Coaching Website Not Showing Up on Google? Do This First (2025 Edition)

"Why isn't my website not showing on Google?"

If you've ever typed your business name into Google only to find... nothing,you're not alone.

In fact, 91% of content gets zero traffic from Google.

As a coach, that means missed leads, lower visibility, and wasted money on a site coaching-website-not-showing-up-on-google-do-this-first-2025-editionno one sees.

But most of the fixes are simple, fast, and don't require tech skills.

This guide walks you through what's really happening behind the scenes, and what to fix first to start getting found.

First, Check If Google Can Even See Your Website

Before we dive into complex SEO strategies, let's figure out if Google knows your website exists at all.

I worked with a life coach, and she was disapoitned and confused as to why she was not gettting traffic. She'd spent thousands on a beautiful website and was getting zero organic traffic.

The first thing I did was run a simple test that took thirty seconds. And guess what? Google had never even indexed her site.

Run the 2 second visibility test

Go to Google and type: site:yourwebsite.com (replace "yourwebsite.com" with your actual domain).

This tells Google to show you every page from your website that it has in its database.

If you see your pages listed, Google knows about your site. If you see nothing or just a few pages, we've found your problem.

When I ran this test for my client, absolutely nothing showed up. Her beautiful website was completely invisible to Google.

Using Google Search Console to confirm indexing issues

Google Search Console is your direct line to Google. It's free, and every website owner should have it set up.

Once you connect your site to Search Console, check the "Coverage" report. This shows you exactly which pages Google has indexed and which ones it's having trouble with.

The "URL Inspection" tool is even more helpful. Type in any page from your site, and Google will tell you if it's indexed, when it was last crawled, and if there are any problems.

I use this tool every single day. It's like having a conversation with Google about your website.

Top Reasons Your Coaching Website Isn't Showing Up on Google

After working with lots of coaches, I've seen the same issues come up over and over.

No indexing due to missing or incorrect sitemap

Your sitemap is like a roadmap that tells Google about all the pages on your website. Without it, Google has to guess which pages exist and which ones are important.

I once worked with a life coach who had been waiting years for her site to show up on Google. Her developer had forgotten to create a sitemap. Once we added it and submitted it to Google, her pages started appearing within days.

Most website platforms like WordPress, Squarespace, or Wix create sitemaps automatically. But sometimes they're not submitted to Google properly.

Robots.txt or noindex tags blocking pages

This is the most frustrating issue because it's usually accidental. Your website might have settings that literally tell Google "don't index this site."

I've seen coaches accidentally leave their sites in "maintenance mode" or with "noindex" tags from when their site was being built. It's like hanging a "Do Not Disturb" sign that never gets taken down.

Check your site's robots.txt file by typing yourwebsite.com/robots.txt into your browser. If it says "Disallow: /" that means Google is being told to stay away from your entire site.

Website is too new or has no backlinks

Google needs to trust your website before it will show it to searchers. New websites with no other sites linking to them are like strangers at a party - nobody knows who they are yet.

If your site is less than three months old, some delays are normal. But you can speed things up by getting a few quality backlinks from other websites in your industry.

Technical SEO errors (broken pages, slow load time)

Broken links, pages that won't load, or websites that take forever to open all hurt your chances of showing up on Google.

I worked with an executive coach whose website took fifteen seconds to load. 15 seconds! By the time Google tried to crawl her site, it would give up and move on to faster websites.

Page speed isn't just about user experience - it's about whether Google can even access your content.

Thin content or no clear keywords

If your homepage just says "Welcome to my website" and doesn't mention what kind of coaching you do or who you help, Google doesn't know what to rank you for.

I see this all the time. Coaches create beautiful websites with inspirational quotes and vague language about transformation, but they never actually say they're a business coach, life coach, or health coach.

Google needs clear signals about what you do and who you help.

SEO Mistakes Coaches Often Make Without Realizing It

Most coaches aren't trying to mess up their SEO. They're just making innocent mistakes that have big consequences.

Homepage has a pretty headline but no keyword clarity

"Transform Your Life Through Powerful Coaching" might sound inspiring, but it tells Google nothing about what you actually do.

Compare that to "Business Coach for Female Entrepreneurs in Chicago" - now Google knows exactly what to rank you for.

