Work out why the page is missing
First, check that the page works. Then check whether Google knows about it and can include it in search results. If it’s already there but hard to find, the next job is working out why it isn’t showing up for the searches you care about.
Be clear about what you cannot find
Record the exact page URL, the search you tried, the date and whether you mean a website result or a map listing. Search for the business name and the service separately. Being found by name does not show how visible you are to someone who has never heard of you.
Open the page on your phone
Open the address in a private browser window on a phone. Check that it loads without a password, page error or broken redirect. If it fails, record the message and ask your website manager to find out why it won’t load. New content will not fix an unreachable page.
Check what Google says about the page
Open your website in Google Search Console, Google’s free tool for checking how your site appears in search. Paste the full page address into URL Inspection. Note whether Google says it is indexed and any reason given if it isn’t. If Google lists a different canonical URL, that means it has chosen another address as the main version of the page. Test live URL checks the page as it is now; the indexed report shows what Google previously recorded. Follow Google’s inspection instructions.
If you do not have access, ask your website manager for the result for this URL. A chart of website visits won’t answer that question.
Fix the problem Google reports
- Unavailable page: investigate hosting, page errors or redirects.
- Intentional exclusion: confirm whether the page should be public before changing settings.
- Different canonical selected: ask your website manager why Google has chosen another page address as the main version.
- Discovered or crawled without indexing: Google knows about the page but hasn’t added it to its index. Check the report with your website manager, along with the page’s content and links to it.
- Indexed but poorly visible: look at what people are searching for, how well the page answers them and which pages Google shows instead. Submitting the page again won’t address those questions.
Do not remove technical settings at random. Some exclusions are deliberate, and a change may affect more than one page. Request indexing after fixing a relevant issue, understanding that inclusion is not guaranteed.
Check that the page explains the job you do
Read the title and opening. Can a visitor identify the service, area and next step? Does it explain the jobs you take on and show examples? Is there a link to it from elsewhere on your website?
For example, “Bathroom plumbing in Hamilton” tells a customer more than “Our Solutions”, if that’s what you do and where you work. Follow it with the jobs you take on. A clearer heading helps the reader, but won’t guarantee a spot at the top of Google.
Write down what you changed
In Search Console’s Performance report, look at the searches people used and the pages they found. Record impressions (how often your pages appeared in results) and clicks, the change made and its date. Compare equivalent periods later, allowing for season and demand. Also note how many enquiries came in and which turned into work.
When traffic is low, a few clicks can make a big difference to the figures. Give it time before deciding whether a change has helped.
What to send your website manager
Please investigate [full URL]. I cannot find it for [search]. It loads for me, but Search Console reports [exact status]. Please explain whether the issue concerns indexing, content or visibility, what you recommend changing and how we will check the result.
This gives any provider a concrete starting point. It also helps you assess whether a proposed rebuild addresses the problem you actually have.
Need help understanding what is wrong
Tell us your website address, the service you want to be found for and your service area. We can talk through what needs checking and whether our support is suitable.
Talk to us about Google visibility