Is Your Website Actually Visible to Google?

 

Is Your Website Actually Visible to Google?

A very simple guide for hobby, pet, breeder, fancier and collection websites

You may have had your website for years.

Perhaps it is a:

  • dog or cat kennel website
  • bird or horse breeding website
  • pet website
  • aquarium or reptile website
  • vintage car website
  • miniature railway website
  • stamp or coin collection website
  • photography website
  • genealogy project
  • family-history website
  • specialist hobby website
  • archive of your work and knowledge.

You have photographs.

You have names.

You have pedigrees, records, articles, stories, results, history and information.

Perhaps you have spent years building it.

But there is one surprisingly important question:

Can Google actually find it?

You might be thinking:

“Of course Google can find it. It's on the internet!”

Unfortunately, that's not necessarily true.

There is an important difference between:

“My website exists.”

and

“Google knows about my website and its pages.”

This article explains how to check.

You don't need to be an IT expert.

You don't need to understand SEO.

You don't need to become a website developer.

I've deliberately written this for people who would normally say:

“I'm hopeless with computers.”

If you can open a website and type something into Google, you can do this.

Why does this matter?

Your website may be much more than advertising.

For many hobbyists, breeders and collectors, a website becomes a record of years of work.

It might contain:

  • photographs of animals or objects
  • pedigrees
  • breeding records
  • old litter information
  • show results
  • names and histories
  • photographs of previous generations
  • articles
  • research
  • historical information
  • technical knowledge
  • contacts
  • stories
  • information that exists nowhere else.

And some of this information may become increasingly valuable over time.

A website created twenty years ago might contain information that is almost impossible to reconstruct today.

But there is a problem.

A website can exist without Google having indexed all of its pages.

If Google doesn't know a page exists, somebody searching for that information may never find it.

That is why this is not simply an SEO issue.

It is also about preserving and making knowledge discoverable.

First: think of Google as a huge library

Imagine that your website is a book.

You have written the book.

You have put it on a shelf.

The book is physically there.

But imagine that the library catalogue doesn't contain your book.

Someone walks into the library and asks:

“Do you have anything about this subject?”

The librarian searches the catalogue.

Nothing.

The book is sitting on a shelf — but nobody knows it exists.

That is roughly what can happen on the internet.

Google needs to discover pages, crawl them, and potentially index them before they can normally appear in Google Search. Google defines an indexed page as one that has been visited and analyzed by Googlebot and stored in Google's index.

And there is another important distinction:

Indexed does not mean “number one on Google.”

Being indexed means that the page can potentially appear in Search.

It does not guarantee that it will appear at the top — or even for every search you might expect.

So our first goal is much simpler:

Let's make sure Google knows your website and its important pages exist.

There are four simple stages

Don't worry about the technical terminology.

Think about it like this:

1. Your website exists

You can open it.

2. Google discovers your website or page

Google finds its address.

3. Google indexes the page

Google processes the page and stores it in its search index.

4. Google can potentially show it in Search

Someone searches for something relevant and your page may appear.

Our first concern is number 2 and number 3.

STEP 1 — The easiest test of all

You don't need to log into anything.

Open Google.

In the search box type:

site:YOURWEBSITE.com

For example:

site:example.com

Then press Enter.

Google itself recommends this site: search as a simple way to see pages from a website that Google knows about.

What should you see?

You should see pages from your website.

For example:

Welcome
About Us
Our Animals
Puppies
Pedigrees
History
Gallery

If Google shows results from your website:

🟢 Good!

Google knows about at least some of your pages.

If Google shows nothing:

🔴 Don't panic!

This does not automatically mean that your website is broken.

It means we need to investigate.



Google Search — Check Your Website


Use the screenshot showing:

site:yourwebsite.com

STEP 2 — Look at the results

If you get results, look carefully.

Are your important pages there?

Perhaps your website has 100 pages but Google only shows five.

That doesn't necessarily mean there is a serious problem.

Google does not promise to index every URL on every website. Some pages may be duplicates, intentionally excluded, redirected, inaccessible or simply not yet indexed.

