Why Is My New Website Not Showing on Google?

Building a beautiful new website is exciting. You’ve invested time, money, and effort into creating a professional online presence. But what if your new website is not showing on Google? It can be incredibly frustrating, especially if you expected to see traffic and leads right away. At Greenlight Designs, we’ve helped countless businesses through this issue. In this blog, we’ll explore why your website isn’t ranking and what you can do to fix it.

Understanding How Google Works

Google Relies on Crawling and Indexing

To show your website in its search results, Google first needs to crawl and index it. Crawling is when Google’s bots visit your website and scan its content. Indexing is when Google saves and categorizes your pages into its giant database. If your site hasn’t been crawled or indexed yet, it simply won’t appear in search results.

How Long Does It Take?

For a brand-new website, it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for Google to index it. Usually, if everything is set up properly, Google will find and index your site within a week or two. However, problems with your website’s setup can delay this process — or prevent it entirely.

Top Reasons Your Website Isn’t Ranking

Your Site Is Too New

This is often the simplest explanation. If your website just launched within the past few days or weeks, it may not have had enough time to appear in search results. It takes time for Google to notice and trust a new website.

No One Is Linking to Your Site

Links from other websites act like “votes” in Google’s eyes. If no one is linking to your site, Google might see it as unimportant. Building backlinks from reliable sources can help Google discover and trust your website faster.

The Site Was Not Submitted to Google

While Google can usually find new websites on its own, sometimes it needs a little nudge. Submitting your website to Google Search Console can make a big difference. At Greenlight Designs, we always make sure our clients’ sites are connected to important tools like Google Search Console to speed up visibility.

You Don’t Have SEO-Friendly Content

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the key to getting noticed online. If your site doesn’t use proper keywords, has thin or duplicate content, or misses important tags, Google won’t know how to rank it. We often see new sites with fancy layouts but little useful content, which hurts their chances of ranking. Greenlight Designs provides tailored SEO strategies to help ensure each site we develop is optimized from day one.

Your Site Uses “Noindex” Tags

A common mistake made during development is accidentally blocking Google from indexing a site. This usually happens when developers leave a “noindex” tag or disallow instructions in the robots.txt file. Unless these are removed, your site won’t show up at all. Our developers at Greenlight Designs always perform quality checks to ensure your site is fully open to search engines upon launch.

Your Website Isn’t Mobile-Friendly

Google prioritizes mobile-friendly sites. If your site doesn’t display or function well on phones and tablets, it can hurt rankings. We specialize in responsive web design, ensuring all Greenlight Designs websites perform smoothly on every device.

The Site Loads Too Slowly

Page speed is a ranking factor. If your website loads slowly, Google is less likely to rank it highly. Compressing images, removing unnecessary code, and using caching can improve speed. At Greenlight Designs, we optimize performance as part of our standard web design package.

Your Website Lacks a Clear Structure

Google prefers websites with a clean, organized structure. If your pages are hard to navigate, lack proper internal linking, or have confusing menus, this can impact your visibility. Greenlight Designs follows best practices in information architecture to enhance both user experience and SEO performance.

How to Check If Your Site Is Indexed

Use Google Search

Type “site:yourdomain.com” into Google’s search bar. If no results show, it means your website hasn’t been indexed yet. This test is quick and easy, and we use it often to help clients diagnose visibility problems.

Use Google Search Console

Signing up for Google Search Console gives insight into how your website is performing. You can see what pages are indexed, track keyword rankings, and catch errors. Greenlight Designs helps clients connect and interpret Google Search Console data to build better strategies.

Steps to Get Your Website Ranking Faster

1. Submit Your Site to Google

Log in to Google Search Console, paste your URL, and request indexing. This tells Google you’re open for business and eager to be found.

2. Build Out Quality Content

Content is king when it comes to SEO. Add helpful blog posts, detailed product descriptions, FAQs, and more. Use keywords your audience is searching for, like “new website not showing on Google” or “why website isn’t ranking”. Greenlight Designs tailors content creation to draw in your ideal customers and help you climb the rankings.

3. Start a Link Building Campaign

Gain backlinks from credible websites in your industry. Guest blogging, press releases, and digital partnerships can help your site gain authority. We create custom link-building strategies as part of our broader digital marketing solutions.

4. Make Sure Your Site Is Mobile-Friendly

Check how your site looks and functions on mobile devices. If it’s hard to use on a phone, you’re likely losing traffic and rankings. All websites by Greenlight Designs are built with mobile users in mind from the start.

5. Speed Things Up

Optimize image sizes, use caching, and minimize scripts to load your website faster. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help analyze performance. If you’re not sure where to start, our experts at Greenlight Designs offer speed optimization as part of our SEO service packages.

6. Use Clear Titles and Metadata

Each page on your site should have unique, keyword-rich titles and meta descriptions. This tells Google—and users—what each page is about. Our team helps clients create optimized metadata for better results in search engines.

7. Start Blogging Regularly

Consistent blogging is a great way to add fresh content and rank for new keywords. For example, writing a post about “why my website isn’t ranking” can attract users searching for solutions. Greenlight Designs offers blogging services to keep your content calendar full and effective.

8. Secure Your Website with HTTPS

Google favors secure websites. If your website doesn’t use HTTPS, it may rank lower in search results. Ensuring your site has a valid SSL certificate not only helps with SEO but also builds trust with visitors. Greenlight Designs includes security and SSL setup in all of our hosting and maintenance plans.

9. Optimize Images and File Sizes

Large, uncompressed images can drastically slow down your website. Optimizing media files is an easy win for improved page speed and SEO. Greenlight Designs uses best practices for media optimization to deliver fast-loading websites without sacrificing quality.

10. Create an XML Sitemap

An XML sitemap helps search engines understand the structure of your site. Submitting your sitemap through Google Search Console ensures your pages are easily found and indexed. Our developers at Greenlight Designs always generate and submit sitemaps for clients as part of the launch process.

Work With an Expert to Get Found Faster

SEO can be overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to run a business. Partnering with professionals ensures your website is set up to perform from day one. At Greenlight Designs, we don’t just build websites – we build complete digital ecosystems that generate leads, engage users, and support your brand image.

What Makes Greenlight Designs Different?

With over 15 years of experience helping businesses in Waterford, Wisconsin and the greater Southeast Wisconsin area, Greenlight Designs offers a personal yet professional approach unlike any other. Our strategic services are designed for growth while reflecting the unique identity of every brand.

Our Full-Service Approach

We provide a comprehensive suite of digital marketing solutions including:

– Custom web design and development

– On-page and off-page SEO

– Local SEO strategies

– Social media management

– Photography and videography

– Brand and graphic design

Whether you’re a local startup or an established business looking to scale, we have the tools and expertise to help you grow.

Conclusion: You’re Not Alone—And There’s a Solution

If your new website is not showing on Google, don’t panic. There are several common reasons this can happen, many of which can be resolved quickly. In most cases, some technical fine-tuning and SEO improvements can make a big difference. At Greenlight Designs, we help clients identify exactly why their website isn’t ranking and provide clear, actionable solutions to get them back on track.

Need help getting your website noticed? Contact Greenlight Designs today and let us help your business shine online.