A couple of weeks into the Niche Super-Site project, I checked back on how Google was indexing HistoryOfElvis.com. The results were encouraging: running a site:www.historyofelvis.com search showed that Google had found and indexed multiple pages, including the dynamically generated eBay auction listings created by phpBay Pro.
This was a meaningful milestone. It confirmed two things: first, that our sitemap submission and Google registration were working as intended. Second, that the phpBay-generated auction content was being treated as real, indexable content by Google's crawler. The plugin cloaked the outbound eBay links to keep them SEO-friendly, which meant Google saw keyword-rich product pages rather than a wall of affiliate links.
Monitoring Indexing in 2026
In 2008, checking your indexing status meant running a site: search in Google and counting the results. It was crude but effective. Today, Google Search Console provides far more detailed and accurate information.
Key Metrics to Track
- Pages report (Coverage) — Shows exactly how many pages are indexed, how many are excluded, and the specific reasons for exclusion (crawled but not indexed, noindex tag, redirect, etc.)
- Sitemaps report — Confirms that Google has processed your sitemap and shows how many URLs it discovered versus how many it indexed
- URL Inspection tool — Check any individual URL to see its indexing status, last crawl date, and how Google renders the page
- Performance report — Once indexed, this shows which queries are driving impressions and clicks. This is where you start understanding what Google thinks your site is about.
What to Do If Pages Are Not Getting Indexed
A common frustration for new site owners is that Google crawls pages but does not index them. The “Crawled – currently not indexed” status in Search Console means Google found the page but decided it was not worth including in search results. Common reasons include:
- Thin content — pages with very little original or useful text
- Duplicate content — pages that are too similar to other pages on your site or elsewhere on the web
- Low perceived quality — Google does not think the page adds value for searchers
- New domain with no authority — Google is more selective about indexing content from sites it does not yet trust
The fix for all of these is the same: create more original, useful, in-depth content. As your site builds authority, Google becomes more willing to index everything you publish.
The Lesson from 2008
My excitement about getting pages indexed was justified — it meant the technical plumbing was working. But in hindsight, the fact that auto-generated auction listings were getting indexed as easily as original content was a symptom of a less sophisticated Google. Today's search engine is far better at distinguishing between genuinely useful content and auto-generated affiliate pages. Build content worth indexing, and the indexing will take care of itself.
