You've paid for a website, it looks good, and when you search for it on Google, nothing. Or a competitor shows up and you don't. It's a common worry for Brisbane and Gold Coast business owners.
The good news: the cause is usually one of a handful of things, and most can be checked in a few minutes. Some need a quick fix from your web developer. Others just need time or better pages.
This guide works through the checks in order. First, find out whether Google has your site at all. Then, if it does, work out why it isn't ranking.
Key takeaways
- First, find out which problem you have. A `site:yourdomain.com.au` search and a search for your business name show whether Google has your site at all.
- New sites take time. Google says "crawling can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks" (Google Search Central).
- A leftover noindex tag is a common cause after launch. Search Console's Page indexing report shows it as "URL marked 'noindex'". Your developer can remove it in minutes.
- Indexed but not found usually means weak pages. Give each service its own detailed page, and check narrower searches like a service plus your suburb.
- Your Business Profile is separate. Only verified businesses show on Maps, and new businesses can take up to a month to rank.
- Getting on Google is free. Google says "no one can guarantee a #1 ranking". Be wary of anyone who does.
How do you check if Google has your website?
Start with two quick searches. Google says that to see if your pages are indexed, you can "search for your site in Google Search" using a site: search (Google Search Central). It takes a minute and tells you which problem you have.
1. Search for site:yourdomain.com.au
Type site:yourbusiness.com.au into Google, with your own domain and no spaces. If you see a list of your pages, Google has indexed your site. If you see nothing, Google hasn't indexed it, and the next section is for you.
It's a rough check, not a full list. Google says the site: operator "doesn't necessarily return all the URLs that are indexed" (Google Search Central). A missing page here isn't proof it's missing from Google.
2. Search for your business name
Search your exact business name, then your name plus your suburb. If your website appears, Google knows who you are. If it doesn't appear even for your own name, there's usually a technical block or the site is very new.
3. Set up Google Search Console
Search Console is Google's free tool for website owners, and it's the only way to see exactly what Google thinks of your site. Ask your web developer to add you as an owner if you don't already have access. Two reports matter here:
- URL Inspection. Paste in any page address. Google shows whether that page is indexed and, if not, why.
- Page indexing. A list of every page Google knows about, sorted into indexed and not indexed, with the reason for each.
You'll use both in the fixes below.
Why hasn't Google indexed your website?
If the site: search comes back empty, Google either hasn't found your site yet or something is stopping it. Google lists the common reasons itself, including a site that "isn't linked to by other sites on the web" and a new site where "Google hasn't had time to crawl it yet" (Google Search Central). Work through these in order.
The site is brand new
Google needs to discover a site before it can show it. It says "crawling can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks" (Google Search Central). If your site went live last week, give it time, but help Google find it:
- Verify the site in Search Console.
- Submit your home page with URL Inspection and click Request indexing.
- Link to the website from your Google Business Profile and your social media profiles.
Requesting more than once doesn't help. Google says "requesting a recrawl multiple times for the same URL won't get it crawled any faster".
A noindex tag is telling Google to stay away
This is a very common cause after a new website launches. Developers often add a noindex tag while building the site, so the unfinished version stays out of Google, and then forget to remove it at launch.
In Search Console's Page indexing report, these pages show as URL marked 'noindex': Google "encountered a 'noindex' directive and therefore did not index it" (Search Console Help). On WordPress, check Settings > Reading and make sure "Discourage search engines from indexing this site" is unticked.
Once it's removed, request indexing for your main pages. Google won't notice the change until it visits again.
robots.txt is blocking Google
The robots.txt file tells Google which parts of your site it may visit. One wrong line can block the whole site. These pages show as URL blocked by robots.txt in the Page indexing report. Your developer can check the file at yourbusiness.com.au/robots.txt in seconds.
Note that robots.txt and noindex do different jobs. Google says robots.txt "is not a mechanism for keeping a web page out of Google" (Google Search Central). And for a noindex tag to work, "the page or resource must not be blocked by a robots.txt file" (Google Search Central). If you want a page hidden, use noindex alone.
The site is behind a password or still on a test address
If the site needs a login, or the live domain still points at a holding page, Google can't see your content. Check that your real domain (not a staging or test address) loads the finished site for someone who isn't logged in.
