Add My Website to Google
You've got a website but it's not showing in Google. Here's how to fix that. Step-by-step instructions that don't require technical knowledge.
First: Check If Google Already Knows About Your Site
Before you do anything, check whether your site is already in Google's index. Go to Google and search for:
site:yourdomain.com.au
Replace "yourdomain.com.au" with your actual domain. If you see results, Google has already found your site. The problem might be something else, like low rankings or technical issues.
If you see no results, your site isn't indexed yet. The steps below will fix that.
Step 1: Set Up Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a free tool that lets you see how Google views your site. It's also how you tell Google your site exists.
Here's what to do:
- Go to search.google.com/search-console
- Sign in with a Google account
- Click "Add a property" and enter your website URL
- Verify you own the site (there are several methods, the easiest is usually adding a record to your domain DNS or uploading a file to your website)
If the verification steps sound complicated, your web developer can do this in about five minutes. Or I can help you set it up.
Step 2: Submit Your Sitemap
A sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website. It helps Google find everything quickly.
Most websites have a sitemap already. Try going to:
yourdomain.com.au/sitemap.xml
If you see a file with a list of URLs, you have a sitemap. If not, you'll need to create one. Most website platforms can generate this automatically.
Once you have a sitemap:
- Open Google Search Console
- Go to "Sitemaps" in the left menu
- Enter your sitemap URL (usually sitemap.xml)
- Click "Submit"
This tells Google where to find all your pages. Google will queue them for crawling.
Step 3: Request Indexing for Important Pages
You can ask Google to crawl specific pages immediately rather than waiting for them to be discovered naturally.
In Google Search Console:
- Copy the URL of an important page (like your homepage)
- Paste it into the search bar at the top of Search Console
- Click "Request indexing"
Google will queue the page for crawling. This usually happens within hours to a few days. You can do this for up to about 10 pages per day.
Focus on your most important pages first. Homepage, main service pages, contact page. Google will find the rest through links on those pages.
Why Your Site Might Not Be Getting Indexed
If you've done the steps above and your site still isn't showing up, there might be a technical problem blocking Google.
Common issues:
- Robots.txt blocking Google: This file tells search engines what not to crawl. Sometimes it's configured incorrectly and blocks everything.
- Noindex tags: Code on your pages telling search engines not to index them. Sometimes left over from development.
- Password protection: If your site requires a login, Google can't see it.
- Very new domain: Brand new domains with no links can take longer to be discovered.
- Previous penalty: If the domain was used for spam in the past, it might have a manual action.
Google Search Console will show you if there are coverage issues. Look under "Index" then "Coverage" to see what's blocked and why.
Getting Help
If your site isn't being indexed and you can't work out why, there's probably a technical issue that needs fixing. This is something I help Sydney businesses with regularly.
I can check your site, identify what's blocking Google, and fix it. Usually takes about an hour for straightforward issues. More complex problems take longer.
Call me on 0400 454 859 or use the contact form below. I'll tell you what's wrong and what it would cost to fix. No obligation.
Related guides: If your site is indexed but not ranking well, or if you want to get more customers from search, I have guides for those too. For businesses that need hands-on help, see my SEO services or technical SEO support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Google doesn't charge to list websites. You add your site through Google Search Console, which is free. Verify ownership, submit your sitemap, and Google will crawl your pages. No payment required.
New websites can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to appear in Google. Submitting a sitemap through Search Console speeds this up. Requesting indexing for specific pages can get them crawled within hours.
Common reasons include: the site is new and hasn't been crawled yet, technical issues blocking Google, the site has no links pointing to it, or Google has penalised the domain. Check Search Console for specific issues.
No. Organic search listings are free. You can pay for Google Ads to appear at the top of results immediately, but the regular search results don't cost anything. SEO helps you rank better in the free results.
Need Help Getting Your Site on Google?
I can check what's blocking your site from appearing in search results and fix it. Quick diagnosis, clear explanation, fixed price.