But if you have an important page that you know exists and you cannot find it, it is worth checking.

For example:

  • an important historical page
  • a page about an old animal
  • a pedigree
  • a breeding record
  • an article
  • an archive
  • an important collection item
  • an old photograph page.

That is where the next tool becomes useful.



Example of Good Results


The screenshot shows several pages from the same website appearing in Google.

STEP 3 — Open Google Search Console

Now we are going to use a free Google tool called:

Google Search Console

Don't let the name frighten you.

You don't need to become an SEO expert.

Google Search Console is Google's own service for helping website owners understand how Google sees their websites. It can show whether Google can find and crawl your site, help troubleshoot indexing problems, and allow you to request indexing of individual pages.

You can think of it as:

“Google, please tell me what you can see on my website.”

You need to verify that you own or control the website in order to use the relevant Search Console tools.

If somebody else manages your website, such as a family member, friend or web developer, ask them to help you with this part.

You don't need to understand the technical setup.



Open Google Search Console


The screenshot shows:

  1. Open Search Console
  2. Choose your website
  3. Use URL Inspection

STEP 4 — Use URL Inspection

This is the part we really want.

Google Search Console has a tool called:

URL Inspection

It allows you to check one particular page.

Find a page on your website that you care about.

For example:

https://www.example.com/history

Copy the complete web address.

Then put it into the URL Inspection box in Google Search Console.

Press Enter.

Google will tell you what it knows about that particular page.

The URL Inspection tool can show information about Google's indexed version of the page and whether the page can be indexed. It can also be used to request indexing.



URL Inspection — Paste Your Page URL


The screenshot shows where to paste the full URL.

STEP 5 — The result you want to see

After Google checks your page, you may see:

🟢 “URL is on Google”

Wonderful.

This means Google has indexed the page.

The page is eligible to appear in Google Search, subject to Google's other systems and policies.

You can breathe again.

You don't need to do anything else to that particular page just because you have seen this message.

Remember:

“URL is on Google” does not mean “this page will always appear first.”

It simply means that Google has the page in its index and it can potentially appear in Search.



“URL IS ON GOOGLE” — GREAT!


The screenshot highlights the green checkmark and the words:

URL is on Google

STEP 6 — What if it says “URL is not on Google”?

Don't panic.

This is where many people become frightened unnecessarily.

You may see:

🔴 “URL is not on Google”

This simply means that the page is not currently indexed.

There can be many reasons.

For example:

  • Google hasn't discovered the page yet.
  • Google has discovered it but hasn't indexed it.
  • Google cannot access the page.
  • The page has a noindex instruction.
  • The page is blocked by a technical setting.
  • The page is a duplicate of another page.
  • There is another technical issue.

Google's URL Inspection tool provides information that can help determine which situation applies.

The important thing:

Don't guess.

Look at the information underneath the message.

Google may tell you why the page isn't indexed.



“URL IS NOT ON GOOGLE” — INVESTIGATE THE REASON


The screenshot shows the “Why it is not indexed” section.

STEP 7 — Ask Google to look at the page again

If the page is available and there is no technical problem preventing indexing, you may see:

REQUEST INDEXING

Click it.

You are essentially telling Google:

“Please take another look at this page.”

Google will put the request into its process for crawling and indexing.

Google specifically recommends URL Inspection for requesting a crawl or recrawl of an individual page.

But remember:

This is a request, not a guarantee.

Google decides whether and when to crawl and index the page.

It may take time.

And you do not need to click the button repeatedly.

One request is enough.



REQUEST INDEXING — ASK GOOGLE TO CHECK THE PAGE


The screenshot highlights the REQUEST INDEXING button.

What happens after you click “Request Indexing”?

Nothing dramatic.

You don't need to sit in front of your computer.

You don't need to keep clicking.

You don't need to change anything else immediately.

Google processes the request.

Later, you can return to URL Inspection and check the page again.

Google notes that indexing can take time and that a request does not guarantee inclusion in Google's index.

