How to Remove 20,000 Unwanted Pages from Google Index Effectively?
My website has approximately 20,000 unwanted .htm pages that have been indexed by Google. My goal is to completely remove these pages from the Google index and ensure they no longer appear in SERPs. So far, I’ve added Disallow: /*.htm$ to the robots.txt file, configured Nginx to return a 410 (Gone) status for .htm pages, submitted removal requests via Google Search Console, and cleaned up internal links using Rank Math. Additionally, I’ve removed these pages from the sitemap and submitted an updated version. Despite these efforts, some of these pages still appear in SERPs, and the bulk removal process in Search Console is not feasible for such a large volume. I’m looking for more effective and efficient methods to resolve this issue quickly and permanently. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
It involves three steps to remove all the unwanted pages from Google,
- Delete all the unwanted pages from the server
- Remove all the links pointing to these pages
- Use the Removals section of the GSC to remove the cache and indexing from Google's database.
@binayjha is there any free tool to increase ctr of the website?
You should use a new thread to discuss this new topic.
"It's the strategy which increases the CTR. Tools can only recommend actions but can't increase CTR."
@costmasters1 there are tools for A/B testing with ultimate goal to increase CTR. But there is now such tool that will do it for you. You need to improve your content to increase CTR from search results page. AND your site needs to show up THERE in the first place.
You’ve taken great steps to remove the unwanted .htm pages, but for faster and permanent results, consider these tips:
Streamline Bulk Removal: Red Star Technologies can automate the URL removal process in Google Search Console, saving you time and effort.
Ensure 410 Status Consistency: Their team can audit your site to ensure every .htm page consistently returns a 410 status to Google.
Optimize Crawl Budget: Red Star Technologies can help shift Google’s focus to your active pages by optimizing crawl efficiency.
Redirect Valuable Pages: If any .htm pages have backlinks, their experts can set up strategic redirects to retain SEO value.
Force Re-Crawling: They can ensure Google prioritizes indexing your updated sitemap and active pages.
I prefer Red Star Technologies because they are expert in resolving complex SEO issues like this quickly and effectively. Their expertise could be the game-changer you need to clean up your indexed pages for good!
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