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

1. Your Website Isn’t Indexed by Google

Google doesn’t know your website exists yet.

For your site to appear in search results, Google first needs to find, crawl, and index it. Without indexing, your website is essentially invisible, no matter how well-designed it is.

New websites often take time to be indexed, but even older websites can face indexing problems due to technical errors. If Google hasn’t indexed your site, it simply won’t appear in search results.

How to Fix It

First, check whether your site is indexed. You can do this by typing the following into Google’s search bar:

site:yourdomain.com

If no results appear, Google hasn’t indexed your website.

To resolve this:

• Submit your website to Google Search Console. This free tool helps you track your site’s presence in search results and request indexing for new pages.
• Use the Page Indexing Report in Google Search Console to check for issues preventing Google from crawling your pages.
• Check for robots.txt or noindex errors. If your site’s robots.txt file or meta tags include commands blocking Google, your site won’t be indexed. You can adjust these settings in your CMS or hosting panel.
• Request a reindex. If you’ve fixed any issues, use Google Search Console to request indexing of specific pages.

If your site is still not appearing, it may be due to deeper technical SEO issues that require professional troubleshooting.

2. You Don’t Have Enough (or Any) Backlinks

Backlinks act as trust signals for Google.

Google uses backlinks (links from other websites to yours) as a way to measure credibility and authority. If your site doesn’t have enough high-quality, relevant backlinks, it may struggle to rank, even if it’s indexed properly.

A website with few or no backlinks often has lower credibility in Google’s eyes, making it harder to appear in search results.

How to Fix It

• Create high-value content that other websites want to link to. Informative guides, research-based articles, and unique insights naturally attract backlinks.
• Guest post on reputable sites in your industry. Writing high-quality articles for other websites with a link back to yours can boost credibility.
• List your business on trusted directories. Register on Google My Business, Yelp, and industry-specific directories to build citations and earn backlinks.
• Leverage PR and networking. Engaging with journalists, bloggers, and influencers can help you earn organic backlinks from authoritative sites.

Building backlinks is an ongoing process, but the more high-quality backlinks you have, the more trustworthy your site appears to Google.

3. Your Content Doesn’t Match Search Intent

If your content doesn’t answer the right questions, Google won’t rank it.

Search intent refers to the reason behind a user’s search query. If your content doesn’t align with what users are looking for, it won’t rank well—even if your site is indexed and technically optimized.

For example, if someone searches for “best website design agency in Doncaster,” they expect to find lists of agencies, reviews, and comparisons. If your page only contains a brief company description, it won’t perform well in search results.

How to Fix It

• Research your target keywords and analyze the top-ranking pages for those terms.
• Match the search intent. If top-ranking results are in-depth guides, your short sales page won’t compete.
• Use clear, structured content that quickly provides value to the reader. Google prioritizes helpful, well-organized content.

If your content doesn’t align with user expectations, Google will rank other pages instead.

4. Your Website Content Is Low-Quality or Lacks Depth

Google rewards content that is valuable, unique, and engaging.

Thin content, outdated pages, or generic information can hurt your rankings. If your site lacks depth or doesn’t provide useful insights, it’s less likely to appear in search results.

How to Fix It

• Write at least 300+ words per page, though longer, well-structured content often performs better.
• Update old content regularly to keep it accurate and relevant.
• Make content easy to read with short paragraphs, subheadings, and bullet points.

The more helpful and well-structured your content is, the better it will rank.

5. Your Website Isn’t Mobile-Friendly

Google now ranks websites based on mobile performance first.

With over 60% of searches coming from mobile devices, Google prioritizes mobile-friendly websites in rankings. If your site isn’t optimized for mobile, it may rank lower or not appear at all in mobile search results.

How to Fix It

• Use Google Search Console’s Mobile Usability Report to check for mobile-specific issues.
• Ensure your website uses responsive design so it adapts to different screen sizes.
• Optimize text size, button spacing, and navigation to improve usability.
• Improve site speed by compressing images, enabling caching, and minimizing unnecessary scripts.

A website that isn’t mobile-friendly is at a significant disadvantage in search rankings.

6. Your Website Has a Google Penalty

If you’ve used black-hat SEO tactics, Google may have penalized your site.

Google penalizes websites that engage in spammy SEO practices such as keyword stuffing, duplicate content, and low-quality link building. A penalty can cause rankings to drop suddenly—or even remove your site from search results entirely.

How to Fix It

• Check Google Search Console’s Manual Actions Report to see if your site has been penalized.
• Remove bad backlinks using Google’s disavow tool.
• Fix duplicate content issues and follow Google’s best practices.

How Pixelish Can Help You Get Found on Google

If your website isn’t showing up on Google, Pixelish can help you fix it.

We offer strategic SEO services designed to improve rankings, enhance engagement, and drive more revenue.

Our SEO services include:

• SEO Audits – Identifying technical and content issues that may be hurting your rankings.
• Keyword Research – Finding the best search terms to help your site attract the right audience.
• Technical SEO Fixes – Improving site speed, mobile usability, and search engine crawlability.
• Content Optimization – Creating SEO-friendly content that ranks and engages users.
• Local SEO – Optimizing your business for location-based searches.
• Backlink Building & PR Outreach – Strengthening your site’s authority with high-quality backlinks.

We offer both one-time SEO boosts and monthly SEO plans to help you rank higher in Google.

Need help getting your website found on Google? Call us at 01302 315 156 or get in touch