Why My Website Is Not Ranking on Google
Google can be tricky. If you’re wondering why my website is not ranking on Google, there are several possible reasons your site may not appear in search results. In this guide, we explore the most common issues.
Why Your Website Is Not Ranking on Google Yet
It can take up to four weeks for a new website to begin showing in search engine results. While we are used to things happening instantly online, search engine indexing can be relatively slow. This is one of the most common reasons why my website is not ranking on Google, especially for new sites.
If your website has been live for some time, I can help you improve your Google Search Engine Rankings — simply get in touch.
No Index Tags Could Be Why Your Website Is Not Ranking on Google
It’s possible to add code that tells search engines not to index a website or specific pages. If you or your web designer have used this, it may explain why your site isn’t showing up.
Your Website Is Not Ranking on Google Due to Crawl Issues
Once submitted, Google sends a crawler (sometimes called a spider) to scan your website. These crawlers don’t see your site as a visitor would; they scan it for:
- Meta content
- Keyword usage
- Relevant text and structure
- Other ranking factors
That’s why it’s essential to think about what search engines actually “see” when they crawl your pages. Not all keywords are equal. It’s relatively easy to rank for irrelevant ones, but much harder to rank for profitable keywords that matter to your business. To learn more, check out my guide on keywords.
Another Reason Why My Website Is Not Ranking on Google
However, Google may temporarily or permanently remove websites from its index if they don’t meet its quality guidelines or for legal reasons. This can happen in different ways:
- Deindexed – your entire domain is removed from Google (sometimes referred to as “banned”).
- Penalised – your domain still exists, but none of your pages appear in results, even for exact searches. This can happen automatically through Google’s algorithm or via a manual penalty.
- Sandboxed – your site hasn’t been deindexed or penalised, but traffic from Google suddenly drops significantly.
You are blocking search engines from crawling your site
In some cases, WordPress includes a built-in option that allows you to block indexing. This needs to be unchecked if you want your site to appear in search results.
Get Help Ranking Your Website
Many business owners ask why my website is not ranking on Google even when their site looks professional. If you’re still wondering why your website is not ranking on Google, I can help improve your visibility and search performance.