Hey there, website owners, bloggers, and SEO enthusiasts! I came across a post on LinkedIn that claims Google might start de-indexing pages that get zero views. While this update hasn’t officially rolled out, it has sparked some serious discussions about what Google really values—and how we can future-proof our websites.
So, let’s first understand how Google’s process of crawling, indexing, and ranking works. Then we’ll unpack this rumored update and figure out what it means for both you and me.
How Google Decides What Stays and What Goes
Before we get into the buzz about Google potentially de-indexing pages, let’s first break down how Google’s system works. The entire process happens in three main steps: crawling, indexing, and ranking.
At its core, Google’s mission is to help users find the most helpful and relevant information. If people start getting irrelevant or low-quality results, they might turn to other search engines instead. With the rapid rise of AI chatbots and evolving search behaviors, Google is continuously updating how it delivers answers to user queries.
1. Crawling
Google’s smart bots (also known as spiders or crawlers) scan the web to discover new pages. When they come across your content, they evaluate:
- Is it original?
- Does it look useful to people searching for specific topics?
- Is it SEO-friendly with clean structure and good metadata?
If it ticks those boxes, it moves to the next stage.
2. Indexing
Here, Google decides if your page is worthy of being stored in its database (aka the index). If the content appears helpful, relevant, and valuable, it gets indexed. If not, it’s skipped.
3. Ranking
After a page is indexed, Google watches how users interact with it. Do people:
- Click on it?
- Stay on the page for a while?
- Scroll and explore more?
- Or leave quickly (a.k.a. high bounce rate)?
Pages with real user engagement get rewarded. They move up the SERP (Search Engine Results Pages). On the flip side, if your page is getting impressions but no clicks, it might start to slip down. Over time, if no one engages at all, it could become invisible.
Will Google De-Index Your Page If It Gets No Views?
Recent discussions in the SEO community, sparked by that viral LinkedIn post, suggest Google might be tightening the screws. The rumor? Pages that get zero views or very little engagement after being indexed could be de-indexed entirely—meaning Google might remove them from its database altogether. No indexing, no chance of ranking, no visibility. Ouch.
Now, let me be clear: Google hasn’t confirmed this update yet. It’s just a hot topic among SEO folks speculating about the future. But it’s not hard to see why this idea makes sense. Google’s mission has always been to deliver the most helpful content to users. If a page is sitting there collecting digital dust with no one visiting it, Google might decide it’s not worth keeping around.
Why This Makes Sense (Even If It’s Not Official Yet)
Google’s mission is to provide the most helpful content to its users. If your content exists but doesn’t help anyone (because no one is even clicking on it), then:
- It wastes Google’s storage and crawl resources
- It adds clutter to search results
In other words, it’s low-value, even if it’s grammatically flawless and rich with keywords. Now creating content isn’t enough anymore. You need to make sure it’s seen, clicked, and loved by your audience. Otherwise, it’s like hosting a party and forgetting to send out the invites—no one shows up, and the vibe fizzles out.
Want your website to never get penalized or see your traffic graph keep climbing higher? Then you need Ladder🪜 ! No, no—I’m talking about Content Ladder.