New homepage not showing on Google? Check these first

Key takeaways

If your homepage is not showing on Google, first find out whether it is indexed. Use a site: search and the URL Inspection tool in Search Console, then check for noindex tags, robots.txt blocks and canonical errors. New pages can take days or weeks to appear, so a technical block is not always the cause.

• Search site:yourdomain to confirm what is indexed.
• Use URL Inspection in Search Console.
• Check for noindex and robots.txt blocks.
• Allow days or weeks for a new site.

How do you check if your homepage is indexed?

Search Google for site:yourdomain.co.uk. If your homepage appears, it is indexed, even if it does not rank for other searches. For a definite answer, use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console, which reports whether the URL is on Google and why not.

• How to create a high-converting homepage for an SME
• Google Search Console for small businesses
• What Search Console says about your homepage

What commonly blocks a new homepage?

The most common block is a leftover noindex tag from staging. In WordPress, check that 'Discourage search engines' is unticked under Reading settings. Others include a robots.txt block, a password on the site, a canonical pointing elsewhere or a redirect loop. Each one is quick to fix when found.

• A noindex tag left over from staging.
• WordPress 'Discourage search engines' still ticked.
• A robots.txt rule blocking the site.
• A password or coming-soon mode still active.
• A canonical pointing to another URL.

• Build your new homepage on a staging site
• One homepage address: www, non-www and redirects

How long should a new homepage take to appear?

Google says that crawling and indexing can take anything from a few days to a few weeks. A brand new domain with no links may take longer. Submitting a sitemap and requesting indexing can help, though neither guarantees inclusion, and requesting it repeatedly does not speed things up.

• HTML sitemap pages: do visitors still use them?

What if it is indexed but not ranking?

Then indexing is not your problem. A new page competes with older pages that have more links and history. Check that you rank for your own business name first. Then look at your content, local signals and links. A new site should expect to wait for general search terms.

• Which keywords should your homepage target?
• Local SEO for a small business website

When is the fix not technical?

If nothing is blocked, the issue may be quality or authority. Google does not guarantee to index everything. Thin pages, unedited template text and copied content are less likely to be chosen. Build a real Google Business Profile, earn a few genuine links and add useful original detail.

• Google Business Profile clicks that land on your homepage
• Why lorem ipsum ruins a homepage design

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern worth checking first: a business decides that Google has penalised its new website, and weeks later someone notices that the 'Discourage search engines' box is still ticked from the build. It is the quickest check on the list, so it comes first.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

Homepage indexing checklist

• Run a site: search.
• Verify the site in Search Console.
• Inspect the homepage URL.
• Remove noindex and passwords.
• Check robots.txt.
• Submit an XML sitemap.
• Request indexing once.

• The homepage H1: what it should say
• Homepage internal links: what to link and why

Next step

Set up Search Console today if you have not, and inspect your homepage URL. It will usually tell you the reason in plain language.