Frustrated that your site isn’t showing up on Google when and where you want it to? You’re not alone.

Having your website show up on Google is one of the most impactful things you can do for your business, with more than 80% of all purchases influenced by a search engine query.

In this guide, we break down why your website isn’t showing up, and why SEO is virtually always the right answer.

Why Your Website Isn’t Showing up On Google

Google can be tricky, with more than 200 minor updates to its algorithm yearly, and dozens of major adjustments, it can be tough to figure out what you need to do to stay ahead of the curve.

Although SEO can be tough to manage on your own, below are the most common reasons why your site isn’t showing up on the search engine:

1. Your site might not be indexed in Google
2. Your site isn’t well-optimized for search engine crawling and categorization
3. Your pages aren’t well-optimized for the keywords you’re targeting
4. The keywords your page(s) target are too competitive for your site’s level of perceived authority by Google

1. Indexing and Google

The internet grows exponentially every day, making it increasingly difficult for Google to keep up with indexing. Luckily, there are some things you can do to help Google do its job better (and faster).

• Create a Free Google Search Console Account HERE.
• Register your sitemap (sitemap.xml) and point Google to where to find it.
• Try adding your URLs to Google and ask them to crawl/recrawl the pages at: http://www.google.com/addurl/
• Build Links to your pages – links on authoritative sites and social media are often crawled faster by Google’s spiders, alerting them to the existence of your pages

2. Optimize Your Site for Crawlers

Many of the questions about how and when your site shows up on Google all come down to how easy you make it for search engines to crawl your site.

• Make sure that all of your important pages are included in your Robots.txt file
• Be wary of redirect chains (redirects that go to redirects)
• Although Google is MUCH better at crawling JavaScript, HTML is still the easiest for crawlers to crawl and understand
• Regularly monitor for and clean up any HTTP errors on your website
• Add URL parameters to Google Search Console so that Google understands that the URLs are for the same page, but use different URL parameters
• Keep your sitemap updated
• Make sure to use Hreglang tags to inform Google about any localized versions of your page(s)
• Be mindful of ‘infinite spaces’, such as a calendar that links to an infinite number of pages or infinite pagination, even if infinite pages don’t exist.
• Disallow Googlebot from pages and actions it is unable to perform (i.e. login pages, contact forms, admin areas, etc.). This can be done in Search Console.
• Canonicalization: make sure Google knows which page is the important version to index

PRO TIP: Make sure you’re not accidentally blocking crawlers from your webpages

If using WordPress, there is an integrated feature that gives you the ability to tell search engines like Google NOT to index your site.

This feature is automatically enabled.

In order to turn it OFF, go to Settings > Reading > then check the box next to the ‘Search Engine Visibility’ option.

3. Optimize Your Pages for the Keywords They Target

Google’s algorithms might be complicated and complex, but one surefire way to help make sure your site shows up when and where you want it to is to optimize each page for the desired search phrase and/or keyword.

Simple Steps You Can Take to Do Some Basic Optimizations Include:

Keyword Placement

Make sure that your primary keyword or phrase is included at least once (naturally not stuffed) in the first 100-150 words of text.

H-tags

Each primary and secondary keyword should be incorporated in the H-tags of your web page to help Google better understand what each section is about.

Schema Markup

A whole book could be written about schema, but the basics of it are that certain types of information and types of web pages can be ‘marked up’ with schema (HTML) that search engines can programmatically read and understand.

• More information on how to test your schema can be found here: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/advanced/structured-data
• More information on how to write schema for your site can be found here:
  https://www.semrush.com/blog/what-is-schema-beginner-s-guide-to-structured-data/

4. Trust and Authority: Backlinks

Google’s algorithms rely heavily on how authoritative and trustworthy your site is. A big part of that has to do with not just how many sites link back to (i.e. recommend) yours, but also the authority and relevancy of those sites.

As part of any SEO strategy, backlinks provide the fuel that ignites rankings, and when combined with highly relevant, engaging, and optimized content, is the 1-2 punch needed to knock out the competition and make your site show up first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it essential for my website to show up on Google search results?

Over 80% of all purchases are impacted by search engine inquiries, making it critical to have your website appear on Google. Google’s search results can have a dramatic effect on your company by raising its profile and drawing in new clients.

What are the common reasons why my website doesn’t appear on Google search results?

