Webflow is a popular website builder that has become a go-to choice for designers and developers. However, we’re here to answer a question that a lot of people have: is Webflow good for SEO? Let’s dive deep into the features of Webflow that are good for SEO and some must-know limitations, too.
Is Webflow Good for SEO? Evaluating SEO Capabilities
Webflow gets a lot of things right when it comes to SEO. If you’re not a developer or just want to go from ideation to a website quickly, you can launch your site rapidly with the platform. The SEO capabilities of Webflow that stand out to our team include:
Responsive Design and Mobile Optimization
Responsive design and mobile optimization are crucial for SEO. Google’s mobile-first indexing is enough of a reason to begin using Webflow. Search engine crawlers from the search giant will use a smartphone agent, meaning your site needs to look good on mobile.
Webflow’s responsive design features allow you to display your site on:
- PC
- Mac
- Laptops
- Tablets
- Smartphones
- Televisions
Your site’s responsiveness adapts to the device it’s viewed on. Webflow ensures responsiveness with the help of:
- HTML5
- CSS3
- JavaScript
Users can preview and adjust layouts for modern devices thanks to the built-in responsive breakpoints of Webflow.
Clean Code and Site Performance
Clean code is a crucial component of Webflow and is provided with the help of:
- W3C compliant code
- Semantic code
- No inline classes
Utilizing both HTML5 and CSS3, Webflow offers a powerful tool that provides clean code right through its drag-and-drop editor.
Clean code is important because it:
- Reduces load time and site speed
- Requires fewer fixes
- Reduces file sizes
Webflow’s clean code reduces load times, improves SEO and eliminates the risk of your site “confusing” users and search bots. If you want to focus on search engine optimization, you must have clean code as your site’s foundation.
Customizable URLs and Meta Tags
Is Webflow SEO friendly? Yes. It puts a lot of power in the user’s hands to control their on-page SEO. If you navigate to the “cog” next to the template name, you can begin editing the SEO settings of your site and change:
- Titles
- Meta descriptions
Inside of the CMS Editor, you can also change the URL structure to something that is more readable and SEO-friendly.
Why does this matter?
- URL structure makes it easier for humans and search bots to navigate your site.
- Meta titles can be edited to be more “clickable” and entice visitors to go to your site.
- Meta descriptions are shown in the search results and allow you to have better control over how your page’s description reads.
Sprinkling your main keyword into all of these components can also give search engines an “idea” of what your page is about and the type of content that you create.
Integrated Analytics and SEO Tools
Webflow’s built-in SEO features and integrated analytics put a lot of control in the user’s hands.
You’ll have access to:
- Markup editor to change schema
- Meta title editing
- Meta description editing
- Auto-generated sitemap
- Easy redirects and redirect path with full management
- Ability to edit your alt tag data
Webflow does have an Audit panel to find issues with your site as well as the option to integrate Google Analytics into your site to track visitors. The audit will alert you to common issues, such as missing alt tags, times when you skipped headings and other issues that can impact accessibility.
While Webflow is a powerful editor with some SEO functionality built into it, the platform does not have the power of Ahrefs or SEMrush.
TIP: Are you considering using Shopify, too? Read through our guide: Is Shopify Bad for SEO?
Potential Limitations of Webflow for SEO
Is Webflow good for SEO? It can be, but the platform still has some limitations that you should be aware of before you sign up for an account.
Limited Server-Side Control
Webflow does allow you to self-host, but there are some major caveats:
- You’ll need to download the source code and upload it to your server each time you update your site.
- You can’t export the CMS items from Webflow.
Essentially, you have the freedom to self-host, but Webflow makes it complicated and inconvenient to do so.
While it’s convenient to host your site through Webflow, this convenience comes with limitations on server-side control. These limitations can affect your SEO strategies.
For example:
- You can’t add a custom caching solution. Caching can help make your site speedy. Without it, your site may have slower load times, which can impact your rankings.
- You can’t change underlying technology or infrastructure.
Simply put, Webflow doesn’t offer as much customization as your own server would offer. The benefit? The platform offers fast servers and handles all of the management on your behalf.
Speed and Performance Optimization
When people ask, “Is Webflow SEO friendly,” often, their biggest concern is about speed and performance. After all, search engines favor sites that are quick and efficient.
Webflow does offer quite a few options for improving your site’s speed and performance.
For example, Webflow:
- Distributes sites via a global CDN
- Has a built-in conversion tool that compresses images by turning them into WebP files
- Has built-in caching
- Sets all images to lazy load by default
Many Webflow sites have excellent speed and performance scores. However, it’s important to remember that you have minimal control over these functions.
- You cannot choose the CDN. You’re stuck with whatever Webflow offers.
- You cannot add your own caching solution.
Having the ability to choose your CDN and caching solution would allow you to further improve your site’s speed.
Advanced SEO Techniques and Schema Markup
Webflow offers a decent amount of SEO functionality, and the platform now allows you to edit schema markup in the editor. In terms of on-page SEO, you can follow many advanced techniques, such as:
- Interlinking
- Adjusting schema
- Adding alt tags
- Changing titles and meta descriptions
- Creating sitemaps
- So much more
However, as with any CMS or platform, you do limit your ability to change some server-related features that could improve your on-page SEO. You do not have access to keyword tracking nor some of the advanced auditing that comes with other tools, such as Ahrefs or SEMrush, both of which focus heavily on SEO and do not offer website design, hosting, or CMS functionality.
Conclusion: Is Webflow SEO-friendly?
Is Webflow good for SEO? It absolutely can be, but having some knowledge of advanced SEO and basic programming knowledge will help you build a more SEO-friendly site. Having expert help will save you time and frustration.
Get in touch with us today to talk to a Webflow SEO expert and start optimizing your site!
