Has Google Really Dropped Its Indexing Volume Since Late May 2025?

Since late May 2025, a notable drop in Google’s indexing volume has caught the attention of many website owners and SEO professionals worldwide.  

Lots of people are seeing large drops in their indexed pages in Google Search Console. Watching pages you worked hard on suddenly disappear can be really worrying. 

After looking into the reports and discussions, it seems this might be part of Google fine-tuning its indexing process. Whether it is a change in the algorithm or how Google reports indexing data, the exact reason is not fully clear yet. 

So, what is going on? Is Google changing how it indexes pages? Or is it just a change in how they report indexing data?

The Beginning of the Google Indexing Drop

Shortly after late May 2025, the SEO community started noticing an unusual trend when multiple individuals began sharing anecdotal evidence that their websites’ indexed page counts were shrinking. 

Some saw massive de-indexing, sometimes as much as half their previously indexed pages gone overnight overall sparking widespread concern. 

One of the early voices to sound the alarm was Jason Kilgore, who pointed to the case of TaxServiceNearYou.com, a site with zero backlinks that experienced a sharp spike in “Crawled – currently not indexed” errors starting May 26th. 

Jason publicly shared screenshots of the indexing report on LinkedIn, illustrating the steep decline in indexed pages.

Adam Gent of Indexing Insight further added his point by revealing that over the past few weeks, their tracking of millions of pages showed a significant surge in the “Crawled – previously indexed” status. 

It is suggesting that pages once indexed were being dropped or reassessed. These insights hint that this is not an isolated incident but something broader in scope. 

What Is Google Saying About the Indexing Decline?

When the SEO community raised these concerns, John Mueller, Google’s Search Advocate, responded. 

On Bluesky, Mueller asked for specific examples, stating, “Which millions of pages? Happy to hear the specifics.” This response underlines Google’s position that they are actively monitoring such concerns but require clear data points to investigate.

Later, Mueller added, “But from looking at other examples, I don’t see an issue. We don’t index all content and what we index can change over time.” 

This statement, while reassuring to some extent, raises questions about the nature of indexing. Is this drop a sign of stricter quality assessment or just  a reporting nuance?

Community Reactions: Frustration and Calls for Clarity

The confusion has spilled over into various social platforms. On X Gagan Ghorta and the account 24Cryptoverse shared their observations confirming the indexing drop. Forums and LinkedIn comment sections are filled with anecdotal reports such as:

“It’s the same for me. Half of my site has been deindexed since May 27, 2025! We work like crazy to provide a reliable site with verified data, and we’re being penalized while misleading sites promoting scams remain at the top of the results. It’s just disgusting!”

This sentiment illustrates the emotional toll this indexing fluctuation is having on legitimate content creators who feel unfairly disadvantaged 

But Is It Really a Drop or Just a Reporting Shift

Stan Ventures’ team has reviewed multiple examples and noticed a pattern that some websites show a large drop in indexed pages in search console but further analysis suggests some of these pages were actually not providing value.

Glenn Gabe, a well-known SEO analyst, noted this might not be an actual de-indexing but a change in how Google reports page statuses.

Could this be a shift in Google’s indexing reporting metrics rather than an actual decrease in search visibility? There are all valid considerations. 

How Big Is This Drop?

While Google has not released official figures, third-party trackers and SEO tools are attempting to quantify the impact:

• Indexing Insight (Adam Gent’s image) has tracked millions of pages and documented a noticeable uptick in “Crawled – previously indexed” statuses since late May.
• Jason Kilgore’s case of TaxServiceNearYou.com saw nearly 70% of pages shift from “indexed” to “crawled – currently not indexed” within days.
• Several webmasters report drops ranging from 20% to over 50% of their indexed pages, though this varies widely based on site type and niches

Industry Expert Take on the Situation

Industry expert Barry Schwartz has followed this issue closely. He noted the surge in “Crawled currently not indexed” pages and advised site owners to carefully monitor their indexing status.  

Barry suggests this situation may reflect Google’s ongoing efforts to improve index quality by filtering out lower-value or duplicate content. 

His advice: don’t panic but use this as an opportunity to audit your content and indexing health.

What Should Website Owners Do?

From our standpoint at Stan Ventures, here are the actionable takeaways:

1. Monitor Your Indexing Data Daily: Use Google Search Console to track changes in your site’s indexed pages. Watch for spikes in “Crawled which is currently not indexed” and “Excluded” pages.
2. Audit Your Content Quality: Google may be excluding thin, duplicate or low-value content more aggressively. Review your pages for unique value and user intent satisfaction.
3. Check Robots.txt and Meta Tags: Sometimes pages are blocked by robots.txt or meta noindex tags inadvertently. Ensure your important pages are crawlable and indexable.
4. Use External SEO Tools: Tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs and Indexing Insight can help you correlate indexing drops with traffic and ranking changes.

Adapting to Google’s Indexing Changes

The recent fluctuations in Google’s indexing volume serve as a crucial reminder that SEO is changing. The drop in indexed pages may cause concern but at the same time it also offers a valuable opportunity to refine your content strategy, improve site quality and ensure your website meets Google’s ever-tightening standards.

At Stan Ventures, we specialize in helping businesses overcome these complex changes with customized white label SEO strategies, expert audits and hands-on support to keep your site optimized and competitive.

Dileep Thekkethil

Author

Dileep Thekkethil is the Director of Marketing at Stan Ventures, where he applies over 15 years of SEO and digital marketing expertise to drive growth and authority. A former journalist with six years of experience, he combines strategic storytelling with technical know-how to help brands navigate the shift toward AI-driven search and generative engines. Dileep is a strong advocate for Google’s EEAT standards, regularly sharing real-world use cases and scenarios to demystify complex marketing trends. He is an avid gardener of tropical fruits, a motor enthusiast, and a dedicated caretaker of his pair of cockatiels.