You built a website, but when you search for your business or your services, it does not appear on Google. This is common, and it usually has a clear cause. Work through the checks below, starting with the simplest.
1. Google may not have found your site yet
A new website can take days or weeks to be discovered. Make sure your site has an XML sitemap and that it has been submitted in Google Search Console, a free tool from Google. Linking to your site from other websites and your social profiles also helps Google find it.
2. Your site may be blocked from indexing
WordPress has a setting that asks search engines not to index a site. Developers often switch it on during construction and forget to switch it off. Check Settings, then Reading, and make sure the option to discourage search engines is not ticked. Also check that no page has a noindex tag and that your robots.txt file does not block your whole site.
3. You are searching for the wrong thing
Searching for your exact business name is different from searching for a service. A new site may appear for its own name first, and for services only after it builds trust. Think about the words customers really type, such as the service and the city.
4. Your pages do not match what people search for
Each page should focus on one main topic. If your homepage tries to cover everything, it may not rank for anything. Give each service its own page with a clear title, heading and helpful content.
5. Thin or copied content
Pages with only a few lines, or text copied from other sites, rarely perform well. Write original, useful content that answers real questions. Explain what you offer, who it is for and how it works.
6. Your site is slow or hard to use on a phone
Google looks at the experience on mobile devices. Large uncompressed images, heavy plugins and poor hosting slow a site down. Test your pages on a phone and fix anything awkward. Reliable hosting makes a difference.
7. Technical errors
Broken links, duplicate pages, missing titles and pages that redirect in circles can all confuse search engines. A technical audit finds these problems. This is part of our SEO services.
8. Strong competitors
Popular searches like website design in Nigeria are competitive. It can take months of steady work to move up. Specific searches, such as a service in your city, are often easier to win first.
9. Your site was hacked
Hacked sites can show spam, redirect visitors or get flagged by Google. If you see strange pages or warnings, get help straight away. See our hacked website repair service.
How to check quickly
- Search Google for site:yourdomain.com. If nothing appears, your site is not indexed.
- Open Google Search Console and look for indexing messages.
- Check Settings, Reading, in WordPress for the search engine visibility option.
- Test your homepage on a phone.
What not to believe
No company can guarantee first place on Google. Be careful with anyone who promises it. Good SEO is steady work: fix the technical basics, create useful pages and earn trust over time.
If you want help finding out why your website is not appearing, contact Nihtem and we will review it.