Wondering why is my website not showing up on Google these days? Learning that your business website doesn’t show up in Google search results is an embarrassing and confusing experience.
After spending hours researching SEO, or search engine optimization techniques and following this advice, it’s understandable that you would be frustrated.
However, even if your site isn’t performing its best now, it doesn’t mean that it never will. With that in mind, here are many reasons why your website may not show up on Google.
Table of Contents
Understand Google’s Ranking System
To boost your website’s visibility on Google, a solid grasp of Google’s ranking system is essential.
Let’s break down the key elements that influence where your website appears in search results.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Basics
When it comes to SEO, relevance is king. Incorporating relevant keywords strategically throughout your content helps Google understand what your site is all about. Meta tags, like meta descriptions and title tags, provide concise information about your web pages to search engines, impacting click-through rates.
Quality content that offers value to users is paramount. Engaging, informative, and well-written content not only attracts visitors but also boosts your site’s credibility in Google’s eyes.
Google Algorithms and Updates
Google’s algorithms, such as Panda, Penguin, and BERT, play a significant role in determining search rankings. Algorithm updates can affect your site’s visibility, for better or worse.
You may heard heard about the update going on right now affecting a lot of niche blogs. It is considered a core update.
Panda focuses on content quality, penalizing thin or duplicate content. Penguin targets spammy backlinks, emphasizing the importance of high-quality, relevant link building.
However, BERT is an AI-driven algorithm, hones in on understanding the context and nuances of search queries, rewarding websites that provide precise and valuable information.
Understanding these core components of Google’s ranking system is crucial for optimizing your website’s performance in search results.
By mastering SEO basics and staying informed about algorithm updates, you can improve your site’s visibility and attract more organic traffic.
Little To No Content On Your Website: #1 Reason Why Is My Website Not Showing Up On Google
Too much text on a webpage can frustrate and distract visitors, making it difficult for them to read your site. That being said, you shouldn’t get rid of text completely. Without this information on your site, Google can’t and won’t reward you with a ranking.
Because of this, you should write a page for every product or service you offer and consider starting a blog for extra content too.
Having a blog is a great way to have your website updated frequently, which Google loves as long as you keep it updated.
Posting Low-Quality Content
While it is crucial that you post content to your site, you must remember that quality is more important than quantity. Poor-quality and thin content that offers very little to your readers isn’t going to make Google happy.
Duplicated or “copied” content can be a major problem too. Everything that you post must of the highest quality possible, as well as informative and unique.
Many experts say you need to have long-form content but if the content is useless do shorten your content. Why use words just to take up space on your website?
Another way to add quality content is to add eye-catching graphics with correct alt images and videos. As long as the images and videos are labeled for SEO this will help boost your page on Google too.
Selling A “Taboo” Product
Depending on the product or service that you sell, Google might take a disliking to you from day one. Certain “taboo” topics, like alcohol and drugs, are often restricted by the search engine, even if you’re marketing a rehabilitation center.
For this reason, you should invest in drug rehab marketing experts. They have the experience and knowledge to help you get noticed regardless.
Using The Wrong Keywords
Fitting keywords into your website and content is a tricky task. Sometimes the terms that you use are too broad, whereas other times they may be too technical.
The remedy to this issue is performing a keyword analysis of phrases that you think would rank well or you want to rank well for. There are many tools that you can use to do this job, including one by Google itself.
You can use their Google keyword planner. Another great keyword tool is Ubersuggest by Neil Patel.
User Intent
It’s essential to strike a balance between optimizing your content for relevant keywords and meeting the users’ search intent. Understanding what users are looking for when they type in a search query can help you create content that addresses their needs effectively.
By aligning your content with user intent, you can improve your chances of ranking higher on Google searches.
Neglecting To Add Links Could Be Why Your Website Doesn’t Show Up On Google
Linking back to content within your website, as well as other external sites shows Google that you are trustworthy and reputable. It also provides additional value to your site users, which is something Google approves of. This is known as internal linking.
Because of this, you should go through your pages and make links where you can. Just make sure that you don’t link too much or do so to useless sites.
Do check your website for orphan content. That is content that hasn’t been linked on your website internally.
Both internal and external links play a role in your website’s SEO efforts and are being seen on Google today.
Fixing these orphan content pages or posts will surely help your site show up on Google.
Backlinks and Authority – Another Reason Why Is My Website Not Showing Up On Google
Backlinks play a crucial role in determining a website’s authority and visibility on Google. Quality and quantity of backlinks from authoritative sites can significantly impact search rankings.
