Why Isn’t My Website Showing Up on Google? 8 Common Reasons and Fixes
By Dylan BindrupFounder of Highr Labs · Squarespace Circle Platinum Partner
If your website isn’t showing up on Google, it’s usually one of two problems. Either Google hasn’t added the site to its index at all, or it has and the site just isn’t ranking for the searches you care about. The first is usually a setting or a missing step and can be fixed in an afternoon. The second takes longer. Here’s how to tell which one you have, then the eight causes I run into most.
First, check whether Google has your site at all
Search Google for site:yourdomain.com, with your own domain and no spaces. If pages show up, Google has indexed your site and the problem is ranking, so skip to reason 5. If nothing shows up, Google doesn’t have your site yet, and reasons 1 to 4 are where to look.
For a proper answer, set up Google Search Console. It’s free, it tells you exactly which pages are indexed and why others aren’t, and every fix below is easier with it.
Reasons 1–4: Google hasn’t indexed the site
1. The site is new. A brand-new site can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to show up. Speed it up by adding your site to Search Console, submitting your sitemap (usually yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml), and requesting indexing for your homepage with the URL Inspection tool.
2. A setting is hiding it. This is more common than you’d think. Google won’t list a site that’s private, behind a password or still on a free trial. On Squarespace, also check each page’s SEO settings for “Hide page from search results”, and that crawlers aren’t blocked. On Wix, the switch is “Let search engines index your site” in the SEO settings.
3. Something tells Google to stay out. A leftover noindex tag or a robots.txt rule can block a whole site. This often happens when a developer blocks search engines during a build and forgets to undo it. Search Console’s page indexing report will name the cause.
4. The domain isn’t connected properly. If your domain doesn’t point at the live site, or the site loads on one version (like www) but not the other, Google may be indexing the wrong address or nothing at all. Load every version of your domain and make sure they all land on the same site.
Reasons 5–8: Google has it, but it doesn’t rank
5. You’re searching the wrong way. If your site shows up when you search your business name but not “plumber salt lake city”, Google has your site; you just aren’t ranking for the service yet. That’s normal for a new site, and it’s what SEO is for.
6. The pages don’t match what people search. Google ranks pages, not businesses. If you have one services page listing everything, it’s hard for it to rank for any one service. A page per main service, written around how customers actually search, fixes more ranking problems than anything else. My Squarespace SEO tips cover how to set those pages up.
A tool that makes this easier on Squarespace: SEOSpace is the best SEO tool I’ve found for Squarespace, and I’ve used it on every site I’ve built for over three years. It works inside the Squarespace editor and gives each page a checklist (titles, descriptions, headings, alt text), so you can see what’s missing on the page you’re editing. It also connects to Google Search Console and has a free trial.
Affiliate link: if you sign up through it, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I use it on every site I build.
7. Nobody else mentions you. Links and mentions from other sites, like client sites, directories and local news, are how Google decides you’re legit. A site with none of them struggles against competitors that have some.
8. For local searches, your Google Business Profile is missing or thin. For “near me” searches, the map results come from Google Business Profiles, not websites. If you don’t have one, or it has no reviews or photos, you won’t show in the map no matter how good the site is.
How long until you show up
Fixing a setting or a noindex tag can get you indexed within days of requesting it in Search Console. Ranking for competitive searches takes longer: new pages usually need two to four months, and results build as more pages go live and more sites mention you.
If you’ve checked everything here and you’re still invisible, I do SEO for Squarespace sites, and Utah businesses can see how I approach local search.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take for a new website to show up on Google?
Usually a few days to a few weeks for Google to index it, faster if you submit a sitemap in Search Console. Ranking well for competitive searches takes months, not days.
Do I have to pay Google to show up in search results?
No. The regular results are free. Paying Google only buys ads, which are labeled as sponsored and stop the moment you stop paying.
Why does my site show up for my business name but not my service?
Because Google has indexed your site but it isn’t ranking for that service yet. A dedicated page for each main service, plus reviews and mentions from other sites, is how that changes.
Does Squarespace hide my site from Google?
No. Squarespace sites are visible to Google by default once they’re published and public. Check that the site isn’t private, password-protected or still on a trial, and that no pages are set to hide from search results.
Still stuck? Book a free call and I’ll look at your site with you and tell you what’s holding it back.
Related guides: 15 Squarespace SEO Tips That Actually Move Rankings · How to Hide a Page on Squarespace
Rather have it done for you? See Squarespace SEO, or browse all Squarespace tutorials.
