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Website not showing on Google?

Usually one of three things is wrong: your site is not in Google's index (its list of web pages), it is on the list but too far down for anyone to see, or you have no Google Business Profile, which is what puts you on Maps. Three quick searches tell you which.

By Craig Stewart, founder of Airea Digital · Updated 5 November 2026

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Why your website is not showing on Google: three searches to find out

Do not change anything yet. The fix depends on which of three problems you have, and each one needs different work.

Open a private browser window (Incognito in Chrome, Private in Safari), go to google.co.nz and run these three searches. A private window helps because your own browsing history can make your site look more visible than it is to a customer.

01

Search site:yourdomain.co.nz

Is the site in Google at all? Use your own address, with no space after the colon. If nothing comes back and your site went live in the last few weeks, it may just be timing. Otherwise, check your website builder settings first, then Search Console. This search is a quick test, not a full list: Google says it does not always show every indexed page, and that URL Inspection is the check to use if a page is missing.
02

Search your exact business name

Can customers who know you find you? If your site appears under site: but not for your own name, Google has the page but is not showing it for your name. Check that your name appears in the page title and text, then read the ranking section. If your business is new or shares a common name, that can take time.
03

Search your service and town

Can new customers find you? Try a search such as "electrician Pukekohe". If your site shows for your name but not here, it is indexed but not ranking, the hardest of the three to fix. If the website shows but there is no listing in the map results, go to Google Maps.

Sources: Google Search Central, site: search operator.

Website builder settings that hide your site from Google

A single switch can hide an entire site, and many are turned on while a site is being built. Check yours first if nothing at all shows.

01

WordPress website not showing on Google

Go to Settings, then Reading. Under Search engine visibility, untick "Discourage search engines from indexing this site". SEO plugins can also set noindex on individual pages.
02

Wix website not showing on Google

In your dashboard, go to the SEO section, open SEO Settings and make sure "Let search engines index your site" is on.
03

Squarespace website not showing on Google

In Settings, under Crawlers, make sure "Block search engine crawlers" is off. Check each page for "Hide page from search results" and remove any site-wide password.
04

Shopify store not showing on Google

New stores start in private mode, which hides every page from visitors and search engines. Go to Online Store, click Private, select Public, then click Update (or Launch store the first time).
05

Canva website not showing on Google

Open the settings next to Publish and check that Search engine visibility is on, then publish again. Remove any password too: Canva says search engines cannot index password-protected pages.
06

GoDaddy website not showing on Google

If your GoDaddy site runs on WordPress, check Settings, then Reading, as above. We could not find a site-wide hide switch for its website builder in GoDaddy's help pages, so use URL Inspection and its live test to check whether Google can access the page. Check that the site is published on your own domain.

Sources: WordPress; Wix; Squarespace and site-wide passwords; Shopify; Canva, website settings and search visibility; GoDaddy WordPress. Menus change, so follow the provider's current page if yours looks different. Checked 5 November 2026.

Website not on Google at all: how to check indexing

Google Search Console is free and shows what Google actually knows about your site. Set it up before you pay anyone or rebuild anything.

01

Add your site to Search Console

Go to search.google.com/search-console, choose URL prefix and paste your full web address. Google will ask you to prove the site is yours and offer several ways to do it. The Domain option covers every version of your site, but you must add a setting (a DNS record) at the company you bought your domain from.
02

Inspect your home page

Paste your address into the URL Inspection bar at the top. "URL is on Google" means it is indexed. Then choose Test live URL to see the page as Google sees it now, including whether your text actually loads for Google.
03

Open the Page indexing report

Under Indexing, then Pages, Google lists pages it has left out and why. Do not panic at a long list: Google says not to expect every URL to be indexed. Look only for the pages that matter, such as your home page and service pages.
04

Submit your sitemap to Google

A sitemap is a list of your pages. Most website builders create one for you, often at yourdomain.co.nz/sitemap.xml. In Search Console, open Indexing, then Sitemaps, and submit the address. Google treats this as a hint, not a guarantee.

