You search for your business on Google and find nothing. Your website not indexed by Google is costing you customers every day.
This problem affects thousands of websites. These site crawling or indexing problems prevent search engines from discovering and storing your pages.
We’ll show you exactly how to diagnose and solve these visibility issues.
Why Your Website Not Indexed by Google Happens
Google uses automated bots called Googlebot to discover websites. These crawlers follow links, read sitemaps, and explore the internet continuously. They visit your site, analyze content, and decide whether to add pages to their index.
Think of Google’s index as a massive library catalog. Only pages in this catalog appear in search results.
According to BrightEdge, organic search drives 53% of all website traffic. When you’re not indexed, you miss this crucial source.
Common causes include:
- New websites without external links
- Robots.txt files blocking pages
- Server errors preventing access
- Poor site architecture
- Duplicate content
- Security issues or penalties
Understanding Why Google Not Indexing My Website Occurs
Problems with a website not indexed by Google fall into two categories: technical problems and content quality problems.
😞 The Cost of Being Invisible
Technical issues stop Google from accessing your pages. These include server errors, blocked resources, and broken redirects. Content issues make Google decide your pages aren’t worth indexing.
According to Google, they crawl billions of pages but only index those meeting quality standards. They doesn’t index every page they find.
How to Diagnose a Website Not Indexed by Google
Start by checking if pages are indexed. Search Google for “site:yourdomain.com” replacing yourdomain with your domain.
If nothing appears, your entire site has problems. If some pages show but not others, you have selective issues.
Google Search Console provides the most detailed diagnosis. This free tool shows exactly which pages are indexed and why others aren’t.
The Pages report reveals your index status with specific error messages like “Crawled – currently not indexed” or “Blocked by robots.txt.”
7 Steps to Fix a Website Not Indexed by Google
1. Set Up Google Search Console
Verify your site in Google Search Console if you haven’t already. This tool provides direct insights into how Google sees your website.
Navigate to the Pages report under Indexing. Review both indexed and excluded pages. Use the URL Inspection tool to check individual pages for crawl errors.
2. Check Your Robots.txt File
Your robots.txt file might accidentally block Google. Access it by adding /robots.txt to your domain.
Look for “Disallow” rules affecting important pages. Remove rules blocking pages you want indexed. Test changes using the robots.txt Tester in Search Console.
3. Remove Noindex Tags
Check your page source code for noindex meta tags. These directly tell Google not to index pages.
Search for: <meta name="robots" content="noindex">
Remove this tag from pages you want in search results. Some platforms add noindex accidentally, causing your website not showing up on Google.
4. Fix Server Errors and Crawl Errors
Crawl errors prevent Google from accessing content. Check the Coverage report in Google Search Console for server errors.
Common problems include slow server response, DNS errors, connection timeouts, and 404 errors. Work with your hosting provider to resolve server issues.
5. Submit Your XML Sitemap
An XML sitemap helps Google discover all important pages. Most platforms generate sitemaps automatically at yoursite.com/sitemap.xml.
Submit your sitemap through Google Search Console under Sitemaps. This speeds up discovery significantly and helps prevent Google not indexing my website.
6. Improve Internal Linking Structure
Every important page needs links from other pages on your site. Google discovers content by following links from indexed pages.
Create clear navigation paths from your homepage to all key content. Professional web design incorporates strategic internal linking to ensure pages get indexed.
7. Eliminate Duplicate Content
A website not indexed by Google often stems from duplicate content. Google chooses one version to index and ignores the rest.
Common sources include HTTP and HTTPS versions, WWW and non-WWW versions, and multiple URLs with identical content. Implement canonical tags and use 301 redirects.
Request Indexing for Priority Pages
After fixing technical issues, request indexing through URL Inspection. Click “Request Indexing” for critical pages.
Don’t overuse this feature. Focus on your most important pages first.
🔧 7 Steps to Get Indexed
Common Questions About Website Indexing
How long does it take for Google to index a new website?
Google typically discovers new sites within 1-4 weeks. Sites with backlinks get indexed faster, sometimes within days. This is how to get website indexed by Google more quickly.
Why is my website not indexed by Google even though I submitted a sitemap?
Submitting a sitemap doesn’t guarantee indexing. Google still evaluates content quality and technical health. Check Search Console for specific exclusion reasons affecting your website not indexed by Google.
Can I pay Google to index my website faster?
No. Google doesn’t accept payment for indexing or ranking. Focus on technical optimization and quality content to fix website not showing up on Google.
What’s the difference between crawling and indexing?
Crawling is when Google’s bots visit your pages. Indexing is when Google adds pages to its searchable database. A page can be crawled but still have a website not indexed by Google problem.
How do I know if Google has penalized my website?
Check the Manual Actions report in Search Console. Most visibility problems are technical issues, not penalties.
Will a website not showing up on Google affect my business?
Absolutely. With 93% of online experiences beginning with search engines according to Search Engine Journal, invisibility means losing customers to competitors.
Take Control of Your Website Visibility
A website not indexed by Google means missed opportunities daily. The good news is these involve fixable technical issues in most cases.
Remember that indexing takes time even after fixes. Monitor progress weekly but stay patient during the process.
Ready to get your website ranking? Our team specializes in SEO problems that keep websites invisible. Contact us today for a comprehensive site audit and let’s get your business the online visibility it deserves.
