Tag: website seo

If you search for your own website and it isn’t there, Google either hasn’t found it yet or something is stopping it. Both are fixable in an afternoon. Here’s the order I’d do it in.

Last updated: 23 October 2026 · By Alan Spicer, YouTube Certified Expert

Part of the Website SEO series.

How do I check if my website is on Google?

Type site:yourdomain.co.uk into Google, using your own domain. If results appear, Google has indexed at least some of your pages. If nothing appears, Google hasn’t indexed the site yet, or something is blocking it.

The site: search is a rough check. It doesn’t show every indexed page, and the count it gives is an estimate. For an exact answer on a single page, use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console, which I cover below. It tells you whether that page is indexed, when Google last crawled it, and why it was left out if it was.

Indexing is the step where Google stores a copy of your page so it can show it in results. Crawling comes first: Googlebot visits the page and reads it. A page can be crawled and still not indexed if Google decides it’s a duplicate, too thin, or blocked.

Step 1: Set up Google Search Console

Google Search Console is Google’s free tool for website owners, and it’s the single most useful thing you can set up on day one. It shows which pages are indexed, which searches bring people to your site, how many clicks you get, and any problems Google finds.

To set it up:

1. Create a Search Console property. Go to Google Search Console, sign in with a Google account and add your site. The Domain property covers every version of your site (www, non-www, http and https) and is the one I’d choose.
2. Verify that you own the site. Domain properties are verified by adding a TXT record at your domain registrar. URL-prefix properties can be verified with an HTML tag, a file upload, or your Google Analytics account.
3. Submit your XML sitemap. In Search Console, open Sitemaps and enter your sitemap address, usually /sitemap.xml or /sitemap_index.xml on WordPress with Yoast. This gives Google a list of every page you want indexed.
4. Request indexing for key pages. Paste your homepage URL into the URL Inspection bar at the top, then click Request indexing. Repeat for your main service or product pages. There’s a daily quota, so prioritise the pages that matter.
5. Fix anything blocking Google. Check that pages don’t carry a noindex tag, that robots.txt doesn’t block important folders, and that WordPress isn’t set to discourage search engines.
6. Get a few links pointing at the site. Add your site to your Google Business Profile, social profiles and any directories in your industry. Links help Google discover new sites faster.
7. Wait and monitor. Google’s own guidance says crawling can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Check the Pages report in Search Console each week.

Verification is the step people get stuck on. If your site is on WordPress, the Yoast or Rank Math plugin has a box for the HTML verification tag, which is the easiest route if you can’t get into your domain settings.

Step 2: Submit an XML sitemap

An XML sitemap is a file that lists every page on your site you want search engines to find. Most website builders create one automatically: WordPress with Yoast publishes /sitemap_index.xml, Wix and Squarespace publish /sitemap.xml.

Submitting it in Search Console doesn’t force Google to index everything, but it speeds up discovery and gives you a report on how many of the listed pages made it into the index. When a page appears in your sitemap but shows as “Discovered, currently not indexed” in Search Console, that’s a quality or crawl-budget signal worth looking into.

Step 3: Request indexing for your most important pages

Use the URL Inspection tool to ask Google to crawl a specific page, and save it for pages that matter. Google limits how many requests you can make, and asking twice for the same page won’t speed it up.

I request indexing for the homepage, the main service or product pages, and any new post I want picked up quickly. Everything else can wait for Google to find it through the sitemap and internal links. Requesting indexing doesn’t guarantee a page gets indexed. It only puts it in the queue.

What stops a website from appearing on Google?

Five problems account for almost every “my site isn’t on Google” message I see. Check these before you assume Google is ignoring you.

Fixes based on Google Search Central documentation and my own site launches.

The “Discourage search engines” box catches more people than anything else. Developers tick it while building a site so half-finished pages don’t get indexed, then forget to untick it at launch.

How long does it take for a new website to appear on Google?

A new website usually appears on Google within a few days to a few weeks of being submitted through Search Console, which matches Google’s own guidance on crawling times. Appearing is the easy part. Ranking on page one takes far longer.

Ahrefs studied two million new English-language pages and found that 6.11% reached Google’s top 10 within a year. Of the pages that did make the top 10, 40.82% got there within a month of being published. In other words, most pages never rank on page one, and the ones that do often move quickly because they target the right keyword with the right content.

That’s why the next steps after indexing are keyword research and content. Pick searches you can realistically win. My Semrush review covers the tool I’d use to find them, and the free version of Semrush lets you run 10 reports a day while you get started.

What should I do after my site is indexed?

Once Google has indexed your site, your job switches from “be found” to “be chosen”. Three things move rankings for a new site: pages that target searches people make, a site that’s fast and easy to use on a phone, and links from other sites.

Start with the searches. A tool like Semrush shows you what people type, how many people type it, and how hard it is to rank. Filter for low keyword difficulty, write the best page on the internet for that search, and link it from your homepage. Then track where it ranks.

If you run a YouTube channel alongside your site, embed your videos on relevant pages. It gives Google another reason to show your page, and my guide to ranking YouTube videos on Google shows how the two work together.

People also ask

Frequently asked questions

Do I need Google Search Console to get on Google?

No, Google can find your site without it, but Search Console makes it faster and tells you if something’s wrong. It’s free, so there’s no reason to skip it.

How often can I request indexing?

Google applies a daily quota to the Request indexing button and doesn’t publish the exact number. Requesting the same URL more than once won’t make Google crawl it faster, so save requests for important new or updated pages.

What does “Discovered, currently not indexed” mean?

Google knows the page exists but hasn’t crawled it yet, often because the site is new or Google has decided other pages are a higher priority. Improve internal links to the page and make sure it’s worth indexing.

What does “Crawled, currently not indexed” mean?

Google visited the page and chose not to index it. This usually points to thin, duplicate or low-value content. Improve the page or merge it with a similar one.

Will a sitemap get every page indexed?

No. A sitemap helps Google discover your pages, but Google still decides which to index based on quality and usefulness. The sitemap report shows how many listed pages were indexed.

Does paying for Google Ads help my site rank?

No. Google keeps ads and organic results separate. Paying for ads gets you into the ad slots only and has no effect on where your site ranks organically.

How do I get Google to show my new blog post faster?

Link to the new post from your homepage or a popular page, make sure it’s in your sitemap, and request indexing in URL Inspection. Sharing it on social media can also help Google find it sooner.