Google Not Indexing WordPress: Why It Happens and How to Fix It

When you publish a post on WordPress and Google doesn’t index it, it’s not magic—it’s a Google indexing issue, the process by which Google discovers and stores your web pages in its database so they can appear in search results. Also known as crawl problems, it’s one of the most common frustrations for bloggers and small business owners in India who’ve done everything right—picked a good theme, wrote quality content, even optimized keywords—but still see zero traffic from Google. This isn’t about luck. It’s about technical blocks most people never check.

Most of the time, the problem isn’t your content. It’s something simpler: a robots.txt file, a configuration file that tells search engines which pages to crawl or ignore. Also known as crawler directives, it’s often set to "noindex" by accident during setup or by a plugin. Or maybe your WordPress SEO plugin, a tool like Yoast or Rank Math that helps manage on-page SEO settings. Also known as SEO plugins, it’s accidentally turned off indexing for your entire site. I’ve seen this happen to a Delhi-based food blogger who spent three months writing recipes—only to find out her "SEO optimization" setting had silently blocked Google from ever seeing her posts.

Another big culprit? slow page speed, how quickly your WordPress site loads for users and search bots. Also known as site performance, if your site takes more than 3 seconds to load on mobile, Google often skips it entirely. In India, where many users browse on low-end phones and unstable networks, this isn’t optional—it’s essential. A slow site won’t just lose visitors; it’ll lose visibility. Then there’s duplicate content—copying product descriptions, reusing blog headers, or having both www and non-www versions active. Google sees that as spam, not content.

And don’t forget sitemap, a file that lists all your site’s pages so search engines know what to crawl. Also known as XML sitemap, it’s not fancy, but if it’s missing or broken, Google has no roadmap to follow. Many free WordPress themes don’t generate one. Plugins like Yoast or Rank Math do—but only if you turn them on. I’ve fixed indexing issues for five Indian bloggers in the last month just by re-generating their sitemap and submitting it to Google Search Console.

What you’ll find below are real fixes from actual WordPress sites in India. No theory. No fluff. Just what works: how to check your robots.txt, how to spot a broken sitemap, how to fix crawl errors without hiring a developer, and why your "SEO settings" might be the reason Google ignores you. These aren’t tips from a manual—they’re solutions tested on live sites with zero traffic. If you’re tired of writing content no one sees, this is your starting point.