Why isn't my website showing on Google?

01

First, check whether Google has your site at all

Type site:yourdomain.com into Google, with your real domain and no spaces. If results appear, Google has at least some of your pages. If nothing appears, your site is not indexed yet.

Then search for your exact business name. If the site shows up for its own name but not for "dentist in Adyar", you have a ranking problem, not an indexing one.

For a proper answer, set up Google Search Console. It is free and shows exactly which pages Google has and why others are excluded.

02

Cause 1: the site is new

A brand-new website can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to appear. Google has to discover it first, usually through a link from somewhere else or a sitemap submitted in Search Console. Submitting the sitemap and requesting indexing for your home page speeds this up, but nothing makes it instant.

03

Cause 2: the site is telling Google to stay away

This is more common than it should be. Many websites are built with a setting that hides them from search engines while they are under construction — in WordPress it is a single checkbox — and nobody unticks it at launch. A stray "noindex" tag or a robots.txt file that blocks everything has the same effect.

Search Console's page indexing report will show pages "Excluded by noindex tag" or "Blocked by robots.txt" if this is the cause.

04

Cause 3: Google found the pages but did not include them

Search Console may list pages as "Discovered – currently not indexed" or "Crawled – currently not indexed". On a small site, the first often clears up by itself. The second usually means Google did not think the page was worth including — very thin content, a near-copy of another page, or a page with only a few lines of text.

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Cause 4: nothing on the page matches what people search

If your home page says "Welcome to Excellence" and nothing else, Google has no idea you are a physiotherapy clinic in Velachery. Pages rank for the words on them. Each service needs its own page, written in the words customers actually type, with your area mentioned naturally.

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Cause 5: nobody else mentions you

Google trusts sites that other sites point to. A new business with no Google Business Profile, no directory listings and no links from anywhere is hard for Google to place. Start with the basics: a Business Profile that links to your site, and your site listed on the few directories that matter in your trade.

Beware of guaranteed rankings

If someone promises "first page of Google in two weeks", be careful. Nobody controls Google's rankings. Google's own guidance on hiring an SEO warns against guarantees like this. What a good designer or consultant can promise is a site that is technically sound, indexable, and written around what your customers search for.

Getting indexed is a technical fix. Ranking is earned slowly.

For most local businesses, the fixes above — plus a well-kept Google Business Profile and steady reviews — do more than any paid package.

How long does it take for a new website to show on Google?

Usually from a few days to a few weeks for the home page to be indexed, longer for every page to rank well. Submitting a sitemap in Google Search Console helps Google find the pages sooner.

Do I have to pay Google to appear in search?

No. Normal search results are free. Paid ads are a separate product that appears with an "Ad" or "Sponsored" label. Paying for ads does not change where your site ranks in normal results.

My site shows up for my business name but not my service. Why?

That is a ranking problem. Google knows your site, but other pages are judged more relevant for the service search. Dedicated service pages, mentions of your area, a complete Business Profile and reviews are where to start.