Why Your Website Isn’t Showing on Google (And How to Fix It)

 

📘 Table of Contents

Click on any link below to jump right to it

1. Google Hasn’t Discovered Your Site Yet
2. Your Site is Telling Google to Stay Away
3. Your Domain Is Confusing Google
4. Your Content Is Too Thin or Generic
5. You're Not Building Site Authority
6. There Are Technical Errors Holding You Back
7. Quick Fix Summary

1. Google Hasn’t Discovered Your Site Yet

When you create a website, it doesn’t automatically appear on Google. Search engines first need to find and index your pages before they can show up in search results. Until then, even if your site is live, it may feel like you’re invisible.

The Fix

Head over to Google Search Console , add your site, and submit your sitemap. This is like tapping Google on the shoulder and saying: “Hey, I exist, come check me out!”

If you’re using Blogger or WordPress, your sitemap usually looks like:

• https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml

• https://yourdomain.com/feeds/posts/default?orderby=updated

Once submitted, Google will begin crawling your site and adding your pages to its index. Be patient. It can take a few days or even weeks depending on your site’s authority and structure.

📌 Pro Tip

Don’t just rely on Google. Share your site link across social platforms and communities to increase discovery speed. 

For more strategies, check out our guide: What Is a Sales Funnel? The BEST Way to Turn Visitors Into Customers .

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2. Your Site is Telling Google to Stay Away

Sometimes your website is live, but you’ve unknowingly put up a digital “Do Not Enter” sign for search engines. This usually happens through a robots.txt file that blocks Google from crawling your site.

How to Check

Visit: https://yourdomain.com/robots.txt If you see a line like this:

Disallow: /
  

That tells search engines to stay out completely and explains why your site isn’t showing on Google.

The Solution

Replace it with a setup that allows search engines to index your content while blocking only unnecessary sections (like internal search pages). A healthy robots.txt might look like this:

User-agent: *
Disallow: /search
Allow: /
  

This ensures your important blog posts and pages can be indexed while keeping clutter out of search results. For a deeper dive, see Google’s official guide on managing robots.txt files .

Pro Tip

Always double-check your site settings after updates or redesigns. It’s not uncommon for business owners to accidentally block Google during a new site launch. 

If this has happened to you, you may also want to read Why Your Ads Don’t Work (And the Emotional Secret That Fixes It) because visibility and messaging go hand in hand.

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3. Your Domain Is Confusing Google

Have you ever noticed that your site sometimes loads with www and sometimes without it? For example:

• https://www.yourdomain.com
• https://yourdomain.com

While both look correct, Google may treat them as two different versions of your site. This can split your authority, dilute rankings, and make it harder for your pages to appear in search results.

 The Solution

• Pick a primary version: Decide whether you want to use www or non-www.

• Set it in Google Search Console: Tell Google your preferred domain so it knows which one to index.

• Redirect all traffic: Use your domain registrar or hosting settings to forward everything to the main version.

By doing this, all your visitors and backlinks point to one consistent domain. For step-by-step help, check Google’s official guide on consolidating duplicate URLs .

Pro Tip

Use a tool like HTTPStatus.io to test your redirects. If everything is configured correctly, you should see a clean 301 redirect from the non-preferred version to the main one.

Domain issues are just one part of SEO health. For example, if you’re struggling to decide between building a website or focusing on social media, you might find our guide on Website vs. Social Media: Which One Should You Focus On? very helpful.

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4. Your Content Is Too Thin or Generic

Google wants to show the best answers to searchers. If your content is only 100 words long, copied from other sites, or stuffed with keywords, it sends a signal that your site isn’t offering much value. As a result, Google may simply skip over your pages.

Why Thin Content Hurts You

• Short articles don’t fully solve the reader’s problem.

• Copied or generic content provides no unique value.

• Visitors bounce quickly, telling Google your site isn’t worth ranking.

How to Fix It

• Write original, in-depth content: Cover a topic in detail, using your own insights and examples.

• Solve real problems: Every blog post should answer a question your audience is already asking.

• Target at least 600–800 words: Longer isn’t always better, but you need enough detail to be useful.

• Use formatting for readability: Break content into short paragraphs, add subheadings, images, and even bullet lists.

