Google Search Console Index Status Drop Now Returns But...

Sep 3, 2015 - 8:01 am 3 by

Wrenches1 Google 640

A week ago we reported a significant drop in index counts within the Google Search Console Index Status reports. At first, I thought it was just a reporting glitch, because it simply impacted virtually every site I looked at (and I have tons of sites that people have shared with me in my Google Search Console account).

But I did ask Google and Google responded to me on Monday night about this saying this is not a bug, it is expected behavior. A Google spokesperson told me:

This change reflects a more accurate estimation of how many pages Google is indexing.

So I was about to write up that story at Search Engine Land yesterday and then I looked at the reports and they bounced back to normal levels. So is the new count a bug or the old count a bug? You can see why I am confused.

On August 16th, everything reported fine but then on August 23rd there was a dip across virtually everyone's index status report. Google tells me on August 31st that the change, the dip, reported on August 23rd was a "more accurate estimation of how many pages Google is indexing" and then on August 30th I noticed the reports jumped back to normal.

What is going on? Here are some charts from random sites in my Google Search Console account:

click for full size

click for full size

click for full size

click for full size

click for full size

I, of course, emailed Google back and asked for more details, and I am awaiting a response.

Forum discussion at Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help, Google+ and Twitter.

 

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