Google dismisses widespread deindexing reports amid SEO concerns

Image credit: Search Engine Journal

Google maintained its data showed no unusual activity after business owners and search engine optimization (SEO) professionals globally reported widespread deindexing of web pages from Google‘s search results since late April 2026.

Many affected pages shifted to statuses like ‘excluded’ or ‘crawled, currently not indexed’ within Google Search Console, often without clear explanations, leading to concerns about visibility losses.

Google’s Search Relations team, including analyst John Mueller, stated that the reported movement in indexing status appeared ordinary, suggesting no systemic issue was underway.

SEO experts, such as Glenn Gabe of Amsive, indicated that many perceived ‘deindexing’ cases were likely attributable to ranking losses, canonical tag choices, technical blocking, or reporting discrepancies rather than actual removal from the index.

The company’s 2026 ranking calendar has been particularly active, with significant spam and core algorithm updates in March, followed by a broad core update in May, which could contribute to ranking volatility mistaken for deindexing, according to industry observers.

Google Search Console also experienced reporting issues, including a logging error that misreported impressions from May 2025 until late April 2026. A fix for this error could create the appearance of a sudden drop in visibility for some sites, Google acknowledged.

To verify genuine deindexing, users should utilize Google’s URL Inspection tool and cross-reference click data with organic sessions reported in GA4, as impressions data was affected by the logging error, Google advised.

Gary Illyes and Martin Splitt, also from Google, previously addressed similar concerns, often pointing to normal algorithm fluctuations and data reporting nuances.

Pedro Dias, another prominent SEO professional, echoed the sentiment that many issues attributed to deindexing are often related to other technical or ranking factors.

Discussions across platforms like Reddit highlighted the frustration among site owners attempting to diagnose sudden drops in organic search traffic and visibility.

Google has not indicated any plans to implement specific tools or provide further detailed explanations beyond its current guidance regarding these ongoing reports.

Source: Search Engine Journal