somewhat objective. For the majority of jobs, we are providing content and we always aim to provide valuable, high quality content, but there are varying levels dependent on the specific brand or agency creating the job. Therefore, if you do not feel the content you’ve received is strong enough, make some edits to the content to increase readability and value. We always give you the option of editing as needed. Adding images or videos to the page will also increase the quality and this is always recommended. That said, if you feel the quality is too low you always have the option of rejecting the job.
Submit URL in Google Search Console: you can manually submit a URL in your GSC to speed up indexing. You can learn more about how to do that in this article.
Submit XML Sitemap: a sitemap acts as a roadmap of your website, helping Google crawlers to locate and index your pages more efficiently.
Internal Linking: implementing a well-structured internal linking strategy to guide Google’s crawlers to important pages on your website will help establish a logical hierarchy and increase the chances of indexation.

We hope this guide helps provide a better understanding of the topic of indexation. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to our support team.

Updated on: 06/26/2023

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