How to Troubleshoot Crawl Anomalies in Google Search Console

As a website owner or SEO specialist, it’s essential to keep an eye on how Google crawls and indexes your site. In this article, we’ll walk you through the process of troubleshooting crawl anomalies in Google Search Console (GSC), so you can identify and fix any issues affecting your website’s visibility.

What are Crawl Anomalies?

Crawl anomalies refer to unexpected changes in how Google crawls and indexes your site. This can include:

Increased crawl errors: A sudden spike in 404, 500, or other error codes that prevent Google from crawling specific pages.
Decreased crawl rate: A significant drop in the number of pages crawled within a given time frame.
Missing pages: Pages on your site that are not being crawled or indexed.

Step 1: Check for Obvious Issues

Before diving into advanced troubleshooting, ensure you’ve addressed any obvious problems:

Fix broken links and URLs: Identify and resolve internal link errors using tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs.
Verify robots.txt rules: Double-check that your robots.txt file isn’t inadvertently blocking Google’s crawl bot.
Check for server-side errors: Investigate any issues on your server-side, such as disk space constraints or resource overload.

Step 2: Analyze Crawl Errors in GSC

Sign into your GSC account and navigate to the “Coverage” > “Crawl Errors” section. Here, you’ll find a detailed breakdown of crawl errors, including:

Error types: 404 (Not Found), 500 (Server Error), etc.
Error rates: The percentage of pages with each error type.

Look for patterns or spikes in specific error types and consider the following possible causes:

Soft 404s: Pages that return a 404 status code but contain content, often due to incorrect linking or URL redirects.
Server errors: Issues on your server-side, such as resource overload or database queries.
Malicious activity: Potential security threats, like SQL injection or cross-site scripting (XSS).

Step 3: Investigate Missing Pages

Check the “Coverage” > “Index Status” section to see which pages are not being indexed. Look for patterns or clusters of missing pages and consider:

Page duplication: Ensure you’re not accidentally creating duplicate content.
URL structure changes: Verify that any changes to your URL structure haven’t inadvertently blocked Google’s crawl bot.

Step 4: Use Additional Tools

In addition to GSC, use other tools to help identify and troubleshoot crawl anomalies:

Sitemap generators: Tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs can help you create a sitemap and identify potential issues.
Crawl rate monitoring tools: Utilize tools like SEMrush or Moz to track your site’s crawl rate and receive alerts for any anomalies.

Conclusion

Troubleshooting crawl anomalies in Google Search Console requires patience, persistence, and the right tools. By following these steps and leveraging additional resources, you’ll be well on your way to identifying and fixing issues that might be affecting your website’s visibility. Remember to stay vigilant and regularly monitor your GSC reports for any signs of trouble.