Why doesn't my website show up on Google?
Type site:yourdomain.com into Google. If nothing comes back, Google hasn't indexed your site: usually a 'hide from search engines' setting, a noindex tag, a robots.txt block, or a brand-new site nobody links to. If pages do come back but you never appear for your services, the site is indexed and the problem is content: no page that answers the search.
The one-minute test
Open Google and type site:yourdomain.com (your real domain, no spaces). Then read the result:
| Result | Meaning |
|---|---|
| No results at all | Google has not indexed the site. Something is blocking it, or it hasn't been found yet |
| Only some pages | Some pages are blocked, duplicated or too thin to index |
| All your pages, but you never rank | Indexing is fine. The problem is relevance: what your pages say and for whom |
When Google can't see the site
- A "hide from search engines" switch. WordPress has "Discourage search engines from indexing this site" under Settings, Reading. Other website builders have similar options, often left on after the site was built. It is an easy one to miss on a new site.
- A noindex tag in the page code tells Google to leave the page out. It is sometimes added during development and never removed.
- robots.txt blocking everything. A single line,
Disallow: /, closes the whole site to crawlers. - A brand-new site with no links. Google finds sites through links and sitemaps. Link your site from your Google Business Profile and social profiles.
The fix for all four starts in the same place: add your site to Google Search Console (free), submit your sitemap, and use the URL Inspection tool on your home page. It tells you in plain words whether the page is indexed and, if not, why.
When Google sees it but you don't rank
- No page for the search. People search "AC repair Norcross", not your company name. A home page listing ten services won't rank for any of them. See service pages.
- Pages that copy each other. Near-identical pages compete with each other, and Google may pick one and ignore the rest.
- No local signals. Your city, service area and the same name, address and phone as your Google listing. See NAP consistency.
For local businesses, the website and the Google listing work together: the listing gets you onto the map, the site convinces Google the listing is relevant. See why a business doesn't show on Google Maps.
Check this on your own business
The free 60-second Check-Up reads your website and Google profile and shows where you stand on this: Indexable pages, robots.txt, Sitemap, Canonical tags. Public data only, no login, no card.
Run the free Check-Up →Or we run it for you
We build and maintain your website with indexing, sitemaps and search settings handled, and check every week that Google can still read every page. Month to month, a new website included, plans from $199 a month.
See how it works →Questions
How long does Google take to index a new website?
Often a few days to a few weeks. Submitting a sitemap in Google Search Console and linking the site from your Google listing speeds it up.
Does my website show on Google if I have a Google Business Profile?
The listing and the website are indexed separately. Link your website from the listing so Google finds it and connects the two.
Why does Google show my old website or old pages?
Google keeps pages it has already indexed until it recrawls them. Redirect old addresses to the new pages and resubmit your sitemap.