Why isn't my new website showing up on Google?

Is your site even in Google's index yet?

Start here, because it's the most common cause. If Google hasn't indexed your pages, you won't appear for anything — not even your own business name. A brand-new site can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to get crawled and indexed.

You can check in about ten seconds. Type site:yourdomain.co.nz into Google. If nothing comes back, your pages aren't indexed. If some pages show but not others, you've got a partial problem worth digging into.

• Check it now: search site:yourdomain.co.nz — the results are every page Google has indexed.
• Speed it up: set up Google Search Console, submit your sitemap, and request indexing on key pages.
• Rule out a block: make sure your site isn't accidentally telling Google to stay out with a noindex tag or a blocked robots.txt.

Are you searching for the wrong thing?

Plenty of owners type a broad phrase like 'web design' or 'plumber', don't see themselves on page one, and assume they're invisible. You're not invisible — you're not ranking for a competitive national term yet, which is normal and takes time.

Search the way a real customer would. Add your town or region: 'plumber Tauranga', 'physio Wellington central'. If you show up for those but not the broad terms, your site is working — it needs more local authority to climb.

• Search local: always include your suburb, town or region the way customers actually type it.
• Check incognito: your own browsing history skews results, so test in a private window or logged out.

Have you given Google any local signals?

Google needs reasons to connect your site to New Zealand, and to your area specifically. Without them, a well-built site can still sit invisible for local searches.

The single biggest lever for most small businesses is a Google Business Profile. It's free, it feeds the map pack, and it often shows up before any website does. If you haven't claimed and completed yours, that's usually the first fix.

• Claim your Google Business Profile: complete every field, add your service area, and keep your hours current.
• Be consistent: use the exact same business name, address and phone number everywhere online.
• Get a few genuine reviews: they build trust and help you rank in local results.

Is the site itself giving Google enough to work with?

If you're indexed and searching locally but still nowhere, the problem is usually on the page. Thin content, missing page titles, and no mention of what you do or where you do it all leave Google guessing.

Each important page needs a clear, specific title, a heading that names the service and location, and enough real content to answer the searcher's question. A three-line homepage with a logo and a phone number won't cut it.

• Name it plainly: put your service and region in the page title and main heading.
• Answer the question: write content that covers what a customer would actually want to know.
• Don't hide text in images: Google can't read words baked into a picture.

Most invisibility problems come down to indexing, local signals and on-page clarity — and all three are fixable. If you'd rather not work through it alone, we help New Zealand businesses build a website that's fast, findable and built to rank from day one, so you're not left wondering why the phone isn't ringing.