ParsonsHosting

Website Builder how-tos

How do I set up basic SEO in the Website Builder?

By Chris Parsons, founder of ParsonsHosting. Published .

Click SEO in the left sidebar to set a site-wide title and description, then open Pages, click the cog icon next to each page, and give every page its own SEO title and description. Add alt text to your images and use your town and services in the words on the page. These settings help search engines understand your site; they do not guarantee a ranking.

Woman smiling at her laptop by a bright window, holding a mug

What "SEO title" and "description" mean

  • SEO title: the blue, clickable headline people see in Google or Bing search results. Keep it to roughly 50 to 60 characters so it is not cut off.
  • SEO description: the short summary under the title. It does not directly change your ranking, but a clear one helps people decide to click. Aim for one or two plain sentences.

Example for a roofing company's home page:

  • Title: Roof Repair and Replacement in Bend, OR | Smith Roofing
  • Description: Smith Roofing repairs and replaces roofs in Bend, Redmond and Sisters. Free estimates. Call 541-555-0100.

Set the site-wide defaults

  1. Open your site: Client Area > your service > cPanel > the Website Builder button, then edit your domain.
  2. Click SEO in the left sidebar.
  3. Open Website SEO.
  4. Fill in a default title and description for the whole site.
  5. Save.

These are used anywhere a page does not have its own settings.

Set each page's title and description

  1. Click Pages in the left sidebar (or use SEO > Page-specific SEO).
  2. Click the cog icon next to a page.
  3. Fill in that page's SEO title and description. Make every page different. The "Drain Cleaning" page should say drain cleaning, not repeat the home page.
  4. Check the page address (URL). Short and plain is good: /drain-cleaning.
  5. Under More settings you can add a social sharing image for the page.
  6. Save.

Check which pages search engines can list

Each page has a setting for whether search engines should list it. Make sure your real pages are allowed. It is fine to hide a thank-you page or a test page.

If you published the site while it was still a rough draft, take a moment to confirm none of your main pages were left hidden.

Use headings and words that match real searches

  • One main heading (H1) per page that says what the page is about.
  • Use your service and town in the text naturally: "We install heat pumps in Sisters and Bend."
  • Write for a person first. Do not repeat a keyword over and over.

Add alt text to images

Click each image, scroll to Text in the left panel, and fill in Alternative Text with a short description. It helps people using screen readers and gives search engines context.

A note about robots.txt

If you already had a robots.txt file in your website folder before using the Website Builder, publishing can remove it. Save a copy first and put it back after publishing, or ask us to do it.

After you publish

  1. Set up Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools for your domain, if you have not already. They show which pages are found and any problems.
  2. Set up or update your Google Business Profile and put your website address on it.
  3. Be patient. Search engines can take days or weeks to visit and update their results.

What these settings do not do

They do not buy you a top spot. Real content, real photos, reviews on your Google Business Profile and a site that works on phones all matter too.

Questions? Email support@parsonshosting.com or call 530-710-8726. See the FAQ or the Website Builder plans.

See all articles