How do I check if Google has indexed my site?

Type site:yourdomain.co.uk into Google, using your real domain. If your pages show up, they're indexed. If almost nothing appears, indexing is likely your main problem. Set up the free Google Search Console to see exactly what Google has crawled and why some pages might be missing.

How long does it take to start ranking on Google?

There's no switch to flip. For a newer site, expect three to six months before you see meaningful movement, and longer in competitive areas. Anyone promising guaranteed top rankings in a fortnight isn't being straight with you. Steady, honest work compounds over time.

How much does it cost to fix a site that isn't ranking?

It depends on what's holding you back. Our websites are fixed-price from £477 (Starter), £1,170 (Growth) and £2,370 (Complete), with SEO and redesigns quoted per project so you know the cost up front. You can see the full breakdown on our [pricing](/pricing) page, and there's no hourly billing.

Can I improve my rankings myself?

Plenty of it, yes. Claiming your Google Business Profile, writing clear service pages, gathering reviews and compressing your images are all things a determined owner can do. The technical side, such as indexing issues, site speed and structure, is where most people get stuck and where a bit of expert help pays off.

Will more content automatically mean better rankings?

Not on its own. Ten thin pages won't beat one page that genuinely answers what people are searching for. Quality, relevance and clear structure matter far more than volume. Write for your customer first, then tidy it up so Google can understand it easily.

Resources / SEO

Why Your Website Isn't Ranking on Google: Common Reasons

By Mohammad Javad Samadi·23 January 2026·6 min read

You built the site, hit publish, and then waited. Weeks later you search for your own business and you're nowhere: page five, page ten, or not showing at all. If you've been asking why your website isn't ranking on Google, the common reasons are rarely mysterious, and most of them are fixable without a huge budget or a technical background.

Google isn't punishing you. More often, your site is simply missing a few of the basics that search engines look for. Below are the reasons we see most often when we review a small business website, and what you can do about each one.

It might simply be too soon

Before you blame anything, check the calendar. Search engines take time to trust a new website, and ranking for anything competitive is a slow build, not an overnight switch. A brand new site can take three to six months to gain real traction, sometimes longer in busy areas like dentistry, trades or hospitality where dozens of established businesses got there first.

If your site went live a fortnight ago, patience is the fix. Keep publishing useful pages and let Google catch up. If it's been six months or more with no movement at all, one of the reasons below is likely holding you back.

The most common reasons your website isn't ranking on Google

When we look under the bonnet of a site that isn't ranking, the culprit is almost always on this short list. Most sites have two or three of these at once.

Good local SEO works through this list in order, fixing the biggest blockers first. Let's take the main ones one at a time.

→Google can't index it — the pages aren't in Google's database at all, so they can never appear.

→No clear keywords — your pages don't use the words people actually type into the search box.

→Thin or copied content — too little on the page to be worth ranking, or text lifted from elsewhere.

→Slow or hard to use on a phone, so Google and visitors both give up.

→No local signals — nothing tells Google where you are or who you serve.

→Barely any links — few other websites point to yours, so you look untrusted.

Google can't find or read your pages

This one sounds technical, but the idea is simple: if Google hasn't added your pages to its index, you cannot rank. There's no way round it. A quick test is to type site:yourdomain.co.uk into Google, using your real domain. If barely anything shows up, indexing is your problem.

Common causes include a stray 'noindex' tag left on from when the site was being built, a robots file blocking crawlers, or a site built in a way search engines struggle to read. Setting up Google Search Console, which is free, will tell you exactly which pages Google has and hasn't indexed, and flag errors in plain terms.

“If Google hasn't added your pages to its index, you cannot rank. There's no way round it.”

Your pages don't answer the search

Google's whole job is matching a question to the best answer. If your homepage opens with 'Welcome to our website' and a list of your values, it isn't answering anything anyone searches for. People type things like 'emergency dentist Leeds' or 'flat roof repair near me', so your pages need to use that kind of plain, honest language.

Thin content is the other half of this. A single paragraph won't out-rank a competitor's detailed service page. Give each service its own page, answer the questions customers actually ask, and write for a real person rather than stuffing in keywords. You can see the kind of clear, well-structured pages we build in our recent work.

Your site is slow or awkward on a phone

Most local searches happen on a phone, often when someone is out and about and ready to act. If your site takes an age to load, jumps around as it loads, or forces people to pinch and zoom, they'll hit back before they read a word, and Google treats that as a vote against you.

Page speed and mobile-friendliness are things Google measures directly. Large unoptimised images are the usual culprit, followed by bloated themes and too many plugins. A fast, well-built website that works cleanly on a phone removes a barrier that quietly costs a lot of businesses both their rankings and their enquiries.

You're invisible to people searching nearby

For a local business, ranking on Google is often really about the map. When someone searches 'plumber near me', Google leans heavily on your Google Business Profile, and if you haven't claimed and completed yours, you're handing that space straight to your competitors.

Fill in your profile completely, keep your name, address and phone number identical everywhere they appear online, and gather genuine reviews from happy customers. Consistency and steady upkeep matter more than any one-off trick, which is why ongoing care and maintenance tends to beat a set-and-forget approach.

Key takeaways

✓A new site can take three to six months to gain traction, so don't panic too early.
✓If Google hasn't indexed your pages, no other fix will help until that's sorted.
✓Match your pages to the words customers actually search for, and give each service its own page.
✓Speed, mobile-friendliness and a complete Google Business Profile all move the needle for local businesses.