Last week, we covered the many reasons why a page might show up in Google Search Console as “Crawled – currently not indexed.”
We looked at:
- Internal linking issues
- Content quality
- User engagement
- Rendering problems
But what if you’ve addressed all of those, and Google still refuses to index the page?
Here’s one more tactic:
👉 Change the URL.
It’s not a hack. It’s a strategic reset.
Why Changing the URL Works
When Google has crawled a page multiple times but still hasn’t indexed it, that page may have accrued what we’ll call indexing baggage, a quiet internal vote of “not worth showing.”
Even after you fix the issues, the old URL might be:
- Seen as low-priority based on past evaluations
- Grouped into near-duplicate clusters
- Treated as stale, especially if it’s been around a while
Changing the URL gives Google a clean slate. It reintroduces the page as a new, fresh resource, prompting reevaluation without the weight of its history.
But Wait. Should You 301 Redirect or 410 the Old URL?
Here’s where strategy matters. Use the wrong status code, and you risk dragging the problem into your new URL.
✅ If the old page had value (e.g., backlinks or past traffic):
You could use a 301 redirect to the new version.
This transfers equity and signals continuity. Ideal for pages you’re improving or relaunching.
🚫 If the old page is tainted (e.g., ignored, flagged as low quality, or soft 404ed):
Use a 410 (Gone) to signal a hard reset.
This tells Google: “Forget this URL. It’s gone for good.”
It keeps the new URL from inheriting any negative baggage.
Which is the right choice? 301 redirect or 410 status code?
Personally, if I am at this point, unless the page had an amazing link profile that I don’t want to lose, I’m not taking the risk of transferring over any bad juju. I’m going the 410 status route.
All that being said, let’s be honest. If the page had a really great link profile, do you think Google would have thrown it in “Crawled – currently not indexed” in the first place?
Status Code Comparison:
| Scenario | Recommended Status Code | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Page had backlinks, traffic, or value | 301 Redirect | Preserve equity and continuity |
| Page was ignored or treated as low quality | 410 Gone | Avoid carrying over negative signals |
| Page is being restructured or split | Depends | Weigh traffic and quality history |
A Few Tips When Changing URLs
- Only do this after other fixes fail – this is a final step, not your first move
- Update internal links to point to the new URL
- Relaunch with improved content and structure – don’t just change the slug
- Submit the new URL in Search Console and monitor performance
- Don’t chain redirects – avoid redirecting a redirected page
Final Thought
Changing a URL feels extreme, but if Google has decided it doesn’t care about the original, starting fresh can make all the difference.
If you have tried everything else and are still facing the same issue, there is nothing to lose.
Sometimes, a new path is the best way to get seen.
