Why isn't my website showing up on Google?
Usually for one of two reasons: Google hasn't indexed your site at all, or it has, but your pages don't match what people search for well enough to rank. A quick search tells you which, and the fix is different for each.
First, a reality check. Searching your own business name isn't the test. Customers search for the job and the place, like "emergency plumber Geelong" or "brunch Byron Bay". A site can appear for its own name and still be invisible for the searches that bring in work.
Step one: is your site on Google at all?
Search Google for site:yourdomain.com (with your own domain). If your pages appear, Google has indexed them and your problem is ranking. If nothing appears, your problem is indexing. Google notes that this search doesn't always list every indexed page, so treat it as a quick check rather than the final word (Google: site: search).
For a definite answer, use Google Search Console, Google's free tool for site owners. Its URL Inspection tool tells you whether a page is indexed and, if not, why.
| What you see | What it usually means | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing shows for site:yourdomain.com | Not indexed yet, or blocked | New site? Hidden setting? Noindex? (below) |
| Your name searches work, service searches don't | Indexed, but not relevant or strong enough for those searches | Service and area pages, Google Business Profile, reviews |
| You used to show up and now don't | Something changed or broke | Recent rebuild, domain, settings, security |
| You show up on page 3 or lower | Indexed, but other pages answer the search better | Content, local signals, links |
If Google hasn't indexed your site
Your site is new
Google says it can take a few weeks to notice a new site or changes to an existing one (Google: get your website on Google). You can speed things up by adding the site to Search Console, submitting a sitemap and requesting indexing for your main pages, but even then Google says crawling can take from a few days to a few weeks and isn't guaranteed (Google: ask Google to recrawl).
Your site is hidden from search engines
Most website builders have a setting that keeps a site out of search results, and it's often switched on while a site is being built. WordPress has a "discourage search engines" option; Wix, Squarespace and others have their own versions. If whoever built your site forgot to switch it off at launch, Google will stay away. Check your builder's SEO or privacy settings, or ask your web designer.
A page tells Google not to index it
A small piece of code called a noindex tag tells Google to leave a page out of its results (Google: block indexing with noindex). It's useful on thank-you pages, but sometimes ends up on a whole site by mistake. Search Console's URL Inspection tool will show it if it's there.
Nothing links to your site
Google finds pages mostly by following links. If no other website links to yours and you haven't submitted a sitemap, Google may simply not have found it yet. Google lists this as a common reason, and it also warns against paying for links, which can break its spam policies.
If your site is indexed but doesn't show for the searches that matter
This is the more common situation for an established business, and it's mostly about relevance: does Google have good reason to think your page is the best answer?
- Say what you do and where, in plain words. If your home page says "Quality you can trust" and never mentions "bathroom renovations" or your town, Google has little to match.
- Give each main service its own page or section, with real detail: what's involved, who it suits, the areas you cover.
- Write page titles that match searches, like "Bathroom Renovations in Geelong | Your Business", not "Home".
- Answer common questions on the page. An FAQ helps; our free FAQ generator has starter questions by business type.
- Make it work on phones. Most local searches happen on mobile.
Showing up in the map results
For local searches, the map listings at the top come from Google Business Profiles, not straight from your website. Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and popularity (Google’s local ranking help). You can't change distance, but you can:
- Verify and complete your Google Business Profile, with the right category and a clear description. Try the free Business Profile description generator.
- Link the profile to your website, and make sure your name, address and phone match on both.
- Keep collecting and replying to Google reviews. A review QR code at the counter makes it easy.
More on this in our guide to showing up in "near me" searches.
If you used to show up and now you don't
A sudden disappearance usually has a specific cause. Check these:
- A new website or redesign changed your page addresses without redirecting the old ones, or switched on a "hide from search engines" setting.
- Your domain expired or your security certificate lapsed, so the site stopped loading properly.
- Your site was hacked. Search Console has a security issues report and will flag problems it finds.
- Competitors improved. Rankings move; if a few local businesses have added detailed pages and lots of reviews, you may have slipped rather than vanished.
Can I pay Google to show my website?
Not in the normal results. Google says it doesn't accept payment to crawl a site more often or rank it higher (Google: how Search works). Google Ads are separate, clearly labelled paid placements, and they stop when you stop paying. Be wary of anyone promising a guaranteed first place.
A quick checklist
- Search site:yourdomain.com. Is anything there?
- Is your site in Google Search Console, with a sitemap submitted?
- Is any "hide from search engines" setting switched off?
- Does URL Inspection show your main pages as indexed?
- Do your pages name your services and your area in plain words?
- Does each main service have its own page or detailed section?
- Is your Google Business Profile verified, complete and linked to the site?
- Are you collecting Google reviews every month?
If your site is indexed but still not getting calls, the problem may be the site itself rather than Google; see why your website isn't getting enquiries. At Websidyn we start every project by checking exactly these things, because the fix depends on which one is broken.