Why Is My Website Not Showing Up on Google?

Let's start with the hard data from a 2024-2025 study of 16 million web pages:



Google Indexing Statistics:

• 37% of pages are indexed and appear in search results

• 62% of pages exist but are NOT shown in Google

• 21% of indexed pages get de-indexed (removed) later

• Google's 2024 updates removed 45% of low-quality content from search results



This isn't about luck. Google has become extremely selective about what it shows in search results. If your website doesn't meet their quality standards, it simply won't appear.

The common myth is that Google indexes sites "in a few days." Here's the reality:

Timeframe	Percentage of Pages Indexed
Within 7 days	14%
Within 30 days	65%
Within 3 months	77%
Within 6 months	93%
Never indexed	~38%

Average time to index: 27.4 days



But here's the catch: high-authority websites get indexed faster (sometimes within hours), while new or low-authority sites wait longer. If your website is brand new with no backlinks, expect to wait 1-3 months—if it gets indexed at all.

1. Not Registered in Google Search Console

Google Search Console is free and essential. Without it, you're relying on Google to "discover" your site naturally—which can take months. Search Console lets you: submit your sitemap directly, request indexing for specific pages, see exactly which pages are indexed (and which aren't), and identify errors blocking indexing.

2. Your Content Doesn't Meet Google's Quality Standards

Google's 2024 updates removed 45% of content from search results. They're specifically targeting: thin content (pages with very little text), AI-generated low-quality content, duplicate content copied from other sites, and pages with no E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust). If your "About" page is 50 words, don't expect it to rank.

3. Technical Issues Blocking Crawlers

Common technical blockers include: robots.txt set to "Disallow: /" (blocks everything), noindex meta tags left from development, broken XML sitemap or no sitemap at all, extremely slow page load speed, and pages blocked by login/password. Check your robots.txt at: yoursite.com/robots.txt

4. No Backlinks = No Authority

Google uses links from other websites as "votes of confidence." A brand new website with zero backlinks has zero authority. Google may crawl it but decide it's not worth indexing. You need at least a few quality backlinks from real websites to establish credibility.

5. Keyword Mismatch

Your page talks about "innovative business solutions" but people search for "accountant in Chicago." There's a disconnect. If you don't use the words your customers actually type into Google, you won't appear for those searches—even if you're indexed.

6. Your Site Was Deindexed or Penalized

21% of indexed pages get removed from Google within a year. Reasons include: manual penalty for violating Google's guidelines, algorithm update that devalues your content, and security issues (malware, hacked site). Check Search Console for any manual actions or security issues.

7. Crawl Budget Exhaustion

Google allocates a "crawl budget" to each site based on authority and importance. If your site has thousands of low-quality pages, Google may use up its budget before reaching your important pages. This is common on e-commerce sites with duplicate product pages.

Method 1: Site Search

Type this in Google: site:yourwebsite.com

If zero results appear, your site isn't indexed.



Method 2: Google Search Console

Go to Search Console → Pages → See exactly which URLs are indexed, not indexed, and why.



Method 3: Search Your Brand Name

Search for your exact business name. If your website doesn't appear in the first few results, there's a problem.

Step 1: Set Up Google Search Console

Go to Google Search Console (search.google.com/search-console), add your website, and verify ownership (usually via DNS record or HTML file). This is non-negotiable.

Step 2: Submit Your Sitemap

In Search Console, go to Sitemaps and submit your sitemap URL (usually yoursite.com/sitemap.xml). This tells Google about all your pages.

Step 3: Request Indexing for Key Pages

In Search Console, use the URL Inspection tool. Paste your homepage URL and click "Request Indexing." Do this for your 5-10 most important pages.

Step 4: Fix Technical Issues

Check Search Console's "Pages" report for errors. Common fixes: remove noindex tags, fix broken links, improve page speed, ensure mobile-friendliness.

Step 5: Improve Content Quality

Each page should have: 500+ words of unique, helpful content, clear headings (H1, H2), relevant keywords naturally included, and images with alt text.

Step 6: Build Some Backlinks

Get listed in business directories (Google Business Profile, Yelp, industry directories). Ask partners or suppliers to link to you. Create content worth linking to.

Here's a sobering statistic: Only 29% of pages submitted for indexing actually get indexed.



Submitting your URL to Google Search Console doesn't guarantee indexing. It just asks Google to look at your page. If Google decides your page doesn't meet quality standards, it won't be indexed regardless of how many times you submit it.



The submission tool helps pages that deserve to be indexed get indexed faster. It can't force Google to index low-quality pages.

Getting indexed is just the first step. Staying indexed—and actually ranking—requires ongoing work:



• Content updates: Fresh content signals an active, relevant site

• Technical monitoring: Fix issues before they cause deindexing

• Backlink building: Continuously earn links to build authority

• Performance tracking: Monitor which pages rank and which don't



This is what we call Active SEO vs Passive SEO. Passive SEO (set it and forget it) leads to the 21% deindexing rate. Active SEO keeps you visible.



Need help getting your website indexed and ranking? Contact us for a free SEO audit.



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• GEO: How to Appear in AI Search Results

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