A website that does not show up on Google has three possible causes: it is not indexed, it is indexed but ranked too low to be seen, or it has been penalised. The site:yourdomain.com command in Google will tell you which of the three you are in, in 5 seconds. The treatment depends entirely on the diagnosis, and there is no point rebuilding everything if the problem is a noindex tag left in by mistake.
This guide follows the same logic as a doctor: diagnose before prescribing. Follow the steps in order and you will know exactly what to fix.
How do you know whether Google has indexed your site?
To check whether Google has indexed your site, type site:yourdomain.com into the Google search bar. If pages appear, your site is indexed. If the result is empty with the message "your search did not match any documents", your site is not in Google's index, and that is the first problem to solve.
You can also use Google Search Console (Google's free tool): the "Coverage" section shows exactly which pages are indexed, which have errors and why some are excluded.
Across our 150+ clients at ConvertiLab, about 1 site in 5 had an indexing problem when we first spoke. In most cases it was sorted out in under 48 hours.
Why is Google not indexing your site?
Google fails to index a site for five main reasons, in order of how often they come up:
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Has your site been hit by a Google penalty?
This is the least common case and the most serious. Google penalises sites that have broken its webmaster guidelines: manipulation techniques, duplicate content at scale, artificial links bought in bulk.
There are two kinds of penalty:
Manual penalty: someone on the Google team reviewed your site and applied a sanction. You can see it in Google Search Console → Manual actions. If there is a message there, that is the cause of your invisibility.
Algorithmic penalty: a Google algorithm update (Penguin, Panda, Helpful Content) downgraded your rankings automatically. There is no message in Search Console, so you spot it through a sharp traffic drop that lines up with the date of a Google update.
How to check: look up the dates of the Google Core Updates (published on the official Google Search Central blog) and compare them with your traffic in Search Console. A clear correlation points to an algorithmic penalty.
Fixing it means identifying and removing the practices that were penalised (toxic links, auto-generated content, over-optimisation) and sometimes submitting a reconsideration request.
Your site is indexed but not on page 1: why?
A site that is indexed but missing from the first pages has a ranking problem, not an indexing problem. The most common causes:
No target keyword: your home page talks about your company but answers no specific search. Google does not know which query to rank you for.
The competition is too strong: if you target "coaching in Paris" you are up against thousands of sites. The long tail, "personal development coach Neuilly", is far more reachable for a young site.
The content is too short: pages in position 1 average 1 200 to 2 000 words on competitive searches. A 200 word page cannot compete.
No backlinks: links from other sites to yours remain a major trust signal for Google. Zero backlinks means zero domain authority.
Loading too slowly: a site that takes more than 3 seconds on mobile loses rankings. Test it free with our speed tool.
How do you get your site indexed by Google quickly?
To speed up the indexing of your site, follow these steps in order:
Step 1, Create and submit an XML sitemap
The sitemap is the list of all your pages. On WordPress, Yoast SEO or Rank Math generate it automatically. Submit it in Google Search Console → Sitemaps.
Step 2, Request indexing manually
In Google Search Console → URL Inspection, paste your URL and click "Request indexing". Usually done within 24 to 72 hours.
Step 3, Get at least one external link
Add your site to your Google Business Profile, to your company LinkedIn page and to a local directory. Those basic backlinks are enough to trigger a crawl.
Step 4, Check your robots.txt
Go to yourdomain.com/robots.txt. If you see Disallow: / with no specific restriction, fix it straight away.
Step 5, Add real content
Google indexes pages that answer questions. Even 500 well structured words beat a 50 word brochure page.
Generate an optimised robots.txt and sitemap free of charge
Diagnosis table: why your site does not show up on Google
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| site:yourdomain.com = 0 results | Not indexed | Submit the sitemap + request indexing in Search Console |
| Indexed but ranked 50+ | Thin content, no target keywords | On-page optimisation, content of 800+ words |
| Sudden traffic drop | Algorithmic or manual penalty | Check Search Console, fix the causes |
| Visible on your name, invisible on your trade | No page optimised per service or town | Create dedicated pages with local keywords |
| Pages indexed but no visitors | Keywords with no search volume | Keyword research, target the long tail |
How long does Google take to index a new site?
Google indexes a new site in 4 days to 4 weeks, depending on three factors:
With a manual indexing request in Search Console, that usually drops to 24 to 72 hours for your important pages.
Does your site show up on your name but not on your trade?
This is the most common situation: typing "Pierre Dupont plumber" finds your site, but "plumber Versailles" does not. Your site is indexed but not optimised for the commercial searches your customers actually type.
The fix: create a dedicated page per service AND per area, with the keyword in the title, the H1 and the first 100 words. That is exactly what we do at ConvertiLab for every one of our clients.
A real example: JSM Jardinage only showed up on its own name. After an SEO restructure it reached position 3 on "gardener Rueil-Malmaison" in 6 weeks, bringing in 4 to 6 quote requests a month from organic search.
Should you bring in a professional if your site is invisible on Google?
You can fix the technical problems (robots.txt, indexing, sitemap) yourself by following the steps above. If your site is indexed but missing from the first 3 pages on your target searches, however, that is a question of SEO strategy and it takes several months.
What a professional handles that you cannot do alone:
Before you bring in a professional, start with our free SEO audit: it analyses the blockers on your site in 60 seconds and gives you a prioritised action plan.
Run the free SEO audit on my site now
Frequently asked questions
My site does not show up on Google, what should I do first?
The first step is to check whether your site is indexed by typing site:yourdomain.com into Google. If nothing comes up, your site is not indexed: submit your sitemap in Google Search Console and request manual indexing of your home page.
How long does Google take to index a new site?
Google indexes a new site in 4 days to 4 weeks, depending on its authority and the quality of its content. With Google Search Console you can speed the process up by submitting your sitemap and requesting indexing URL by URL. Sites with backlinks are indexed faster.
Why is my site indexed but not on page 1 of Google?
A site that is indexed but missing from page 1 lacks SEO work: the pages target no precise keywords, the title and meta tags are missing or generic, there are no backlinks, or the content is too short and too similar to competitors who already rank.
Can an SEO audit help if my site cannot be found on Google?
Yes, an SEO audit pinpoints exactly why your site does not appear: an indexing problem, missing tags, thin content, loading speed, broken links. At ConvertiLab our free SEO audit tool analyses your site in 60 seconds and produces a full report with your priorities.
