Why Isn't My Website Showing Up on Google? Common SEO Mistakes
You've invested in a website for your Mid Wales business. You've got great content, beautiful images, and all your services clearly listed. But when you search for your business on Google, you're nowhere to be found. Or worse, your competitors appear before you do.
This is one of the most frustrating situations for business owners across Newtown, Powys, and Mid Wales. You've done everything right – or so you thought – but Google seems to be ignoring you.
Don't panic. There are usually clear, fixable reasons why your website isn't showing up. Let's diagnose the problem and get you visible on Google where your customers are searching.
First: Check If You're Actually on Google
Before we dive into fixes, let's establish whether your website is indexed by Google at all.
The Simple Test
Go to Google and type: site:yourwebsite.co.uk
Replace "yourwebsite.co.uk" with your actual domain name. This search shows you all the pages Google has indexed from your website.
If pages appear, congratulations – you're on Google! Your issue is ranking, not indexing. If nothing appears, Google hasn't indexed your website yet, which is a different (and usually easier to fix) problem.
Problem 1: Your Website Is Too New
The Issue
If your website launched in the last few weeks, it might simply not have been discovered by Google yet. Google doesn't instantly know about every new website – it takes time for their crawlers to find and index new sites.
The Fix
Submit your website to Google Search Console (free tool from Google)
Request indexing for your important pages
Create and submit a sitemap
Get at least one link from another website (even your social media profiles linking to your site helps)
Be patient – it can take 2-4 weeks for Google to fully index a new site
Problem 2: Your Website Blocks Search Engines
The Issue
Believe it or not, this is incredibly common. Sometimes during website development, designers set the site to "noindex" to prevent it appearing on Google whilst it's being built. Then they forget to remove this setting when the site goes live.
How to Check
Look in your website's settings for anything mentioning "discourage search engines" or "noindex." In WordPress, this is under Settings > Reading. Make sure "Discourage search engines from indexing this site" is NOT ticked.
The Fix
Remove the noindex setting
Check your robots.txt file (yourwebsite.co.uk/robots.txt) – it shouldn't say "Disallow: /"
Request re-indexing in Google Search Console
This is one of the most common issues I see with Mid Wales businesses, and it's easily fixed once identified.
Problem 3: You Haven't Mentioned Your Location
The Issue
If you want to appear when people search "web designer Newtown" or "café Welshpool," Google needs to know where you're located. Many websites fail to clearly state their location, assuming Google will just figure it out.
The Fix
Include your location prominently on your homepage: "Based in Newtown, Powys" or "Serving Mid Wales"
Add your full address in your footer on every page
Create location-specific content: "Our Newtown workshop" or "Delivering across Powys"
Claim and optimise your Google My Business listing with your correct address
Include your location in page titles and headings where natural
Local SEO is particularly important for Mid Wales businesses. Google needs clear signals about where you operate.
Problem 4: Your Content Doesn't Match What People Search For
The Issue
Your website might talk about your "solutions" and "services" in vague, generic terms. But your customers are searching for specific things like "dog grooming," "holiday cottage," or "accountant."
If the words on your website don't match the words people type into Google, you won't appear in their searches.
The Fix
Use the actual words your customers use, not industry jargon or clever marketing speak
Think about what someone would type into Google to find you
Include these search terms naturally in your page headings, content, and page titles
Create separate pages for different services rather than lumping everything together
For example, if you're a web designer, don't just say "We create digital experiences." Say "We design professional websites for small businesses in Mid Wales."
Problem 5: Your Page Titles Are Wrong
The Issue
Page titles (the text that appears in browser tabs and Google search results) are one of the most important SEO elements. Yet many websites have terrible page titles like "Home" or "Page 1" or just the business name repeated on every page.
What Good Page Titles Look Like
Homepage: "Web Design Newtown, Powys | Professional Websites for Mid Wales Businesses | Your Business Name"
Service Page: "Dog Grooming Welshpool | Professional Pet Grooming Services in Powys"
About Page: "About Us | Family-Run Café in Machynlleth Since 2010"
The Fix
Review and rewrite all your page titles to include relevant keywords and locations whilst clearly describing what the page is about. Most website platforms let you edit these easily.
Problem 6: You Have Hardly Any Content
The Issue
Some websites are beautifully designed but contain very little actual text. A few sentences per page isn't enough for Google to understand what you do or rank you for relevant searches.
The Fix
Each main page on your website should have at least 300-500 words of relevant, useful content. This doesn't mean waffle – it means genuinely helpful information about your services, how you work, what makes you different, and how you help customers.
Expand your service descriptions
Add an FAQ section
Write blog posts about topics your customers care about
Include case studies or customer stories
Provide detailed information rather than vague marketing speak
Problem 7: Your Website Is Slow
The Issue
Google prioritises fast-loading websites. If your site takes more than 3-4 seconds to load, Google may rank you lower than competitors with faster sites. This is particularly important for Mid Wales, where rural internet speeds can be slower.
