You've got a website, you search for it, and it isn't there. Or it appears when you type your business name, but not when you search for what you actually do. It's one of the most common frustrations for small business owners, and it usually has a simple cause.
Your site is new
Google doesn't find a new website instantly. It has to discover the site, read it and decide where it belongs, and that can take anything from a few days to a few weeks.
You can help by telling Google the site exists, using its free Search Console tool, and by linking to your site from places Google already knows about, like your Google Business Profile and your social accounts.
Something is telling Google to stay away
It happens more often than you'd think. Sites are often built with a setting that asks search engines not to list them while they're being worked on. If nobody switches it off at launch, the site stays invisible.
If your site has been live for a while and still can't be found even by its exact name, this is the first thing to check, or to ask whoever built it to check.
You don't have a Google Business Profile
When someone searches for a plumber or a café near them, the first thing they usually see is a map with a handful of businesses on it. Those come from Google Business Profiles, not websites.
A profile is free, and for a local business it's often worth more than anything else you can do. If you haven't set one up, start there.
We've written a step-by-step guide. How to set up your Google Business Profile
Your site doesn't say what you do, or where
Google can only match your site to a search if the words on your pages match the words people type. If your home page says "quality solutions for your home" but never mentions "roofer" or "Chester", Google has no reason to show you to someone searching for a roofer in Chester.
- Say plainly what you do, using the words your customers use
- Say where you work, including the towns and areas you cover
- Give each main service its own page, with its own clear heading
- Show your business name, address and phone number, written the same way everywhere they appear
If a customer wouldn't know what you do from your home page, neither will Google.
It's slow, or hard to use on a phone
Most local searches happen on phones. Google knows that, and it favours sites that load quickly and work properly on a small screen. A site that's slow, or makes people pinch and zoom, tends to slip down the results.
You're up against established competition
Sometimes nothing is wrong. Businesses that have been online for years, with plenty of reviews and pages, are hard to overtake straight away. The fix is steady rather than dramatic: keep your profile active, collect reviews, and add useful pages about the things customers ask you.
Getting found is what our marketing suite looks after. Read how it works