SEO Guide for Using Webflow | How to Rank Higher on Google?

Is Webflow good for SEO?

Webflow has gained popularity among businesses seeking to improve their online visibility, in part because of its excellent SEO capabilities. If you compare Webflow vs WordPress you will see that in some ways it’s superior and SEO is one of them.

The question is not whether Webflow is better, but how it is better. Here's a brief overview of Webflow’s SEO benefits:

• Providing an intuitive user experience that makes it simple to create pages that are both user-friendly and visually appealing.
• Easy to modify metadata and other relevant SEO aspects without the need for coding.
• SEO-friendly URLs and the ability to choose between subfolders and subdomains.
• Supports the implementation of complex SEO features - such as custom schema data, which assists search engines in understanding your site better. Webflow makes it simple to describe your site to Google using schema markup.
• Streamlining the implementation of hreflangs - an HTML attribute used for language specification and geo-targeting of a webpage when multiple versions of one page exist.
• Offering support for adding canonical tags - which indicate the main version of a page when you have duplicate or similar content on your site. By marking the "canonical" page, you can instruct that these pages are similar and avoid having competing pages in search engines.

How does Webflow provide mobile-friendliness to websites?

 The so well-known “ Mobile SEO” is the process of optimizing your website for mobile devices like tablets and smartphones. At present days more than 60% of the searches made on Google are from mobile devices. That’s exactly why Google switched to mobile-first indexing a couple of years ago (To be precise it was in 2019). It should be noted that there aren’t two separate indexing, but just one which prioritizes mobile.

As a solution to this Webflow has a couple of features created with mobile-first indexing in mind :

• Reflowing Content
• Fixed sizing
• Relative sizing
• Breakpoints

Reflowing content means that the content adjusts its width according to the size of the browser's viewport. This means that if the browser's width gets smaller, the content will automatically adjust and wrap itself to fit the new size. You can simulate this behavior by dragging the edge of the Designer canvas.

When using fixed pixel widths, it is important to be careful because the content may not adjust properly to smaller screens. For example, an image with a fixed width of 500px may look great on a desktop or tablet but may not fit properly on a smaller mobile screen. To solve this problem, it is recommended to use relative sizing which sets the element's size relative to other things such as the browser width or a parent element. For instance, using different units such as %, VW (viewport width), or VH (viewport height) can help an image to adapt accordingly to different browser sizes.

To manage the complexity of layouts, breakpoints (also known as media queries) are used. They allow you to test the reflowing content and modify the design and layout based on different device width ranges. The breakpoints toolbar includes a three-dot icon button to add large breakpoints, four different options, and canvas dimension details. This way, you can ensure that your content adjusts properly to different devices and screen sizes.

How to create an SEO-friendly website? [SEO Guide]

Before delving into the specifics of Webflow, there are some standard SEO settings that you should configure to ensure that your website is optimized for search engines.

One critical setting is to ensure that your website is indexable. Some websites are hidden from search engine crawlers to prevent them from appearing in search results, typically during the development stage. To make sure that your website is accessible to search engines, you should check if indexing is enabled. You can do this by going to your Webflow Dashboard, selecting your current website project, and going to Settings > SEO > Indexing. If the 'Disable Webflow Indexing' button is disabled, your website is accessible and configured correctly.

Installing SSL Certificate

Another important aspect of SEO is installing an SSL certificate for your domain. Google prioritizes safe and legitimate websites that offer the best possible user experience. SSL certificates provide security and allow you to offer a more secure browsing experience for users. Sites with a valid SSL certificate use the https:// protocol in their web address, which means that they are connected via a secure and encrypted connection that makes it difficult for third parties to access user data. SSL certificates are a confirmed SEO ranking factor, and Webflow provides built-in SSL certificates for websites. If your website is not displaying https, you may have multiple conflicting SSL certificates.