Backlink Quality and Quantity
Having high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites signals to search engines that your site is trustworthy and valuable. When reputable sites link back to your content, it increases your website’s credibility and relevance in Google’s eyes.
These quality backlinks act as upvotes for your site, boosting its chances of ranking higher in search results.
Conversely, low-quality backlinks can have a negative impact, potentially resulting in lower rankings or even penalties from search engines.
Domain Authority and Trustworthiness
Domain authority encompasses factors such as domain age, trustworthiness, and credibility. Google values websites with established domain history and a track record of providing reliable information.
A website that has been around for a longer period and has consistently delivered quality content is more likely to be perceived as trustworthy by search engines.
Building trust with your audience through consistent, authoritative content can also translate into improved rankings on Google.
Overlooking Your Mobile Users
These days, more people access the internet using mobile devices, like phones and tablets, than they do desktop computers. This means that having a site optimized for these devices is crucial.
If you don’t, you’ll not only alienate your mobile users but Google too. Consumers now spend at least 5 hours a day on their mobile devices! That is a lot of time searching on mobile.
Your website needs to be responsive across a range of different devices of all shapes and sizes.
Website Indexing Problems
One of the primary reasons your website may not be appearing on Google is due to indexing issues. These can arise from directives like the robots.txt file, ‘noindex’ tags on web pages, or errors in the XML sitemap.
The robots.txt file tells search engines which pages to crawl and index, while ‘noindex’ tags prevent specific pages from showing up in search results. If these are not configured correctly, it could prevent Google from properly indexing your website, resulting in poor visibility.
You can check in your Google Search Console if your site is indexing your content or not. If not, you can request that they do.
Monitoring and Adjusting SEO Strategies
In the fast-paced digital landscape, monitoring and adjusting your SEO strategies are crucial for maintaining and improving your website’s visibility. Regularly track the performance of your target keywords to gauge their effectiveness in driving organic traffic.
Experiment with different strategies, such as creating targeted content or building quality backlinks, to boost your site’s visibility in search results.
By continuously optimizing your SEO efforts, you can ensure that your website remains resilient and competitive in the ever-evolving digital world. It’s like doing housework, it is NEVER done.
Final Note: Is Your Website Showing Up On Google Today?
In conclusion, if your website is not showing up on Google, it’s crucial to conduct a thorough SEO audit to identify any underlying issues. Ensure your website is optimized for relevant keywords, has high-quality content, and is mobile-friendly.
Additionally, focus on building high-quality backlinks and improving your website’s loading speed.
By implementing these strategies and staying up to date with SEO best practices, you can increase your website’s visibility on Google and attract more organic traffic.
Don’t get discouraged; with persistence and the right approach, your website can climb the ranks on Google search results.
I’d love to know why your website isn’t showing up on Google or if it is how well it is showing up in searches?
She has 30+ years of experience in marketing/advertising with 12 years of experience in content marketing, social media, blogging, and SEO.
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Hi Lisa, thanks for sharing valuable content. your article made me realize the importance of quality backlinks, as I was wondering why my DA score is not increasing despite having so many backlinks, but now realize that low-quality backlinks are not significant for website DA. Can you suggest some sites through which I can get high-quality backlinks?
Hi Ailyana, welcome to Inspire To Thrive. I would recommend this FREE tool to find some in your niche: https://ahrefs.com/website-authority-checker. Thanks for coming by and have a great day.
Thank you so much Lisa, for sharing this 6 tips.
Can you please guide me little that how can we choose correct keywords?
Till now I was choosing wrong keywords??
Hi Ankush, welcome to Inspire to Thrive. Use tools like Ubersuggest to find your correct keywords. You can also use Google keyword planner but you do need a Google ad account for it. Thanks for coming by and have a great day!
Hey Lisa,
When I first started blogging (still a beginner), I didn’t think that Keywords play a huge role. Now I know how stupid I was.
Thank you very much for sharing this fantastic article and for showing us the basics of SEO.
Hi Nirodha, welcome to Inspire To Thrive. Yes, keywords can certainly plan a role today as well as semantics. You are most welcome and I hope you check out the newest piece by Enstine here on SEO today. Have a great day and thanks for coming by!
This is spot on Lisa.
One of the reasons why your posts might not be showing up on Google could be because you’re new.
Sometimes you just need to apply SEO best practices and be patient.
Cheers!
Thank you Tanyi, yes patience can go a long way! IT does take some time to show up on Google. Those bots are really busy working away. Thanks for coming by on this and have a great day!
