Technical SEO audit.
Find what holds your pages back.
Understand why important pages are missing from search or sending conflicting signals. Discuss indexing issues, sitemaps, canonical URLs and redirects with KOAT Agency, with a practical plan for investigation and repair.
Why does my page not appear in Google?
First establish whether the page is indexed. A page may be undiscovered, inaccessible, excluded by an indexing instruction or treated as a duplicate. It may also be indexed without ranking visibly for your chosen search.
Inspect the exact URL in Google Search Console and compare the reported status with the current live page. Use the findings to choose the next investigation rather than assuming every visibility problem has a technical cause.
Discovery, crawling, indexing and ranking
Search visibility involves several stages. Identifying where the problem occurs makes the diagnosis more useful.
A published page is not automatically indexed. An indexed page is not automatically prominent for every relevant query. Technical access and content relevance need to be assessed in context.
- Discovery. Google needs to learn that the URL exists, for example through links or a sitemap.
- Crawling. The crawler needs access to retrieve the page and the resources required to understand it.
- Indexing. Google evaluates the content and decides whether and how to include it in its index.
- Ranking. An indexed page must be relevant and competitive for the particular search.
What can a technical SEO audit cover?
Define the audit around your website and priority pages. The result should identify evidenced problems, their likely impact and the work required to address them.
Crawl access and availability
Review server responses, access restrictions and robots.txt rules. Identify whether important public pages can be retrieved reliably.
Indexing instructions
Check page-level robots instructions and HTTP headers. Confirm that indexing settings reflect the intended purpose of each page type.
XML sitemaps
Review sitemap access and listed URLs. Check whether the sitemap represents the preferred public pages intended for indexing.
Canonical URLs
Investigate duplicate versions and canonical signals. Compare declared preferences with the version Google has selected where that information is available.
Redirects and broken routes
Check moved pages, redirect chains, loops and missing destinations. Review whether old URLs lead to relevant replacements.
Internal links and rendered content
Review how important pages are linked and what content is available after rendering. Investigate isolated pages and template-level problems.
Common reasons a URL is not indexed
Not every excluded URL is a problem. Redirected addresses, duplicate versions and deliberately private content may correctly remain outside the index.
| Situation | What it can mean | What to investigate |
|---|---|---|
| URL unknown to Google | Google has not yet discovered the inspected address. | Publication, internal links, sitemap inclusion and the exact URL being inspected. |
| Blocked from crawling | A rule or access restriction prevents retrieval. | Robots.txt, authentication, firewall behaviour and server access. |
| Excluded by noindex | An instruction tells Google not to index the page. | Whether the instruction is intentional and where it is generated. |
| Duplicate or alternate page | Another URL may represent the same or similar content. | The selected canonical and consistency of page, sitemap and link signals. |
| Discovered, not indexed | Google knows the URL but has not indexed it; it may not have crawled it yet. | The reported crawl state, site patterns and accessibility of priority pages. |
| Crawled, not indexed | The page was retrieved but is not currently indexed. | Content usefulness, overlap, rendering and other page-level evidence. |
| Page redirects | The address sends visitors to another URL. | Whether the destination is correct, accessible and intended for indexing. |
| Error or missing page | Retrieval fails or the requested content is unavailable. | Server response, removal history and whether a relevant replacement exists. |
Sitemaps and canonical URLs have different roles
A sitemap helps communicate the URLs you want discovered. A canonical annotation indicates the preferred version of duplicate or substantially similar content.
Neither guarantees indexing. Google can select a different canonical from your declared preference, so investigate conflicting signals rather than repeatedly changing tags.
- Use preferred URLs consistently. Align sitemap entries, internal links and canonical preferences where appropriate.
- Check destinations. Avoid pointing canonical annotations at broken, redirected or unintentionally excluded pages.
- Assess duplicate versions. Review parameters and alternate addresses in the context of the content they display.
- Preserve distinct content. Do not treat separate service pages as duplicates simply because they share a design.
