Is GoDaddy SEO Worth It?

You have finally done it. You have struck out on your own, and chances are you are in the beginning stages of building your business empire. One of the first things that you do is purchase a domain name, build a website, and now try to drive traffic to your website so you can ultimately grow your business. If you have done all this through GoDaddy, you are probably considering purchasing GoDaddy SEO services to help you achieve your business goals. 

The question then becomes: Is it worth it? 

You see small business SEO strategies are designed to help your website stand out from the crowd and connect with your customers in the moments that matter most to them. And you need to think long and hard about not only what the right SEO strategy is for your business, but also who you are going to let be responsible for the execution and success of your SEO strategy. Because let’s face it, at the end of the day a large part of your success as a business owner, depends on the success of your website. 

So while it is critical to get it right from an SEO perspective, it is just as important to get it right when it comes to who to partner with when it comes to SEO.

In this article, we dive into the pros and cons of GoDaddy SEO services and whether or not it’s the right choice for your business. And the real answer is that it all depends. The short answer is no, but there are cases where it is the right fit for your business.

So let’s begin our deeper dive on GoDaddy SEO.

What is SEO And Why Is It Important?

Search engine optimization or SEO for short is the strategy of enhancing your website to increase its visibility on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. The theory behind SEO is that the higher your website or website pages appear in search results, the more likely you are to attract attention and drive prospective customers to your website and business. 

So what are some key components of Search Engine Optimization? 

• Keyword Selection: These are the words and search phrases that people type into search engines. By optimizing your website content with relevant keywords and search phrases, you make it easier for search engines to understand what your site is about.
• High-Quality Content: High-quality, relevant content is crucial for SEO. This includes blog posts, articles, videos, and infographics that provide value to your audience and incorporate targeted keywords.
• On-Page SEO: The optimization of individual pages on your website. Key aspects of on-page SEO include title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and image alt texts.
• Off-Page SEO: This focuses on external factors like backlinks from other reputable websites. These backlinks signal to search engines that your site is trustworthy and authoritative.
• Technical SEO: This includes optimizing your website’s backend structure and foundation. It involves improving site speed, mobile-friendliness, indexing, and crawlability.
• Local SEO: This is essential for small businesses. It involves optimizing your online presence to attract more business from relevant local searches. This includes claiming your business on Google Business Profile, optimizing for local keywords, and getting reviews from local customers.

Why SEO Is Important for Small Business Owners? 

So for small business owners looking to increase their website visibility and attract new customers, SEO is a vital part of their success. In fact, studies have shown that 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results, highlighting the importance of ranking higher in search engine listings.

By optimizing your website, you can significantly enhance your chances of appearing on this crucial first page, thereby increasing the chance that customers will find your business. SEO is also a cost-effective marketing strategy compared to traditional advertising methods. Once your website is optimized, it continues to attract organic traffic without the ongoing costs associated with paid ads. This long-term benefit means that an initial investment in SEO can yield substantial returns over time, driving continuous traffic and leads.

Finally, SEO attracts highly targeted traffic, as users searching for specific products or services are more likely to convert into customers. Businesses that rank highly on search engines also benefit from increased credibility and trust; according to a study by BrightEdge, organic search is responsible for 53.3% of all website traffic. 

So What Exactly is GoDaddy SEO? 

Now that we have answered the question: What is SEO, we can begin to better understand what exactly is GoDaddy SEO and how it can help or hurt a small business owner. 

One of the first things that you will notice when visiting GoDaddy’s SEO page is the fact that they quote a statistic from Adweek.com.  Check it out below:

“According to Adweek.com, 81% of all purchases begin with an online search. That means the higher your site ranks in relevant searches, the more likely customers will choose your business over a lower-ranking competitor. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the work that goes into your website to help you rank higher when customers search for your business online. 

Long story short, if your site is properly optimized, you’ll get more visitors. And that means more potential customers and more income. That’s a win.”

This is some pretty awesome stuff, and one that would make anyone want to take a chance on their services.

How Does GoDaddy SEO Work? 

According to GoDaddy, it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3. In step 1 GoDaddy will learn about your business. They will give you a call to talk about your business, understand your goals, and determine what the right plan is for your budget. 

In step 2, their SEO team starts to get to work. Once a site audit has been completed their SEO team will regularly make SEO updates to boost the performance of your website in search results.

Finally, in step 3 you get to watch your website traffic grow. Now according to GoDaddy SEO does take time. In fact, according to their page SEO can take up to six months to take effect.

So How Much Does GoDaddy SEO Cost? 