Not at a computer, or would rather not touch this? Send us your website and we will check it for free.

What the Search Console indexing messages mean

01

Noindex

Your site is telling Google to stay out Often a setting left over from the build. Google will drop a page marked noindex even if other sites link to it. Remove the tag or switch off the website builder setting, then request indexing.
02

Blocked by robots.txt

Google has been told not to crawl Robots.txt is a small file that tells search engines where they can go. Open yourdomain.co.nz/robots.txt. If you see Disallow: /, the whole site is blocked. Check for noindex as well: Google cannot see a noindex rule on a blocked page, so clearing one problem can reveal the other.
03

Discovered - currently not indexed

Found, but not crawled yet Google says it typically put off the crawl to avoid overloading the site. Make sure the page is linked from your home page and is in your sitemap, then give it time.
04

Crawled - currently not indexed

Read, then left out for now Google says this is common and not always a problem. If it is an important page, we suggest improving it so it gives a customer something distinct and useful, rather than requesting indexing again.
05

Duplicate or canonical messages

Google is using a different version Check for www and non-www, http and https, or an old domain competing with the new one. URL Inspection shows which address Google has chosen. The usual cure is one version of the site, with the others redirecting to it.
06

URL is on Google

Indexing is not your problem Google notes this does not guarantee the page appears in results. Move on to ranking.

Once a blocker is gone, use Request indexing in URL Inspection for your most important pages. Google says this typically takes a day or so but can take much longer, and that submitting does not guarantee indexing. It also says asking again for the same page will not get it crawled any faster.

Sources: Google Search Console Help, Page indexing report, URL Inspection tool and adding a property; Google Search Central, Block indexing with noindex, Ask Google to recrawl, Sitemaps and Get on Google.

Other reasons a website disappears from Google

01

You moved or rebuilt the site

If old page addresses do not send people on to the new ones (a 301 redirect), Google and your customers land on dead pages. If rankings fell straight after a launch, start with our website redesign checklist.
02

The phone version is missing content

Google uses the mobile version of your site for indexing and ranking, and only what is on it counts. Text that only appears on desktop may as well not exist.
03

A manual action

This is rare for an honest small business, but it is quick to rule out. Look under Security & manual actions in Search Console. Google tells you there if a reviewer has penalised the site, usually for spam tactics, which can include those used by a past SEO provider.
04

The site was hacked or is down

Check the Security issues report in Search Console, and confirm your hosting and domain are still paid and working. An expired domain can look like an SEO problem.

Sources: Google Search Central, Mobile-first indexing; Search Console Help, Manual actions report and Security issues report.

Why your website is not ranking on Google when it is indexed

Being indexed means Google has your page on file. It says nothing about how high that page appears.

In Search Console, open the Performance report, add a Country filter for New Zealand and look at Queries. Those numbers show what New Zealand searchers actually saw, not what your own browser shows you. Queries are the words people searched. Impressions are how many times you appeared. Average position is how high you appeared, with 1 at the top and page one roughly 1 to 10. As a rough guide:

01

Few or no impressions for your services

Google is not connecting you to the search The page may not exist or may not use the words customers use. Give each main service its own page, saying plainly what you do and where. Test it: could a stranger tell within seconds what you do, where you work and how to contact you?
02

Impressions, but an average position beyond 20

Google shows you, but well below your competitors This is usually about competition and trust. "Plumber Pukekohe" is a far easier race than "plumber Auckland", so start with the specific searches. Ask suppliers, trade bodies, NZ directories and local media to link to your site.
03

An average position of about 8 to 20

You are close Often the quickest win. Improve that page's title and content, link to it from related pages on your site and add the detail a buyer wants to see, such as prices, areas and examples of your work.

Google says some changes take effect in hours and others take months, and suggests waiting a few weeks before judging a change. In most cases it says an SEO provider needs four months to a year to make improvements and see potential benefit. A brand-new site has the slowest start: our guide to how long SEO takes has month-by-month signals to watch. If you need enquiries sooner, compare Google Ads and SEO.

