creating a free website
A practical, step-by-step guide to build a free website in 2025 — and make it discoverable with SEO basics
You don't need expensive design or hosting to start. This guide walks you through choosing a free platform, publishing content, setting up analytics, and the SEO steps that actually help people find your site.
Platform options (with trade-offs)
Quick setup time (basic site)
Follow these basics to get found
1. Plan your free website (10–20 minutes)
Before you pick a tool, decide what your site must do. A clear goal keeps a free site focused and effective.
Decide the primary goal
- Get contact leads (phone, email)
- Showcase work/portfolio
- Sell a single product or service
- Share information or collect signups
Know your audience
Who are they, where do they search, and what words do they use? Write 3 short customer sentences to keep copy focused.
2. Choose a free platform — options & trade-offs
Free platforms are great for starting fast. Below are the most practical choices in 2025 and what to expect.
Google Sites
Truly free, simple, no ads, but limited design and SEO controls.
- No hosting setup
- Fast, secure
- Limited meta tag control
WordPress.com (Free)
Flexible content, lots of themes; free plan includes WordPress subdomain and ads.
- Good for blogging & content
- WordPress branding & limited plugins
Wix / Weebly (Free)
Easy drag-and-drop builders; free plans show platform ads and subdomains.
- Fast design speed
- Ads and limited SEO control on free tier
GitHub Pages / Netlify
Free hosting for static sites; best if you can handle basic code or static site generators (Hugo, Jekyll).
- No branding, free subdomain or custom domain
- Good performance
- Requires technical steps for templates
Carrd (Free)
Single-page sites, very fast to build. Good for landing pages and contact-first sites.
- Ideal for single-service pages
- Limited for multi-page SEO
Pros & Cons (Quick)
- Free = speed — get visible quickly.
- Trade-offs: subdomain, ads, limited SEO controls.
- Best move: start free, upgrade to custom domain + paid plan when traffic grows.
3. Domain & free hosting — keep it professional
Free platforms often use a subdomain (yoursite.platform.com). That's fine to start, but a custom domain looks more professional and helps SEO.
Free options
- Use the platform subdomain to launch fast (ok short-term)
- Use GitHub Pages + free domain from Freenom (limited TLDs) if you know basic DNS
- Some providers offer 1 year free domain with paid upgrade — plan ahead
Tip: buy a cheap domain ($10–20/yr) when you can — it pays back in trust and searchability.
How to add a custom domain later
- Buy a domain from a registrar (Namecheap, GoDaddy, Porkbun).
- In your platform's dashboard, choose "Connect domain" or "Custom domain".
- Update your domain's DNS: add an A record or CNAME as instructed.
- Wait for DNS propagation (usually under 24 hours).
- Enable HTTPS (most platforms provide free SSL automatically).
SSL / HTTPS
Always enable HTTPS — browsers and Google expect it. Most free platforms provide SSL automatically once your domain is connected.
4. Design & content that converts (quick wins)
Design fast, write for humans, and make actions obvious.
Essential pages
- Home — clear headline + primary CTA (call, email)
- Services/product page — short descriptions + pricing or starting prices
- About — who you are + one trust signal (photo, years of experience)
- Contact — phone, email, service area
Copywriting tips
- Headline: state the main benefit in one line
- Subheadline: add what you do + where
- CTA: phone number or "Get a quote" — keep it above the fold
- Use short paragraphs and bullet lists
Images & trust signals
Use real photos where possible. If you need stock images, choose natural, on-brand photos. Include at least one customer testimonial or logo block.
5. SEO basics for a free website — the high-impact checklist
Do these things to make your site discoverable. These are practical, free, and high-ROI.
Keyword research (20–40 minutes)
Find the exact phrases customers use. Free tools and methods:
- Google autosuggest: type phrases into Google and note suggestions.
- People Also Ask and related searches at the bottom of results.
- Free tiers of tools: Ubersuggest, AnswerThePublic, Keyword Surfer (browser extension).
Action: pick 1 primary phrase per page (e.g., "emergency plumber Sydney") and 3–5 related phrases.
