Why Indexed Pages May Not Appear in Google Search Results?

Having a page indexed by Google doesn’t guarantee it will show up in search results. Many SEO specialists and strategists face this issue, wondering why their pages remain invisible despite being part of Google’s index. Martin Splitt, a Developer Advocate at Google, recently shed some light on this topic in a video on Google’s Search Central YouTube channel.

Why Indexed Pages Might Not Rank?

Even after Google indexes a page, it still has to compete with other pages before appearing in search results. Splitt explained several factors that could affect this:

• Low Search Demand – If the query a page is relevant to isn’t commonly searched, Google may not serve the page often.
• Better Alternatives Exist – If Google determines other pages provide more value to users, those pages will rank higher.
• User Engagement Matters – Martin Splitt says: “Especially if pages fall off the index again, that means that we thought they might be good but we found that users don’t really use them in search results. So we thought like, ‘Yeah, okay, we gave it a chance but, you know, others are doing better here.’” This suggests that if users aren’t engaging with a page, Google may decide to exclude it.

Google’s Search Process Explained

To understand why some pages don’t appear in results, it helps to break down Google’s process:

Even if a page reaches the indexing stage, it still needs to prove its relevance and usefulness to rank.

How to Improve Search Visibility?

As an SEO consultant or SEO strategist, your goal is to ensure your pages not only get indexed but also rank well. Splitt’s advice emphasises content quality as a key factor:

• Create content that answers user queries effectively – Martin Splitt says: “You want to have a look at your content because it’s very likely that your content isn’t really serving much in terms of queries coming in, and that’s why it’s not showing up in search results.”
• Use relevant keywords naturally – Overloading a page with keywords can backfire. Instead, focus on clear, useful information that aligns with search intent.
• Monitor user engagement – If users aren’t clicking on or staying on a page, Google may see it as less valuable.
• Optimise site structure – A well-organised website helps Google understand your content better.

Google’s ranking system is complex, and no single factor determines success. Working with an SEO consultant like us can help ensure your website meets all the necessary criteria for better search visibility.