Website Not Showing Up in Google? Submit Your Sitemap

You've spent time building your website, but if people can't find it on Google, it can feel frustrating. So, why isn't your website showing up in Google? Often it's simply that Google hasn't found or indexed your pages yet.

A sitemap acts like a roadmap, helping Google find and understand all the key pages on your site. Submitting it, and checking your pages in Search Console, means Google isn't left to stumble across your content on its own, and your business has a better chance of showing up when people search for services like yours.

If you're wondering how to fix this, follow the steps below to make sure your website is properly set up to be found on Google.

How to get your website to show up in Google

Here's a simple, non-technical guide to help you get your website indexed by Google:

Step 1: Log in to Google Search Console

The first step to fixing why your website isn't showing up in Google is using Google Search Console. It's a free tool from Google that helps you understand how your site is performing in search results.

If you don't have a Google Search Console account, you'll need to sign up and add your website domain.

Step 2: Find the Sitemaps Section

Once you're in Google Search Console, look for the "Sitemaps" section under "Indexing." Click on it, and you'll see an option to "Add a new sitemap."

Step 3: Find and Add Your Sitemap

Good news: you probably already have a sitemap. A sitemap is a simple file that lists all the important pages on your site. Webflow creates one automatically at yourdomain.com.au/sitemap.xml (check Auto-generate sitemap is turned on in your site's SEO settings). Squarespace and Wix do this too, and on WordPress, SEO plugins like Yoast create one for you.

Open that link in your browser to check it works, then go back to Google Search Console, type sitemap.xml into the "Add a new sitemap" field and click "Submit."

Step 4: Check for Sitemap Errors

After submitting, Google will take some time to process your sitemap. It could take a few days, but Google Search Console will alert you if there are any issues. If there are problems, follow the instructions to fix them so your website can be properly indexed.

Bonus: Check Individual Pages with URL Inspection

Paste any page address into the search bar at the top of Search Console. If it says the URL isn't on Google, click Request indexing. If it says the page is excluded by a "noindex" tag, check your page settings, because that page is hidden from search on purpose or by accident. The Pages report under Indexing shows every page that isn't indexed and why.

Why Submitting Your Sitemap Helps Google Find Your Website

Now you may be wondering, "Why isn't my website showing up in Google even after submitting a sitemap?" Submitting your sitemap is a great start, but there are other factors that can impact your website's visibility, such as:

• Website Content: Make sure your website has useful, high-quality content that people are searching for.
• Mobile Optimisation: Google uses the mobile version of your site for indexing and ranking. If your site isn't optimised for mobile devices, it might not show up as often in search results.
• Backlinks: Links from other reputable websites to yours can boost your site's visibility.
• Time: A brand new site can take weeks to be crawled and months to rank well, so give it a little patience.

By submitting your sitemap and addressing these factors, you're taking key steps to make sure your site gets the visibility it deserves.

Still stuck? Here's where I can help

If setting up Google Search Console and submitting a sitemap sounds confusing, or you're still asking, "Why isn't my website showing up in Google?", you don't have to work it out alone.

Whether it's fixing technical issues, improving your website's local SEO, or making sure your site keeps appearing in search results, my Site Success Plans look after your Webflow site, SEO and AEO so it keeps getting found.