Question · Content & SEO
Why isn't my website showing up on Google?
Asked by a new client · Answered by Nathan Frater ·
The short answer
Check for a no-crawl rule first. A lot of sites are built with a setting that tells Google not to index them, nobody turns it off at launch, and because Search Console was never set up, nobody notices.
It’s one of the easiest fixes in marketing, and one of the first things I check when a new client says they can’t find themselves on Google.
Often the site was built with a default setting that tells Google not to crawl or index the pages. Then it goes live, nobody turns that setting off, and the site just sits there not indexing forever. You can have a beautiful website that Google has been politely asked to ignore.
The second half of the problem is that Google Search Console has never been installed. Search Console is where Google tells you what it can and can’t see on your site. Without it, you have no idea any of this is happening.
So get admin access to your website and check the indexing setting. Make sure nothing is telling search engines to stay away. Then set up Search Console and submit your sitemap. Rule all of that out before you spend money on ads, SEO or a redesign, because you can’t be found if Google’s been told not to look.