free website maker and domain
Use free builders and free domains the right way — get visible on Google, collect leads, and grow without spending money.
Free tools are powerful when used properly. This guide walks you through choosing a free website maker, picking a reliable free domain option, on-page SEO, analytics, and growth tactics that cost nothing but effort.
Entry Cost
Hours to First Page (realistic)
Mobile Ready (if you choose right)
First steps you can do for free
Why build on a free website maker and domain?
Free builders let you test an idea, validate demand, and get a presence on Google without financial risk. For solo operators, new projects, or community groups, they provide a fast path to a working site that you can improve over time.
Best uses for free sites
- Landing pages for a new offer or service
- Temporary sites or event pages
- Personal portfolios or proof-of-concept
- Local listings and directories with little budget
But "free" comes with trade-offs. Read on to learn how to choose the right builder and avoid common pitfalls that harm SEO and credibility.
Choosing a Free Website Maker (what matters)
Ease of use
Drag-and-drop editors (Wix, Carrd) are fast. But some builders limit HTML/SEO controls — check meta tag access.
SEO control
You need editable title tags, meta descriptions, clean URLs, and the ability to add headings and alt text. WordPress.com, Blogger, and GitHub Pages offer good control.
Mobile responsiveness
Ensure templates are mobile-first. Most visitors will use phones — Google measures mobile experience for ranking.
Popular free builders — quick comparison
- Wix (free plan): Easy editor, limited SEO controls on free subdomain, branded footer.
- WordPress.com (free): Good SEO control if you upgrade; free plan is limited but flexible for blogging.
- Google Sites: Super simple, very limited SEO features — good for internal or quick pages.
- GitHub Pages / Netlify: Free hosting for static sites, full SEO control, requires technical skills (static site generators).
- Carrd: Excellent for single-page landing pages, limited multi-page support on free plan.
- Blogger: Owned by Google, easy blogging and decent SEO basics.
How to choose right
- Decide whether you need multi-page or single landing page.
- Pick a builder that allows editing page titles and meta descriptions.
- Choose one with responsive templates and image compression.
- Prefer options that let you add Google Search Console and Analytics.
Free Domain Options & When to Use Them
"Free domain" usually means one of three things:
- Free subdomain from the builder (yourname.wixsite.com/yoursite). Easiest but branded and less trustworthy.
- Free top-level domains from services (e.g., .tk .ml .ga via freenom). Often unreliable and can be reclaimed or flagged.
- Promotional free domain included for a year with paid plans. Real domain but usually requires a payment method and later renewal fees.
Recommendations
- Use a free subdomain to test or validate but switch to a real domain when you get traction.
- Avoid freenom TLDs for business-critical sites — they can be unreliable for deliverability and trust.
- Consider buying a cheap .com/.com.au when ready — domains cost ~$10–20/year and make a big difference in trust and SEO.
If you must stay completely free, pick a builder that lets you later connect a domain easily, and keep your profile and business details clean to maintain trust.
SEO Basics for Free Websites (practical & actionable)
On-page essentials
- Title tag: Unique, 50–60 characters, include main keyword and location when relevant.
- Meta description: 120–155 characters, describe benefit and include a CTA.
- Headings: One H1 per page, H2/H3 to structure content — include keywords naturally.
- URLs: Short, readable, include keyword (avoid long query strings).
- Images: Use compressed images, descriptive filenames, and alt text for accessibility + SEO.
- Mobile-first: Test pages on phones — Google prioritises mobile experience.
- Internal linking: Link related pages with descriptive anchor text.
Technical & indexability
- Robots & sitemap: Ensure builder generates a sitemap.xml and allows Search Console verification.
- Canonical: Use canonical tags to avoid duplicate content issues (some free builders add duplicates).
- Fast hosting: Static builders (GitHub Pages, Netlify) are often faster — speed helps ranking.
- Structured data: Add LocalBusiness or FAQ schema when possible to earn rich results.
- HTTPS: Use builders that provide SSL (many do on free plans).
Action checklist (first 24 hours)
- Set page titles & meta descriptions for your homepage and top service pages.
- Add H1 and descriptive headings on each page.
- Upload compressed images with alt text.
- Verify site in Google Search Console and submit sitemap.
- Install Google Analytics (GA4) or use server logs to track visitors.
