You built a website, you searched for your business, and it is nowhere to be found. Before you assume something is badly wrong, it helps to know that "not showing up on Google" is really two different problems, and the fixes are completely different.
- Not indexed: Google does not have your pages in its database at all, so they cannot appear for any search
- Indexed but not ranking: Google knows your pages exist, but plenty of other pages are judged a better answer, so yours sits too far down to be seen
This guide helps you work out which one you have, then fixes the most common causes of each.
First, find out which problem you have
Go to Google and search site:yourdomain.com with your own domain. If you get results, your site is indexed. If you get nothing, it is not.
For a more detailed answer, set up Google Search Console, which is free. Add your site, then paste a page address into the URL Inspection tool. It tells you whether that page is indexed and, if not, why.
If your site is not indexed
1. It is new. New sites and new pages can take days or weeks to appear. You can speed it up by adding your site to Search Console and submitting your sitemap, which is usually at yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml.
2. WordPress is telling Google to stay away. Under Settings → Reading there is a checkbox called "Discourage search engines from indexing this site." It is often turned on while a site is being built and then forgotten. This is one of the most common reasons a finished WordPress site is invisible.
3. A noindex tag is blocking the page. An SEO plugin, a page-level setting, or a developer's meta tag can mark pages as "noindex." Settings used on a staging copy are often carried over to the live site by accident. Preview deployments on hosts like Vercel are also hidden from search engines on purpose, so make sure you are checking your real domain.
4. Your robots.txt file is blocking everything. Open yourdomain.com/robots.txt. If you see Disallow: / under User-agent: *, search engines have been told not to crawl the site.
5. Google cannot find or read your pages. That can mean no sitemap, no links pointing to the page, a login wall, or content that only appears after heavy JavaScript runs. If your site is built with React or Next.js, make sure the important text is delivered as ordinary HTML, using server rendering or static generation, instead of being built in the browser.
6. Technical errors. Server errors, redirect loops, and a canonical tag that points to a different address can all stop a page from being indexed. URL Inspection shows these.
7. The page is thin or duplicated. Search Console messages like "Crawled, currently not indexed" often mean Google saw the page and decided it did not add enough. Pages with very little text, or text copied from elsewhere, may be skipped. Make each page genuinely useful and different.
8. A security problem or manual action. If your site was hacked or broke Google's rules, it can be removed from results. Check Security issues and Manual actions in Search Console. If this is you, read our guide to what to do when a WordPress site is hacked.
If your site is indexed but not ranking
9. Your pages do not match what people search. If your page titles and headings are vague, like "Welcome" or "Home," Google has little to go on. Say plainly what you do and where, in the words a customer would type. A plumber in Montgomery should say so in the title and headline, not just the logo.
For local businesses, a few other things matter as much as the website itself:
- A complete, accurate Google Business Profile with the right categories, hours, photos, and a steady flow of real reviews
- Your business name, address, and phone number written the same way everywhere they appear online
- A page for each service you offer, and each area you serve, with real detail on it
- A site that loads quickly and works well on a phone
- Links and mentions from other trustworthy local websites
A five-minute checklist
- Search
site:yourdomain.comand note what appears - Check Settings → Reading if you use WordPress
- Open
/robots.txtand/sitemap.xmlto confirm they exist and look right - Add the site to Google Search Console and inspect your home page
- Check Search Console for security issues and manual actions
- Confirm your Google Business Profile is claimed and complete
On Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify there are similar visibility settings, so check that your site is not set to private or hidden from search. If you use Next.js, check your metadata for a robots setting and make sure your sitemap and robots files are generated.
Want us to take a look?
Send us your website address. We will check why it is not showing up and tell you what to fix, in plain English.
Common questions
Q: How long does it take for a new website to show up on Google?
Usually from a few days to a few weeks, and sometimes longer. Submitting your sitemap in Search Console and having other sites link to yours helps.
Q: Can I make Google index my site faster?
You can ask. In Search Console, the URL Inspection tool has a "Request indexing" button. It does not guarantee a result, but it prompts Google to look at the page.
Q: Do I need to pay for ads to appear?
No. Ads can get you in front of people sooner, but they are separate from your normal search listing, which is free. Ads stop working the day you stop paying for them.
Q: Why do I show up on my computer but not for my customers?
Google personalizes results based on your location and browsing history, and you probably visit your own site often. Search in a private window, or ask a friend in another area, to see what a stranger sees.