Indexation

Indexation is the critical bridge between publishing content and that content being findable, whether in traditional search results or AI-generated answers.

What is Indexation?

Indexation is the process through which search engines and AI systems add a web page to their database (index) after crawling and analyzing its content. A page that has been indexed is eligible to appear in search results and to be retrieved by AI systems when generating answers. A page that has not been indexed is effectively invisible.

The Indexation Pipeline

Indexation is not a single event but a multi-stage process:

Stage	Description	Outcome
Discovery	Crawler finds the URL via links, sitemaps, or direct submission	URL added to crawl queue
Crawling	Crawler requests and downloads the page	Raw HTML retrieved
Rendering	Engine processes JavaScript and builds final page state	Complete page content available
Analysis	Content is parsed for topics, entities, quality, and relevance	Page metadata extracted
Indexing	Page is added to the search index with its metadata	Page is retrievable
Serving	Page is eligible to appear in search results or AI answers	Visibility achieved

Indexation vs. Crawling

These terms are often confused but describe different stages:

Crawling is the act of accessing and downloading a page. A page can be crawled without being indexed.

Indexation is the act of adding a crawled page to the index. Google Search Console explicitly distinguishes between “Crawled - currently not indexed” and successfully indexed pages.

A page can be crawled but not indexed if the search engine determines the content is low quality, duplicate, or violates guidelines.

Factors That Affect Indexation

Positive Signals

Content quality. Pages with original, comprehensive, and well-structured content are more likely to be indexed. Thin content with little unique value may be crawled but not indexed.

Internal links. Pages that are well-linked from other indexed pages on your site signal importance to crawlers and are more likely to be indexed.

XML sitemap inclusion. Listing a URL in your sitemap tells search engines you consider it important, though inclusion does not guarantee indexation.

Fresh, updated content. Regularly updated pages tend to be crawled and re-indexed more frequently than stale content.

Structured data. Pages with structured data markup provide clearer signals about content type and relevance, supporting the indexation decision.

Negative Signals

Issue	Effect on Indexation
noindex meta tag	Explicitly prevents indexation
robots.txt block	Prevents crawling (and therefore indexation)
Duplicate content	May be excluded in favor of canonical version
Thin content	May be crawled but not indexed
Server errors (5xx)	Prevents successful crawling
Slow load times	Crawler may timeout before completing
Orphan pages	May never be discovered for crawling
Excessive redirects	Crawler may abandon the chain

Monitoring Indexation Status

Google Search Console

Google Search Console is the primary tool for monitoring indexation status across your site.

Coverage Report: Shows the indexation status of all discovered URLs, categorized as:

• Valid - Successfully indexed
• Valid with warnings - Indexed but with issues to address
• Excluded - Discovered but not indexed (with specific reasons)
• Error - Problems preventing indexation

URL Inspection Tool: Allows you to check the indexation status of any specific URL and request re-indexing when needed.

Common Indexation Status Messages

“Discovered - currently not indexed” The URL has been found but not yet crawled. This often indicates the page needs stronger internal links or sitemap signals to prioritize it in the crawl queue.

“Crawled - currently not indexed” The page was crawled but Google chose not to index it. This typically signals a content quality or duplication issue.

“Alternate page with proper canonical tag” The page was recognized as a duplicate, and the canonical version was indexed instead. This is expected behavior when canonical tags are properly configured.

“Blocked by robots.txt” Robots.txt rules prevent crawling, making indexation impossible.

Improving Indexation Rates

Technical Optimization

Submit an XML sitemap. Ensure all important URLs are included in your sitemap and submit it via Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.

Fix crawl errors. Address server errors, broken redirects, and timeout issues that prevent successful crawling.

Optimize page speed. Fast-loading pages are more likely to be fully crawled and indexed within crawl budget constraints.

Implement canonical tags. Use canonical tags to consolidate duplicate or similar pages, directing indexation to the preferred version.

Content Optimization

Create unique, valuable content. Every page you want indexed should offer something that no other page on your site (or the web) provides.

Build internal links. Link to important pages from your navigation, related content sections, and contextual links within body text.

Maintain content freshness. Update existing content with new information, data, and examples to signal ongoing relevance.

Remove or consolidate thin pages. If pages are being crawled but not indexed due to thin content, either expand them with meaningful content or consolidate them into stronger pages.

Requesting Indexation

When you publish new content or make significant updates:

1. Use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console
2. Enter the page URL
3. Click “Request Indexing”
4. Monitor the coverage report for status updates

Note that requesting indexation does not guarantee it. Google still evaluates the page on its merits before deciding to add it to the index.

Indexation for AI Systems

How AI Indexation Differs

AI systems that use retrieval-augmented generation maintain their own indexes of web content, separate from traditional search indexes.

Key differences:

• AI indexes may prioritize different content signals than search engines
• Indexation timing may differ (some AI systems index content faster or slower)
• The depth of indexation varies (some AI systems index full page content, others extract key passages)
• AI indexation is less transparent, with no equivalent of Google Search Console

Ensuring AI Indexation

To maximize the chance that AI systems index your content:

• Allow AI crawlers access in your robots.txt
• Provide clean, well-structured HTML
• Use structured data to clarify content meaning
• Maintain fast server response times
• Publish content that provides clear, authoritative answers

Why It Matters for AEO

Indexation is the prerequisite for all AI visibility. If your content is not in the index, it cannot be retrieved, cited, or recommended by any AI system.

The foundation of the AEO funnel. Answer Engine Optimization follows a clear path: discovery, crawling, indexation, retrieval, and citation. Indexation is the pivotal stage where content moves from being merely accessible to being actively available for AI-generated answers.

Index coverage equals opportunity. The more of your high-quality pages that are indexed by both search engines and AI systems, the larger your surface area for potential citations. Monitoring and improving indexation rates is a direct lever for increasing AI visibility.

Quality gate for AI content. Search engines and AI systems use indexation as a quality filter. Content that passes the indexation threshold has been deemed worthy of storage and retrieval. Optimizing for indexation forces you to improve content quality, structure, and technical health, all of which compound to improve your AEO performance.

Dual-index strategy. In the AEO era, you need to think about indexation across two systems: traditional search engines and AI retrieval platforms. Ensuring your content is indexed in both maximizes your total visibility and citation potential across all channels.