We really need those links in and out Lisa to look good in Google’s eyes. Content is king in search. Even folks who do not go gaga with links still seem to rank high if they smack it out of the park with their content. Fuel that drives all search engine growth. Super post again; well done.
Hi Ryan, oh yes, I’m still working on the old orphan content here too. Those internal links always need some work it seems. Thank you for coming by and have a wonderful Wednesday, what is left of it on your side of the world Ryan.
Lisa: Do you have a favorite (free) keyword finder tool?
Yes, Ubersuggest by Neil Patel, it’s awesome Martin. And it’s FREE and easy to use!
All around great tips Lisa,
I’d like to add that anchor text optimization can hurt you, a lot. For example if you have 20 pages and all link to 21-st but, with exactly the same anchor text, then it looks like manipulation to Google and they will keep you suppressed for that keyword until you loosen up with overoptimisation.
Cheers:)
Thank you Nikola, great tip! I have to check one of mine out for that one. I think those 200 ranking factors may have increased this past year, no? Do have a great day and weekend ahead. I’m still working on that other issue for you here.
Hi Lisa,
The reasons you provided can make you sire disappear from Google’s results Page. However, I want to add that if your website does not have index tags, it will not appear on Google. Your web designer might mistakingly add a custom code when designing your site, that would prevent it from appearing on searches.
Another apparent reason could be that your site is not well optimized for search engine bots. It means that when search engine bot crawls your site, they scan your website for relevant content, keywords, meta description, and other content materials to understand and index your pages. But when these materials that will enable Google spider to understand your web content are not there, your blog or website will nor appear on Google.
They scan your site for meta content, keyword saturation, relevant content, and many other factors.
Additionally, if you are using competitive keywords to optimize your content, you will not be seen anywhere on Google.
Hi Moss, thank you for that input! Those spiders are getting harder to work on our sites these days. Oh yes, I’m always checking on those competitive keywords and going more for the long tail ones today. I appreciate your input on all of this Moss. Do have a great day and weekend ahead.
Hey Lisa,
I didn’t know that Taboo related topics are not liked by Google much. Although I don’t write on these topics, but still this is really new to me.
All the points which you have written are genuine. People really don’t know how to add keywords in a blog post. If you have any suggestions for keywords i.e. how to use keywords in an article it would be really appreciable.
Regards
Hi Kaushal, first do get a gravatar so your comments do not end up in spam. Then check out Ubersuggest tool by Neil Patel. It will help you to determine which keywords to use in your article. A great plugin to use to guide you is Yoast for SEO. You can use the free version for it or invest in the premium version. I hope that helps!
Thanks Lisa.
I had made my gravator account but I think I need to check it whether it is working out not.
Also, I will definitely go for ubersuggest. It’s really brilliant tool which, I guess, has a lot of features in its free version.
So far it it is NOT working. Just do an update.) And then you should be good. Be sure to add the email address you are using when you comment around the web. Have a nice weekend!
? If a person’s website is new, it may take approximately three to four weeks before it is indexed by Google.
And, the various points that you have made are indeed valid!
Hi Renard, thanks for that feedback, good to know! I’m actually working on a new one so that’s awesome to know. Thanks for coming by and have a great day and weekend ahead Renard.
Hey Lisa,
Gone are those days to manipulate Google and rank thin, poor pages. With Semantic SEO coming in, it will become even more difficult to see page #1 with scanty websites except where competition is completely ZERO.
But we all know it already: Google and other search engines are out for the best for their users. It really has to begin with great content that envelops the intent of searchers. Without this, one should expect less.
Oh thanks for the shout out. I believe that post is a worthy extension to your article here Lisa.
Do have a wonderful week and thanks for the engagement
I’m glad those days are over Enstine. In a way it’s easier today but in another way the competition is more fierce at the same time.
It really is worthy of that Enstine, that is why it’s there! Thank you.
I hope you have a great weekend ahead Enstine.
Hey Lisa! These are all great and valid reasons why our blogs don’t show up in my Google. I just checked my new blog of a week or so and it’s not there yet but my Facebook is. Weird? Thankfully, Virtual Bren is there so I have no worries at this time. Thanks for sharing these tips with us! The weekend is almost here!
Hi Bren, it will take time to show up, as Renard stated it usually takes 3-4 weeks. It has to propogate and then get picked up by the Google bots. Facebook is a different animal in so many ways. Yes, do keep that website whatever you do Bren. Thanks for coming by, today is surely flying by here. Have a great afternoon Bren.