Google found pages but chose not to index them
The Page indexing report has two statuses that confuse people:
- Discovered - currently not indexed. "The page was found by Google, but not crawled yet." Usually a timing issue on new or large sites.
- Crawled - currently not indexed. "The page was crawled by Google but not indexed." Google looked and decided the page wasn't worth adding yet. Thin, duplicated or low-value pages often end up here.
Not every page needs to be indexed. Google says "don't expect every URL on your site to be indexed" (Search Console Help). Worry only if your important service pages are in this list.
Should you submit a sitemap?
It helps, but it isn't magic. A sitemap is a list of your pages that you submit in Search Console's Sitemaps report. Google says it "doesn't guarantee that all the items in your sitemap will be crawled and indexed", and that a small site of "about 500 pages or fewer" may not need one (Google Search Central). Most website platforms create one automatically, usually at /sitemap.xml, so submitting it takes a minute.
Did the site disappear after a rebuild?
If you were on Google before a new website went live, the usual causes are a leftover noindex tag, a blocked robots.txt or old page addresses with no redirects. Our guide to keeping your Google rankings during a website rebuild covers how to find and fix each one.
Your site is on Google, but nobody can find it. Why?
If your business name brings up your site but "plumber southport" doesn't, Google has indexed you but ranks other pages higher. That's a ranking problem, not an indexing one, and it's far more common. These are the usual reasons.
You're checking the wrong searches
Search your own business name and you should appear. Search "electrician brisbane" and you're up against every electrician in the city, plus directories and big brands. Start with narrower searches you can realistically win: a specific service plus your suburb, like "switchboard upgrade chermside".
Also check from the right place. Results change with the searcher's location, so a search from your office won't match a customer's view across town. Search Console's Performance report shows the real searches you appear for, and your average position, without that guesswork.
There's no page for what people search
Google ranks pages, not businesses. If your site has one "Services" page listing ten jobs, there's no strong page to show for any of them. Give each main service its own page with real detail: what's included, how long it takes, price ranges, photos of finished work and the questions customers ask.
Don't fix this with dozens of copied suburb pages. Google's spam policy treats pages "targeted at specific regions or cities that funnel users to one page" as doorway abuse (Google).
Your pages are thin or say the same as everyone else
A 150-word page that says "we offer quality service at competitive prices" gives Google nothing to rank. Pages that answer real questions, show real work and explain how you do things differently have a much better chance. If your pages were written for search engines rather than customers, rewrite them for customers.
The site is slow or hard to use on a phone
Google uses "the mobile version of a site's content" for indexing and ranking (Google). If your phone version hides text or takes ages to load, that's the version Google judges. Google's Core Web Vitals targets are a main image loading within 2.5 seconds, a response to taps within 200 milliseconds and a layout shift score of 0.1 or less (web.dev).
Competitors have more reputation
Google weighs how well known and trusted a site is. Businesses with years of reviews, links from local organisations and mentions in the news usually outrank a new site with none. You can't shortcut this, but you can build it: see our guide to local SEO in Brisbane and the Gold Coast for links and reviews that count.
Your site is new
New websites take time to build trust and earn links, even once every page is indexed. Expect months, not weeks, before broader searches move. In the meantime, Google Ads can put you on the first page for the searches that matter while SEO builds.
Could your site have a Google penalty or be hacked?
It's rare for a small business, but worth a two-minute check. Google says sites that break its spam policies "may rank lower in results or not appear in results at all" (Google Search Central). Search Console has a report for each problem.
Manual actions
A manual action means "a human reviewer at Google has determined that pages on the site are not compliant with Google's spam policies" (Search Console Help). Open Security & Manual Actions > Manual actions in Search Console. Most sites will see "No issues detected".
If there is one, it usually traces back to bought links, copied content or pages stuffed with keywords, often from an old SEO provider. Fix every affected page, then click Request Review. Google says fixing only some pages "will not earn you a partial return to search results".
Security issues and hacked sites
The Security issues report shows when Google finds hacked content, which it defines as "any content placed on your site without your permission because of security vulnerabilities in your site" (Search Console Help). Affected pages can show "a warning label in search results", which stops most people clicking.
Signs to look for: strange pages in your site: search (often in other languages or selling things you don't sell), a "This site may be hacked" note under your listing, or your site redirecting visitors elsewhere. Out-of-date WordPress plugins are a common way in. Ask your developer to clean the site, close the gap and update everything, then request a review in Search Console.
