5 Reasons Why Your Website Might Not Be Showing in Google

No index tag

If you’re a small business owner or marketing professional, chances are you’ve been asking yourself this question: Why doesn’t my business show up on Google?

Well, it’s not as simple as you think.

Google is the most powerful search engine on the planet, with a market share of approximately 88% as of June 2021. It’s the search engine that most people use to find things online, and it’s the one that most businesses prioritize their time and attention to.

With so much competition and Google’s ever-changing algorithms, landing on Google’s top pages can be a real challenge.

Why Doesn’t My Business Show Up on Google?

Google has become the king of searches, and many businesses understandably wonder why they aren’t getting found in search results.

With nearly two trillion searches happening per year, the reasons for not being found on Google are incredibly varied, and it’s essential to understand them to make the right decisions for your business.

If you’re asking yourself this question, you’ll want to take notes on the following most common reasons why your business doesn’t appear on the search engine giant.

5 Reasons Why Your Business Doesn’t Show Up on Google

We all want to rank higher on Google. But what if your website doesn’t even show up on Google? That happens all the time.

It’s not always an obvious fix, even if you have a top-notch website. If you’ve been asking the question, “Why doesn’t my business show up on Google,” then you’ll want to verify whether or not you fall into one of the following five pitfalls:

1. Your Website Hasn’t Been Indexed

Likely, one of the top reasons your business doesn’t show up on Google is because it hasn’t been indexed for one reason or another. When Google indexes a site, the search engine’s crawlers visit your site, analyze its content for relevant keywords and information, and then store it in their index.

Picture this index as an index in a library or book. It lists information about each website/webpage it visits. The index allows Google to show you relevant search results when you search for something on the search engine.

If your site hasn’t been properly indexed, it won’t appear in Google’s search results.

It’s a New Site

If your site is brand new, then your website isn’t likely to have been indexed yet. Google will receive new information on your website only when you make it available.

Keep in mind, however, that it may take several months for Google to index your site.

You’ve Included “No Index” Tags

If you’ve used a website builder like WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, or another, you’re likely to include a “no index” tag on your website.

“No index” tags disable the search engine crawlers from indexing your site so that it will remain invisible to Google.

If you’re worried your site may not appear on Google, remove the “no index” tags.

You’ve Recently Restructured Your Website

You’ll want to consider whether you’ve recently done some website restructuring for existing websites that have trouble getting indexed on Google. This can include a change in the URLs and the addition of subdomains.

If you’ve recently restructured your website, then it’s possible that Google has not yet been able to crawl and index your new site. You could be suffering from broken links or improper redirects. So, you’ll want to check and fix any broken links on your website.

Google Can’t Crawl Your Site

Google can’t crawl your website if you haven’t included the proper meta tags. Google needs to know the following information to crawl your site properly:

  • The title tag
  • The description tag
  • The keywords tag
  • The robots.txt file
  • The sitemap

2. You Haven’t Claimed Your Google My Business Listing

Another common reason your business may not appear on Google is that you haven’t taken advantage of your free Google My Business listing.

A Google My Business Listing is essentially a free listing on Google that allows your business to appear in Google search results.

It’s a great way to promote your business on Google. It offers your audience quick access to relevant information, such as your website, business hours, etc.. It allows you to collect user reviews/testimonials, which can have a powerful impact on your business.

Setting up your account is easy – ensure you include all relevant details to help your brand be easily found.

You Haven’t Verified Your Google My Business Listing

One important step that gets forgotten often is the verification step of setting up your Google My Business Listing.

It won’t appear on Google’s search results if you don’t follow the necessary steps to verify your Google My Business listing.

Your Google My Business Listing Has Been Suspended

Finally, if your business isn’t showing up on Google despite having a Google My Business listing set up and verified, you’ll need to check and see if your listing has been suspended and why.

In most cases, your Google My Business listing was suspended because it went against their guidelines. Google enforces strict guidelines for Google My Business listings to ensure they are only used for legitimate reasons.

You can ask for reinstatement, and Google’s team will help guide you along the process to ensure that there wasn’t a mistake made on their part.

3. You’re Lacking Location Authority

Location authority refers to the credibility a business holds in a specific area.

For instance, if you type into Google “Starbucks near me,” you’re going to get several results, including a Google Maps result that highlights the Starbucks location nearest to you.