So:

Click once.

Wait.

Check again later.

That's it.

What if I have dozens, hundreds or thousands of pages?

Now we come to another useful tool.

A sitemap.

Don't let that word scare you.

A sitemap is basically a list of the important pages on your website.

Think of it as the table of contents for your website.

Imagine your website contains:

  • Home
  • About
  • Our Animals
  • Previous Generations
  • Pedigrees
  • Litters
  • Results
  • History
  • Articles
  • Gallery
  • Individual animal pages
  • Archive pages.

A sitemap provides Google with a structured list of URLs for pages on your site.

Google can use that information to discover URLs that it might otherwise not find easily.

You may already have a sitemap!

This is perhaps the most important thing to understand about sitemaps.

You probably do NOT need to create one yourself.

Many modern website platforms automatically generate a sitemap.

So don't immediately start searching the internet for:

“How do I make an XML sitemap?”

First check whether your website already has one.

The easiest sitemap test

Open a new browser window.

Take your normal website address and add:

/sitemap.xml

For example:

https://www.example.com/sitemap.xml

Then press Enter.

You may see a very ugly-looking page full of technical text.

That's okay.

You are not supposed to read it like a normal webpage.

If you see a list of website addresses, your website probably has a sitemap.

🟢 That's good news.

You may already have everything you need.

What does a sitemap actually look like?

It might contain addresses such as:

https://www.example.com/

https://www.example.com/about

https://www.example.com/animals

https://www.example.com/pedigrees

https://www.example.com/history

https://www.example.com/articles

The technical file may look complicated.

You don't need to understand it.

Think of it simply as:

A list telling Google where the important rooms in your website are.

Why is a sitemap useful?

Imagine that your website has 400 pages.

You don't want to individually tell Google about every page.

A sitemap provides Google with a list of URLs that can help it discover your site's pages. Google recommends sitemaps particularly as a way of helping with discovery when there are many pages or when pages might otherwise be difficult to find through normal links.

For example, an old hobby website might contain years of information:

2005

→ 20 pages

2010

→ 50 pages

2015

→ 80 pages

2020

→ 100 pages

2025

→ 150 pages

Suddenly you have hundreds of pages.

You may know they are all there.

Google needs ways of discovering them.

A sitemap is one of those ways.

A sitemap is not a magic button

This is important.

Putting a URL into a sitemap does not mean:

“Google must index this page.”

A sitemap is a discovery aid, not a guarantee of indexing.

Think of it like giving the librarian a map of your building.

It makes it easier to understand where the rooms are.

But the librarian still decides what information to catalogue and how it should appear.

Google explicitly says that submitting a sitemap does not guarantee that every URL will be crawled or indexed.

What if I have a small website?

You may not need to worry about sitemaps at all.

Google says that for smaller websites, particularly where the pages are properly linked together and can be reached through normal site navigation, a sitemap may not be necessary.

So if you have a small website with:

  • 20 pages
  • 50 pages
  • 100 pages

and everything is properly linked from your navigation, don't assume you have a problem just because you don't have a sitemap.

The first thing to check is whether Google can find your important pages.

What if /sitemap.xml doesn't work?

Again:

Don't panic.

It doesn't necessarily mean your website has a problem.

Your website may:

  • use another sitemap address;
  • generate a sitemap differently;
  • have its sitemap managed automatically;
  • simply not need one.

If you have a website developer or somebody who manages your website, ask them:

“Does my website have an XML sitemap, and can you check whether Google can access it?”

That's enough.

You do not need to understand XML.

You do not need to write code.

You do not need to build a complicated file yourself.

What if I have a large website and no sitemap?

Then ask whoever manages your website to investigate.

You can literally send them this message:

“Could you please check whether my website has an XML sitemap and whether it is available to Google?”

That's a perfectly reasonable request.

If you have many pages, a sitemap can also be submitted through Google Search Console. The Sitemaps report allows website owners to submit a sitemap and monitor whether Google was able to read it.

