Overview
Keith identified that Google Search Console was using an outdated sitemap for the Tacoma appliance repair site, causing incorrect URLs and incomplete indexing.
Indexing Issue
- Keith found that the sitemap had last been read in January 2026, despite recent page changes.
- The site contains 24 appliance repair service pages, but Google Search Console reported 21 pages: 7 indexed and 14 not indexed.
- The dryer repair page was not present in either the indexed or non-indexed page lists.
- Some entries used obsolete URLs created during earlier local content engine rebuilds, including a branded URL for Gig Harbour Appliance Repair.
Sitemap Refresh
- The sitemap showed recent modification dates, including pages edited from 9 September 2020, but Google Search Console had not reread it.
- Keith removed the existing sitemap and resubmitted the current sitemap XML.
- Google Search Console initially returned “couldn’t fetch”, then successfully read the sitemap after another attempt.
- The refreshed sitemap reported 24 discovered pages instead of 21.
Follow-up
- The updated sitemap and indexing data may take several days to process, with more reliable results expected within a couple of weeks.
- Why does Google Search Console intermittently fail to fetch the sitemap, and will all corrected URLs become indexed after processing?
Action Items
- Create and publish a follow-up video in a couple of weeks reporting on the updated sitemap processing and Search Console indexing results. (@Keith Best)
Outline
Training Context
- Keith was testing the Google Data API and an index-testing Google Sheet using the Tacoma appliance repair site as a demonstration site.
- The site had previously been built, taken down and rebuilt during work on local content engine.
Search Console Findings
- The site contains 24 appliance repair service pages.
- Google Search Console showed 21 pages, with 7 indexed and 14 not indexed.
- The dryer repair page was absent from both the indexed and non-indexed lists.
- Crawled but not indexed entries included obsolete URLs such as the earlier Gig Harbour Appliance Repair URL.
Sitemap Investigation
- The sitemap had last been read on 2 January 2026.
- It contained current page URLs and recent modification information, but the search index still reflected older URL structures.
- Some URLs had been corrected to remove the brand name from the path.
Resubmission Result
- Keith removed the existing sitemap from Google Search Console and submitted the sitemap XML again.
- After an initial fetch failure and another attempt, the sitemap was read successfully on 30 September 2026.
- The discovered-page count increased from 21 to 24.
Processing Window
- Sitemap processing and indexing are expected to take several days to a couple of weeks.
- The remaining question is whether the corrected URLs and previously missing pages will appear in the final index.
Enjoy!