A new site not appearing on Google is usually one of two things: it has not been long enough, or something is telling Google to stay away. The second is quick to rule out, so start there.
First, check whether you are actually indexed
Search for your domain with site: in front of it and no space after the colon. If your pages come back, you are indexed and this is a ranking question, not an indexing one. If nothing comes back at all, keep reading.
The setting that blocks everything
The most common cause by far is a "discourage search engines" or "noindex" setting left on from when the site was being built. It exists so unfinished sites stay private, and it gets forgotten on launch day more often than anything else in web design.
The same applies to a password or holding page in front of the site. If a visitor cannot see it without logging in, neither can Google.
Then the plumbing
- A robots.txt file that disallows everything, again usually left from development
- A sitemap that was never submitted, so Google has to find pages on its own
- Pages that only exist behind a search or filter, with nothing linking to them
- A canonical tag pointing every page at the homepage, which happens with some themes
If it is indexed but nowhere to be found
Search your exact business name. If you appear, indexing is fine and the real question is competitiveness. A new site has no history and no links, so ranking for anything that other businesses want takes months of doing the ordinary things well.
This is where most people go wrong, because "not on Google" and "not on page one for a competitive term" feel identical from the outside and need completely different responses.
What actually helps
- Set up Search Console and submit the sitemap, once
- Make sure every page is linked from somewhere on the site
- Get a few genuine links, starting with your own profiles and any supplier or client site that would credit you
- Give it a few weeks before drawing conclusions
The short version. Rule out noindex and password gates first, then submit the sitemap, then be patient. Most new site panics are simply a week too early.
