Common Warnings in Google Search Console and How to Fix Them

Google Search Console provides valuable insights and warnings about your website’s performance and potential issues affecting its visibility in search results. Addressing these warnings can help improve your site’s SEO and user experience. Here’s a list of common warnings you may encounter in Google Search Console and how to resolve them using OzSpeed’s hPanel.

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1. Indexed, but Blocked by Robots.txt #

What It Means: #

This warning indicates that Google has indexed a page on your site, but the page is blocked from being crawled by the robots.txt file.

How to Fix: #

1. Log in to hPanel at ozspeed.com.au.
2. Go to Website Settings > SEO & Analytics > Edit Robots.txt.
3. Check for any Disallow rules that may be blocking important pages (e.g., Disallow: /your-page-url/).
4. Remove or update the blocking rule if the page should be crawled.
5. Click Save and regenerate your sitemap.

Tip: #

• Use the URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console to test if the page is now accessible.

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2. Submitted URL Marked ‘Noindex’ #

What It Means: #

A page that you submitted for indexing is marked with a noindex meta tag, instructing search engines not to include it in search results.

How to Fix: #

1. Go to hPanel > Website Builder > Edit Site.
2. Open the page with the warning.
3. Go to SEO Settings > Visibility.
4. Toggle the Allow Search Engines to Index This Page option to On.
5. Click Save and submit the URL again in Google Search Console.

Tip: #

• Use the Inspect URL feature in Google Search Console to check if the noindex tag has been removed.

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3. Mobile Usability Issues #

What It Means: #

Google has detected issues with how your site appears on mobile devices, such as text too small to read or clickable elements too close together.

How to Fix: #

1. In hPanel, go to Website Settings > Mobile Optimization.
2. Check the Mobile Usability Report for specific issues.
3. Adjust the font size, padding, and button size for better mobile usability.
4. Click Save and test the changes using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool.

Tip: #

• Preview your site in the mobile view of the Page Editor in hPanel to ensure it looks good on different screen sizes.

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4. Missing or Invalid Structured Data #

What It Means: #

Google has found issues with your structured data, such as missing required fields or incorrect formatting, which can affect how your rich results appear in search.

How to Fix: #

1. Go to Website Settings > SEO & Analytics in hPanel.
2. Click on Structured Data Settings.
3. Review the Schema Markup for errors and add any missing fields (e.g., name, description, image).
4. Click Save and validate the changes using Google’s Rich Results Test tool.

Tip: #

• Use common schema types like Article, Product, or Local Business for better visibility in search results.

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5. Slow Page Speed #

What It Means: #

Google has detected that some pages on your site are loading slowly, which can negatively impact user experience and SEO.

How to Fix: #

1. Go to Website Settings > Performance in hPanel.
2. Enable Caching and Compression settings.
3. Optimize images using the Image Optimizer tool in hPanel.
4. Click Save and retest the page speed using Google PageSpeed Insights.

Tip: #

• Aim for a score of 90+ on Google PageSpeed Insights for optimal performance.

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6. 404 Error (Page Not Found) #

What It Means: #

Google tried to crawl a URL on your site, but it returned a 404 Not Found error.

How to Fix: #

1. In hPanel, go to Website Builder > Edit Site.
2. Locate the missing page or create a new page if necessary.
3. Set up a 301 redirect from the broken URL to a relevant, existing page.
   • Go to Website Settings > SEO & Redirects.
   • Click Add Redirect, enter the old URL, and specify the new destination URL.
   • Click Save.

Tip: #

• Regularly check your Coverage Report in Google Search Console for 404 errors and address them promptly.

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7. HTTPS Not Evaluated #

What It Means: #

Google detected issues with your SSL certificate or found mixed content (HTTP and HTTPS) on your site.

How to Fix: #

1. Ensure your SSL certificate is properly installed in hPanel > Security > SSL Settings.
2. Go to Website Settings > General Settings and enable Force HTTPS.
3. Update any internal links pointing to HTTP versions of your pages to HTTPS.
4. Click Save and revalidate in Google Search Console.

Tip: #

• Use the Why No Padlock? tool to check for any mixed content issues.

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8. Duplicate Content Detected #

What It Means: #

Google has found multiple pages with similar or identical content, which can negatively impact your search rankings.

How to Fix: #

1. Identify the duplicate pages using the Coverage Report in Google Search Console.
2. Use canonical tags to indicate the preferred version of the page:
   • Go to SEO Settings in hPanel for the affected page.
   • Add the URL of the canonical page in the Canonical URL field.
   • Click Save.

Tip: #

• Use the URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console to verify that the canonical tag is recognized.

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Additional Tips: #

• Set Up Alerts: Enable email notifications in Google Search Console to receive updates on new warnings or issues.
• Regular Monitoring: Check Google Search Console weekly to stay on top of any new issues.
• Keep Your Site Updated: Regular updates and maintenance in hPanel can help prevent many common issues.