Content Structure That Helps You Rank
Don't write vague pages. Structure content to answer real search queries and help visitors convert.
Simple page blueprint (Service page)
- Title: Service + Location (if local).
- Intro (H1 + first paragraph): Explain benefits and who you help.
- Services list (H2): Short bullets of what you offer.
- Pricing / packages (H2): Even rough prices help trust.
- FAQs (H2): Add common questions — great for featured snippets.
- Call to action: Phone, email, or booking link at top and bottom.
Blog and long-form pages
Aim for 800–1,500 words on topics your customers ask about. Use headings, lists, and images. Each post is another opportunity to rank for niche queries.
Content ideas that perform (free to create)
- How-to guides related to your service (e.g., "How to stop a leaking tap")
- Local resources and neighbourhood pages
- Before & after photo stories
- FAQ pages that answer transactional queries
Growing Local Traffic for Free
Google Business Profile
Set up and fully optimise your Google Business Profile (formerly GMB). Add photos, business hours, services, and consistent NAP (name, address, phone).
- Ask customers for reviews — respond to every review.
- Post updates and offers via Google Posts.
- Use exact business name and address as on your website.
Local citations & links
List your business in free directories (local chamber, TrueLocal, Yellow Pages, community directories). Consistency matters more than quantity.
- Ensure NAP consistency across all listings.
- Get links from local partners, suppliers, or community pages.
- Share links to your site from social profiles and free QR codes on receipts.
Free outreach tactics
- Write a short guest post for a local blog or community site.
- Share helpful tips in local Facebook groups with a link to a relevant blog post.
- Collect testimonials and publish them as a dedicated page — ask for linkbacks.
Track Performance — Free Tools You Need
Tracking lets you know what works. Use these free tools:
- Google Search Console: Monitor indexing, search queries, and fix errors.
- Google Analytics (GA4): Track visitors, pages, and conversions.
- Bing Webmaster Tools: Free indexing and keyword data from Bing.
- PageSpeed Insights: Identify speed issues and get actionable recommendations.
Simple KPI dashboard (free)
- Impressions & clicks (Search Console)
- Top performing pages (Analytics)
- Average position for target keywords (Search Console)
- Mobile speed score (PageSpeed)
When to Migrate from Free — and How to Do It Safely
Signals it's time to upgrade
- You start getting steady traffic and enquiries.
- Your brand needs credibility (professionals expect a real domain).
- SEO or custom functionality is blocked by the builder.
- You want to remove footer branding or add e-commerce.
Migration checklist
- Export content if possible (posts, images, metadata).
- Purchase a domain (keep same or pick a better one).
- Set 301 redirects from old URLs to new URLs to preserve SEO.
- Re-verify in Search Console and submit new sitemap.
- Monitor traffic for 2–6 weeks for drops and fix issues.
Real-world examples — free to paid transition
Local plumber (test & scale)
Started with a single-page Carrd landing, posted to local Facebook groups, claimed Google Business Profile, then moved to a .com.au after steady leads. Result: doubled enquiries in 3 months.
Freelancer portfolio
Used GitHub Pages for free hosting with a custom domain purchased for $12/yr. Full control over SEO and fast performance — ranked on niche keywords within weeks.
Frequently asked questions
Is a free site OK for a real business?
How do I get my free site indexed by Google?
Are free domains safe to use?
Which free builder gives the best SEO options?
Ready to move faster (and keep costs low)?
Free tools are great for starting. If you want a professional, conversion-focused website without upfront design fees, Congero builds mobile-optimised sites fast and handles SEO, hosting, domain and unlimited updates for a flat monthly fee.
Congero offers instant AI-driven builds, domain registration, hosting, SSL and local SEO included for a predictable monthly price. Perfect if you want to upgrade from a free site without the hassle.
Final checklist before you publish
- Titles & meta descriptions set for every page
- H1 on each page and structured headings
- Compressed images with alt text
- Google Search Console verification and sitemap submitted
- Google Business Profile claimed if you're local
- At least 3 backlinks from relevant local or industry sites
Follow these steps and a free website can start bringing enquiries. When you're ready to scale, migrating to a professional solution with a real domain is straightforward — and tools like Congero make that jump painless while keeping costs predictable.
Need help with a fast, SEO-friendly upgrade from a free site? See a free demo — Congero can have a professional site ready in minutes.
