Table of Contents
What SEO features should a website builder include?
Your website builder should have responsive themes that it has already optimized for SEO on mobile and desktop. You should also strongly consider looking at built-in AI SEO features, such as a tool that factors SEO into its content creation.
When comparing website builders for SEO, look for integrations where you can assess your results. Google Search Console is a must, and you should also think about signing up for Google Analytics (make sure that you’ve made it compliant with your local data laws).
Being able to modify URLs, alt texts, titles, and meta descriptions is crucial. However, you also need to think about automated SEO tasks, such as adding canonical tags and creating sitemaps.
SEO checklists are also something to consider if you don’t have prior experience, and you should also seek website audit features where possible.
What are the most important SEO ranking factors?
SEO ranking factors, used by Google to determine where websites rank in SERPs, are split into two categories:
- On-page optimization
- Off-page optimization
On-page SEO is the type that you probably have already heard of. It involves your website structure and your content, including articles and web page copy. The main tasks you’ll do in this area are:
- Checking for accuracy and relevance in your content
- Internal linking
- Keyword research
- Optimizing images, which includes adding alt tags and titles
- Meta, title, and header tags
Off-page SEO is more about what happens away from your website. Aspects related to off-page SEO that you’ll need to implement include:
- Backlinks (i.e. links to your pages/content on other websites)
- Mentions by other brands
- Whether others are engaging with your website and content on social media
You need to understand on-page and off-page SEO before you can focus on visibility and driving organic traffic.
Why is SEO important for websites?
SEO is vital if you want users to be more likely to click on your website instead of a competitor’s. Studies have also shown that users perceive sites ranking higher in SERPs to be more trustworthy, which has a direct impact on your branding.
What makes a website SEO-friendly?
Design responsiveness and loading times are both potential influences on where your site ranks in search engines. However, your overall content and backlink quality might also contribute. Keywords are essential in SEO, but avoid keyword stuffing (which is where you unnaturally add a keyword multiple times).
What are the limitations of using SEO optimization in a website builder?
Custom-built sites and website builders differ in terms of how much technical control you have for SEO, so it’s important to think about this before choosing where to build your website. Understand the benefits and trade-offs for both.
How does SEO optimization in a website builder compare to other SEO methods?
When using SEO features in a website builder, you’ll mainly focus on technical SEO and the on-page version. Meta descriptions, internal links, canonical tags, and internal links are some examples.
Besides organic SEO, paid SEO is also something that some businesses use. Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is one example; this is for more technical people and involves paying for ads in search engines.
PPC is ideal for immediate traffic gains – however, you need SEO for long-term results as many PPC customers are one-offs. Rather than picking one or the other, think about using organic SEO and PPC in different areas.
What are the most important website metrics to track for SEO success?
SEO metrics you should track include:
- Keyword rankings
- Bounce and conversion rates
- Page loading times
- Backlinks and their quality (it’s worth disavowing low-quality backlinks)
Besides getting an idea of where you’re ranking in search engines, you should also track things like loading times to understand the user experience. Use Google Analytics (or an equivalent) and Google Search Console to measure how you’re doing and think about whether you need to improve. Make sure you measure your results over the long run if you want them to be more accurate, too.
Conclusion
If you want your website to be more visible to your target audience, you must understand SEO on a core level. However, it’s also essential to know the different types of SEO and what you must do to improve your strategy in each area. Start by finding a website builder that has built-in SEO features, such as page responsiveness and canonical tag managers.
When looking for a website builder, you must also find something with automated and manual editing in different areas. You want control over your URLs, meta descriptions, titles, etc., so that what you use actually meets your brand requirements. Rather than thinking about short-term gains, you also need to play the long game; iteration over time is the best strategy.
Track your SEO progress and results by focusing on metrics like keyword rankings, page speed, and the types of backlinks you’re receiving. You need to be proactive and think of where your strategy has room for improvement.
