In a recent revelation, Google’s John Mueller addressed the question of whether Google Sites is an effective tool for SEO, providing insights that may come as a surprise to some.
Google Sites, a platform for creating websites, has gained popularity due to its user-friendly interface and the ability to publish websites under the sites.google.com domain. However, when it comes to SEO (Search Engine Optimization), John Mueller suggested that Google Sites may not be the optimal choice.
The initial question posed to Mueller concerned the indexing of Google Sites webpages. The user was concerned that their Google Sites pages were not being properly indexed by Google’s search engine.
Mueller began by confirming that URLs from Google Sites can indeed be indexed by Google. He emphasized that websites created on Google Sites are not excluded from Google Search results. However, he pointed out certain limitations and complexities associated with Google Sites for SEO purposes.
“To be blunt,” Mueller stated, “while it’s technically indexable, it’s not ideal for SEO purposes and can be complex for tracking in Search Console.” In essence, while Google Sites can be indexed, it may not provide the level of control and optimization that many SEO-focused website builders or platforms offer.
Mueller then recommended considering alternatives, especially if SEO is a primary concern. He highlighted the advantages of using an actual domain name over the default sites.google.com domain. These benefits include improved performance tracking in Search Console, ease of migration if needed, and the ability to verify ownership of the entire domain for Search Console purposes.
