Is Your Blog Visible on Google?: A Newbie’s Guide to Getting Your Blog on Google
(feat. URL Inspection Tool)
Today's Contents:
• What is the URL Inspection Tool?
• Why You Should Use the URL Inspection Tool?
• 3 Common Issues & Fixes in the URL Inspection Tool
"🚴I am running a Google Blogger Site with the Dynamic Views theme installed."
Hello, Radiant Guys of the World!
If you have submitted your blog or website with Google Search Console, then you will want to make it appear in Google search results so that more people can share your pages, right? Right now, we need tools to help us do this.
Learn how to check if your blog is visible on Google! A simple guide to using the URL Inspection Tool plus quick fixes for common issues. Let's go without any ado!
| What is the URL Inspection Tool?
The URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console lets you check how Google sees a specific page on your blog or website. It shows whether the page is indexed, how it was crawled, and if there are any issues blocking it from appearing in search results.
| Why You Should Use the URL Inspection Tool?
It helps you understand and fix problems that may prevent your blog post from showing up on Google. You can also request indexing after updates or fixes to get your content seen faster in search results! It may be hard to find reasons not to use it.
| How the URL Inspection Tool Works
To check how well a specific URL (that you or someone else owns) appears in Google search results using Google Search Console, I’ll use the URL Inspection Tool on a sample blog post to help understanding how it works. I'll continue by six features:
| 1. Presence on Google 📈
"Presence on Google" shows if your page is visible in Google search results with various descriptions. Let's check whether my page is indexed and visible in Google search results step by step.
· Sign in to Google Search Console: There are two ways to get in.
Firstly, go to https://search.google.com/search-console/ and log in with your Google account depending on the property type.
Secondly, if you are a Google Blogger, you can access it through Blogger > Settings > Crawler and Indexing > Google Search Console.
· Select the correct site (property) from the list that you want to inspect:
[Image01. Selecting the URL property to inspect]
🎯 TIP
After logging in to Google Search Console, you’ll see a list of websites (called properties) that you’ve added on the left search bar. Make sure you can only view full details for websites that you own and have verified.
🍏 For example, let's say you have two blogs:
· mytravelblog.blogspot.com (you own the blog, have verified in GSC)
· coolrecipesblog.blogspot.com (someone else's blog that you don't own)
You can inspect URLs from mytravelblog.blogspot.com and see everything - indexing, errors, enhancements, and more. But if you try to inspect a URL from coolrecipesblog.blogspot.com, you'll not see full details, because you haven't verified ownership of that site in Search Console.
So always make sure you select your own blog from the list before inspecting a URL or URLs!
· At the top of the page, you will see a search bar labeled Inspect any URL in "https://bloggerx110(your blog).blogspot.com/".
· Enter or paste the full URL (e.g., https://example.blogspot.com/my-post) into the search bar and press "Enter".
· Check the indexing status:
In Google Search Console’s URL Inspection Tool, under the section called “Presence on Google” or “URL’s presence status”, you might see a variety of messages that indicate how Google is treating that specific URL.
It says whether the URL is indexed or not, if it’s eligible to appear on Google, any indexing or crawling issues, enhancements like mobile usability or structured data and so on.
Here are the most common 7 messages you might see in the presence on Google - along with a short description of what each one means:
❝URL is on Google❞
What it means:
The page is indexed and can appear in Google Search results. You can find it if everything is good with your URL. But That Doesn’t mean your URL’s actually ranking for anything yet.
What to do:
If the URL is not ranking yet, something could be required like a tweak of contents or snippets, adding internal links, gaining backlinks, etc.
❝URL is on Google, but has issues❞
What it means:
The page is indexed, but there are some problems (e.g., mobile usability, structured data error, or missing enhancements) that may effect how it appears in search results.
What to do:
1. Click "View Details" in the URL Inspection Tool. This will show you what the exact issue is (e.g., mobile usability, breadcrumbs, AMP, etc.).
2. Fix the specific issue you found.
· If it's a mobile usability issue, make sure your blog looks good on mobile (e.g., text not too small, buttons not too close).
· If it's a structured data error, double-check your theme or custom HTML. You might need to adjust or remove broken markup.
· If it's a missing enhancements, it's not critical, but adding it can improve how your page appears in search results.
