The provided source materials indicate that GoDaddy’s Website Builder presents significant limitations for search engine optimization (SEO). While the platform offers basic tools for managing meta tags and creating mobile-friendly layouts, its overall SEO functionality is described as lacking, potentially hindering a website’s ability to rank in search results. The data suggests slow load times and limited control over on-page SEO factors are primary concerns. The materials emphasize the importance of content creation and backlink building as mitigation strategies for sites built on this platform.
Limited On-Page SEO Control
The source materials consistently point to a lack of control over on-page SEO as a major drawback of the GoDaddy Website Builder. The platform’s limited options for optimization are repeatedly highlighted. While GoDaddy provides tools for editing meta tags, the extent of other on-page controls is not detailed in the provided documents. The data does not specify which on-page elements are difficult or impossible to optimize.
Technical SEO Concerns: Page Speed
A significant technical SEO issue identified in the source materials is slow load times. Testing revealed a Google PageSpeed Insights score of just 41 for a basic blog post, with a total blocking time of 7000 ms. The slow loading was attributed to heavy script usage. The documents note that Core Web Vitals, including speed and layout stability, have been part of Google’s algorithm since 2021, making these factors increasingly important for SEO. Layout stability issues, involving layers loading and then hiding, were also observed. However, the materials also state that GoDaddy Website Builder websites can be optimized if built “the right way,” though specifics of this approach are not detailed.
Header Tag Implementation
Proper use of header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) is crucial for organizing content and improving readability for both users and search engines. The source materials indicate that skipping header tags can result in a cluttered page that is harder for search engines to interpret. GoDaddy Builder does offer tools to format text, making it possible to implement header tags, and the documents recommend using H1 tags for the main title and H2 or H3 tags for subheadings, incorporating keywords naturally.
Content Strategy and Freshness
The source materials emphasize the importance of regularly adding fresh content to a website. A static, infrequently updated site may be perceived as irrelevant by Google. The recommendation is to add a blog section and post regularly, focusing on useful, keyword-rich, and easy-to-read content. The documents do not specify a posting frequency.
Mobile Friendliness
GoDaddy Builder automatically creates mobile-friendly versions of websites. However, the source materials advise users to double-check the layout on phones and tablets to ensure buttons are easy to click and text is readable.
Off-Page SEO: Backlink Building
The documents highlight the importance of building a site’s authority by earning high-quality backlinks. Specific link building tactics are mentioned but are referenced to an external resource not included in the provided materials.
Platform Usage Statistics
According to data from w3techs (as of June 2024), GoDaddy’s Website Builder powers approximately 0.5% of all websites. This is significantly lower than WordPress, which powers 43.4% of sites. The documents suggest that the percentage of “real” businesses using GoDaddy may be higher than 0.5% when excluding spam sites.
GoDaddy’s SEO Prioritization
The source materials suggest that GoDaddy has not prioritized SEO improvements in recent years, stating that the platform’s SEO functionality has not changed in the last three years. This lack of development raises concerns about the platform’s future ability to support effective SEO strategies. One source notes that GoDaddy support engineers have been observed recommending users switch to more advanced content management systems (CMS).
SEO Audit Recommendation
For those currently using a GoDaddy site and unwilling to switch platforms, the source materials recommend performing a full SEO audit, allocating time to fix issues and optimize the site where possible, focusing on high-quality content, and building backlinks.
Conclusion
The available data paints a largely negative picture of GoDaddy Website Builder’s SEO capabilities. The platform is characterized by limited on-page control, technical issues such as slow load times, and a perceived lack of prioritization for SEO development by GoDaddy. While the platform offers basic tools and automatically generates mobile-friendly sites, these features are insufficient to overcome the fundamental limitations. The source materials suggest that a robust content strategy and diligent backlink building are essential for mitigating the SEO challenges associated with using GoDaddy’s Website Builder.