Can Google read it?
Google sends a program through your site to read the words. On a lot of builder sites it finds big photos and very little it can use.
When people compare a website builder and a web designer, they usually compare looks. The bigger difference is the part you can’t see: everything Google checks, and who keeps it right after launch.
Wix, Squarespace and GoDaddy are good tools. They can put a nice-looking site online in an afternoon. What they hand you is a design and a set of settings. Everything after that is up to you.
With a builder, you’re the web designer
What Google actually sees
Home · About · Contact
Welcome to our website!
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- What do they do? ?
- What town are they in? ?
- When are they open? ?
A site can look great to a person and still leave Google guessing. On a site built right, Google gets a clear answer to every one of those questions.
Side by side
| Question | Template builder | Pair of Dots |
|---|---|---|
| Who builds it | You do, from a template | We do, for your business |
| Who writes the words | You do | We do |
| How it looks | Like lots of other sites on the same template | Made for you |
| Can Google read it? | Depends on how it was set up | Built in |
| Is every page on file with Google? | Nobody checks unless you do | We check |
| Labels that tell Google what you are | A few basic ones | Built in for a local business |
| Speed on a phone | Carries code for features you don’t use | Only what your site needs |
| Matches your Google listing | Up to you | Set up and kept matched |
| When something breaks | You figure it out | Text us |
| What it costs | A cheaper plan, plus add-ons and your time | $150 a month, done for you |
What Google asks about every site
Is the page on file?
A page being online and a page being in Google’s files are two different things. On a builder site, nobody checks which pages made it in.
Does Google know what you are?
Hidden labels tell Google your trade, your town, your hours and your phone number. Builders add a few basic ones. A lot of what a local business needs is left blank.
Does it load fast on a phone?
Builder sites carry code for every feature they offer, even the ones you never turned on. On a phone with one bar of signal, that adds up.
Does it match your Google listing?
Your website and your Google Business Profile have to agree. A phone number typed two different ways is enough to make Google trust both a little less.
Is anyone looking after it?
Google changes how it ranks sites all the time. A site that passed in the spring can slip by the fall if nobody is watching.
Can I fix my builder site myself
Some of it, for a while.
The catch is that it isn’t a one-time job. Google keeps changing what it looks for. Most owners who try get a small bump, feel done, and slide back within a few months because nobody is watching.
It’s less like fixing a flat tire and more like changing the oil. It has to keep happening, and it has to be done by someone who knows what to look for.
A builder can be a fine place to start. The trouble starts when your business depends on it.
Some sites we’ve built
No templates. Each one was built for the business on it.
Questions
Website builder or web designer: which is better for a small business?
A builder gets you online fast. Whether the site brings in calls depends on the Google side, and a builder leaves that part to you. It also has to be kept up, month after month. A web designer does that part for you.
Is Wix or Squarespace bad for SEO?
Not by itself. Sites on both can show up on Google. The trouble is that someone has to set the site up right and keep it that way, and on a builder that someone is you.
Does a web designer cost more than a builder?
Yes, a builder plan costs less each month. The difference is who does the work. With Pair of Dots it’s $150 a month with no money down and no contract, and we do all of it.
Can you move my Wix or Squarespace site?
We build you a new site instead of moving the old one. Most sites are live within a couple of weeks, and your Google listing and reviews stay yours.
Have a builder site? Send it over
Send us your web address and we’ll look at it the way Google does. We’ll tell you straight what’s working, usually the same day. No charge.
Get a free look
or call 251-270-4129