According to Cart2cart GoDaddy’s Search Engine Visibility Tool starts at $6.99 a month. Now as a small business SEO company we can assure you that absolutely no website can rank for $6.99 a month. If you are going to purchase any SEO tools from GoDaddy the only one worth mentioning is their managed SEO Services.

Now there is no set pricing for their Managed SEO service. You would first have to sign up and get a custom quote for your website.

This to use is the right call. SEO is different for every website. No two sites are the same. There are so many factors that influence SEO from the scope and complexity of a project to the goals and objectives of a business. 

Factors that can drive up or down the price of any SEO project include:

• Business goals and objective
• Industry Competition
• Your website’s current condition
• Target market and geographical location
• Content requirements
• Link Building and Outreach
• Technical SEO needs
• Ongoing maintenance and updates

So as you can see GoDaddy has every right to customize their SEO services, because if they don’t they are not doing you any favors.

The Pros and Cons of GoDaddy SEO Services: Answering the Question Is GoDaddy SEO Worth It

Since we have already weighed in on how GoDaddy SEO Services work and how they charge for their SEO services its now time to create our pros and cons list. 

Here are some of the pros of using GoDaddy SEO Services:

Pro: A User-Friendly Interface:

GoDaddy offers a straightforward and easy-to-use interface, making it accessible for users with minimal technical knowledge. The platform provides guided steps for optimizing your website, which can be particularly beneficial for small business owners who are new to SEO.

Pro: Integrated Tools:

GoDaddy’s SEO services are integrated with their hosting and website building tools, providing a seamless experience for users who already use GoDaddy for their domain and hosting needs. This integration simplifies the process of managing your online presence in one place.

Pro: Automated SEO Recommendations:

The service provides automated SEO suggestions based on your website content and structure. These recommendations can help improve your site’s search engine rankings without requiring in-depth SEO knowledge.

Pro: Affordable for Small Businesses:

GoDaddy SEO services are relatively affordable, making them a viable option for small businesses with limited budgets. The pricing structure is straightforward, which can help businesses manage their expenses effectively.

Pro: 24/7 Customer Support:

GoDaddy offers round-the-clock customer support, which can be very helpful for troubleshooting issues and getting assistance with your SEO strategy at any time.

Now that we have our pros let’s also take a look at the cons of using GoDaddy SEO services: 

Con: Content is Not a Primary Focus

While GoDaddy SEO services provide automated recommendations for optimizing your site, they often do not prioritize content quality and creation, which are critical components of successful SEO strategies. High-quality, relevant content is essential for engaging users, improving dwell time, and earning backlinks from other reputable websites. Without a strong emphasis on content, businesses may struggle to achieve significant improvements in their search engine rankings. This oversight can lead to suboptimal user experiences and missed opportunities for attracting and converting visitors through valuable, well-crafted content.

Con: The Prices are Almost Too Affordable

The affordability of GoDaddy SEO services can be a double-edged sword. While the low prices make the service accessible to small businesses with limited budgets, it often reflects the level of service and expertise provided. SEO is a complex and ongoing process that requires a tailored approach, continuous optimization, and professional insight. The relatively low cost of GoDaddy’s SEO services might mean fewer resources are allocated to each client, resulting in generic strategies, limited customization, and less impactful results. Investing a bit more in a specialized SEO provider can yield higher returns and more effective long-term strategies.

Con: Their Links are Questionable

Link building is a crucial aspect of SEO, as high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites can significantly boost your search engine rankings. However, there have been concerns about the quality of backlinks provided by GoDaddy’s SEO services. Some users have reported that the links generated are from low-quality or irrelevant sites, which can harm your SEO efforts rather than help them. Poor-quality backlinks can lead to penalties from search engines and damage your site’s reputation. Effective link-building requires careful selection and outreach to ensure that links come from reputable and contextually relevant sources.

Con: You Miss Out on Some Bigger SEO Aspects

GoDaddy’s SEO services may overlook some of the more advanced and crucial aspects of SEO. For instance, technical SEO elements such as site speed optimization, mobile usability, structured data implementation, and detailed analytics tracking might not receive the attention they need. These elements play a significant role in your site’s overall performance and user experience. By missing out on these critical aspects, businesses might not fully realize the potential benefits of a comprehensive SEO strategy, resulting in slower growth and missed opportunities to outperform competitors.

Con: The Strategies Aren’t Super Custom

One of the major drawbacks of GoDaddy’s SEO services is the lack of customization in their strategies. SEO is not a one-size-fits-all solution; each business has unique needs, goals, and challenges that require a tailored approach. GoDaddy’s automated recommendations and generic strategies may not address the specific requirements of your business or industry. Without a customized plan, businesses might not see the desired results, as the strategies may not effectively target their audience, align with their brand voice, or capitalize on unique market opportunities. Personalized SEO strategies, developed by experienced professionals, are essential for achieving optimal outcomes and sustained growth.