When determining the local authority of a business, Google will take into consideration three primary factors, including:

  • Local links
  • Local citations
  • Customer reviews

Each of these aspects pertains to your search engine optimization practices. The more attention you pay to your local SEO best practices, both on-page and off-page, the better your chances of building your location authority and appearing on Google’s top listings for “near me” searches.

You can also help boost your local authority by verifying your physical location on your Google My Business listing.

4. You Haven’t Tapped Into The Powers of Social Media

Suppose your website is up and running, you’ve taken advantage of your Google My Business listing, and you’re still not showing up on Google. In that case, you’re likely not taking advantage of the many channels available to you – especially social media.

With over half the world’s population (53.6%) now using social media, your brand must be taking advantage of the opportunity to connect with your audience but use social media to help boost your presence online.

When someone enters a brand into the Google search bar, they may not be immediately presented with the brand’s website, especially if it is new or hasn’t been indexed yet. Instead, you’ll likely be presented with a link to the brand’s social media profiles.

Take advantage of these channels to increase your visibility on Google and other search engines! If your audience sees that you are active and interacting with others on these platforms, then it will go a long way in helping you boost your credibility.

5. You’re Lacking Proper Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

If you’re a small business owner or marketing professional, chances are you’ve heard about search engine optimization (SEO) and its power. However, if you’re not employing SEO tactics, there’s a good chance you’re not seeing your business show up on Google and other search engines.

SEO is a very important aspect of your digital marketing strategy. It’s how you can “get found” on Google, Bing, and other search engines.

There are many types of SEO, and each one can be optimized differently. If you’re not using the proper SEO tactics, your business may not find the right audience.

The most common types of SEO that small businesses fall into include:

On-Page SEO

On-page SEO is the process of using keyword research to optimize the content you share on your website, including your blogs, web pages, product descriptions, etc.

By conducting keyword research, you can identify keyword opportunities relevant to your brand and audience and are commonly used by your audience to find information. Using these keywords in your content helps tell Google what your content is about and how relevant your content is to a specific searcher. If they deem your content relevant, it has a higher chance of being indexed on Google’s search results.

Off-Page SEO

Your off-page SEO is a similar process to that of on-page SEO. However, instead of optimizing your website’s content, you are using the keywords to optimize your other content that is found outside your website, including your social media content and your Google My Business information.

Technical SEO

Your technical SEO is also an offshoot of off-page SEO, although it still pertains to your website and everything that goes on behind the scenes.

  • HTML Tags
  • JavaScript
  • Site Architecture
  • URL Structure
  • XML Sitemaps

Get Your Business on Google with These Tips

If you run a business, you know that having your website on Google is essential to your success. If you’ve been having trouble finding your website on the search engine giant, then you’ll want to implement the following tips:

Claim, Verify, and Optimize Your Google My Business Listing

First, you must head over to Google and claim your free Google My Business profile. Make sure you follow each setup step to ensure that you get everything set up and optimized right and then follow through on verifying your listing.

Take your time, ensure you input the correct business information, and use the right keywords to get your brand noticed.

Know Which Social Media Platforms Your Audience is Using and Get on There

While social media is a must-have, you don’t need to be on every platform available! That can hurt you more than it helps.

You want to take some time to see where your audience is spending their time online and even consider conducting a competitor analysis to help identify where your competitors are spending their social media marketing bucks.

Don’t waste your time and resources on a platform that doesn’t suit the needs of your audience.

Take Full Advantage of Best SEO Practices

Now, you understand how crucial SEO is to your brand and getting it found on Google. However, SEO isn’t a one-and-done process.

Make sure you are fully aware of the latest SEO best practices for on-page, off-page, local, and technical SEO to ensure you are making the most of your SEO efforts.

You’ll also want to regularly conduct SEO audits to ensure your content is continuously performing at its peak.

Hire The Necessary Help

If you are still asking, why doesn’t my business appear on Google? If you’ve tried the tips above and are still struggling, then it may be wise to consider hiring a professional.

An SEO or digital marketing consultant can help you take your online presence to the next level.

Get Your Business Online with Help from CadenceSEO

CadenceSEO is a full-service digital marketing agency that helps small businesses get found on Google and helps them build their brand and strengthen their online presence. They understand that the digital landscape is constantly evolving, and you must take advantage of the latest trends and best practices to ensure your business is always reaching its full potential.

Don’t let your business slip through the cracks. If you’re struggling to find your website on Google and other search engines, then it’s time to contact CadenceSEO and get your business back on track.

Ready to get started? Then, take advantage of your free consultation today!

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