If you're wondering why your website is not showing up on Google, start with one quick test. Search Google for site:yourdomain.com.au, using your own domain. If nothing comes back, Google hasn't added your site to its index at all. If your pages come back but you can't find them for the searches that matter, Google knows your site but ranks others above it.
The fixes for each are different, so that test tells you where to start. Below are the seven most common causes, in the order worth checking.
1. Google hasn't found your site yet
New websites aren't in Google straight away. Google says crawling can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. You can speed up discovery, though not the timeline itself.
- Set up Google Search Console, which is free, and verify that you own the site.
- Submit your sitemap, usually at yourdomain.com.au/sitemap.xml.
- Use the URL Inspection tool on your homepage and click Request indexing. Google says asking more than once doesn't make it faster.
2. A setting is telling Google to stay away
This one is common after a new site launches. A setting used while the site was being built is left switched on, and Google obeys it.
- A noindex tag: Google drops any page carrying it from search results. In WordPress, check that "Discourage search engines from indexing this site" under Settings, Reading is unticked.
- robots.txt: a Disallow rule at yourdomain.com.au/robots.txt can stop Google crawling the site.
The Pages report in Search Console lists every page Google has left out and why, such as "Excluded by noindex tag". Fix the setting, then request indexing again.
3. Your site doesn't work well on phones
Google uses the mobile version of your site to decide where it ranks. If the phone version hides content, needs pinching and zooming, or has buttons too small to tap, that's the version Google judges, even when the desktop site looks fine.
Open your site on your own phone and try to find your phone number, your services and your contact form. If that's a struggle, it's a struggle for Google too.
4. Your pages are slow
Google measures how quickly real visitors see and use your pages. It calls these Core Web Vitals. A good page shows its main content within 2.5 seconds, responds to a tap within 200 milliseconds, and doesn't jump around while loading.
Test your site free at pagespeed.web.dev. Compressing large images helps. But if the slowness comes from a heavy theme, a pile of plugins or an old page builder, small fixes rarely get you to a good score.
5. Your pages don't say what you do and where
Google can only show your site for searches it can match to your pages. A homepage that says "Quality solutions since 2010" doesn't tell anyone you're a plumber in Lane Cove.
- Give each main service its own page.
- Name the service and the suburbs or city you work in, in the page title and the first paragraph.
- Use the words your customers type, like "emergency plumber", not internal terms.
6. Your Google Business Profile is missing or incomplete
For local searches, Google shows a map with three businesses above the ordinary results. Those come from Google Business Profiles, not websites. Google says it ranks them on relevance, distance and prominence, and that complete, accurate information helps.
Claim your profile, fill in every field, use exactly the same business name and phone number as your website, add photos, and ask happy customers for reviews.
7. Competitors simply have more to show
Sometimes nothing is broken. Established competitors have more pages, more reviews and more links from other websites, so Google trusts them more. This is the slowest cause to fix, but it's steady work: add useful pages that answer customer questions, keep collecting reviews, and get listed in the directories your industry uses.
When the fix is a new website
Causes 1, 2 and 6 are settings you can fix in an afternoon. Causes 3, 4 and often 5 are built into the site itself. When a site is slow, awkward on phones or hard to change, patching it usually costs more than starting fresh.
Every Lumeen website is built to load fast, work on every phone and be found on Google and AI search. Our FAQ explains how the move works.
Key takeaways
- (01)
Search site:yourdomain.com.au first. No results means an indexing problem, not a ranking problem.
- (02)
New sites can take days to weeks to appear. Search Console and a sitemap speed up discovery.
- (03)
A leftover noindex tag or robots.txt rule is a common cause, and it's quick to fix.
- (04)
Google ranks the phone version of your site, and slow pages count against you.
- (05)
For local searches, a complete Google Business Profile matters as much as the website.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take for a new website to show up on Google?
Google says crawling can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Submitting a sitemap and requesting indexing in Google Search Console helps Google find the site, but can't guarantee a date.
Why does my website show up when I search my business name but not my services?
Google has indexed your site but doesn't rank it for those searches yet. Give each service its own page that names the service and your area, make sure the site is fast on phones, and build up reviews on your Google Business Profile.
Does it cost anything to appear on Google?
No. Ordinary search results and Google Business Profiles are free. Paying for Google Ads puts you in the ad spots, but doesn't change where your website ranks in the free results.
Can I check if Google has indexed my website?
Yes. Search site:yourdomain.com.au in Google for a quick look, or open the Pages report in Google Search Console for the full list of indexed and excluded pages.
More answers on price, hosting and timing in our FAQ.