Why is my website not showing on Google? Here’s the steps that you missed.

“Why is my website not showing on Google?” There’s nothing more frustrating than pouring your heart and soul into crafting an article, only to realize it’s not attracting any traffic.

You search for your targeted keywords, but your content is nowhere to be found. Often, this happens because your page isn’t indexed by Google.

And before you panic, know this—getting indexed isn’t rocket science. In most cases, it’s just a matter of making sure Google actually knows your site exists.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through:

• Why indexing is the silent killer of new websites
• How Google actually decides what to index (and what to ignore)
• Step-by-step fixes—no technical jargon, just straight-up actionable steps
• Common mistakes that keep sites hidden (and how to avoid them)
• A few ninja tricks to get indexed faster

Without indexing, your content is essentially invisible on search engines. In this guide, we’ll explore how to get Google to index your site faster using RankMath, a powerful WordPress SEO plugin.

Stick around till the end for some bonus tips to enhance your indexing success.

Understanding Google Indexing and Why Your Site is Ghosting Google

Before diving into practical steps, it’s essential to grasp the basic concept of how Google indexing works.

Imagine throwing a party but forgetting to send out invites. That’s essentially what’s happening if your site isn’t indexed.

Google doesn’t magically know about every new website. It relies on two key processes:

1. Discovery (Crawling)

Google continuously searches for new and updated web pages using robots or spiders known as Google bots. These bots either follow links from known pages or use site maps provided by website owners to discover new content. Once a URL is found, the bot crawls the page to analyze its content and layout.

Google’s bots (called “spiders”) constantly crawl the web, following links from site to site.

If you check any of the below:

• No other sites link to yours
• You haven’t submitted a sitemap
• Your site is brand new

…there’s a good chance Google hasn’t found you yet.

2. Indexing

After a page is crawled, Google processes it to understand its purpose, meaning, and context. This includes analyzing the title tag, text content, alt attributes, images, and videos. The page is then sorted and ranked based on different search terms. Our focus here is to ensure your content gets indexed, setting the stage for better ranking.

Once Google discovers your page, it analyzes:

• Content quality (Is this actually useful?)
• Technical setup (Can Google read it properly?)
• Uniqueness (Is this just copied from somewhere else?)

If everything checks out, your page gets stored in Google’s index—AKA the database that powers search results.

No index = No rankings. Simple as that.

Steps to Get Your Pages Indexed to Force Google to Notice Your Site

Step 1: Claim Your Spot in Google Search Console

Think of Google Search Console (GSC) as your backstage pass to Google’s indexing system.

1. Go to Google Search Console
2. Add your site (Choose “URL prefix” for simplicity, or simply deciding whether you will use www. or not)
3. Verify ownership (The HTML file method is easiest for most)

This is non-negotiable. Without GSC, you’re flying blind.

Step 2: Submit a Sitemap (Google’s Roadmap to Your Site)

A sitemap is like handing Google a neatly organized list of all your important pages.

A sitemap is a file where you provide information about the pages, videos, and other files on your site, and the relationships between them. Search engines like Google read this file to crawl your site more intelligently.

For WordPress Users (The Easy Way):

1. Install Rank Math (or Yoast SEO)
2. Enable XML sitemaps (usually automatic)
3. Find your sitemap at yoursite.com/sitemap_index.xml
4. Paste it into GSC > Sitemaps

For Other Platforms:

• Squarespace/Wix: yoursite.com/sitemap.xml (auto-generated)
• Shopify: Use an app like Smart SEO
• Custom Sites: Generate one with Screaming Frog

Step 3: Manually Request Indexing (The Fast Pass)

Manual request means using the URL Inspection Tool

For individual pages, you can use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console to see if a page is indexed and request indexing if it’s not.

Found a page that’s still MIA?

• Open Google Search Console
• Use the URL Inspection Tool
• Paste the page URL
• Click “Request Indexing”

This is like tapping Google on the shoulder and saying, “Hey, check this out.”

Step 4: Enable Instant Indexing

For time-sensitive content, such as news articles or live events, instant indexing can be crucial. RankMath and some SEO plugins offers an Instant Indexing plugin for Google that allows you to send URLs directly to Google’s API.

1. Go to RankMath > Instant Indexing.
2. Add new URLs or updated URLs and hit “Send to API.”

Common Indexing Issues: Why Google Might Be Ignoring You (And How to Fix It)

Certain settings and content types can prevent your pages from being indexed:

Mistake #1: You Accidentally Blocked Google

Check:

• robots.txt (Visit yoursite.com/robots.txt—look for Disallow: /)
• noindex tags (View page source → search for noindex)

Mistake #2: Your Site Has Zero Backlinks

Google discovers most new sites through links. No links = Harder to get crawled.

Mistake #3: Thin or Duplicate Content

Google won’t waste time indexing:

• Pages under 300 words
• Copied product descriptions
• “Coming soon” placeholders

Bonus Tips for Better Indexing

Internal Linking

Leverage internal links from indexed pages to new content. This helps search engines discover your new pages faster.

Got an old post that’s already indexed? Link to your new page from it. Google crawls known pages frequently, so this acts like a bat signal.

Produce High-Quality Content

Always create unique, valuable content that directly answers specific queries. This increases the likelihood of your content being deemed worthy of indexing.

Manage Crawler Traps

For e-commerce sites, avoid creating too many filter-generated URLs, which can confuse search engines. Use your robots.txt file to block unnecessary pages from being crawled.

The Social Trigger

Posting on Twitter/LinkedIn with a link? Google’s crawlers monitor social signals. It’s not a ranking factor, but it can speed up discovery.

Wrapping Up: Why is My Website Not Showing on Google?

If your website isn’t showing up on Google, it’s likely because it’s not indexed.

Indexing involves two main phases: discovery and processing of your pages. To ensure your site gets indexed, you should submit your sitemap via Google Search Console using a plugin like RankMath (when using WordPress), utilize the URL Inspection tool for individual pages, and enable instant indexing for time-sensitive content.

Avoid common pitfalls such as duplicate content and improper use of robots.txt or meta tags and regularly monitor your indexing status and ensure your site’s settings are optimized for search engines.