Why your website is not showing on Google: check brand search versus generic searches, test whether the page is indexed, use Search Console's URL Inspection and sitemap reports, and fix noindex, redirect and canonical problems. Includes a filled diagnosis worksheet.
<p class="lead text-xl text-[#3a3a3a] mb-8"> First find out which problem you have. If searching your exact business name finds nothing, Google has probably not indexed the site yet, or something is blocking it. If your name works but "plumber in [town]" does not, the site is indexed but not ranking, which is a different and slower problem. Work through the steps below in order; each one uses free Google tools. </p>
<h2>Step 1: Brand search versus generic search</h2> <ul> <li>Search your exact business name, and then <code>site:yourdomain.com</code>. The <code>site:</code> search is a rough check, not a full list, but zero results on a site older than a couple of weeks is a signal.</li> <li>If the brand search works and only generic searches fail, skip to Step 5. Being indexed is not the same as ranking.</li> <li>For local searches ("near me", Maps), the website is only part of it; you also need a <a href="/guides/how-to-get-my-business-on-google">Google Business Profile</a>.</li> </ul>
<h2>Step 2: Test indexability before discussing ranking</h2> <p>Add the site to <a href="https://search.google.com/search-console" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google Search Console</a> (free) and verify ownership. Then paste your homepage address into the <a href="https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9012289" rel="noopener" target="_blank">URL Inspection tool</a>. It tells you whether the page is on Google, and if not, why. "URL is not on Google" with a reason such as "Excluded by noindex tag" points you straight at the fix. "Test live URL" checks the current version.</p>
<h2>Step 3: Sitemap and page indexing evidence</h2> <ul> <li>Submit your sitemap (usually <code>/sitemap.xml</code>) in the Sitemaps report. Google's <a href="https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/sitemaps/build-sitemap" rel="noopener" target="_blank">sitemap documentation</a> explains the format.</li> <li>Open the <a href="https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/7440203" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Page indexing report</a>. It groups pages that are not indexed by reason.</li> <li>"Discovered, currently not indexed" and "Crawled, currently not indexed" usually mean Google has not prioritised the page yet. Make it genuinely useful and linked from your other pages; there is no switch to force it.</li> </ul>
<h2>Step 4: Redirects, noindex and duplicate canonicals</h2> <table> <thead><tr><th>Cause</th><th>How to spot it</th><th>Fix</th></tr></thead> <tbody> <tr><td>noindex tag or header</td><td>URL Inspection says "Excluded by noindex"</td><td>Remove it (often a "hide from search engines" setting left on after building). See <a href="https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/block-indexing" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google on noindex</a>.</td></tr> <tr><td>robots.txt blocking</td><td>"Blocked by robots.txt"</td><td>Allow the pages; the <a href="/tools/robots-txt-generator">robots.txt generator</a> helps.</td></tr> <tr><td>Redirect chains or loops</td><td>"Page with redirect"; the <a href="/tools/redirect-checker">redirect checker</a> shows each hop</td><td>One permanent redirect from old address to new. See <a href="https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/301-redirects" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google on redirects</a>.</td></tr> <tr><td>Duplicate or wrong canonical</td><td>"Duplicate, Google chose different canonical"</td><td>Point the canonical tag at the page itself and link to one version (with or without www). See <a href="https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/consolidate-duplicate-urls" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Google on canonicals</a>.</td></tr> <tr><td>Manual action</td><td>Security and Manual actions report</td><td>Rare for small sites; follow the <a href="https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9044175" rel="noopener" target="_blank">manual actions help</a>.</td></tr> </tbody> </table>
<h2>Filled diagnosis worksheet (a labelled demonstration)</h2> <p>A fictional business, "Copperline Jewelers", three weeks after launch. Not a real company; no results claimed.</p> <pre><code>Brand search "Copperline Jewelers": not found site: search: 0 results Search Console verified: yes (domain property, DNS record) URL Inspection, homepage: "URL is not on Google - Excluded by noindex tag" Cause: "hide from search" setting left on from the build stage Fix done: setting off, republished, Test live URL = "can be indexed" Request indexing: done, date noted Sitemap submitted: /sitemap.xml, status Success Check again: in 7 days, then 14 Generic query "custom engagement rings [town]": not yet - ranking work, Step 5</code></pre>
<h2>Step 5: What you can fix now versus what needs crawl time</h2> <ul> <li><strong>Fix now:</strong> noindex, robots blocks, broken redirects, wrong canonicals, missing page titles (see <a href="/guides/website-title-examples">title examples</a>), thin pages with no real text.</li> <li><strong>Needs time:</strong> recrawling after a fix, new sites being discovered, and ranking for competitive generic searches. Google does not promise a timeline.</li> <li><strong>Ranking work:</strong> clear pages per service and place, useful content, links from real local sites, and a complete Business Profile. See <a href="/guides/how-to-improve-seo-ranking">how to improve SEO ranking</a>.</li> </ul> <figure> <img src="/images/app/seo-1200.webp" alt="The SEO panel in the We.Inc builder, where page titles and descriptions are set" loading="lazy" width="1200" height="750" /> <figcaption>Page titles and descriptions in the We.Inc builder's SEO panel.</figcaption> </figure>
<h2>Blank worksheet to copy</h2> <pre><code>Brand search result: site: search result: Search Console verified (property type): URL Inspection result + reason: Page indexing report top reasons: Sitemap URL + status: Fix made + date: Indexing requested (date): Check again on:</code></pre>
<h2>Next step</h2> <p>Run the <a href="/tools/website-grader">website grader</a> to catch missing titles, headings and descriptions. Sites published with the <a href="/website-builder">We.Inc website builder</a> serve a sitemap and robots.txt and include hosting with HTTPS. The Free plan gives up to 3 template sites on a we.inc address, with no AI credits and no custom domain; Starter at $20/month adds AI building and custom domains (<a href="/pricing">pricing</a>). Planning a rebuild? Try the <a href="/tools/website-cost-calculator">website cost calculator</a> or start from a <a href="/website-templates/business">business template</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://my.we.inc/signup">Start building your business website</a></p>
Anywhere from a few days to several weeks. Submitting a sitemap and requesting indexing in Search Console helps Google find it, but Google does not guarantee a timeline.
The site is indexed but not ranking for that search. That needs better pages for the service and place, links, and a Google Business Profile for local searches.
Use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console. It says whether the page is on Google and, if not, the reason.
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