If your website is not showing on Google, it’s usually one of two problems: Google hasn’t indexed it yet, or it’s indexed but not ranking for the searches your customers use. Common culprits include a noindex setting, a blocking robots.txt file, no sitemap, a brand-new domain, thin content or a missing Google Business Profile.
This guide gives you a two-minute check to find out which problem you’ve got, then nine fixes, including specific checks for WordPress and Canva sites. The goal: stop being invisible and start getting found by locals searching for exactly what you do.
Key takeaways
- A quick site:yourdomain.com.au search tells you whether Google has indexed your site or whether you have a ranking problem.
- On WordPress, check that 'Discourage search engines from indexing this site' is unticked, especially after a launch or redesign.
- Canva and other one-page builders limit how well you can rank for multiple services and suburbs.
- Local service businesses need a verified, optimised Google Business Profile to appear in the map pack.
- Indexing can happen within days, but ranking for competitive local searches usually takes months of consistent work.
In this article
Is your website not showing on Google at all, or just not ranking?
Your first job is to work out whether Google knows your site exists, because the fix is completely different for each problem.
A site that isn’t indexed is invisible. It won’t appear even when someone types your exact business name. A site that’s indexed but not ranking shows up for your name but disappears when someone searches “electrician Narre Warren” or “mechanic near me”. Here’s how to tell in two minutes.
- Run a site: search – Type site:yourdomain.com.au into Google. If your pages are listed, you’re indexed. If nothing appears, Google hasn’t added your site yet.
- Search your business name – If your homepage appears, Google recognises your brand. If a directory listing or a competitor shows instead, your site is sending weak signals.
- Search your main service plus suburb – Use the phrase a real customer would type, such as “towing Dandenong”. If you’re nowhere in the first few pages, you have a ranking problem, not an indexing problem.
- Check Google Search Console – If it’s set up, the Pages report shows exactly which URLs are indexed and why others aren’t.
Being indexed isn’t the same as being found. Indexing gets you into Google’s library. Ranking puts you on the shelf your customers are actually browsing.
9 fixes for a website not showing on Google
Work through these in order. The first five tackle indexing problems. The last four tackle ranking problems.
1. Connect Google Search Console and submit your sitemap
Google Search Console is the free tool that shows how Google sees your site, and it’s the fastest way to get a new site noticed. Verify your domain, then submit your XML sitemap, which is usually found at /sitemap.xml or /sitemap_index.xml. This hands Google a map of every page you want indexed.
Use the URL Inspection tool in Search Console to check your homepage and key service pages one by one. If a page isn’t indexed, the tool usually tells you why. Once you’ve fixed the issue, click “Request indexing”.
2. Turn off “Discourage search engines” on WordPress
If your WordPress website is not showing on Google, check this setting first, because it’s one of the most common culprits. In your dashboard, go to Settings > Reading and make sure “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” is unticked. Developers often tick it during the build and forget to untick it at launch.
Redesigns are a danger zone. Moving a new site from a staging environment to your live domain can carry over noindex settings, break redirects or bring across a blocking robots.txt file. Run a site: search and a Search Console check within days of any relaunch, not months later.
3. Check for noindex tags and a blocking robots.txt
A single line of code can tell Google to stay away, so check both your page settings and your robots.txt file. Visit yourdomain.com.au/robots.txt. If you see “Disallow: /” under “User-agent: *”, you’re blocking your entire site. Also check your SEO plugin, such as Yoast or Rank Math, to make sure important pages aren’t set to noindex.
4. Know the limits of Canva and DIY website builders
When a Canva website is not showing on Google, the cause is usually the platform rather than anything you’ve done wrong. Canva is a brilliant design tool, but its websites tend to be single-page, with limited control over page titles, headings, URLs and the structure Google uses to understand what you offer. Sites that sit on a free builder subdomain rather than your own domain also struggle to build trust.
At a minimum, connect a custom domain, fill in any page title and description fields your plan offers, and submit the site in Search Console. If you need to rank for several services across several suburbs, a one-page builder site will cap your growth. That’s usually the point to move to a proper WordPress or Shopify build.
5. Be patient with a new domain, but not passive
Brand-new websites can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to be indexed, and longer to rank. You can’t skip the wait, but you can speed it up. Submit your sitemap, link to your site from your Google Business Profile and social media pages, and get listed in reputable Australian business directories so Google has more pathways to find you.
6. Target what your customers actually type
Many small business sites only rank for their own name because nothing on the page matches real search terms. Your homepage might say “Quality solutions you can trust” when customers are searching “emergency electrician Berwick”. Put your core service and service area in your page titles, H1 headings and opening paragraphs. Write them for humans and don’t stuff them with keywords.
