Why Is My Website Not Showing on Google? 9 Common Causes

Why is my website not showing on Google? In most cases it is one of three things: Google hasn’t found or indexed the site yet, a setting on the site is telling Google to stay away, or the site is indexed but ranks too low to be seen. A quick check in Google Search Console tells you which one, and each has a clear fix.

A website not showing on Google is frustrating, especially after you’ve paid for it. This guide walks you through how to check what’s going on, the common causes and what to do about each.

How do you check if Google has indexed your website?

Start with two quick checks:

1. A site: search. Type site:yourdomain.com.au into Google. If no pages appear, Google probably hasn’t indexed your site. If pages appear, Google knows about them and the problem is ranking, not indexing. Google notes this search won’t always show every indexed page, so treat it as a rough check.
2. Google Search Console. Add and verify your site in Google Search Console, then open the Page indexing report. It lists which pages are indexed and, for the rest, the reason they aren’t. The URL Inspection tool checks a single page.

Why does my website not show up on Google?

These are the 9 causes we see most often, roughly in order of how common they are.

1. The site is new and Google hasn’t found it yet

Google finds new pages by following links and reading sitemaps. A brand new site with no links pointing to it can take a while to be discovered. Google’s guide to getting your website on Google lists new sites and sites nobody links to among the most common reasons a site is missed.

2. Nothing links to your website

If no other website links to yours, Google has fewer ways to find it and fewer reasons to trust it. Your Google Business Profile, local directories, suppliers and associations are good first links.

3. A setting is telling Google not to index it

Many websites are built with a “noindex” setting switched on so unfinished pages stay out of Google, and sometimes nobody switches it off at launch. In WordPress, check Settings, then Reading, and make sure “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” is unticked. Google explains how the noindex rule works.

4. Your robots.txt file is blocking Google

The robots.txt file tells search engines which parts of a site to crawl. A single line in the wrong place can block the whole site. Search Console shows pages “blocked by robots.txt” in the Page indexing report.

5. The pages don’t have enough useful content

Pages with a heading, a photo and two lines of text give Google little to work with. Each important page should explain clearly what you offer, who it’s for and where.

6. Technical errors

Server errors, broken redirects, pages that point their canonical tag at a different page, or a mobile version missing content can all keep pages out of the index. Since Google reads the mobile version of every site, check that your phone version is complete (see our guide to mobile-first indexing).

7. The site is indexed but ranks too low

If the site: search shows your pages, Google has them. They may simply rank on page 3 or beyond for the searches you care about, because competitors have stronger pages and more links.

8. You’re checking the wrong searches

Searching “plumber” from Mildura and not seeing yourself doesn’t mean you’re missing from Google. Check the searches customers actually use, such as your service plus your town, and look at the Performance report in Search Console to see which searches already show your site.

9. A manual action or security issue

Rarely, Google removes or demotes a site for breaking its spam policies, or because the site has been hacked. Search Console’s Manual actions and Security issues reports will tell you if this has happened.

Why is my new website not showing up on Google?

“My new website is not showing on Google” is one of the most common versions of this question, and the usual answer is time plus a few set-up steps. Google says crawling can take anywhere from several days to several weeks. To help it along:

1. Verify the site in Google Search Console.
2. Submit your XML sitemap (most website builders and WordPress SEO plugins create one for you).
3. Use the URL Inspection tool to request indexing of your home page and main service pages.
4. Link to the new site from your Google Business Profile and social media profiles.
5. If you replaced an old website, redirect the old page addresses to the new ones so you keep the rankings the old site had.

Even once a new site is indexed, ranking well usually takes months, not weeks. Our article on how long SEO takes explains why.

Why is my website not showing up on Google search for my business name?

Your own business name should be the easiest search to win. If you don’t appear for it, check that the site is indexed (the site: search above), that your business name appears in your home page title and heading, and that your Google Business Profile links to the website. A brand new business name, or one shared with a bigger business elsewhere, can take longer to rank. Setting up a complete Google Business Profile is often the quickest way to appear for your name in your area.

How do you fix a website not showing on Google search?

Work through this list in order and stop when you find the problem:

1. Run a site: search to see if any pages are indexed.
2. Check Search Console’s Page indexing report for the reasons pages are excluded.
3. Remove any noindex setting and check robots.txt isn’t blocking the site.
4. Submit a sitemap and request indexing for key pages.
5. Fix technical errors and make sure the mobile version has all your content.
6. Improve thin pages so each one clearly explains a service.
7. Earn links from local and industry websites.
8. Give it time, and track your progress in Search Console each month.

When a business asks us why their site isn’t on Google, we start with the same first steps: the site: search, the Page indexing report and the noindex and robots.txt settings. Most problems show up there in the first few minutes.

Frequently asked questions

If my website is not showing on Google at all, where do I start?

Start with a site: search and Google Search Console. If the site: search returns nothing, check for a noindex setting or a robots.txt block, then submit a sitemap and request indexing. If those are fine and the site is new, give Google a few weeks and get a few links pointing to it.

Why is my GoDaddy website not showing up on Google?

Usually for the same reasons as any other site: it’s new, nothing links to it, or a search engine setting is switched off. Check that the site is published on your own domain, that the builder’s SEO or search visibility settings are turned on, and then verify the site in Google Search Console and submit its sitemap.

Why is my Canva website not showing up on Google?

Canva websites are often a single page with little text, so Google has little to index or rank. Make sure the site is published on a custom domain rather than a temporary link, add a clear title and description, and write enough text to explain what you offer. For a business that wants to rank, a full website usually works better.

Why is my website favicon not showing on Google?

Google needs to recrawl your home page before a new favicon appears, which Google says can take several days to several weeks. Your favicon must also meet Google’s favicon guidelines, including being square and at least 8 by 8 pixels (Google recommends larger than 48 by 48), with a stable address.

Can you pay Google to index your website?

No. Indexing is free, and nobody can pay Google to index or rank a website in its organic results. You can pay for Google Ads, which appear in the ad spaces, but that has no effect on whether your website is indexed or where it ranks organically.

The short version

A website missing from Google is usually not indexed yet, blocked by a setting, or ranking too low. Check with a site: search and Search Console, fix what they show, and give Google time. If you’d rather someone else dig into it, our technical SEO team can find the cause, and our SEO team in Mildura can help the site climb once it’s indexed.