How to Fix Coverage Issues in Google Search Console for Blogger: 2025 Step-by-Step Guide
Are coverage issues in Google Search Console (GSC) holding back your Blogger blog’s SEO performance? Coverage problems mean Google cannot properly index your pages, limiting your visibility in search results. This detailed 2025 guide will help you identify, understand, and fix common coverage issues in GSC to ensure your Blogger site gets the attention it deserves.
What Are Coverage Issues in Google Search Console?
Coverage issues arise when Googlebot encounters problems crawling or indexing your web pages. Common error types include 404 errors, server errors, pages blocked by robots.txt, and pages marked ‘noindex’. Detecting and fixing these errors is critical to maintaining optimal SEO health.
Why Coverage Issues Matter for Bloggers
If Google cannot index your blog posts or pages, they won't appear in search results, leading to significant traffic loss. Blogger sites especially need regular checks because template changes, expired links, or configuration errors can create inadvertent blocks.
How to Access the Coverage Report
- Sign in to your Google Search Console account.
- Select your Blogger website property.
- Navigate to the Coverage report from the left sidebar.
- Review Errors, Valid with Warnings, Valid, and Excluded tabs for page status details.
Step-by-Step Guide to Fix Coverage Issues in Blogger
Step 1: Identify the Type of Coverage Issue
- 404 Not Found: Page URL doesn’t exist or deleted.
- Server Errors (5xx): Hosting issues blocking access.
- Blocked by robots.txt: Search engines prevented from crawling certain pages.
- Noindex Tag: Pages intentionally excluded from indexing.
- Crawled – currently not indexed: Google has crawled but not indexed due to quality or duplication issues.
Step 2: Fix Common Errors
- 404 Errors: Redirect to relevant existing pages using 301 redirects or update/delete internal links pointing to missing URLs.
- Server Errors: Contact your hosting provider; ensure your Blogger template and external resources load correctly.
- Blocked by robots.txt: Go to your Blogger settings to allow crawling or edit robots.txt if customized.
- Noindex Issues: Check your blog post settings in Blogger to ensure posts are visible to search engines (Settings → Privacy → Visible to search engines: Yes).
- Crawled but not indexed: Improve page quality, unique content, and ensure no duplicate content issues exist.
Step 3: Use URL Inspection Tool
Use the URL Inspection tool to test specific URLs. It shows detailed crawl, indexing, and mobile usability data and lets you Request Indexing once fixes are applied.
Step 4: Submit and Update Sitemap
Ensure your sitemap is complete and contains only valid URLs. Resubmit your sitemap in GSC after fixes to help Google recrawl your site faster.
Curiosity-Driven Insight
Wondering why some perfectly valid pages remain unindexed for weeks? Sometimes it’s about site authority and crawl budget. Optimizing internal links and reducing low-value pages might just be the secret to unlocking indexing!
Best Practices to Prevent Coverage Issues
- Regularly audit your blog for broken links and dead pages.
- Keep your sitemap updated and clean.
- Ensure robots.txt and meta tags don’t unintentionally block important pages.
- Improve page load speed to reduce server errors.
- Use canonical tags to manage duplicate content efficiently.
Tools to Support Fixing Coverage Issues
- Google Search Console: Main tool for diagnostics and fix validation.
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider: Detailed site crawling for broken links and status codes.
- Browser Developer Tools: Check HTTP headers and robots.txt status.
- PageSpeed Insights: Enhance site speed and reduce server-related errors.
FAQs About Fixing Coverage Issues in Blogger
- What is a coverage issue in Google Search Console?
- It means Google is having trouble crawling or indexing your pages, affecting search visibility.
- How do I know which pages have coverage issues?
- Check the Coverage report in Google Search Console for detailed error types and affected URLs.
- Can I fix coverage errors myself in Blogger?
- Yes, most common issues like 404 pages, robots.txt blocks, and noindex tags can be fixed via Blogger settings or redirect setup.
- Why do some pages say 'Crawled – currently not indexed'?
- Google has seen the pages but hasn’t indexed them yet, often due to content quality or duplication concerns.
- How long after fixing can Google re-index pages?
- Re-indexing can take from a few days to weeks depending on the site crawl frequency and authority.
- Does fixing coverage issues improve SEO?
- Yes, fixing coverage issues ensures your pages appear in search results, increasing traffic and ranking potential.
- What causes pages blocked by robots.txt in Blogger?
- You may have mistakenly set privacy settings or custom robots.txt rules blocking Googlebot.
- How do I handle server errors in GSC?
- Contact your hosting provider and ensure your site is stable; optimize performance to avoid these errors.
- Can broken links cause coverage issues?
- Yes, broken internal or external links can lead to 404 errors affecting indexing.
- Is sitemap submission necessary after fixing coverage?
- Yes, submitting an updated sitemap helps Google find and crawl your fixed pages faster.
Conclusion
Regularly monitoring and fixing coverage issues in Google Search Console is essential for Blogger SEO success in 2025. By understanding different error types, applying targeted fixes, and following best practices, bloggers can maximize indexing, improve rankings, and boost organic traffic sustainably.
"SEO success comes to those who untangle the crawl errors and open the gates for Google's discovery."