Why your website is not showing on Google and how to fix it

You type your company name into Google and the website is not there. Or it is, but nobody finds it for your service and city. I have gone through this with many clients and the causes can usually be checked for free in a few minutes.

First, find out whether Google knows your website at all

Search for site:yourdomain.com on Google. If pages of your website appear, Google knows it and the problem is how high it ranks. If nothing appears, Google has never visited it or has removed it from results. This one search splits the causes into two groups.

When Google does not know the website

1. The website is blocked for search engines

The most common cause with new websites. The developer blocked indexing during the build so Google would not show an unfinished site, and forgot to remove it after launch. You can tell if the page code contains a noindex tag or if the robots.txt file on your domain contains the line Disallow: /. The fix takes a minute, but needs someone with access to the website.

2. The website is new and Google does not know about it yet

Google finds new websites on its own, but it can take weeks. Speed it up by adding the website to Google Search Console (free), submitting a sitemap and requesting indexing for the main pages. It also helps when your Google Business Profile, social media and directories link to the website.

3. No sitemap and no structure

A sitemap (the sitemap.xml file) tells Google which pages exist. Without it and without links between pages, Google finds only the homepage. Websites built in old editors often lack this completely.

When Google knows the website but does not show it

4. Page titles are empty or identical

The title is the blue line Google shows in results. If every page is called “Home” or just the company name without the service, Google does not know what to show the website for. Each page needs its own title with service and city: Plumber Prague 6, emergency service 24/7. In Search Console, under Pages, you can see which pages Google has and what it reads.

5. The website does not use the words people search for

If the website talks about “comprehensive services” and the customer searches for “electrician Brno”, Google has no reason to connect them. Service and area belong in the headline, the first paragraph and the title. Not a hundred times, once properly. Do not forget nearby towns you serve, people search by them too.

6. The website is slow or broken on mobile

Google evaluates websites by their mobile version. A slow or broken mobile website ends up below competitors, even with better content. Measure it with PageSpeed Insights. If the mobile result is red, the issue is not content but the technical foundation. See how to improve website speed.

7. Competitors have more trust: reviews, profile, links

For searches with a city, Google first shows business profiles with reviews, then websites. A business with twenty reviews on its Google profile and a website linked from local directories beats a business with a better website but no profile. The Google Business Profile is free and the fastest way to be visible for your service and city. Here is how to set it up.

Ten minute checklist

How much can be fixed without a new website

Points 1 to 4 can usually be fixed on the existing website if you have access. Point 5 means rewriting the texts on the main pages. Points 6 and 7 often mean it pays to build a new foundation, because fixing speed on an old website tends to cost more than a new one. Redirecting old addresses to new ones ensures you lose nothing Google already knows.

Realistic expectations: on an established domain, fixes show within weeks. On a new domain, expect three to six months before the website gets anywhere for general terms. In a smaller town it tends to be faster. Whoever promises first place within a month is targeting a term nobody searches for, or is not telling the truth.