I have just launched my website: when will my new website show on Google?

You publish your new website, search your name on Google and it is not there. That is normal, and it almost never means something is wrong. Google has to find the website, read it and decide which searches to show it for, and every step takes time.

Google's three steps

• Crawling: its robot visits the website and reads each page.
• Indexing: it stores the pages in its index, the huge archive search results come from.
• Ranking: it decides which searches and which position to show each page in.

A page that is not indexed cannot appear for any search. An indexed page can, though maybe on page five at first.

What to expect from a new website on Google

• First days: if the website is registered in Google Search Console and the sitemap has been submitted, Google usually visits soon. Searching your exact name or domain often already shows it.
• First weeks: the rest of the pages get indexed. You start appearing for searches with your name and some very specific ones.
• First months: Google tries your pages in more searches. Your sector's competition, your Business Profile and reviews all count here.

There are no fixed dates. A neighbourhood hair salon with little competition can show up sooner than a law firm in a big city.

How to check whether Google has your new website

• Quick search: type `site:yourdomain.com` into Google. It shows the pages it has indexed.
• Search Console: the pages report tells you which are indexed and, if one is not, why. It is Google's free tool for this; see Google Search Console explained.

What helps a new website reach Google sooner

• Registering in Search Console and submitting the sitemap from day one. It is how you tell Google "here I am, these are my pages".
• Requesting indexing of the important pages from Search Console.
• Telling Bing too, which feeds ChatGPT and Copilot. More in Bing Webmaster Tools and IndexNow.
• Nothing blocking it: a closed robots.txt or a forgotten "noindex" from the testing phase. Explained in sitemap and robots.txt.
• Links to your website: your Google Business Profile, your social media, directories in your sector. Every link is another door Google can come through.

What you do not need

• Paying Google to index you. That does not exist: indexing is free.
• Requesting indexing every day. Once is enough; repeating it speeds nothing up.
• Changing the website every week because it is not showing yet. Give Google time to get to know it.

If you are replacing a website

If you replace an old website, the key is that Google does not lose what it already knew: keep the addresses or redirect them properly. More in redesign without losing Google rankings.

How I do it

When I launch a Nueva Página website, I register it in Google Search Console and Bing, submit the sitemap and request indexing of the main pages. That way Google hears about it on launch day.

What to do while Google discovers your new website

While Google does its work, you can get on with yours. First, add the website link to your Business Profile, your Instagram and your email signature: they are ways in for Google and, besides, for your clients. Then ask two or three trusted clients to look at it and tell you whether they find what they need.

It is also worth checking that Google can read every page. Google's official guide to building and submitting a sitemap explains which pages it should include. And if a page still does not appear after a few weeks, Search Console will tell you why. Patience counts too: a new website on Google usually gains visits little by little.

Frequently asked questions

I search my business and my Instagram shows up, not my website. Why?

Because your Instagram has been online longer. Once Google indexes the website and sees it is the official one, it usually puts it first.

How long does a new page I add take to appear?

If the website is already indexed, usually a few days. Requesting indexing in Search Console helps.

Why does one page show but not another?

Google does not index everything at once, nor everything it finds. Search Console tells you the reason for each page.

Do you register my new website on Google at launch?

Yes. At Nueva Página I register it in Google Search Console and Bing, submit the sitemap and request indexing of the main pages. See how I work.