Website not showing on Google: how to fix it

Search site:yourdomain.co.uk first. If nothing appears you have an indexing problem; if pages appear you have a ranking problem. Different fixes entirely.

A1 Digital · written & reviewed by the team 7 October 2026 4 min read Updated 7 October 2026

Quick answer

Type site:yourdomain.co.uk into Google. If nothing comes back, your site is not indexed and something is blocking it. If your pages appear but you cannot find them by searching normally, you are indexed and simply not ranking, which is a completely different problem.

site:yourdomain.co.uk

the one search that tells you which problem you have

noindex

the setting left on after launch that hides entire sites

Days vs months

how long indexing fixes take, versus ranking fixes

Type site:yourdomain.co.uk into Google right now. That single search tells you which of two completely different problems you have, and it takes ten seconds.

Nothing comes back: Google does not have your site at all. That is an indexing problem, it is usually one specific technical setting, and it can be fixed in days.

Your pages come back: Google has your site and it simply ranks too low for anyone to find. That is a ranking problem and it takes months.

Almost everyone assumes the second and a meaningful number have the first.

If nothing comes back

1. Check for a noindex setting

The most common cause by far. Developers switch this on while building so unfinished work stays hidden, and forget to switch it off at launch. In WordPress it is Settings, Reading, 'Discourage search engines from indexing this site'. Untick it.

2. Check robots.txt

Visit yourdomain.co.uk/robots.txt. If it contains 'Disallow: /' under 'User-agent: *', that blocks everything. This is another leftover from development.

3. Verify the site in Google Search Console

Free, takes about twenty minutes, and it is how you find out what Google actually thinks. It will tell you directly if pages are blocked or excluded and why.

4. Submit your sitemap

Usually at yourdomain.co.uk/sitemap.xml. Submitting it in Search Console tells Google what exists rather than waiting to be found.

5. Request indexing for key pages

Search Console lets you ask for individual pages to be crawled. Useful for a homepage and main service pages after fixing a block.

The noindex setting hides entire websites for years

I have seen sites two years old with beautiful design, decent content and no search presence whatsoever, entirely because one checkbox was never unticked after launch. Check it before assuming you need an SEO agency. It takes thirty seconds and it is free.

Other, less common indexing causes: a brand new domain with no links pointing at it, which simply takes longer; a site built entirely in JavaScript that Google struggles to read; or a manual penalty, which Search Console will tell you about directly.

If your pages do come back

You are indexed. The problem is position, and that is a different job entirely.

	Indexing problem	Ranking problem
Symptom	site: search returns nothing	site: search returns pages
Cause	Something blocks Google	Too many better-optimised competitors
Fix	Remove the block, submit sitemap	Content, profile, reviews, links
Time	Days	3-6 months
Cost	Usually free	Ongoing work

A useful sub-test: search your exact business name. If you appear for that but not for what you sell, that is completely normal for a new or neglected site. Your own name has no competition. “Plumber Leeds” has plenty.

Fixing a ranking problem, in the order that works

Google Business Profile first. Free, moves fastest, and for local businesses it often matters more than the website. Categories, services, hours, photos, service area.

Reviews second. Free, and the strongest local signal available. Ask every customer, same day, by text.

Local and service pages third. Real pages naming the towns and services you want. “Boiler repair Horsforth” rather than “we cover Yorkshire”. Three good ones beat twenty thin ones.

Titles and headings. Every page needs a title saying what it is and where. “Home” and “Services” tell Google nothing. On-page SEO basics covers this properly.

Speed and mobile. Google measures both, and most visitors are on phones.

That sequence puts the free and fast things first deliberately. Businesses paying for SEO retainers while their profile shows the wrong opening hours are spending in the wrong order.

What Search Console tells you free

Worth setting up even if you do nothing else, because it removes the guesswork:

Which pages are indexed and which are excluded, with reasons. Which searches you appeared for and where you ranked. Whether Google has flagged any problems. Whether a manual penalty exists.

Twenty minutes to set up, and it turns “I do not know why I am not showing up” into a specific answer.

What will not fix it

Submitting your site to hundreds of directories. That stopped working a decade ago and can do harm.

Paying for backlinks. Against Google’s guidelines and it risks a penalty.

Adding your town name repeatedly across every page. Keyword stuffing is detectable and counterproductive.

Google Ads. Ads put you at the top immediately for money, and they have no effect on your organic ranking. Useful for traffic today, useless as an SEO fix.

Realistic expectations

An indexing fix can show within days. Genuinely, unblock a site and pages can appear that week.

A ranking fix takes three to six months of consistent work, and longer in competitive markets. Anyone promising faster is either counting Google profile wins as SEO or telling you what closes the sale.

Related: why isn’t my website getting traffic and not showing on Google Maps, which is a separate problem with its own fixes.

If you run the site: search and are unsure what you are looking at, send us the web address and we will tell you which of the two problems you have. If it is a noindex setting, we will tell you where to untick it and you can fix it yourself in a minute.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my website not showing on Google?

Either it is not indexed, meaning Google does not have it, or it is indexed but ranks too low to find. Search site:yourdomain.co.uk to tell which. Nothing returned means an indexing problem, often a noindex setting left on after launch. Pages returned means a ranking problem.

How long does it take Google to index a new website?

Usually a few days to a few weeks. You can speed it up by verifying the site in Google Search Console and submitting your sitemap, which is free and takes about twenty minutes. Without that, a brand new site with no links pointing at it can take considerably longer.

What is a noindex tag and why does it matter?

It is an instruction telling search engines not to list a page. Developers switch it on while building a site so unfinished work does not appear, and forgetting to switch it off at launch is one of the most common reasons a new website never shows up in search at all.

My site shows for my business name but nothing else. Is that normal?

Yes, for a new or neglected site. Ranking for your own name is easy because nothing competes with it. Ranking for what you sell, like 'plumber Leeds', is the hard part and takes local content, a maintained Google Business Profile and reviews over three to six months.

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Written by the A1 Digital team

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