This page has a noindex meta tag, which tells search engines not to include this page in their search results. While sometimes this is intentional, it can also be accidentally applied to pages that should be indexed. The noindex directive is a powerful instruction that completely removes pages from search visibility, regardless of other SEO factors like quality content, backlinks, or keyword optimization. Search engine crawlers will still visit the page and follow links on it (unless a "nofollow" directive is also present), but they will honor the noindex tag by excluding the page from their search index, effectively making it invisible to potential visitors searching for relevant content.
Noindex tags on pages that should be indexed are a common SEO issue that web crawlers flag for correction. This issue is particularly problematic because pages with noindex tags appear normal to site owners and visitors who access them directly, making the problem easy to overlook. Many SEO auditing tools specifically check for inappropriate use of noindex directives, as they can significantly impact organic traffic if applied to important content. In larger websites, noindex tags might be applied at scale through template settings or during development phases and then accidentally left in place when the site goes live. Content management systems sometimes apply noindex tags to certain page types by default, requiring manual intervention to ensure important pages are properly indexed. Regular SEO audits are essential to catch these issues, as they might not be apparent from standard analytics reporting.
Understanding the impact of noindex tags is important because:
Noindex tags provide a clear and definitive way to control search engine indexation of your content, which is valuable for managing certain types of pages that shouldn't appear in search results. For example, you might intentionally apply noindex to thank-you pages, account areas, duplicate content variations, thin content pages, or temporary promotional pages. When used strategically, noindex directives help focus your site's search presence on your most valuable content. However, when misapplied to core pages that should be driving organic traffic, the consequences can be severe and immediate. A noindexed page will typically be removed from search indexes within days or weeks as search engines recrawl the content, resulting in a complete loss of organic visibility for that page. Even a single misplaced noindex tag on a high-value page can significantly impact overall site traffic if that page previously generated substantial organic visits.
To fix an unintentional noindex tag:
When correcting noindex issues, it's important to understand that removing the tag doesn't immediately restore search visibility. After removing the noindex directive, search engines need to recrawl the page to discover the change, which can take days or weeks depending on how frequently your site is crawled. To expedite this process, use Google Search Console's URL Inspection tool to request indexing of the specific URL after removing the noindex tag. Additionally, check for any conflicting directives that might be sending mixed signals to search engines—for example, a page shouldn't have both a noindex tag and a canonical tag pointing to itself, as these instructions contradict each other. It's also worth investigating how the noindex tag was applied in the first place to prevent similar issues in the future. Review your content management system settings, page templates, and development workflows to identify any automated processes that might be adding noindex tags inappropriately. Finally, monitor the page's indexation status in search console to confirm it returns to search results after your changes.