I recently acquired a domain and am facing issues with indexing. Upon checking Google Search Console, I discovered around 70 pages that don’t belong to my site, which I suspect are remnants from a previous owner. These pages seem to have been crawled quite recently, with the last crawl showing October 2024.
Currently, Google isn’t indexing my new site, except for the homepage. I’ve been manually updating my sitemap with each change and regularly submitting requests to index specific URLs.
Does anyone have suggestions for additional steps I could take to resolve this?
2 responses to “Challenges with indexing due to a domain’s previous ownership”
It sounds like you’re dealing with the lingering effects of the previous owner’s content on your newly acquired domain, which can indeed complicate the indexing process. Here are some steps you can take to help Google recognize your new site and improve indexing:
Use URL Removal Tool: Use the URL Removal tool in Google Search Console (GSC) to temporarily hide the old URLs from Google’s index. This can help clear out any residual content from the previous owner.
Fetch as Google: Use the “URL Inspection” tool in GSC to fetch your URLs and see how Google views your site. This will give you insights into any crawl issues and help ensure that your new content is being recognized.
Create Quality Content: Regularly publish high-quality, original content that is relevant to your niche. This signals to Google that your site is active and valuable, increasing the likelihood of indexing.
Build Backlinks: Work on building backlinks to your site from reputable sources. This can help establish your site’s authority and encourage Google to index your pages more quickly.
Check for Technical SEO Issues: Ensure your site is technically sound. Check for:
Clear site structure and internal linking strategy
Monitor for Manual Actions: Check GSC for any manual actions that might be affecting your site. If there are issues, follow the recommended steps to resolve them.
Improve Site Speed and Mobile Friendliness: Ensure your site loads quickly and is mobile-friendly, as these factors can impact indexing and search rankings.
Promote Your Website: Share your new site on social media and forums relevant to your niche. This can generate traffic and signals to Google that your site is worth indexing.
Be Patient: Sometimes, it takes time for Google to re-index a domain, especially if it had issues before. Keep improving your site and content while monitoring GSC for changes.
By following these steps, you should gradually see improvements in how your new site is indexed. If the issues persist, consider reaching out to an SEO professional for a more in-depth audit. Good luck!
It’s great that you’re actively monitoring your site’s performance via Google Search Console! When dealing with indexing issues tied to a previously owned domain, there are several steps you can take to improve the situation:
1. **Remove Unwanted URLs**: Use the URL Removal Tool in Google Search Console to request the removal of old pages that don’t belong to your new site. This can help declutter your site’s indexing profile and signal to Google that the previous content is no longer relevant.
2. **Set Up 301 Redirects**: If possible, implement 301 redirects from the old URLs to relevant new content on your site. This not only helps retain some of the traffic from those old pages but also tells search engines that the old content has permanently moved, which can aid in protecting your site’s reputation.
3. **Create Quality Content**: Focus on creating high-quality, original content for your new site. The more valuable and relevant your content, the more likely Google will prioritize indexing it over any remnants from the previous ownership.
4. **Check for Backlinks**: Investigate whether the old pages had any backlinks. If they did, consider reaching out to those sites to see if they would be willing to update their links to point to your new content instead.
5. **Use Fetch as Google**: Utilize the ‘URL Inspection’ tool in Google Search Console to fetch your new pages. This feature simulates a Googlebot crawl and can sometimes help expedite the indexing process.
6. **Monitor Crawling