Why isn't your business showing on Google Maps?
Your website and your Google Business Profile are separate. Your site can be indexed while your business is missing from the map, or the other way round. Google says "only verified businesses can show their business info on Maps and Search" (Google Business Profile Help).
Check these:
- Is the profile verified? Sign in to the Google account that manages it and search "my business". If it asks you to verify, finish that first.
- Is it new? Google says "rankings for new businesses can take up to a month to appear in search results".
- Are edits pending? Google says edits "usually take up to 10 minutes to review, but sometimes it can take up to 30 days" (Google Business Profile Help).
- Is it suspended? Google may "suspend or disable Business Profiles that don't follow our guidelines" (Google Business Profile Help), often for keywords in the business name or an address that doesn't qualify. Use Google's appeal form. Don't create a second profile for the same business.
If your profile is live but you only appear for your own name, that's a local ranking question. Google ranks map results on relevance, distance and prominence, and our guide to local SEO in Brisbane and the Gold Coast walks through each one.
What shouldn't you pay for?
Getting on Google is free. Google says it "doesn't accept payment to crawl a site more frequently, or rank it higher" (Google Search Central), and "no one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google" (Google Search Central).
So be wary of:
- "Guaranteed page one" offers. Google warns: "Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings."
- Cold emails saying your site has errors. Google says to "be wary of SEO firms and web consultants or agencies that email you out of the blue".
- "Submit your site to 500 search engines" packages. Google finds sites through links and Search Console, at no cost.
- Bulk link packages. Links bought to manipulate rankings break Google's spam policies and can cause the very problem you're trying to fix.
The only way to pay for a spot on Google is Google Ads, and those are clearly labelled as sponsored. They can be a sensible stopgap while SEO builds; our guide to why Google Ads get clicks but no enquiries covers making them pay.
How long do the fixes take?
It depends on the cause. Google says indexing after a request "typically takes only a day or so" but "can take much longer in some cases" (Search Console Help).
| Cause | Typical wait after fixing |
|---|---|
| Brand new site | A few days to a few weeks for Google to crawl it |
| Leftover noindex tag or robots.txt block | Days once you request indexing; longer for pages Google visits less often |
| Business Profile not verified or edits pending | Up to 5 business days for verification reviews; edits up to 30 days |
| Manual action or hacked site | After your review request is processed |
| Indexed but ranking low | Months of better pages, reviews and links |
When should you get help?
You can do the first checks yourself. Bring in a web developer or SEO specialist when:
- Search Console shows errors you don't understand.
- Your important pages are stuck on "Crawled - currently not indexed".
- You've lost rankings after a new website went live.
- There's a manual action or security issue.
- Your site is indexed but still nowhere for the services that matter after a few months.
Ask anyone you hire to show you the Search Console reports behind their advice. A good provider will explain the cause in plain English before quoting a fix.
Frequently asked questions
Usually a few days to a few weeks. Google says "crawling can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks", and indexing isn't guaranteed. Verify the site in Search Console, request indexing for your home page and link to it from your Google Business Profile to help Google find it sooner.
Google has indexed your site, but other pages rank higher for those searches. That's normal for newer or thinner sites. Give each service its own detailed page, target a service plus your suburb first, and build reviews and local links. Expect improvement over months, not days.
Not in the unpaid results. Google says it "doesn't accept payment to crawl a site more frequently, or rank it higher". The only paid option is Google Ads, which shows your site in sponsored spots above or below the unpaid results for the searches you choose.
It helps Google find your pages but doesn't guarantee they'll be indexed. Google says a sitemap "doesn't guarantee that all the items in your sitemap will be crawled and indexed", and a site of "about 500 pages or fewer" may not need one. Most platforms create one automatically at /sitemap.xml.
The usual causes are a noindex tag left on from development, a robots.txt file blocking Google, or old page addresses with no redirects to the new ones. Check Search Console's Page indexing report for "URL marked 'noindex'" and "Not found (404)" errors, and fix them with your developer.
Where to start
Do the two-minute check today: search site: plus your domain, then your business name. If Google doesn't have your site, open Search Console and look for a noindex tag, a robots.txt block or a password. If it does, the job is better pages, reviews and links, and our guide to local SEO in Brisbane and the Gold Coast covers each step.
Want someone to check it for you? See our SEO service or get in touch.
