A drop in index pages

Server Config
1

We have just redesigned a website on the same domain as before.

With Google Webmaster Tools it is possible to see how many pages are being index. There is a huge drop from like 100 to around 5. What does this mean ? One thing i do not understand with this tool is that if i google the company name all pages actually shows up in the search. So what does this actually mean ?

How can i fix this ?

What we have done :

  • removed www. to just http://

  • sitemap

  • some 301 redirects from the old page

  • also the new redesign site is around 3 month old now.

Ps. Could not find a SEO group, so hope I posted this the right place.

2

With Google’s Webmaster Tools, they are only an indication, not an absolute. If you have changed the URL structure, did you put re-directs in place to tell google where to find the new content?

Have you checked wmt for errors relating to the sitemap?

I can match exactly what you say with one of my own sites, in that I’ve changed the design / layout and given a new Sitemap, it lists 6 out of 200 in the new sitemap, rather annoying… but what can you do, Google knows best?! :smiley:

3

I think we find the answer. It was because the site was not verfied correct in google webmaster tools.

Something like this : http://www.seroundtable.com/archives/017788.html

4

Odd, not come across that one - but I use the dns method of verification myself at the root of the domain.