How to Test
Use Google's PageSpeed Insights tool (free) to test your website speed. It'll give you a score and specific suggestions for improvement.
Common Speed Problems
Massive image files that haven't been optimised
Too many plugins or scripts
Poor quality web hosting
Unoptimised code
The Fix
Compress all images before uploading (aim for under 200KB per image)
Remove unnecessary plugins or features
Consider upgrading to better quality hosting
Ask your web designer to optimise your site's code
Problem 8: Your Website Isn't Mobile-Friendly
The Issue
Over 60% of Google searches now happen on mobile phones. Google's mobile-first indexing means they primarily look at the mobile version of your website when deciding how to rank you. If your site doesn't work well on phones, you're in trouble.
How to Test
Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test tool or simply view your website on your smartphone. Does everything display properly? Can you easily read text and click buttons? Does it load quickly?
The Fix
If your website isn't mobile-friendly, you likely need a redesign. Modern websites should be "responsive," meaning they automatically adapt to different screen sizes. This is standard practice now, so if your website isn't responsive, it's outdated.
Problem 9: You Don't Have Google My Business
The Issue
Google My Business (also called Google Business Profile) is crucial for local businesses. Without it, you won't appear in local map results or the local pack (the box of businesses that appears at the top of many searches).
The Fix
Claim your Google My Business listing (it's free)
Verify your business address
Complete every section of your profile thoroughly
Add photos regularly
Encourage customers to leave reviews
Keep your information up to date
For Newtown, Powys, and Mid Wales businesses, this is absolutely essential. Many local searches show Google My Business results before regular website results.
Problem 10: Nobody Links to Your Website
The Issue
Google sees links from other websites to yours as votes of confidence. If no other websites link to yours, Google assumes you're not very important or trustworthy.
The Fix
Get listed on local business directories
Ask suppliers or partners to link to your website
Get involved with local organisations (tourism boards, chambers of commerce) that might link to members
Create shareable content that others naturally want to link to
Reach out to local bloggers or news sites about your business story
Quality matters more than quantity. One link from a respected local organisation is worth more than dozens from spam directories.
Problem 11: You're Competing for Impossible Keywords
The Issue
If you're a small business in Newtown trying to rank for "web design" nationally, you're competing against huge agencies with massive budgets. It's not going to happen.
The Fix
Focus on local, specific keywords you can actually rank for:
Instead of "web design" → "web design Newtown Powys"
Instead of "café" → "family café Welshpool"
Instead of "holiday cottage" → "dog-friendly cottage Mid Wales"
Be specific about your location, your niche, and what makes you different. These "long-tail" keywords are easier to rank for and bring you more qualified customers anyway.
Problem 12: Your Expectations Are Unrealistic
The Issue
Sometimes business owners expect to rank #1 for their main keyword within weeks of launching a website. SEO doesn't work that way.
The Reality
New websites typically take 3-6 months to start ranking well
Competitive keywords take longer than niche keywords
SEO requires ongoing effort, not a one-time fix
Your competitors are also working on their SEO
The Fix
Be patient and consistent. Keep adding quality content, optimising your site, and building your online presence. SEO is a marathon, not a sprint.
Quick SEO Checklist for Mid Wales Businesses
Here's a checklist to work through systematically:
Website is submitted to Google Search Console
No "noindex" settings blocking Google
Location mentioned clearly throughout website
Google My Business claimed and optimised
Page titles include keywords and location
Each page has 300+ words of relevant content
Website loads in under 3 seconds
Website works perfectly on mobile phones
Images are compressed and optimised
At least 5 other websites link to yours
Website has been live for at least 8 weeks
Work through this list methodically. Each item you can tick off improves your chances of ranking well on Google.
When to Get Professional Help
Some SEO problems are easy to fix yourself. Others require technical expertise. Consider getting professional help if:
You've tried the basics but still aren't appearing
Your website has technical issues you don't understand
You're in a competitive market and need an edge
You don't have time to learn and implement SEO properly
Your website needs rebuilding from scratch
A good SEO professional or web designer familiar with Mid Wales businesses will understand both the technical requirements and the local market.
The Bottom Line
If your website isn't showing up on Google, it's almost always due to one of these common, fixable issues. Start with the basics: make sure Google can find and index your site, ensure your location is clear, and check your page titles and content.
Most Mid Wales businesses can dramatically improve their Google visibility by fixing these fundamental issues. You don't need to be an SEO expert – you just need to understand and implement the basics properly.
Remember, SEO isn't a one-time task. It's an ongoing process of creating good content, keeping your website up to date, and building your online presence over time.
The good news? Once you get these foundations right, you'll start appearing in Google searches for your Newtown, Powys, or Mid Wales business – and that means more customers finding you when they're actively searching for what you offer.
