Diagnosis File #001
Index bloat from parameterised URLs
Crawl attention returned to core pages; index coverage stabilised.
Problem
Important pages stopped ranking consistently after Google started spending crawl budget on thousands of low-value parameter URLs.
Root Cause
Faceted navigation generated indexable parameter URLs and the canonical setup reinforced them. Internal links surfaced filtered variants as if they were primary pages, which pulled crawl attention away from core categories and service pages.
Outcome
Crawl attention returned to core pages; index coverage stabilised.
Symptoms
- Index coverage report showed a sharp rise in 'Crawled - currently not indexed'
- Category and service pages fluctuated daily for head terms
- Crawl stats showed sustained crawling on query-string URLs
- Site: queries returned multiple near-duplicate URL variants
Root Cause
Faceted navigation generated indexable parameter URLs and the canonical setup reinforced them. Internal links surfaced filtered variants as if they were primary pages, which pulled crawl attention away from core categories and service pages.
Recommended Fix
- Block low-value parameter patterns via robots rules and internal link hygiene
- Enforce canonical to clean, non-parameter URLs for core templates
- Add a controlled allowlist of indexable filters (only where intent is proven)
- Resubmit a cleaned sitemap and monitor crawl distribution weekly
Outcome
Crawl focus shifted back to core pages. Index coverage stabilised and key categories regained more consistent visibility once duplication pressure was removed.
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