Is your website missing, or just ranking low?
Find out first, because the fixes are different. Search Google for site: followed by your domain, such as site:yourdomain.co.uk. If pages appear, you're indexed and the problem is ranking. If nothing appears, Google hasn't indexed you.
The site: search only shows a sample. For an exact answer, use URL Inspection in Google Search Console.
Why is my website not on Google? The common reasons
These are the causes we find most often, roughly from most to least common.
- It's new. Google hasn't discovered or crawled it yet, especially if nothing links to it.
- A noindex tag. Often left on from the build, or switched on by a "discourage search engines" setting.
- robots.txt is blocking Google from crawling the site or key sections.
- The site is behind a password or a coming-soon page.
- The pages are thin, duplicated or very similar to each other, so Google chose not to index them.
- Canonical tags point to a different page, or a different version of your domain.
- The site moved domain or platform without redirects, so Google still has the old addresses.
- Rarely, a manual action from Google for breaking its spam policies.
How do you check why Google isn't indexing your site?
Verify your site in Google Search Console, then use two reports. The Page indexing report shows how many pages are indexed and groups the rest by reason. URL Inspection checks a single page and tells you whether it's indexed, when Google last crawled it and what's stopping it.
Two reasons confuse people. "Discovered, currently not indexed" means Google knows the page exists but hasn't crawled it yet. "Crawled, currently not indexed" means it looked and chose not to include it for now, often because the page adds little that isn't elsewhere.
How do you get your website on Google?
Work through these eight steps in order.
- Verify your site in Google Search Console, using the version people actually visit.
- Run URL Inspection on your homepage and a key service page, and note the reason given.
- Remove any noindex tag or "discourage search engines" setting from pages you want found.
- Check robots.txt isn't blocking Google, and take down any password or coming-soon page.
- Submit your XML sitemap in Search Console.
- Link to new pages from your homepage or menu, so Google can find them.
- Make sure each page has a clear, specific purpose and isn't a near copy of another.
- Request indexing for your key pages, then check back over the following days and weeks.
How long does it take for a new website to appear on Google?
Google says crawling can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, and requesting indexing doesn't guarantee a page will be included. Links from other sites, such as your Google Business Profile, directories and partners, help Google find you sooner.
Being indexed is only the first step. Ranking for the searches your customers use takes good pages, a sound site and a reputation built over time.
What if you're indexed but nobody finds you?
Then it's a ranking problem, not an indexing one. Check Search Console's Performance report to see which searches you appear for and where.
The usual fixes are a page for each service, titles and headings that match how people search, a plain answer near the top of each page, a complete Google Business Profile, and reviews and links from other sites. Our SEO checklist for small businesses covers them in order.