Why Isn't My Website Showing Up on Google?
If your site is live but not showing up on Google, the cause usually comes down to a few technical settings. We explain how to check whether the site is indexed and the most common reasons it is not.
If your site is live but does not appear on Google even when you search for your company name, the cause usually comes down to one of a few technical settings. The first step is to find out whether the site is in Google's index. In this article we explain how to check this, the most common reasons a site is not indexed and what to look at when a site is indexed but still does not appear in search results.
Check First: Is Your Site in Google's Index?
Before Google can show a page in search results, it has to find the page, crawl it and add it to its index. A page that is not in the index does not appear for any search. That is why two separate problems need to be told apart: a site that has not been indexed at all, and a site that is indexed but ranks low.
For a quick idea, you can search Google for site:yourdomain.com. If nothing comes up, the site is most likely not indexed. This search does not give a complete list; for a definite answer you need to add your site to Google Search Console and enter the page address in the URL Inspection tool. The tool shows whether the page is indexed and, if not, why.
The Most Common Reasons a Site Is Not Indexed
1. The Site Has Only Just Gone Live
It can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for a new site to appear on Google. Google does not guarantee that it will index every page, and a new domain that has no links from other sites takes longer to be found.
2. A "noindex" Tag Was Left on the Page
While a site is being built, a "noindex" tag is often added so that the unfinished site does not appear on Google. If the tag is not removed at launch, Google will not index the page. You can check by searching the page's source code for noindex. On sites built with ready-made systems, the setting that asks search engines not to index the site has the same effect.
3. The robots.txt File Blocks Crawling
The robots.txt file at the root of the site tells search engines which sections they may crawl. If the file contains the line Disallow: /, Google is blocked from crawling the pages on the site. You can see the file by opening yourdomain.com/robots.txt in your browser.
4. No Sitemap Has Been Submitted
A sitemap lists the pages on your site for Google in a single file. It is not mandatory, but it helps pages on a new site get found faster. The sitemap is submitted in the Sitemaps section of Search Console, and the same screen shows when Google last read the file.
5. Nothing Links to the Pages
Google finds new pages largely by following links. A page that has no link from the menu or from another page is noticed late, even if it is listed in the sitemap. Linking to important pages from the home page and from related pages makes them easier to discover.
6. Very Little Content, or Copies of Other Pages
Google may crawl but not index pages that consist of only a few sentences or that are almost identical to another page on the site. Every page needs its own topic and text that genuinely informs the visitor.
7. Server and Address Errors
A server error when the page loads, an address that returns "page not found" or redirects that loop into each other all stop Google from reaching the page. If the site opens separately both with and without "www", the same content appears at two addresses; in that case one address should be redirected to the other.
What Do the Messages in Search Console Mean?
The Pages report in Search Console gives a reason for every page that is not indexed. The most common messages and what to do about them are listed below:
| Message in Search Console | Meaning and What to Do |
|---|---|
| Discovered – currently not indexed | Google knows the address but has not crawled it yet. Link to the page internally; request indexing if it matters. |
| Crawled – currently not indexed | Google crawled the page but did not index it. Strengthen the content and set the page apart from similar ones. |
| Excluded by 'noindex' tag | The page asks not to be indexed. Remove the tag if the page should appear. |
| Blocked by robots.txt | Crawling is blocked in robots.txt. Fix the robots.txt file. |
| Alternate page with proper canonical tag | Google chose another address as the main page. No action needed if the main page is correct. |
| Not found (404) | There is no page at the address. Fix the address or redirect it to the new page. |
After fixing a problem, you can request indexing for the page from the URL Inspection tool. The request speeds up crawling, but it does not guarantee that the page will be indexed.
If the Site Is Indexed but Does Not Appear in Searches
Being indexed does not mean ranking near the top. A new site usually appears first for searches of its own name; it takes time to earn a place in competitive searches such as "service and city". At this stage the result depends mostly on the following:
- Each page's title and description should use the words people searching for that page actually use.
- Every service should have its own page that explains the service in detail.
- The site should load quickly and display properly on phones.
- For local searches, a Google Business Profile should be created, with the business name, address and phone number written exactly as they are on the site.
No company can guarantee a specific position on Google. What can be done is to build the site's technical foundations so that search engines read it correctly and to develop the content regularly. We describe this work in detail on our SEO page.
What We Do at Launch at Bordoat
On the sites we develop at Bordoat, title tags, structured data, the sitemap and speed settings are set up from the start. When the site goes live it is added to Search Console and the sitemap is submitted; on renewed sites, old addresses are redirected to the new pages. You can find the details on our Corporate Website page, and you can reach us through our contact page about a problem with your site.
