Not showing up on Google
Not showing up on Google? It is one of two problems.
Either Google doesn't have your pages, or it has them and ranks other sites first. A ten-minute check tells you which, and the fixes have nothing in common.
The ten-minute check
- Search Google for site:yourdomain.com. No results means you are not indexed.
- Search your exact business name. If you don't appear, something is badly wrong.
- Search the service and city you want, and note who does appear.
- Set up Google Search Console if you haven't. It is free.
If you are not indexed
These are technical, and usually quick once found.
Inspect a page in Search Console
Paste a URL into URL Inspection. It says whether the page is indexed and, if not, why.
Look for a noindex setting
The most common cause of a site that is missing entirely. On WordPress, check Settings, then Reading, for "discourage search engines". It is often left on after a redesign.
Check robots.txt
Open yourdomain.com/robots.txt. A line reading Disallow: / blocks the whole site.
Check canonical tags
If every page's canonical points at the home page, you told Google every page is a duplicate of it.
Submit a sitemap
Most sites have one at /sitemap.xml. Submitting it in Search Console makes sure Google knows every page exists.
If you are indexed but not ranking
Ranking is a comparison. Open the top three results and see what they have that you don't.
No page for that service
Very commonSigns: The service is one line on a combined services page. The sites above you have a full page on it.
Fix: One page per service you sell, written for someone deciding whether to call.
Weak local signals
Very commonSigns: You aren't in the map results. Your Google Business Profile is unverified or doesn't match your site.
Fix: Verify the profile, pick the right categories, and use the same name, address, and phone everywhere.
The site is new
CommonSigns: Everything is technically right, and Search Console shows few impressions.
Fix: Time, plus real listings and pages that answer real questions. There is no shortcut.
Pages that copy each other
CommonSigns: Twenty city pages with the same text and a different town name.
Fix: Fewer pages you can make genuinely different.
Realistic timelines
- Removing a noindex or robots block: days.
- A new page on an established site getting indexed: days to a couple of weeks.
- A new site ranking for competitive local searches: months.
- Nobody can promise a position. A guaranteed number one is a red flag.
Questions
How long until a new website shows up?
Indexing usually takes days to a few weeks once nothing blocks it. Ranking for anything competitive takes months. Those are two different clocks.
Why do I show up for my name but nothing else?
Nobody else competes for your name. Service searches are contested, and you win them with a real page per service and local signals that line up.
What is the difference between the map results and the normal results?
The map pack runs mostly on your Google Business Profile, categories, distance, and reviews. The normal results run on your website. A local business needs both.
Do I need to pay Google to appear?
No. Ads don't improve your ranking. They can buy traffic while the slow work happens.
Send the domain and the search you want to win.
I will tell you whether it is indexing or ranking, and what would have to change.