Google Sites is a free website builder provided by Google that allows you to create responsive websites very quickly.
I am often asked about how effective Google Sites is and whether websites created in Google Sites can actually rank well.
In this article, we will go into depth on Google sites and whether or not they can actually rank.
What is Google Sites?
- What is Google Sites?
- What is the purpose of a Google website?
- Is a Google website free?
- Can Google sites do SEO?
- How to do SEO on a Google Site?
- How to rank a Google website
- Conclusion
Google Sites is a website page building service provided by Google that allows you to create a responsive website for free.
Whilst there are many other website builders that are available, Google Sites is a free and easy way for new starters to create a basic responsive site for desktop and mobile.
It offers users a way to create the pages that they want by creating files in Google Drive. It uses fixed layouts and offers a number of tutorials on how to get set up with Google Sites.
What is the purpose of a Google website?
Google websites built through Google Sites allow anyone to create a website and build out the content of that website without the need to know any coding knowledge.
There are many website builders that now make the creation of websites a lot easier where minimal coding knowledge is required. Google websites serve this very purpose and can allow business owners with minimal experience to create a site.
You can also use a custom domain if you wish to. This means that if you have a domain that you would like to repurpose for any reason, then you could also consider redirecting it to your Google site, which is a valid option when using the platform.
Is a Google website free?
Building a website using Google Sites is free up until a point. It will depend on how much storage you use for your website and you will begin to be charged past a certain storage volume.
In terms of getting started out of the gate, all you need is a Gmail account and you can pretty much get started for $0. When you start to add more pages and increase the volume of content on your Google site, this is when the monthly costs increase. You can see the pricing plans in full and find a potential package that is right for you.
Can Google Sites do SEO?
Websites built through Google Sites certainly have the potential to rank in Google just like any other site. It of course depends on what you are using the domain for and what you are looking to get out of the website you build.
Like any website built on any website builder, you will need to create content that builds sufficient topical relevance around those main keywords you are wishing to target. You want your key categories and service pages to be easily discoverable, whether that is on the menu navigation or within the home page content.
How to do SEO on a Google Site?
You should treat a Google Site like any other and be sure to carry out what you need to in terms of on-page and off-page SEO to make it as friendly as possible for both customers and Google. You need to consider what the purpose of your website is going to be before deciding which platform will be best for you. If you are looking to repurpose a site to use as a potential backlink source for your bigger site, then a Google Site could be a quick and easy way to repurpose the site and get the content re-uploaded quickly.
If you are a small business, then you may also consider using this as your chosen website builder but generally for bigger sites, you will need to consider another platform in order to maximise your revenue-generating potential and ease of use for your development work. This will determine how well you can build the pages that you need and ultimately determine how well you can execute your organic SEO strategy but certainly, there is SEO benefits for using Google Sites as long as it is for the right purpose.
How to rank a Google website
If you are looking to rank a website built in Google Sites, then you should follow these steps:
Create a good user experience – ensure that the navigation of your Google website is easy to understand for both the user and Google. It makes customers buying journey a lot more difficult when the navigation is not organised and if page links and anchor texts go to the incorrect page of the website.
Build good and well-optimised content – Use tools like Surfer SEO to ensure your content is well optimised for the keywords you wish to target in your content.
Build backlinks – Build citations if you are just getting started to build some relevance and tell Google that you are a real business. You should also try and build backlinks on relevant sites to yours in order to help increase the domain authority of your website.
Good keyword and competitor research – Ensure that you have done your research on whatever niche it is you are operating in. Make sure that if you are using as your “money” or “main” site you are aware of the competitive space and know whether it is viable to build your site through Google Sites. A well thought keyword research and competitor analysis plan will save you a bunch of time (and money) further down the line.
Conclusion
To conclude whether or not Google sites can rank or not, I believe that there is definitely potential to rank in Google with sites built using this platform.
In order to rank for the phrases that you wish to target, however, you will need to have a well-planned strategy in terms of what you are looking to achieve from the site.
You also need to consider the capability of the platform and whether you are going to be able to get everything you need out of it long term. It may be challenging to manage products if you are an eCommerce business for instance purely using Google Sites.
Do your research and look at what your competition is doing to get a good idea of what you need to rank for the keywords that are going to generate revenue for your business.
