Why Is My Website Not Showing Up on Google? How to Fix It

The fix depends on which of three problems you actually have: Google does not have your site at all, Google has it but you do not appear for the searches customers use, or you are missing from the map results. Each has different causes and a different fix. This guide shows you how to tell which one you have in about five minutes, then works through the causes of each, starting with the quick ones.

How do I check if Google can see my website?

Do three searches on Google, ideally in a private or incognito browser window so your own browsing history does not change the results.

1. Type site: followed by your web address, with no space, for example site:yourbusiness.co.uk. This lists the pages Google has in its index, its catalogue of pages it can show in results. Google’s own troubleshooting guide recommends exactly this as the first check.
2. Search your business name. If you are indexed, you should usually appear for your own name.
3. Search what a customer would type, such as “plumber in Reading” or “wedding photographer Bristol”. Check both the normal results and the map.

Here is what the results usually mean:

Find your row, then jump to the section that matches.

Why is Google not showing my website at all?

If the site: search returns nothing, Google either has not got to your site yet or has been told not to include it. These are the usual reasons:

• The site is new. Google says new pages typically take anywhere from a day or two to a few weeks to be crawled and indexed. If your site went live last week, waiting may be all you need to do.
• A WordPress setting is telling search engines to stay away. WordPress has a box under Settings, then Reading, called “Discourage search engines from indexing this site”. Designers often tick it while a site is being built, and sometimes forget to untick it at launch. WordPress explains that it asks search engines not to index the site. A box left ticked after a new build is one of the most common problems we see, and one of the quickest to fix.
• A “noindex” instruction on the pages. This is a hidden line of code that tells Google not to list a page. It can be added by an SEO plugin setting, a page builder option or a theme, as well as by the WordPress box above.
• A robots.txt block. Robots.txt is a small file on your site that tells search engines which areas they may visit. One wrong line can shut Google out of the whole site. You can see yours by adding /robots.txt to the end of your web address.
• Password protection or a “coming soon” page. If the site is still behind a password or a maintenance screen, Google sees the screen, not your pages.

Google’s guide says the most common reasons a page is not indexed are a robots.txt block, a noindex instruction or password protection. If you are not comfortable checking these yourself, ask your web designer directly: “Is anything on the site telling Google not to index it?”

How do I get Google to find my website?

Set up Google Search Console. It is Google’s free tool for website owners, and it is the only place Google tells you directly what it thinks of your site.

Once it is set up:

1. Verify that you own the site. Search Console walks you through it. Your web designer or host can help if you get stuck.
2. Submit your sitemap. A sitemap is a list of all the pages on your site, made for search engines. Most WordPress SEO plugins create one automatically, usually at your web address followed by /sitemap.xml or /sitemap_index.xml.
3. Inspect your homepage and key service pages. The URL Inspection tool tells you whether each page is indexed, and if not, why.
4. Request indexing for important pages that are missing.
5. Wait at least a week. Google suggests allowing at least a week after submitting a sitemap or an indexing request before assuming something is wrong.

Search Console’s Page indexing report also lists pages Google has found but chosen not to index, with a reason for each. That list is often the quickest route to the real problem.

Why does my site show for my name but not my services?

Because Google has your site, but other pages are a better match for what customers search. This is a ranking problem, not a technical one, and no single setting will fix it.

The usual reasons:

• Thin service pages. A page with three lines of text and a contact button gives Google very little to go on. Pages that explain what you do, where, for whom, and answer the questions customers ask tend to perform better.
• Different wording from your customers. If your page says “bespoke joinery solutions” and people search “kitchen fitter”, Google has less reason to connect the two. Use the words customers actually use.
• One page trying to cover everything. A single “Services” page listing ten things rarely ranks well for any of them. Each main service usually deserves its own page.
• Strong competition. For popular searches in big towns, you are up against businesses that have had websites, reviews and links from other sites for years. Catching up takes good pages and time.
• Few other sites mention you. Links from local organisations, suppliers, trade bodies and directories help Google judge that your business is real and trusted.

The honest version: this part takes work and patience, and anyone promising first place on Google by next month is overselling. The good news is that improving your service pages is something you can start on yourself today.

Why is my business not showing on Google Maps?

The map results come from Google Business Profile, a free listing that is separate from your website. Many businesses that rank well in normal results still miss out on the map because their profile is missing, unverified or half finished.

Google says local results are based mainly on three things:

• Relevance: how well your profile matches what someone searched for.
• Distance: how far your business is from the person searching.
• Prominence: how well known your business is, including reviews and mentions elsewhere online.

What you can do, for free:

1. Claim and verify your profile, so Google knows you are authorised to manage it.
2. Fill in everything: the right category, your services, opening hours, service area, photos and your website address. Google says businesses with complete and accurate information are more likely to appear.
3. Ask happy customers for reviews, and reply to the reviews you get.
4. Keep your name, address and phone number the same on your profile, your website and anywhere else you are listed.

This is the part where you may not need to pay anyone. Google states plainly that there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking, so be sceptical of anyone selling guaranteed map positions. Distance also matters: if you are on the edge of town, you may appear for searches near you and not for searches across the other side of it, and that is normal.

Why has my website disappeared from Google?

If you used to appear and now do not, something changed. Work back from what happened recently.

• A new website or redesign. If page addresses changed and the old ones were not redirected to the new ones, Google may have dropped the old pages before learning the new ones. Our guide on whether to fix or rebuild your website covers how a rebuild should protect your rankings.
• A setting switched on and never switched off. The “Discourage search engines” box or a maintenance mode turned on during work on the site, then forgotten.
• The site was hacked. Hacked sites can be flagged or removed from results. Search Console’s Security issues report will tell you, and your host can help clean it up.
• A penalty from Google. Rare for small businesses, but possible if a previous SEO provider used spammy tactics. Search Console’s Manual actions report shows any.
• The site is down or very slow. If Google repeatedly cannot reach your site, it may drop pages. Check it loads on your phone, away from your office wifi.

If you are not sure what changed, Search Console’s indexing report usually shows when pages started dropping out, which narrows it down quickly.

How we can help

Most of the checks above are free, and many owners can do the first few themselves. If you have tried them and your site is still missing, or you are indexed but nowhere for the searches that bring in work, that is where we come in.

We have spent over ten years building and fixing Elementor and WordPress websites, across more than 500 sites. Our SEO and AEO service helps small businesses get found on Google and in AI answers, starting with the technical checks and then the pages that need to rank. Current pricing is on the service page.

Not sure which problem you have? Start with a free website audit and we will tell you what is stopping Google from showing your site. And if you want to understand how AI tools like ChatGPT decide which businesses to mention, read our guide to what AEO is.