I helped a coach rewrite her homepage headline from "Unlock Your Potential" to "Career Coach for Mid-Level Professionals Ready for Leadership Roles." Her traffic tripled in two months.

Multiple service pages with vague or overlapping titles

Having three pages titled "Coaching Services," "Work With Me," and "Programs" confuses Google and dilutes your ranking power.

Each page should target a specific type of coaching or problem you solve. "Executive Coaching for Burnout Recovery" is much better than "Coaching Services Page 1."

Blogging without search intent

I love that coaches want to blog. But writing about "Finding Your Purpose" when nobody searches for that exact phrase won't bring you traffic.

Use tools like Google's autocomplete or Answer The Public to find out what people actually search for. "How to find your purpose after 40" gets searched. "Finding your purpose" doesn't.

Read: What to Blog About as a Coach to Rank on Google and Get Leads

Over-relying on social media for discovery

Social media is great, but it's not a replacement for showing up on Google. When someone searches for "business coach near me," your Instagram post won't appear.

I've worked with coaches who had 10,000 followers but zero Google traffic. That's a risky strategy because you don't own those platforms.

Not optimizing local presence (GMB, location keywords)

If you work with clients locally or offer in-person coaching, you need to optimize for local search.

Claim your Google Business Profile. Add your city to your page titles. Create content about coaching in your specific location.

One coach I worked with started ranking for her service on her city just by adding her city to her homepage title and creating a few blog posts about coaching in Portland.

The Fastest Fixes to Get Google's Attention

If your website isn't showing up on Google, start with these quick fixes. Most take less than an hour to implement.

Submit your sitemap manually through Google Search Console

Don't wait for Google to discover your sitemap. Submit it directly through Search Console.

Go to the "Sitemaps" section and paste in your sitemap URL. For most sites, this is yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml.

Google will usually start crawling your pages within 24-48 hours after you submit your sitemap.

Use clear H1 headers with niche keywords

Your H1 header is the main headline on each page. It should tell Google and visitors exactly what that page is about.

Instead of "Welcome," use "Business Coach for Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs." Instead of "About Me," use "About Your Life Coach, Sonia"

This one change can make a huge difference in how quickly Google understands and ranks your pages.

Add internal links and a proper site structure

Link your pages to each other. If you mention coaching programs on your homepage, link to your services page. If you write a blog post about goal setting, link to your coaching services.

Internal linking helps Google understand which pages are most important and how they relate to each other.

Fix any broken links or 404 errors

Use a free tool like Broken Link Checker to find any links on your site that don't work anymore.

Broken links frustrate visitors and make Google think your site isn't well-maintained. Fix them quickly.

Claim and update your Google Business Profile

Even if you work with clients virtually, having a Google Business Profile helps you show up in local searches.

Add your business information, photos, and ask happy clients to leave reviews. This is especially important if you ever want to show up for searches like "coach near me."

FAQs: Website Not Showing on Google

Why isn't my site indexed yet?

Google may not know it exists, or it's being blocked by technical settings. Check if you have a sitemap submitted to Google Search Console and make sure there are no noindex tags or robots.txt issues blocking your pages.

Do I need backlinks?

Eventually, yes. But start with fixing your own site structure and clarity. Get your pages indexed first, then work on building quality backlinks from other websites in your industry.

Is it better to rebuild or fix my current site?

Only if your current setup is blocking results. Otherwise, most issues are fixable. Before rebuilding, try fixing technical issues, optimizing existing content, and improving your site structure.

What's the easiest way to track my SEO progress?

Set up Google Search Console and check coverage, performance, and URL inspection regularly. This free tool shows you exactly how Google sees your website and tracks your progress over time.

If You Want Clients to Find You, Google Needs to Find You First

Fixing your visibility can lead to real results, like Erica ranking #2 in two days, or Elizabeth going from 4 leads in 4 years to weekly leads in 3 weeks.

The truth is, most coaches have websites that work against them instead of for them. They're beautiful, but they're invisible. They're inspirational, but they don't convert.

Need help spotting what's blocking your rankings? Book a free SEO call with Sonia and get clear on what's keeping your site hidden.

Want to dive deeper into SEO for your coaching practice? Check out my comprehensive SEO for Coaches guide for step-by-step strategies to improve your Google visibility.

Not sure where your biggest SEO opportunities are? Grab my free mini SEO website audit to identify the quick wins that will make the biggest difference for your coaching website.