Redirect visitors to the right destination
When content moves permanently, use an appropriate permanent redirect to its relevant new address. Update internal links to point directly to the destination.
A temporary move has a different purpose. Choose the redirect based on what happened to the content rather than applying the same rule to every URL.
If content has been removed without a replacement, an appropriate not-found or gone response can be correct. Redirecting unrelated pages to the homepage is not a substitute for a deliberate removal decision.
- Map relevant replacements. Preserve the visitor's original need where content moves.
- Keep the route direct. Avoid unnecessary chains and check for redirect loops.
- Verify the final page. Test its response, content and indexing instructions.
- Update supporting signals. Review internal links, sitemap entries and canonical references after URL changes.
Technical SEO for WordPress and Elementor
Review the output visitors and crawlers receive. Settings in an editor are only part of the diagnosis: templates, plugins, caching and hosting can affect the live result.
- Site-wide and page-level indexing settings.
- Canonical output generated by the active SEO setup.
- Sitemap access and the types of URLs included.
- Redirect rules at the plugin, hosting or server level.
- Public access to important content and navigation.
- Development restrictions left in place after launch.
A clear technical SEO audit framework
Use the audit to create a reviewable repair plan. Separate observed problems from hypotheses and verify changes after implementation.
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Inspect
Review priority URLs, available Search Console evidence and the website's technical setup.
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Prioritise
Identify affected pages, likely causes and business impact. Define the proposed fixes and ownership.
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Implement
Apply the agreed changes with suitable backups and testing. Check related templates and URL patterns.
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Verify
Confirm the live technical result and monitor search reports as Google processes the changes.
What does a technical SEO audit cost?
Cost depends on website size, complexity and the investigation required. A single missing page has a different scope from a migration affecting many templates and URL patterns.
Confirm the audit coverage, evidence included, prioritised recommendations and review arrangements. Identify any access requirements before starting.
An audit and implementation are separate deliverables unless combined in the proposal. Clarify which repairs, development work and post-change monitoring are included.
Explore KOAT Agency’s marketing offers
View the marketing offers page and discuss whether an available offer fits your technical SEO needs. Confirm the audit scope, repair work and verification support.
Technical SEO audit FAQs
Why does my page not appear in Google?
Check whether the exact URL is indexed. If it is not, investigate the reported reason and live page. If it is indexed, review relevance and ranking rather than assuming an indexing fault.
Does a sitemap guarantee indexing?
No. A sitemap supports URL discovery, but Google still evaluates pages before indexing them. Keep the sitemap aligned with your preferred public URLs.
What is a canonical URL?
It is the representative URL for a group of duplicate or substantially similar pages. You can indicate a preferred version, but Google makes its own selection using the available signals.
Is every non-indexed URL an error?
No. Duplicate versions, redirected URLs and deliberately excluded pages may correctly remain outside the index. Focus on important pages that are intended for search.
Can robots.txt remove a page from Google?
A crawl block does not reliably remove a URL from search. Choose the appropriate indexing or access mechanism for the objective, and ensure Google can retrieve any instruction it needs to process.
Should I redirect deleted pages to the homepage?
Use a relevant replacement when one exists. If content is removed without a replacement, a suitable not-found or gone response may be correct. Avoid unrelated redirects.
Does a successful live URL test prove indexing?
No. A live test assesses the current page under its test conditions. It does not guarantee indexing or establish the final canonical selection. Review the indexed report separately.
How quickly will Google process a fix?
Timing varies. Verify the live repair first, then monitor recrawling and updated reports. An indexing request is not a guarantee of inclusion or an immediate result.
Will a technical SEO audit guarantee rankings?
No. Removing technical barriers can support search access, but rankings also depend on the content, query and competitive landscape. Evaluate technical repairs and search outcomes separately.
How do I start with KOAT Agency?
Book a free consultation and share your website, affected URLs and available reports. Include recent changes to help focus the investigation.
