Mar 4, 2023
does use of the indexing api cause more bad than good?
Really large website.. I got caught up in the whole hype with the indexing api (automated with python script) and was originally getting indexed fast (for about 2 weeks) and gaining high daily impressions since it was placed in top places of search results.
Suddenly, impressions dropped to 0 even though pages continue to get indexed on a regular basis (I have ceased using the api).
Pages seem to have disappeared from search results and I notice constant fluctuation in site: search results (from 6.500 which coincides with my indexed pages, down to 970 results).
I find myself in none of the results (searching as far as 30 result pages in) for keywords I was in top positions for and impressions remain 0 for the last month.
Searching for solutions I found that the api:
"Currently, the Indexing API can only be used to crawl pages with either JobPosting or BroadcastEvent embedded in a VideoObject . For websites with many short-lived pages like job postings or livestream videos, the Indexing API keeps content fresh in search results because it allows updates to be pushed individually."
which unfortunately none of the gurus promoting the use of it warned me of.
So my guess is that since my content isn't "fresh".. google dropped me and I'm free-falling since.
How can I recover from this?
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The Pages report can take a day or two to catch up, so give it time.
Discovered > crawled is the natural path things take. If the content remains on crawled, no indexed for a significant time, that can indeed be a sign that google just doesn't feel it's worth indexing.
I'm still hoping you can provide some insights on why I've disappeared from search results and plummeted in impressions.
- You were redirecting people to malware and scam pages
- Your content is questionable, and likely not to be seen as high quality, helpful content.
Both very good reasons as to why a site might stop being returned in search.
Last edited Mar 5, 2023
Platinum Product Expert JWP (John) recommended this
All Replies (2)
Hard so give you any definitive help without seeing the site.
I wouldn't expect there to be long-term "punishment" rather more just the case that the API won't work for you.
So it can be a case that the API was forcing your stuff into the index for a while, but as all the other processes and classifiers that happen kick in, and as Google learns more about the site in general, they are indexing and ranking more to where they feel the site would naturally be.
The answer really is making sure the site is easily crawlable, with good internal navigation, and perhaps more importantly, that the content is good, high quality stuff people want to read.
Mar 4, 2023
Didn't get to look at the site itself, not going to spend time on a site that does this.
Mar 5, 2023
I only commented, because you seemed to be hanging a lot on the site: return, so I felt sharing the background to that tool might be beneficial. I then further expanded on what Google shares with 3rd party vendors (I.e. nothing!) again purely for context to the information you are seeing.
Apologies if you took this as being argumentative, it absolutely wasn't intended to be so. The two points I covered are simply facts. Sadly a lot of the issues we see around sites are often significantly more conjecture (I wish it wasn't so, but that's often the reality).
Mar 5, 2023
Yeah I know I'm stuck on it.. I've read dwsmart's excellent explanations, found loads of other sources to confirm his take on its lack of accuracy.. but I just can't let go.
Since the day I saw it fall from 4070 results.. all hell has broken loose on my site. and what's eating me up is that when I use chrome incognito or mozilla.. I actually see it following the numbers mentioned in search console but the website just doesn't bounce back on track.
Anyway.. I guess I'll just follow dwsmart's advice and try adding some patience in the equation and see how it goes.
Thank you both for your help on this.
Last edited Mar 5, 2023
https://rb.gy/qbljpk
I could understand being ranked lower ..but I've totally vanished when there isn't all that much competition in the specific language.
That in addition to the direct fall (see image below) makes me think that something else is happening here.
note that there are no penalties (none that I can see at least) on the site.