Is GoDaddy SEO Worth It? 

In our opinion, GoDaddy SEO is not worth it. While it does make sense for a small business owner who needs a simple 5 or 10 page website, however most small business owners have bigger dreams. 

There are many features to search engine optimization that you don’t get when it comes to GoDaddy SEO that have a huge impact on your ability to rank in search results like technical optimization and content. 

A good SEO tool costs money. As a digital marketing agency for small businesses we routinely see SEO budgets between $350 to $850 per month. Those types of contracts work. Anything less than that and you are playing with fire! 

What SEO Services Should You Use Instead? 

Before investing in an SEO plugin or tool there are may things to consider when it comes to search engine optimization. The biggest being, how much time do you have to devote to SEO? Is it something you are going to do yourself? 

If it is you better invest in programs like Ahrefs or SEMrush to help you with in-depth SEO analysis, tracking, and SEO research. If its not, its better that you look for a small business SEO agency that can help you.

Here are MarketKeep we provide small business owners with a free SEO audit that they can watch via video AND the option to schedule a one-on-one meeting with a team member. 

If you still want to try SEO yourself and you have a WordPress Website we suggest trying the following plugins/extensions:

Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO is one of the most popular and comprehensive SEO plugins for WordPress, offering a wide range of features to help optimize your site for search engines. Its key features include on-page SEO analysis, XML sitemaps, meta tag management, readability analysis, schema markup, and social media integration. The user-friendly interface, detailed content analysis, and regular updates supported by an active community make it a favored choice among many users. However, some advanced features are only available in the premium version, which can be a limitation for users seeking a completely free solution.

All in One SEO Pack

All in One SEO Pack is another powerful and widely used SEO plugin that provides a variety of tools to optimize your WordPress site. Its key features include XML sitemap support, Google Analytics integration, automatic meta tags, custom post types SEO, and advanced canonical URLs. The plugin is praised for its easy setup, making it beginner-friendly, and its compatibility with many other plugins. Comprehensive documentation is also a strong point. However, some features require a premium license, which may be a drawback for users looking for a fully free SEO solution.

Rank Math

Rank Math is a relatively newer SEO plugin that has gained popularity due to its feature-rich and user-friendly nature. Key features of Rank Math include advanced on-page SEO checks, Google Schema markup, integration with Google Search Console, keyword optimization, and XML sitemaps. The intuitive user interface, modular framework that allows enabling or disabling features as needed, and the many advanced features available in the free version make it a strong contender in the SEO plugin market. However, the extensive features can be overwhelming for beginners, requiring a learning curve to fully utilize its potential.

SEOPress 

SEOPress is a powerful and versatile SEO plugin offering a range of features to help improve your website’s search engine rankings. Its key features include XML and HTML sitemaps, Google Analytics integration, content analysis, redirect management, and schema markup. Users appreciate SEOPress for its clean and fast interface, affordable premium version, and white-labeling options for agencies. On the downside, it may require some learning for beginners to navigate and use effectively.

The SEO Framework

The SEO Framework is a lightweight and fast SEO plugin designed to provide essential SEO tools without unnecessary bloat. Key features include automated SEO optimization, breadcrumbs schema, structured data, local SEO settings, and focus keywords. Its pros include being lightweight and fast, having no ads or upsells, and offering AI-powered SEO suggestions. However, it has fewer features compared to some competitors, which may limit its usefulness for users needing more advanced SEO capabilities.

Broken Link Checker 

While not a traditional SEO plugin, Broken Link Checker helps maintain the health of your website by identifying and managing broken links. Its key features include monitoring links in posts, pages, comments, and custom fields, detecting missing images and redirects, providing notifications via the dashboard or email, and offering easy link editing from the plugin interface. The plugin helps improve user experience and SEO by regularly scanning for broken links and is free to use. However, it can be resource-intensive on larger sites, potentially impacting performance.

Schema Pro

Schema Pro is a specialized plugin for adding schema markup to your WordPress site, helping search engines better understand your content. Its key features include support for multiple schema types, automatic schema markup, integration with popular SEO plugins, a user-friendly interface, and custom schema creation. The pros of using Schema Pro include enhancing search engine understanding of your content, improving the chances of rich snippets, and being easy to implement. However, it primarily focuses on schema markup and does not offer a full suite of SEO tools.