3. If available, click on "Validate Fix" in Google Search Console. This tells Google you've fixed the problem and want them to be re-checked.
🎯 TIP
Don't panic. Your page can still rank even with minor issues. Just treat it like a chance to improve URL's visibility and user experience.
❝URL is not on Google❞
What it means:
The page is not indexed and won't appear in search results. But not because of an error, this could be for various reasons (e.g., noindex tag, crawl issue, robots.txt, etc.).
What to do:
After removing any factors that hinder Google from indexing, then use Test Live URL to verify. If all looks good, it’s probably just a matter of time before Google re-crawls the URL.
❝URL is not on Google: indexing error❞
What it means:
Google tried to index the page but failed due to errors (e.g., server error, redirect error). So it couldn't add the page to search results. It's not that Google didn't find your page - it did, but it ran into a problem while processing it.
Common causes of this error:
1. 4xx Errors (like 404 or 403)
These are client-side errors, meaning the page couldn't be loaded aptly.
・404 Not Found: The URL doesn't exist (maybe a typographical error or deleted post).
・403 Forbidden: Google was blocked from accessing the page.
・410 Gone: The page was removed intentionally.
🍏 For example, if you inspect yourblog.blogspot.com/my-old-post but that post was deleted, you'll get a 404 error - and Google can't index it.
2. Redirect Loops or Errors
If the page redirects too many times, Google can't follow it.
3. Server Issues (like 5xx Errors)
The website server was down or didn't respond when Google tried to crawl.
4. Blocked by robots.txt or meta tags
The page might be telling Google "Don't index me".
What to do:
1. Check the URL directly:
Open the URL in a browser. Then check the follow.
・Does it load correctly?
・Does it show an error like "404 Not Found"?
・Does it redirect somewhere unexpected?
2. Fix the error based on what you find:
・For 404, restore the missing page, or remove the link if it's no longer needed.
・For 403, check your blog's privacy settings or robots.txt.
・For redirect issues, make sure the URL redirects to a valid page.
See More ➤ Here
3. Use the URL Inspection Tool again:
After fixing the issue, go back to Google Search Console, inspect the URL again, and click "Request indexing".
🍏 For example, let's say you inspect:
http://yourblog.blogpost.com/2025/12/my-draft-post.html
If this URL was never published or was deleted, you'll see:
"URL is not on Googld: Indexing error" Status: 404 Not Found
In this case, what to do is either publish the post if it was a draft, or ignore the error if the post is gone on purpose.
Similar to the URL is not on Google, in some cases, it might be a matter of time before Google re-indexes the URL.
❝URL is not on Google: Blocked by robots.txt❞
What it means:
Google found your page, but the page is being blocked from crawling due to rules in the robots.txt. In other words, your site's robots.txt file is blocking Google from crawling it. So, Google is not allowed to access or index the page, and it won't show up in search results.
🍏 For example, think of it like a "No Entry" sign for Googlebot.
What to do:
To fix it, update your settings so Google is allowed in, then ask Google to re-check your page. See the steps below.
Step 1. Understand what's being blocked.
Go to:
https://yourblog.blogspot.com/robots.txt
Look for a line like this:
Disallow: / This blocks everything
Disallow: /2025/ This blocks a specific folder (like a post from 2025)
🍏 For example, if your post URL is
https://yourblog.blogspot.com/2025/05/my-post.html
and your robots.txt has Disallow: /2025/, Google can't crawl it.
Step 2. Allow Google to crawl your content
In Blogger:
1. Go to Settings in your Blogger dashboard.
2. Scroll to "Crawlers and indexing."
3. Make sure:
· "Enable custom robots.txt" is turned ON.
· Edit the robots.txt file to allow Google access.
🍏 For example:
User-agent: *
Allow: /
Sitemap: https://yourblog.blogspot.com/sitemap.xml
4. Save the changes.
Step 3. Request Indexing in Google Search Console
Once fixed, go back to the URL Inspection Tool and click "Request Indexing".
❝URL is not on Google: Marked 「noindex」❞
What it means:
The page has a noindex tag, which tells Google not to add it to search results. So, Google is not allowed to index it.
Even if the page is crawlable, Google is intentionally skipping it because of this instruction.
