Why isn’t my new website showing on Google yet?

Getting shown on Google requires SEO (Search Engine Optimization), which Google first needs to discover, crawl, and index your website. This can take weeks, and still does not guarantee that your site will always show up on page 1 of Google's search results.

Follow the steps below to make sure your site shows up on Google.

Check you haven't hidden it

Worth 10 seconds before anything else: if Hide from search engines is switched on for your project, Google won't index it no matter what else you do.

Click Update on the project → Customize project → Access settings, and check it's off.

1. Set up Google Search Console

The best way to help Google find your website is to add it to Google Search Console.

Google Search Console is a free tool from Google that lets you:

• Submit your website to Google
• Check whether your pages are indexed
• See if Google finds any issues
• Track your search performance over time

To get started, go to Google Search Console, add your domain, and follow the verification steps.

2. Submit your sitemap, if you have one

A sitemap is a file listing every page on your site. If your site has one, submit it in Google Search Console to help Google find your pages faster.
We don't generate sitemaps automatically. If you built your site with a framework like Hugo, Jekyll or Next.js, it probably produced one already — look for sitemap.xml in your uploaded files. If you uploaded a single page or a PDF, you won't have one and you don't need one; Google will find the page from the address alone.

3. Make sure your website has useful content

Google is more likely to index and rank pages that have clear, helpful content.

At minimum, your website should include:

• A clear page title
• A short description of what your site is about
• Useful text on the page, not just images
• Relevant headings
• Working links
• A mobile-friendly layout

Avoid publishing an empty page, a placeholder page, or a page with only one sentence. Google may not consider it useful enough to show.

4. Use clear page titles and descriptions

Each page should have a clear title and description.

For example, instead of: “Home”, use something more specific like: “Lina’s Handmade Ceramics | London”

This helps Google understand what your page is about and makes your site more useful in search results.

5. Get links to your website

Google discovers websites faster when other websites link to them.

You can help by adding your website link to:

• Your social media profiles
• Your LinkedIn page
• Your business directory listings
• Your email signature
• Other websites you own

The more trusted places that link to your site, the easier it is for Google to find it.

6. Be patient

SEO takes time. Connecting a custom domain and publishing your site makes it live, but Google search visibility is a separate process.

A good first SEO checklist is:

1. Publish your website
2. Connect your custom domain
3. Add your site to Google Search Console
4. Submit your sitemap
5. Add clear titles and useful content
6. Share your website link from other places
7. Wait for Google to crawl and index your site

Once Google has indexed your website, it can start appearing in search results. Ranking well for competitive keywords usually takes more time and continued SEO work.

Updated on: 20/08/2026