Setting up Google Search Console

To optimize your website's performance in Google search results and understand how Google processes your site, you can set up Google Search Console for Webflow. This tool, formerly known as Webmaster Tools, enables you to review the coverage of your website and identify any issues, such as 404 errors or duplicate pages. Additionally, the performance report in Search Console provides data on clicks, impressions, click-through rates, and keyword rankings, which can be useful for building your SEO strategy and identifying valuable keywords or topics to target.

To set up your website in Search Console, select the "domain property" option and use one of the verification methods to confirm ownership. Webflow offers an easy way to verify your site by selecting the "HTML tag" verification option and copying the unique verification code into Webflow's Google Site Verification settings in Project > Settings > SEO.

Submitting a sitemap

The next step after setting up Google Search Console is to submit a sitemap. A sitemap is a map of your website that includes the URLs of every indexable page, submitted as an XML file for Google to crawl easily. It should only include live and indexable URLs, as it is a list of pages you want to be indexed and displayed in search results. Webflow automatically generates a sitemap for your website, which you can configure by going to Project > Settings > SEO > Sitemap and selecting 'yes'. Your sitemap will generally use the same URL structure and can be found at mywebsite.com/sitemap.xml. 

Once you have your sitemap, you can submit it to Google through Search Console by going to Sitemap > Add a new sitemap and pasting the sitemap URL into the field provided.

Keyword research and the meaning behind them

Perform keyword research during the process of designing your website structure as it plays a crucial role in SEO. Keywords refer to words or phrases used by people while searching for information on Google. Ranking on the first page for keywords relevant to your products or services can help attract new customers and increase sales.

Keywords are determined by search intent. There are 4 types of search intents: Informational, Navigational, Transactional, and Commercial, thus they correspond to the types of keywords.

Keyword research tools like SEMrush and Google's Keyword Planner can provide keyword suggestions based on your current rankings and the number of monthly searches. SEMrush can also be used to analyze competitor rankings and traffic, providing insight into valuable keywords to target.

A tip on how to determine what intent stays behind your target keywords.

Usually, the most famous keyword research tools like SemRush and Ahrefs provide this intent for you when you research keywords. However, if you don’t actually have access to them but you already have your keywords there are two things you can do to break down the intent behind them.

Firstly, imagine yourself searching for the target word. What would your intent be? This has always helped countless times when we are writing articles on the go.

Secondly, type the target keywords on Google and see what results are appearing. You could guide yourself by this simple intent result table that we made for you.

Conduct Site Speed Optimization

To improve your website's rankings, it is important to optimize site speed, which is a key factor in user experience. With Google's Core Web Vitals update, fast-loading sites with valuable content will benefit rankings.

To evaluate your current website speed and identify major issues, you could use GTmetrix, a free page speed tool. By reviewing important pages on your website, recurring issues or patterns can be identified and resolved.

Some common site speed improvements include image optimization, which involves compressing images and ensuring that they are of the correct dimensions to improve page load time. Lazy loading can also be implemented, which means that the browser loads only the images and elements at the top of the page before moving on to other assets, resulting in improved user retention. CSS optimization can also be performed by using inline CSS and combining files to reduce the number of requests when loading a page, which is responsible for styling pages.

Internal linking: Why is it so important in SEO?

To optimize SEO, it's important to have an internal linking structure in addition to backlinks. Internal links refer to links within a website that connect one page to another. By using internal links, you can distribute link equity throughout your site and give Google an understanding of which keywords each page should rank for.

For instance, your homepage may receive the most links and be the most powerful resource on your site. By implementing internal links to other pages, such as product or service pages, you can share some of that link authority.

Another strategy is to use internal links within your blog posts and articles to direct readers to the commercial pages of your site. This way, you can capitalize on the authority and relevance of your content and direct it to pages that are competing for more valuable keywords.

It's recommended that every page on your website receives at least one internal link to avoid orphaned pages that may be difficult for Google to identify and rank.

On-Page SEO

On-page optimization is the process of optimizing web pages for specific keywords to increase their visibility and traffic through tactical on-page tweaks that enhance their ranking. To conduct on-page optimization, start by identifying the pages you want to rank for particular keywords, focusing first on pages that target higher-value keywords. Analyze the tactics used by competitors who rank for similar terms and ensure that your content covers similar topics and uses similar content formats to provide the best user experience.