What to do:
The "noindex" tag should be removed if you want your page to show up on Google, and then click "Request indexing" again.
Step 1. Check for the "noindex" tag
Open your page's HTML and look for something like this in the <head> section:
<meta name="robots" content="noindex">
If that line is there, it's blocking Google from indexing the page.
Step 2. Remove or edit the tag
To allow Google to index the page, remove the noindex tag or change it to:
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow">
🎯 TIP
In Blogger, custom HTML or certain theme settings may add this tag automatically - especially on draft pages, or labels.
Step 3. Request indexing in Google Search Console
After updating the page, go back to the URL Inspection Tool and click "Request Indexing" to let Google know the page is now indexable.
🍏 For example, if your post URL is
https://yourblog.blogspot.com/2025/05/my-post.html
and your robots.txt has Disallow: /2025/, Google can't crawl it.
Step 2. Allow Google to crawl your content
In Blogger:
1. Go to Settings in your Blogger dashboard.
2. Scroll to "Crawlers and indexing."
3. Make sure:
· "Enable custom robots.txt" is turned ON.
· Edit the robots.txt file to allow Google access.
🍏 For example:
User-agent: *
Allow: /Sitemap: https://yourblog.blogspot.com/sitemap.xml
4. Save the changes.
Step 3. Request Indexing in Google Search Console
Once fixed, go back to the URL Inspection Tool and click "Request Indexing".
<meta name="robots" content="noindex">
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow">
❝URL is not on Google: Alternate page with proper canonical tag❞
What it means:
Google found your page, but you (or your system) told Google that another page is the "main version" (the canonical page). So instead of indexing this page, Google indexes the other (canonical) page.
🎯 TIP
Canonical tags are used to avoid duplicate content problems by telling Google which version of a page should appear in search results.
What to do:
Step 1. Decide if this is what you want
If you intentionally set the canonical tag to another page, no action is needed. It's working correctly!
🍏 For example, if you have a blog post at
https://yourblog.blogspot.com/2025/03/my-post.html
and a mobile version at
https://m.yourblog.blogspot.com/2025/03/my-post.html,
you usually want the desktop one to be canonical.
Step 2. If it's a mistake, fix the canonical tag
· Open your page's HTML
· Look for the canonical tag:
<link rel="canonical" href="URL">
Make sure it points to the correct page(or to itself if needed). If the canonical tag points wrongly, edit or remove it.
Step 3. Request Indexing After Fixing (if needed)
If you corrected the canonical tag, go back to Google Search Console, use the URL Inspection Tool, and click "Request Indexing".
<link rel="canonical" href="URL">
| 2. Request Indexing ⛏
What is it:
"Request Indexing" is a feature in Google Search Console that lets you ask Google to quickly re-crawl and re-index a specific page on your website.
Normally, Google finds and indexes pages on its own. But with this tool, you can speed up the process - especially after you publish new content or make important updates. However, this is intended to be used after major updates rather than minor edits.
Key Features are:
· Faster indexing - It tells Google to re-crawl your page sooner.
· For updates or fixes - Use it after fixing errors, updating content, or publishing a new post.
· Not guaranteed - It improves your chances but doesn't guarantee instant indexing.
How Long Does Indexing Take After Requesting?:
It usually takes a few days (1-3 days is common). Sometimes, it can take up to a week or more depending on your site's quality, size, and Google's crawl schedule.
🎯 TIP
If you just published a new post, instaed of waiting weeks for Google to find it natually, inspect the URL and hit "Request Indexing". Google then prioritizes checking your post sooner.
| 3. View Crawled Page👓
What it checks:
"View Crawled Page" shows you how Googlebot saw your page when it crawled it. It’s like putting on Google’s glasses and seeing what Google sees.
This helps you find problems that might stop Google from understanding or indexing your page properly.
Main Sections of "View Crawled Page":
1. HTML
· It shows the raw HTML code that Googlebot crawled.
· You can check if the important parts of your page (title, headings, content) are visible to Google.
· If the HTML is empty or missing an important content, Google might not understant your page correctly.
🍏 For example, if your blog post text doesn't appear here, it might mean Google also couldn't read it.
2. Screenshot
· It shows a picture of how Googlebot "saw" your page when it crawled it.