Competitors keep outranking you? Get a free written audit showing which fix is most likely to matter first.

These position bands are our working rules, not Google's. Sources: Google Search Central, SEO Starter Guide; How to hire an SEO (video).

Why your business is not showing on Google or Google Maps

The map results come from your Google Business Profile, not your website, so a perfect website will not fix a missing listing.

First search Google Maps for your business and check that a profile exists, is verified and has not been suspended. Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and how well known a business is, and that there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Distance is the one you cannot change: a search made in Papakura will favour businesses near Papakura. What you can improve is a complete profile, the right primary category and a steady flow of genuine reviews.

Step-by-step help: our Google Business Profile guide, how to get more Google reviews and local SEO service. Source: Google Business Profile Help, local ranking.

What not to do when your site is missing from Google

Sources: Google Search spam policies; Do you need an SEO?; How Google Search works.

When to fix it yourself and when to get help with SEO

If you found a noindex tag, a blocked robots.txt file or a builder switch, fix it yourself. It takes minutes and you do not need us or anyone else. Get help when the checks come back clean and you still cannot see why, when rankings fell after a site move, or when your site is indexed but competitors keep outranking you.

We check whether Google can reach your site and what to fix first, then email you a written report. Request one below.

Free website audit, no charge

Still not on Google?
We will look.

Send us your website. We check whether Google can find and understand your site, and email you a report with the issues we find and what to fix first. It is a written review of your site, not an automated score, and there is no obligation.

  • Whether Google can reach and index your important pages
  • Whether each service has a page that clearly says what you do and where
  • Which fix is most likely to matter first

We use the details you send to prepare and deliver your report.

See how we handle your details in our privacy policy.

Website not showing on Google: common questions

How do I submit my website to Google?
Add it to Search Console, submit your sitemap and use URL Inspection to request indexing for your most important pages. This is free, but it does not guarantee indexing.
Why is my website not showing up on Google search?
Usually because it is not indexed, it is indexed but ranks too low to be seen, or you are looking for a Maps listing that needs a Google Business Profile. A site: search and Search Console's URL Inspection tool will tell you which applies.
How long does it take for a new website to show on Google?
Google says it can take a few weeks to notice a new site. You can often speed this up by adding the site to Search Console, submitting a sitemap and requesting indexing for key pages, though none of these guarantees indexing. Ranking for competitive searches usually takes much longer.
How do I get my website on Google for free?
Publish it with no blocking settings and link to it from places Google already knows, such as your social profiles and directory listings. Then add it to Search Console, which is free, and submit your sitemap. You do not need to pay Google to be included, and Google does not accept payment to rank a site higher.
Why did my website disappear from Google?
Check first for a recent redesign or domain move without redirects, a noindex setting switched on during an update, an expired domain, a hacked site or a manual action. Search Console's Page indexing, Manual actions and Security issues reports will show most of these, but check your domain renewal separately. Rankings also shift as competitors improve, so a drop is not always a fault.
Why does my website show on my phone or computer but not for customers?
Results vary with location and search history, so your view may differ from theirs. Use a private window, ask someone in another area to search, and rely on the Search Console Performance report filtered to New Zealand.
Why is my business not showing on Google or Google Maps?
Common reasons are no profile, an unverified or suspended profile, a duplicate listing or strong competitors closer to the person searching. Our Google Business Profile guide covers the fixes.
Will fixing this help me show up in AI search?
It is a required first step for Google's AI features. Google says a page must be indexed and eligible to show with a snippet to appear as a supporting link in AI Overviews or AI Mode. Google's guidance adds no extra technical requirements. Our AI search guide covers the rest.
Can someone guarantee my website will be on page one of Google?
No. Google says no one can guarantee a number one ranking and warns against anyone who claims they can. A provider can promise the work and how they will report it, not the position.

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