On-page SEO (title, meta, headings)
- Title tag: 50–60 characters, include primary keyword near the front.
- Meta description: 120–160 characters, persuasive summary including main benefit and keyword.
- URL: Keep short, include keyword (yoursite.com/emergency-plumber-sydney).
- H1 & H2s: One H1 per page (page title), then H2s for sections; include related phrases naturally.
- Alt text for images: Describe images and include a keyword when relevant.
- Internal links: Link related pages together with descriptive anchor text.
Technical SEO (quick checklist)
- Enable HTTPS (SSL)
- Create and submit sitemap.xml to Google Search Console
- Robots.txt — ensure site is crawlable
- Mobile-first: test pages on a phone
- Optimize images (compress, use next-gen formats) for speed
Tools: Google PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, WebPageTest.
Local SEO (if you serve a local area)
- Create or claim your Google Business Profile
- Use consistent NAP (name, address, phone) across site and directories
- Ask customers for Google reviews — they help rankings and conversions
- Add service area and opening hours on your site
Structured data (schema) — simple boost
Add a small piece of JSON-LD to your site's head for business info or local business. It helps Google understand your site. Example (Business name, phone, address) — many free editors can generate this.
6. Set up analytics & Google Search Console
You must measure performance. These free tools tell you who visits and which keywords bring traffic.
Google Analytics (GA4)
- Create a Google account (if you don't have one).
- Go to analytics.google.com and create a GA4 property.
- Copy the tracking code and paste it into your platform (most free builders have a custom code field).
Google Search Console
Search Console shows search queries, impressions, and indexing status.
- Add your site property (preferably the domain property) to Search Console.
- Verify ownership (via DNS record or HTML file depending on platform).
- Submit sitemap.xml (if your platform generates one).
What to watch
- Top queries and pages in Search Console
- Traffic sources in GA4 (organic, direct, social)
- Indexing errors — fix obvious issues quickly
7. Launch checklist — test before you share
A short pre-launch checklist to avoid common mistakes.
- Mobile test: open on multiple phones, test buttons and phone links.
- Forms & contact: test any contact methods (email, phone) and confirm messages arrive.
- Speed & accessibility: run PageSpeed Insights and fix glaring issues (large images, render-blocking JS).
- SEO basics: check title tags, meta descriptions, H1s, and that the sitemap is accessible.
- Analytics: ensure GA4 and Search Console are connected and receiving data.
Ready to share?
Announce on social, add your Google Business Profile, and ask for first reviews or testimonials.
Next: Grow traffic8. Grow your online presence — practical, low-cost tactics
Once live, focus on content, local signals, and a few link-building moves that pay off.
Content strategy
- Create 1 useful article or "service FAQ" per week — solve specific customer questions.
- Target long-tail queries (how-to + location) — easiest to rank for early on.
- Repurpose posts to social (short videos, carousel images).
Link & local citation building
- List your business on local directories (TrueLocal, Yelp, Yellow Pages).
- Ask suppliers or partners for a simple backlink to your site.
- Create one or two high-quality resources (guides, checklists) that others will link to.
Reviews & social proof
Encourage happy customers to leave a Google review. Display short testimonials prominently on your site — they improve conversions and local rankings.
Paid amplification (small budget)
If you have a small budget, a few dollars/day in Google Local Campaigns or Facebook Ads to promote a service page can generate enquiries and feedback quickly.
9. Ongoing maintenance & what to monitor
Keep your site healthy and your SEO gains steady with a few routine checks.
- Weekly: check contact methods and top pages' traffic.
- Monthly: review Search Console for errors, update content or prices, check PageSpeed.
- Quarterly: add a new article or case study and ask customers for fresh reviews.
Frequently asked questions
Is a free website good enough for a new business?
How long until my site shows up on Google?
Can I move from a free platform to a paid site later?
What's the most important SEO task for a beginner?
Ready to launch faster?
Creating a free website is a great first step. If you want a professional site without the technical work, Congero builds and optimises websites quickly — with SEO and unlimited updates included.
Congero can take your site from free to professional with no lock-in and transparent pricing.