· This isn't exactly how humans see the page, but it shows whether your page loaded properly.
🍏 For example, if the screenshot is blank or broken, it could mean your page didn't load correctly for Google.
3. More Info
· It shows technical details about the page load:
- Did Googlebot load the page successfully?
- Were there any blocked resources (like missing images or scripts)?
· It helps find hidden technical problems that aren't easy to spot by just looking at the page.
🍏 For example, if an important image is blocked, you will see it listed here.
| Section | What it shows | Why it's important |
|---|---|---|
| HTML | Raw content Google sees | Make sure your main text is visible |
| Screenshot | Visual snapshot | Make sure your page loads properly |
| More Info | Load details and errors | Find hidden technical problems |
🎯 TIP
If the HTML looks complete, the Screenshot looks normal, and there are no major errors in More info, your page is in good shape.
| 4. Coverage🚑
What it checks:
"Coverage" tells you how well Google can find, crawl, and index your pages.
It shows you which pages are successfully in Google Search and which ones have problems. Think of it like a health check for your blog’s pages!
Main Sections of Coverage:
1. Discovery: How did Google find your page? It shows where Google first saw your URL, like from:
· Your sitemap (if your blog post is listed in your sitemap, Google will find it faster)
· Other pages linking to it (if a page wasn't discovered properly, Google might never visit it).
2. Crawl
It means "Was Google able to visit your page?". It tells you when your page was last crawled or if crawling was successful or failed (like a 404 error).
3. Indexing
It means "Did Google add your page to its search database?". It shows if the page is indexed (this is good), Not indexed (needs fixing), or Blocked (by noindex tag or robots.txt file). If your page has a noindex tag, it will be discovered and crawled but not indexed by Google.
| Section | What it checks | Why it's important |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery | How Google found the URL | No discovery = No chance to be crawled |
| Crawl | Can Google visit the URL? | Crawl errors = Google can’t read the page |
| Indexing | Is the page added to Google Search? | Only indexed pages can rank |
🎯 TIP
If your page is discovered, crawled, and indexed without issues - you’re in great shape!
| 5. Enhancements💃
"Enhancements" shows how you can make your pages look more attractive and richer in Google Search results.
It checks special features on your page like structured data (extra information that helps Google understand your content better).
If your page has the right structured data, Google can show your page with special search features, like:
· Rich snippets
· Breadcrumbs navigation
· Job listings
· Review stars, FAQs, and more!
I'll show you both the main and minor sections in enhancements.
Main Sections You Might See Under Enhancements
Here are some common items:
| Enhancement | What it means | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Breadcrumbs | Shows the page’s position in the site hierarchy (like Home > Blog > Post). | Makes search results cleaner and easier for users to understand where they are. |
| Job Postings | Tells Google you’re listing a job offer on your page. | Helps your job posts appear directly in Google Jobs search results. |
| FAQ | Shows a list of common questions and answers. | Can make your search listing take up more space and attract more clicks. |
| Sitelinks Searchbox | Lets users search your site directly from the search result. | Makes it easier for visitors to find content inside your blog. |
| Mobile Usability | Checks if your page is mobile-friendly. | Mobile-friendly pages rank better on Google! |
1. Breadcrumbs
What Are Breadcrumbs?:
"Breadcrumbs" show the path to your current page inside your site. In search results, they look clean and help users and Google understand your blog's structure better.
🍏 For example, Home > Blog > Gardening Tips > How to Make Grow Rose
Why Breadcrumbs matter:
· Easier for visitors to navigate
· Makes your search result look more professional
· Can help SEO by organizing your site clearly
2. Job Postings
What Are Job Postings?:
Job Postings structured data tells Google your page lists a job opening.
🍏 For example, if you run a blog about careers and post a job ad, you can add special tags that say:
· Job title
· Location
· Salary
· Company, etc.
