Why Isn't My Website Showing on Google? (Indexing Problems Fixed)

You type your business name into Google. A competitor shows up. A directory listing shows up. Your own website? Nowhere.

It's a sinking feeling, especially after spending money on a new site. The good news is that a website not showing on Google is almost always caused by a handful of fixable problems, and most of them take minutes, not months, to correct once you know where to look. This guide walks you through how to diagnose the issue and fix each cause step by step.

Quick Answer

If your website isn't showing on Google, it usually hasn't been indexed yet. Common causes include a new site Google hasn't crawled, a noindex tag, a robots.txt block, a WordPress setting left on from staging, or thin or duplicate content. Check your pages in Google Search Console to find the exact reason.

Key Takeaways

• Not indexed and not ranking are different problems. Fix indexing first, because a page Google hasn't stored can't rank at all.
• Google Search Console tells you why. Its Page indexing report names the exact reason each page is missing.
• Most causes are technical switches. A stray noindex tag or robots.txt rule can hide an entire site.
• Redesigns are a common trigger. Staging settings often get carried over to the live site.
• Unindexed pages miss AI Overviews too. Google's AI answers draw from indexed pages, so indexing matters more than ever.

Why Is My Website Not Showing on Google?

Your website isn't showing on Google because Google either hasn't found it, has been blocked from reading it, or has read it and decided not to include it in its index. Indexing is Google's process of storing a page so it can appear in search results. Until a page is indexed, it's invisible, no matter how good it is.

Not Indexed vs Not Ranking: Which Problem Do You Have?

Run this quick test. Search Google for site:yourdomain.com (with your real domain).

• No results at all: your site isn't indexed. Keep reading, this guide is for you.
• Some pages appear, others don't: you have a page-level indexing problem.
• All pages appear, but not for your keywords: you're indexed but not ranking. That's a content and competition issue, not an indexing one.

How to Check If Google Has Indexed Your Website

The site: search gives you a rough picture. For the real answer, use Google Search Console, Google's free tool for website owners.

1. Verify your site in Search Console if you haven't already.
2. Use the URL Inspection tool. Paste any page URL into the search bar at the top. It tells you whether the page is indexed and, if not, why.
3. Open the Page indexing report under "Indexing" in the left menu. It lists every page Google knows about, grouped by indexed and not indexed, with a reason for each.

If you've never set it up, our beginner's guide to Google Search Console walks you through verification and every report that matters.

What Do Google's Indexing Statuses Mean?

Search Console uses specific labels for pages that aren't indexed. Here's what the most common ones mean in plain language:

For the full list of statuses and what each one means, see Google's Page indexing report documentation.

Discovered, Currently Not Indexed

Google knows the page exists but hasn't crawled it yet. This often happens on new sites, large sites, or pages with few internal links pointing to them. Google simply hasn't prioritised the page.

Crawled, Currently Not Indexed

Google visited the page and chose not to index it. This is usually a quality signal: the content may be thin, duplicated, or too similar to other pages on your site. Improving the page is the fix, not resubmitting it repeatedly.

10 Reasons Your Website Isn't Showing on Google (and How to Fix Each)

1. Your Site Is Too New

Brand new websites can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to be indexed. Fix: submit your sitemap in Search Console, request indexing for your homepage, and be patient for a couple of weeks.

2. A Noindex Tag Is Blocking the Page

A noindex meta tag tells Google to leave the page out of search. It's often added by mistake through an SEO plugin setting. Fix: check the page's source code or your SEO plugin settings and remove the tag.

3. Robots.txt Is Blocking Google

Your robots.txt file tells search engines which parts of your site they may crawl. A single line like Disallow: / blocks everything. Fix: open yourdomain.com/robots.txt and remove any rule blocking important pages.

4. "Discourage Search Engines" Is Still On in WordPress

This setting is meant for sites under construction, but it's frequently left on after launch. Fix: in WordPress, go to Settings, then Reading, and untick "Discourage search engines from indexing this site."

5. No Sitemap Submitted

A sitemap is a file listing the pages you want Google to find. Without one, Google relies on links alone. Fix: generate a sitemap (most SEO plugins do this automatically) and submit it under "Sitemaps" in Search Console.

6. Orphan Pages With No Internal Links

An orphan page is one that no other page on your site links to. Google struggles to discover it and treats it as unimportant. Fix: link to every important page from relevant pages, menus, or your blog.