To optimize your page for your target keywords, incorporate them strategically throughout your content in important elements such as page titles, headings, and page copy. Be sure to include keyword variations to improve your chances of ranking for multiple terms, but avoid excessive keyword optimization, which can be detected by Google and result in penalties. In addition to optimizing your page content, optimize page titles, meta descriptions, and URLs.

Page titles are the most important element for on-page optimization as they help Google understand the context of your page and what keyword groups it should rank for. Include your priority keywords in your page title and create an engaging title that encourages users to click.

Meta descriptions, on the other hand, should be used to improve your click-through rate by writing a concise and compelling description of your page that includes any unique selling points (USPs) or benefits.

Finally, keep your URLs clean, simple, and short, and include your highest-value keyword term. Avoid overthinking or stuffing your URLs with keywords to increase your chances of ranking competitively.

Off-Page SEO

Off-Page SEO involves undertaking actions outside of your website to enhance your rankings on search engines. It involves enhancing the reputation of your website, and search engines often rank highly reputable websites better as they possess more Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). Off-page SEO factors such as backlinks, reviews, and recommendations are the best ways to demonstrate E-E-A-T. Therefore, off-page SEO is a crucial factor that significantly impacts your site's ranking ability.

Link Building Importance

Link building is crucial because it involves creating connections, called "backlinks," between your website and external sites. When another site links to yours, it's considered a backlink. This acts as a sort of endorsement, indicating to Google that your site is reputable and relevant. The number and quality of backlinks pointing to your site are important factors for search engine rankings. However, not all backlinks are equal. For instance, a backlink from a highly regarded website like bbc.com carries more weight than one from a small local business. If your competitors have more or higher-quality backlinks, they may have an advantage in search engine rankings.

How to build backlinks to your website?

A lot of different ways to build links are known. To create a well-rounded and authentic link profile, it's best to use a variety of link types. Here are a few examples of how to win those links:

Broken Link Building

Web pages are frequently deleted or removed, resulting in broken links on other websites that lead to non-existent pages. This can have a negative impact on user experience.

However, broken links can be advantageous in certain cases. You can approach a website that has a broken link and propose one of your pages as a substitute URL for them to link to instead.

By identifying the broken link and providing a suitable alternative, you can establish high-quality and pertinent links to your website.

Guest articles

To improve your website's authority, guest posting is a widely used technique. You can start by looking for websites, blogs, or magazines that accept guest writers in your industry and offer to contribute some content.

An initial search for "guest post + any topic" can help you find suitable opportunities. Within the content you provide, include a backlink to your website. It is also best to cover relevant topics and keywords in your guest post for better relevance.

Podcasts

To maximize your marketing potential, it's essential to incorporate podcasts into your strategy. These audio programs are currently in high demand and show no signs of declining. By not taking advantage of them, you may be neglecting significant opportunities. 

Utilizing podcasts provides a competitive advantage since many companies still overlook them. Moreover, podcasts can assist you in expanding your reach, sharing your expertise, and increasing your visibility on other websites. 

And, they offer an SEO advantage by creating backlinks to your site if you're a guest on a podcast or if the podcast references your content. You can also suggest linking to your site if you're familiar with the podcast's typical topics.

Final Thoughts

When choosing a platform to build your website on, it's important to consider how it can affect your SEO. Compared to other CMSs, Webflow has a higher built-in SEO value and makes it simple to include meta descriptions and titles directly within the platform. In addition, it includes important optimization features like canonical tags and 301 redirects that can improve your search engine rankings.

SEO is a complexity of many factors and guidelines that you have to follow, in order to create a perfectly optimized website. One of the advantages that Webflow has in front of its competitors is that it has tons of built-in features to help you create an SEO-friendly website. Although it is not the most popular platform its popularity is growing by the day. More and more designers and developers prefer it in front of all the other website builders.