Can free website rank on Google?
Yes, you can create a free website and rank the website on Google. Your website be appearing on Google Search Engine Result Page (SERP), which means you will have to work on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) on your website.
However, it wasn’t until recently when I believed that SEO can be done on a free website.
The two images above shows that my free website is showing up on the third page of the Google SERP for the keyword “singapore wildlife sightings”.
I created this website entirely out of free resources back in February 2022 earlier this year. The website provided information on wildlife spotted at a local park, along with some photos I took of them. I invested a fair amount of time into the website, mostly on the aesthetics and some effort for the SEO. I had little to no expectations from this website. My main objective was to improve my knowledge and understanding of websites and everything relevant.
Unbeknownst to me, the free website had already climbed its way up to page three on Google SERP. I only found out about this recently when I went into my Google Search Console to monitor my websites’ performance. For the amount of effort that was invested into this free website, the results are pretty amazing. Despite not generating any income.
P.S. I already deleted the website before I discover it was ranking for a keyword, you can still try googling “singapore wildlife sightings” nonetheless to see if it shows up. The website is titled – Singapore Wildlife | Punggol Park
How to make a free website?
Most articles do not tell you this, but it is important to know what is Domain Name, Web Hosting and Website. Those items are non-negotiables for your website.
Here are some free resources that you can utilize to make a free website:
| Free Resources | Domain Name | Web Hosting | Website (Content Management System) |
| InfinityFree | Free Sub-domain | Managed by you | Choose from WordPress, Joomla, etc. |
| WordPress | Free Sub-domain | Managed by them | WordPress |
| SquareSpace | Free Sub-domain | Managed by them | SquareSpace |
| Shopify | Free Sub-domain | Managed by them | Shopify |
I would recommend you to use InfinityFree to gain some exposure to Web Hosting.
You can use other options to create your own website. But they are very limited on the SEO capabilities as they do not allow you to access and manage the cPanel (web hosting).
I believe that there is no need to reinvent the wheel by creating my own tutorial for InfinityFree. Let’s follow Tony’s video which provides a comprehensive guide for you to start hosting and creating your website.
I followed this video to create my free website that ranked on the third page of Google SERP. Hence, I strongly advise you to follow the video to create your free website effectively.
Why is Google Search Console important for SEO?
Google Search Console allows you to submit your sitemap to Google. This helps Google to recognize your website and increase the chances of your website showing up for keywords you worked on. Please do not expect your new website to appear on Google SERP without working on the website.
Here’s a video from Ash that guides you on setting up Google Search Console for your new website (only applicable to WordPress users).
In addition to submitting your sitemap to Google, Search Console provides useful information on your website’s performance. The information includes Clicks, Impressions, Click-Through-Rates (CTR), Position, and Keywords.
- Clicks refers to the number of times someone clicks on your website on the SERP to enter your website
- Impressions refers to the number of times your website is shown on the SERP for a user’s search
- CTR is derived from number of Clicks out of number of Impressions, which is a good indicator of the effectiveness of your website’s title and description
- Position refers to the position which your website is shown on the SERP
- Keywords refers to the keyword that your website is ranking for on Google
Most importantly, Google Search Console’s data is the most accurate as the service comes from Google after all.
If you have the time, I encourage you to create your free website now with the information above. You will have your very own website in one to two hours time!