If your website is barely indexed despite being technically sound, Google might not be convinced of its overall quality — according to John Mueller, Google’s Search Advocate.
In a recent conversation on Bluesky, Mueller responded to a query regarding poor indexing performance and pointed out that even if a site is hosted on a strong platform and passes technical checks, minimal indexing could signal that Google’s systems don’t trust the site’s overall value.
“If you’re hosting your site on a strong hosting platform, in a technically valid way (which you can test for), and it’s barely getting indexed, often that’s a sign that our systems aren’t convinced about the site overall,” Mueller said.
This insight echoes previous Google commentary about indexing thresholds. Pages that fail to meet Google’s quality standards may not be indexed at all — regardless of whether they’re submitted manually. For years, Google has made it clear: not all content gets indexed, especially if it’s considered low quality or irrelevant.
Mueller added further context, hinting that sites producing loosely connected “SEO content” might not be delivering enough real value to merit indexing:
“I wonder… if the strategy of creating ‘SEO content’ lightly related to the topic of your actual business is ideal — will people really convert?”
He emphasized that while each website is different, focusing purely on traffic rather than alignment with core business goals may not yield lasting benefits. He noted that many creators prioritize topic coverage and keyword ranking, even if the content is only tangentially related to their actual offerings.
This reinforces a long-standing message from Google: Indexing is not guaranteed, and only content that meets quality thresholds and delivers real user value is likely to earn a place in Google’s search results.
A screenshot of the Bluesky thread provides full context, but for SEOs and site owners, the message is clear — quality, relevance, and trust remain at the heart of Google’s indexing decisions.