7. Duplicate or Canonical Issues

If several URLs show the same content, Google picks one and ignores the rest. This is common on bilingual UAE sites where English and Arabic versions aren't set up correctly. Fix: use canonical tags and, for language versions, hreflang tags so Google understands how pages relate.

8. Thin or Low-Value Content

Pages with very little text, copied content, or no clear purpose often get crawled and then skipped. Fix: expand the page with genuinely useful, original information that answers a real question.

9. JavaScript Rendering Problems

Some modern websites load their content with JavaScript only after the page opens. If Google can't render that content properly, it may see a nearly empty page. This is a common issue on single-page apps built without server-side rendering. Fix: use server-side rendering or static generation, which is standard practice for React websites built with search-friendly rendering.

10. A Manual Action or Security Issue

Rarely, Google removes pages because of spam penalties or hacked content. Fix: check "Security and Manual Actions" in Search Console. If anything is listed, fix the issue and submit a reconsideration request.

What to Do After a Website Redesign or Migration

Sudden drops after a redesign are one of the most common indexing emergencies. Picture this: a Dubai clinic launches a beautiful new site on Thursday, and by the following week its bookings from Google have fallen off a cliff. The culprit is usually one of these:

• Staging settings carried over: a noindex tag or password protection left on the live site.
• Missing redirects: old URLs return 404 errors instead of pointing to the new pages.
• Changed URL structure: Google has to rediscover every page from scratch.
• Robots.txt copied from staging: the whole site is blocked.

A redesign handled by a team offering professional web development should include a redirect map, a pre-launch SEO check, and Search Console monitoring for the first few weeks after going live.

How to Get Google to Index Your Pages Faster

Once the blockers are fixed, you can speed things up:

1. Request indexing for key pages using the URL Inspection tool.
2. Resubmit your sitemap after major changes.
3. Add internal links from your homepage and popular pages to new ones.
4. Earn a few quality backlinks from relevant UAE directories, partners, or media.
5. Publish and update content consistently so Google has reasons to return.

Requesting indexing doesn't guarantee inclusion, and repeated requests won't speed things up. Google's guide to requesting a recrawl explains exactly what these tools can and can't do.

How to Prevent Indexing Problems Going Forward

Most indexing problems start at launch, so the best protection is a routine:

• Check the live site for noindex tags and robots.txt blocks on launch day
• Submit your sitemap the same day
• Review the Page indexing report monthly
• Watch for sudden drops in indexed pages after any site update

Running through a pre-launch website checklist before every launch or redesign catches most of these issues before Google ever sees them.

When to Call in an SEO Specialist

Many indexing issues are quick DIY fixes. It's time to get expert help if:

• Your entire site has disappeared from Google
• Search Console shows a manual action
• Thousands of pages are stuck in "Discovered" or "Crawled" status
• Indexing dropped after a migration and hasn't recovered in a few weeks
• Your site relies heavily on JavaScript frameworks

These problems overlap with site architecture, development, and content, which is why they're easier to solve with one team that understands all three. That joined-up approach is how Milaaj Brandset handles technical SEO recoveries for UAE businesses.

FAQs

How long does it take Google to index a new website?

Usually anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Submitting a sitemap and requesting indexing for your homepage in Search Console can help Google find it sooner.

How do I check if Google has indexed my website?

Search site:yourdomain.com on Google for a quick check. For page-by-page detail, use the URL Inspection tool and Page indexing report in Google Search Console.

Why does Google say "crawled, currently not indexed"?

Google visited the page but decided not to include it, usually because the content is thin, duplicated, or not useful enough compared with other pages. Improving the content is the most reliable fix.

Does submitting a sitemap guarantee indexing?

No. A sitemap helps Google discover your pages, but Google still decides whether each page is worth indexing based on quality and relevance.

Why did my website suddenly disappear from Google?

The most common causes are a recent redesign that added a noindex tag or robots.txt block, missing redirects after a URL change, a hacked site, or a manual action. Check Search Console first to find which one applies.

Final Thoughts

A website not showing on Google feels alarming, but it's rarely a mystery once you open Search Console and read what Google is telling you. In most cases, the fix is a setting, a tag, or a few improved pages, and you now know how to find and fix each one.

Work through the checks in this guide, give Google a little time, and keep monitoring your indexing each month. If you'd rather have experts diagnose and fix it for you, talk to our SEO specialists in Dubai and get your pages back where your customers can find them.