If you’re a technically-minded marketer, you know that keeping your website in Google’s good graces is a big deal. And Google Search Console (GSC) is like your personal hotline to Google’s brain. But let’s be honest—those alerts can be seriously confusing. Here’s a simple breakdown of four common GSC alerts, what they actually mean, and how to fix them (if you even need to).
1. Blocked Due to Access Forbidden (403)
A similar alert you might see is “Excluded by ‘noindex’ tag.”
What it means: Google tried to visit a page on your site but was blocked.
Why it happens: Google knows a page exists (maybe from a sitemap or link) but couldn’t access it. This could be due to server permissions, strict security settings, or something in your robots.txt file.
What to do: First, figure out which pages Google is talking about. If it’s just back-end stuff like your CMS admin panel, you can ignore it. If it’s a page you want to show up in search results, ask your developer to check the server settings and make sure Googlebot is welcome.
2. Not Found (404)
What it means: Google tried to crawl a page that doesn’t exist anymore.
Why it happens: Maybe you deleted a page but forgot to redirect it, or there’s a broken link floating around—either on your site or someone else’s.
What to do: Check the URLs Google flagged. If the missing pages aren’t important, you can let it go (404s aren’t always a bad thing!). If the page is valuable, set up a 301 redirect to the right place and fix any broken links. Pro tip: Use the Coverage report in GSC to stay on top of this.
3. Page with Redirect
What it means: Google found a page that immediately sends visitors somewhere else.
Why it happens: You probably set up a redirect on purpose (which is fine). But this alert can also pop up if there’s a redirect chain (a series of redirects) or a loop (where Page A points to Page B, which points back to Page A—yikes).
What to do: If the redirect is intentional and working smoothly, no worries! Just make sure you don’t have redirect chains or loops. Tools like Screaming Frog can help you track these down. If something looks off, check your CMS or server settings to fix the issue.
4. Alternate Page with Proper Canonical Tag
What it means: Google found a duplicate page, but is still indexing the one you told it to.
Why it happens: When your content is similar across pages (think product variations or duplicate posts), you add a canonical tag to tell Google which version is the “official” one. This alert just means Google is listening!
What to do: Probably nothing. This alert is more of a friendly heads-up. But if you do want the alternate page to rank independently, remove the canonical tag and make sure the content is unique enough to stand out.
Google Search Console Alerts: Important, but Don’t Stress
Keeping an eye on GSC alerts is a smart move for any marketer who cares about SEO. But don’t panic—many of these alerts are just informational. As long as you’re regularly checking in and fixing real issues, your site will stay in Google’s good books. And hey, a little technical cleanup goes a long way!