7. Claim and optimise your Google Business Profile
For local service businesses, the map pack often matters more than the standard results, and your Google Business Profile is what gets you into it. Claim and verify your profile, choose the most accurate primary category and add your service areas. Upload real photos of your work, and keep your business name, address and phone number identical to what’s on your website. Ask happy customers for reviews regularly, because reviews are one of the strongest local signals you control.
8. Build real service and suburb pages
A single “Services” page listing everything you do gives Google very little to rank. Give each core service its own page with genuine detail: what’s included, how the job works, common questions, photos and proof. If you cover several areas, create location content that’s genuinely useful to each suburb, such as local jobs you’ve completed or your response times there.
Don’t clone one suburb page thirty times and just swap the name. Thin, near-duplicate pages can hold your whole site back, so a few strong pages will beat a pile of copy-paste ones. Our content writing services are built around exactly this kind of search-focused page.
9. Fix speed, mobile and technical errors
Google ranks the mobile version of your site, and most local customers search from their phones, so slow or clunky mobile pages cost you twice. Compress oversized images, remove plugins you don’t use, fix broken links and make sure your site runs on HTTPS. Search Console flags many of these issues for you. While you’re there, check for any manual actions or security issues. These are rare, but serious if they appear.
Quick diagnosis: which fix do you need?
Match your symptom to its most likely cause and skip straight to the fix that matters.
| What you see | Likely cause | Start with |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing appears for site:yourdomain.com.au | Not indexed, blocked or very new | Fixes 1, 2, 3 and 5 |
| Site appears for your name but not your services | Weak keyword targeting or thin content | Fixes 6 and 8 |
| Competitors show in the map pack but you don’t | Missing or weak Google Business Profile | Fix 7 |
| Built on Canva or a free builder and barely visible | Platform limitations or no custom domain | Fix 4 |
| Rankings dropped after a redesign | Carried-over noindex, lost redirects or lost content | Fixes 2, 3 and 9 |
| Some pages indexed, others missing | Thin, duplicate or poorly linked pages | Fixes 1 and 8 |
How long does it take for a website to show on Google?
Indexing can happen within days, but ranking for competitive local searches usually takes months of consistent work.
Once you’ve fixed a blocking issue and requested indexing, pages often reappear fairly quickly. Ranking for “builder Melbourne” or “mechanic Dandenong” is a different game. You’re up against established businesses that have spent years building content, reviews and links. Specific, less competitive searches, such as a niche service in a single suburb, tend to move faster, so they’re a smart place to start.
When should you call in an SEO specialist?
Bring in help if you’ve worked through the basics and you’re still invisible, or if you don’t have time to be your own web technician.
ONE100 Marketing Solutions is a Melbourne-based digital marketing agency that helps small businesses, tradies and local service businesses across Australia get found on Google. Our search engine optimisation services cover local and technical SEO, from fixing indexing issues and site structure to keyword targeting. We don’t guess, we guide. Every recommendation is backed by data.
Sometimes the real problem is the website itself. Our WordPress and Shopify web development team builds every site with SEO in mind from day one, and we deliver most projects in 4–8 weeks. To see what that looks like for businesses like yours, browse our case studies featuring builders, electricians, mechanics, towing companies and salons.
The bottom line
A website not showing on Google is fixable. Start by confirming whether you’re indexed and clear any technical blocks. Then earn rankings with targeted service pages, a strong Google Business Profile and a fast, mobile-friendly site. Competition is tough. Be ONE100% tougher.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my website not showing on Google search?
Either Google hasn't indexed your site, or it has indexed your site but doesn't rank it for the terms people search. Type site:yourdomain.com.au into Google to check. If nothing appears, look for noindex settings, robots.txt blocks or a missing sitemap. If your pages do appear, focus on keywords, content and your Google Business Profile.
Why is my WordPress website not showing on Google?
The most common cause is the 'Discourage search engines from indexing this site' option under Settings > Reading, which developers often leave ticked after a build. Also check your SEO plugin for noindex settings and confirm that your robots.txt file isn't blocking the site. Then submit your sitemap in Google Search Console.
Why is my Canva website not showing on Google?
Canva websites are usually single-page and give you limited control over titles, headings and site structure, which makes them harder to rank. Connect a custom domain, complete any page title and description fields your plan offers, and submit the site in Search Console. If you need to rank for multiple services or suburbs, consider moving to a WordPress or Shopify site.
How do I get Google to index my website faster?
Verify your site in Google Search Console, submit your XML sitemap and use the URL Inspection tool to request indexing for key pages. Link to your website from your Google Business Profile, social media accounts and reputable business directories. These links give Google more ways to discover your site.
Do I need SEO if I already have a website?
Yes. A website without SEO is like a shop with no signage on a back street. SEO makes sure Google can index your pages and understand what you offer. It also helps you rank for the local searches your customers actually use.
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