Putting a website online is not the same as being found. Google first has to discover your pages, fetch them and assess them before they appear in search results. With new or small websites that often happens more slowly than you would like. These are the causes we come across most often.
1. Google has not indexed your pages yet
Check this first. Create a free Google Search Console account, add your website and submit your sitemap. Under "Pages" you then see which pages are and are not in Google. If it says "Discovered, currently not indexed", Google knows your page but has not yet considered it worth fetching. Via URL inspection you can request indexing per page.
2. Your pages are too similar
A common mistake is creating dozens of near-identical pages, for example one for every town in the region with only a different name. Google sees that as duplicate content and ignores those pages. A few strong pages with real, unique information work much better than many thin pages.
3. Nobody links to your website
Google uses links from other websites as a sign of trust. A new site without links is fetched slowly and ranks low. Start with the easy ones: your Google Business Profile, business directories, your trade association, the local business association and partners or clients willing to write about you. Make sure your name, address and phone number are exactly the same everywhere.
4. Your pages do not say what they are about
Every important page needs its own title and description with the words you want to be found on, for example "Hairdresser in Ede" instead of "Home". Use the words customers use themselves in your copy. Nobody searches for "total solutions for your interior experience", but plenty of people search for "kitchen installation Arnhem".
5. Your website is slow or works poorly on phones
Most searches happen on a phone, and Google assesses your site based on the mobile version. A site that loads slowly or makes you zoom in loses out to competitors. Test your site for free with Google PageSpeed Insights; anything above 90 is good.
Patience, but with a plan
Even when everything is in order, a new site usually takes a few weeks to months before you are found on more than your own business name. Focus at first on searches that include your location and on a complete Google Business Profile; that is where a local business gains ground fastest.
Unsure whether your website is set up well? Request a free example design and we will show you how it could be better.