Submitting a sitemap to Google

If you already have a sitemap, you can tell Google where it is using:

Google Search Console → Sitemaps

For example:

https://www.example.com/sitemap.xml

You are not uploading the sitemap as a document to Google.

The sitemap remains on your website.

You are simply telling Google:

“My sitemap is here.”

Google can then fetch it from your website.

Google's Search Console documentation specifically recommends using the Sitemaps report to submit and monitor sitemaps.



So which method should I use?


This is the simplest way to remember it:

🟢 ONE IMPORTANT PAGE

Use:

URL Inspection → Request Indexing

🟢 MANY IMPORTANT PAGES

Use:

Sitemap

🟢 SMALL WEBSITE

First make sure your pages are properly linked together and check the important pages individually.

You may not need a sitemap.

One more important issue: “But I can see the page!”

This causes a lot of confusion.

You open your website.

The page appears perfectly.

You think:

“So obviously Google can see it.”

Not necessarily.

You can see the page because your browser can access it.

Google may encounter a different problem.

For example, a page might:

  • require a login;
  • be blocked by robots.txt;
  • contain a noindex instruction;
  • return a server error;
  • be inaccessible to Google's crawler.

Google's URL Inspection tools can help distinguish these situations.

This is why “I can open it” and “Google has indexed it” are two different questions.

What is “noindex”?

You may encounter this word when investigating a page.

Again, don't panic.

Noindex is simply an instruction telling search engines:

“Don't put this page in your search index.”

There are perfectly legitimate reasons for some pages not to be indexed.

But if you want a particular page to appear in Google and Search Console says that a noindex instruction is preventing it, somebody will need to remove that instruction. Google documents this as one of the reasons a page may not be indexed.

If that sounds too technical:

Ask your website person.

You don't need to fix it yourself.

The simple checklist

If all of this sounds complicated, forget most of it.

Just remember these steps.

🦁 STEP 1

Go to Google.

Type:

site:yourwebsite.com

Do you see your website?

🦁 STEP 2

Choose one important page.

For example:

  • your most important animal
  • an old historical page
  • a pedigree
  • an important article
  • an archive
  • an important collection item.

🦁 STEP 3

Open Google Search Console.

Use:

URL Inspection

🦁 STEP 4

Paste the full URL.

Press Enter.

🦁 STEP 5

If you see:

“URL is on Google”

🎉 Excellent.

🦁 STEP 6

If you see:

“URL is not on Google”

Don't panic.

Read the reason underneath.

🦁 STEP 7

If the page is available and there is no technical problem preventing indexing:

Request Indexing.

Click once.

Then wait.

🦁 STEP 8

If you have lots of pages:

Check whether you already have a sitemap.

Try:

yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml

🦁 STEP 9

If you have a sitemap:

Great.

Ask your website person whether it is submitted to Google Search Console.

And finally: this is bigger than SEO

This is perhaps the most important point.

Your website may have started as a simple hobby project.

Maybe you created it because you wanted to show your animals.

Maybe you wanted to share your collection.

Maybe you wanted to document your work.

Maybe you simply wanted somewhere to put your photographs.

But after five, ten, fifteen or twenty years, something interesting can happen.

Your website becomes an archive.

It may contain information about:

people who are no longer active.

animals that are no longer alive.

bloodlines that no longer exist.

objects that have disappeared.

historical events.

photographs that exist nowhere else.

knowledge that has never been formally published.

And someone, perhaps years from now, may search Google for exactly that information.

They won't know that your page exists.

They won't know that you spent twenty years documenting it.

They will simply type something into Google.

And Google will try to find the answer.

If Google can find your page, your knowledge has a chance of being discovered.

If Google cannot find it, the information may effectively be invisible.

That is why spending a little time making your website discoverable is worthwhile.

You don't need to become an SEO expert.

You don't need to understand Google's algorithms.

You don't need to redesign your website.

You simply need to ask one question:

“Does Google know this page exists?”

And now you know how to find out.

Official Google resources

For anyone who wants to go further, Google's own documentation is the best place to start:

Share this article in your hobby community!

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