There are a number of reasons why Google might not be showing your website in search results. The most frequent ones are:
• Your site might not be indexed in Google.
• You haven’t done much to help search engines index and categorise your site.
• You aren’t using keywords effectively on your website.
• Your sites’ targeted keywords are too competitive for your site’s authority on Google’s search results pages.

How can I improve the indexing of my website on Google?

Take into account the following to improve your website’s Google indexing:
• Create a free Google Search Console account.
• Register your sitemap (sitemap.xml) and direct Google to its location.
• Add your URLs to Google and request crawling at
• http://www.google.com/addurl/.
• Build backlinks to your pages, especially from authoritative sites and social media.
• Maintain an up-to-date Robots.txt file to guarantee that users may access all of your site’s vital content.

What can I do to optimize my website for search engine crawlers?

There are a number of methods that go into making a website crawler-friendly:
• Ensure all crucial pages are included in your Robots.txt file.
• Avoid redirect chains.
• HTML is easier for crawlers to understand, although Google crawls JavaScript as well.
• Regularly monitor and fix HTTP errors.
• Add URL parameters to Google Search Console for pages using different parameters.
• Use Hreflang tags for localized versions of your pages.
• Avoid “infinite spaces,” like endless pagination or calendar links.
• Don’t let Googlebot into restricted places like the admin panel or the login page.

How can I prevent my website from accidentally blocking search engine crawlers?

Inadvertently blocking crawlers is possible if you use WordPress because of a built-in function. To turn it off, go to your profile settings and deselect the ‘Search Engine Visibility’ box in the Reading section.

How can I optimize my web pages for specific keywords?

You may improve your website’s search engine rankings for targeted keywords by doing the following:
• Place your primary keyword or phrase naturally within the first 100-150 words of text.
• Use H-tags to incorporate primary and secondary keywords in your page’s headings.
• Implement schema markup for specific types of information or web pages.
• Ensure that your schema markup is correctly implemented and test it for accuracy.

Why are backlinks important for my website’s visibility on Google?

Google’s ranking algorithms place a lot of stock in the quality and quantity of backlinks pointing to your site. Improving your website’s search engine rankings relies heavily on the quality, quantity, and relevancy of backlinks from other sites.

How can I build trust and authority for my website through backlinks?

Gaining links from credible and pertinent websites is essential to establishing credibility and authority through backlinks. This step is crucial to your website’s search engine rankings and should be incorporated into your overall SEO plan.

What is schema markup, and how can it help my website’s SEO?

Schema markup is a form of HTML code that presents search engines with organised data. It’s a way to make it easier for search engines to comprehend the content of your web pages. By giving search engines more information about the context of your content, schema markup can improve your site’s search engine optimisation.

Are there any specific tools or resources to help with SEO and improving my website’s visibility on Google?

There are several search engine optimisation (SEO) tools and other resources available online that can help improve your site’s ranking in Google. Improve your site’s search engine optimisation (SEO) performance with the help of Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and an SEO platform like SEMrush. To keep up with the latest SEO developments, you can also consult the many online guidelines and courses accessible.

How often does Google update its algorithm, and why is this important for my website’s visibility?

More than 200 small modifications and many substantial adjustments are made to Google’s algorithm each year. These changes have an effect on search rankings and results. Keeping abreast of these shifts is important because you may keep or boost your website’s search engine rankings by adjusting your SEO tactics to coincide with Google’s algorithm upgrades.

Can you explain the concept of keyword optimization for SEO?

The process of optimising your content for search engines begins with the selection and smart use of relevant keywords and phrases. These terms should be used in conjunction with your content and the search queries of your target audience. With the right keyword optimisation, your web pages will show up in search results when users look for those terms.

What are some essential SEO practices to enhance my website’s visibility on Google?

Your website’s visibility in Google search results can be enhanced by employing a few elementary SEO strategies. Among these are:
• Keyword research and optimization.
• Creating high-quality, engaging content.
• Building backlinks from reputable sites.
• Optimizing website speed and performance.
• Mobile optimization for responsive design.
• Using descriptive title tags and meta descriptions.
• Implementing schema markup for structured data.
• Regularly updating and maintaining your website.

How can I monitor and track the performance of my website’s SEO efforts?

Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console allow you to measure and monitor your website’s SEO performance. Website traffic, keyword placement, CTR, and other metrics may all be analysed with the help of such programmes. You may improve the efficacy of your SEO by evaluating this information on a regular basis and using it to guide your decision-making.