For instance, instead of writing “Email marketing is important,” show readers exactly how to set up a campaign. If you’re new to this, you’ll love our beginner’s guide: Email Marketing for Beginners: Launch Your First Mailchimp Campaign.

Pro Tip

Use tools like Ubersuggest or AnswerThePublic to find real questions people are asking. Build your content around those queries for higher chances of ranking.

Remember, content is the backbone of your SEO strategy. For a broader perspective on how content drives long-term value compared to short-lived social posts, check out our article: Website vs. Social Media: Which One Should You Focus On?.

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5. You're Not Building Site Authority

Google doesn’t just want content, it wants trusted content. If no other sites are linking to your blog, Google has little reason to recommend you. Authority is like reputation: the more people vouch for your expertise, the more seriously Google takes your website.

Signs of Low Authority

• Your site has little or no backlinks from other reputable websites.

• Most of your traffic comes only from social media, not search engines.

• Your posts rank on page 5 or beyond, even for low-competition keywords.

Easy Ways to Build Authority

• Promote your posts on social media: Share every article you write. To maximize visibility, see our guide: Stop Selling Like You’re Begging: A Better Way to Attract Clients on Facebook.

• Get backlinks naturally: Reach out to bloggers in your niche and collaborate on guest posts or resource exchanges.

• List your website on directories: Add your business to relevant online directories for local SEO visibility.

• Leverage partnerships: If you work with other creators or businesses, ask them to link to your best resources.

Not all backlinks are equal. Focus on getting links from sites that already have strong authority. Tools like Ahrefs Backlink Checker or Moz Link Explorer can help you analyze who’s linking to you (and your competitors).

Building authority takes time, but it pays off. Once you’re seen as a trusted source, every new piece of content ranks faster and brings compounding traffic. For a strategic perspective on why trust + strategy beats random content, read our post: Content Isn’t King — Strategy Is.

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6. There Are Technical Errors Holding You Back

Sometimes, it’s not your content or authority that’s the issue, it’s technical SEO problems. Even if Google has indexed your site, errors behind the scenes can bury your pages so deep they’ll never be found.

 Common Technical Issues That Hurt Rankings

• Redirect chains (301 loops): Too many redirects confuse both Google and visitors.

• Slow page speed: If your site takes longer than 3 seconds to load, you’re losing traffic. (See our guide: How to Run a Lean, Profitable Online Business in 2025).

• Mobile-unfriendly design: With mobile-first indexing, a clunky mobile layout can crush your rankings.

• Broken links (404 errors): Dead ends frustrate users and signal neglect to Google.

 How to Identify & Fix Them

• Run a site audit with free tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or SEOptimer.

• Check redirects and broken links using HTTPStatus.io or Ahrefs Broken Link Checker.

• Use Google Search Console to review “Coverage” errors, crawl issues, and mobile usability reports.

• Improve speed by compressing images, enabling caching, and using lightweight themes. (Tip: If you’re on WordPress, see our comparison: WordPress or Custom Code? Discover Which Website Solution Truly Fits Your Business).

Fixing technical errors may feel overwhelming at first, but you don’t need to be a developer to make progress. 

Start with speed and mobile-friendliness, they impact both rankings and user experience the most. Once your site runs smoothly, all your content marketing efforts become much more effective.

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7. Quick Fix Summary

If your website isn’t showing on Google, don’t worry most of the time it’s a simple fix. Use this quick reference table to identify the problem and apply the solution fast.

Problem	Fix
Site not showing at all	Submit your sitemap in Google Search Console. See our detailed guide: What Is a Sales Funnel?
Blocked by robots.txt	Update your settings to allow crawling. Learn more in: Why Your Ads Don’t Work (And the Emotional Secret That Fixes It).
Duplicate www / non-www versions	Pick one version and redirect all traffic to it. Adjust in Google Search Console.
Thin or generic content	Write original, problem-solving blog posts (600–1000+ words). Example: Content Isn’t King — Strategy Is.
No backlinks	Share your posts, build relationships, and get featured on other sites. Start with: Stop Selling Like You’re Begging.
Technical SEO issues	Check site speed, redirects, and mobile usability with PageSpeed Insights.

This checklist helps you move from “invisible” to “discoverable” in search results. And once your site is indexed correctly, you can focus on growth strategies like content marketing and lead generation.

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