Then, your job post could appear directly in Google Jobs search, like this:
[Marketing Manager] - Tokyo, Japan - Apply Now
Why Job Postings matter:
· Helps people find your job listings easily
· Shows your job ads at the top of search results (like Google Jobs)
Minor Sections You Might See Under Enhancements
Here are some items like:
| Enhancement | What it means | Why it's useful |
|---|---|---|
| Event | Information about an event like a concert, webinar, or meetup. | Helps your event appear in Google Events search with details like dates and tickets. |
| Logos | Information about your organization’s logo. | Shows your logo next to your brand name in Google Search results. |
| Product | Information about a product you’re selling or reviewing. | Displays product details like price, ratings, and availability in search results. |
| Recipe | Information about a cooking recipe (ingredients, time, calories). | Helps your recipe show up in Google Recipe search with attractive cards. |
| Review Snippets | Short star ratings and reviews shown in search results. | Makes your listing stand out with stars and increases click-through rates (In short, CTR). |
These are part of structured data enhancements that Google Search Console can detect if your blog or website includes special markup (extra HTML code).
If your page includes data about a product, event, recipe, etc., GSC will show it in the enhancements section and let you know if there are any errors or improvements you can fix.
Minor sections are also special types of enhancements that help your blog or website look richer and more clickable in Google Search.
🎯 TIP
You can only inspect URLs from sites that you’ve added and verified in your Search Console account. You can’t inspect someone else’s site unless you have access.
| 6. Test Live URL
What is it:
"Test Live URL" checks the real-time status of your page, not just how it was when Google last crawled it. It's like asking Google, "Hey, how does my page look right now?"
It tells you:
· Is the page available to Google right now?
· Are there any problems (like blocking, redirection, or errors)?
· Has anyting changed since the last crawl?
Why is it important?:
· Helps you find current problems that are blocking indexing.
· Useful after you update or fix your page and want to make sure it's OK before requesting indexing again.
· Shows if your page is ready for Google Search right now.
How to Use:
1. Open Google Search Console.
2. Select your site (your blog)
3. Paste your page URL into the URL Inspection Tool.
4. Click the "Test Live URL" button.
5. Wait a few seconds to see the Live Test Results (in the Real-Time Testing section).
Understanding "Presence on Google"Status and Live Test Results:
When you run "Test Live URL", you will see a Presence on Google status along with messages like:
| Message | What it means | What you should do |
|---|---|---|
| URL is available to Google | Google can access and index your page. | Good! No action needed. |
| URL is available but not indexed | Google can see the page, but it hasn't added it to Search yet. | Request Indexing if the content is ready and valuable. |
| URL is not available to Google | Google can’t access the page (blocked by robots.txt, noindex, or server error). | Fix the issue (remove blocking, fix server errors) and test again. |
| URL is redirected | The URL redirects somewhere else. | Fix or update the redirect if it's wrong. Otherwise, no need to index the redirect itself. |
| URL has a 404 error | The page doesn’t exist (Not Found). | Fix the URL or recreate the missing page if needed. |
| URL is blocked by robots.txt | Your robots.txt file is preventing Google from crawling the page. | Allow crawling by editing robots.txt settings. |
🎯 TIPs for Beginners
⬩ Always use "Test Live URL" after fixing an issue (like noindex, robots.txt block, etc.).
⬩ If your page is available but not indexed - first of all, just request indexing.
⬩ If you see a 404 error or redirect, Don't panic, - check if you entered the correct URL. See More ➤ Here
| 3 Common Issues & How to Fix Them
Here are 3 common problems bloggers often face when using the URL Inspection Tool - along with helpful solutions:
⎖ "URL is not on Google" - but no errors shown:
It means Google knows about your page but hasn't indexed it yet.
How to fix it:
· Click "Request indexing" in the URL inspection tool.
→ This tells Google, "Hey, please crawl and index this page soon!" It's great to do after publishing or updating a blog post.
· Make sure your content is original, helpful, and complete.
→ Avoid thin or duplicate content. Make sure your page clear. Low-quality pages may not get indexed right away.
· Add internal links to the page from other pages (blog posts).
→ Link to this page from other posts on your blog. This helps Google discover and prioritize it.
· Share your page on social media, other blogs or other platforms for promotion.
→ Promote the page. External visits and backlinks can encourage faster indexing.
· Submit your sitemap in Google Search Console to Google if not done yet.
→ In Google Search Console, go to Sitemaps and submit https://yourblog.blogspot.com/sitemap.xml
Especially useful if you've added multiple new posts. This helps Google find all your pages faster.
· Be Patient and Recheck Later
→ Indexing can take time. Revisit the URL Inspection Tool in a few days to check if the status has changed.
