If you’re here, it’s likely because you’ve asked yourself: ‘Is Framer good for SEO?’ at some point. Lucky you, because we’re going to talk about Framer in this blog post and see how this platform compares to others.
As the online world continues to evolve, we’re seeing a surge in Content Management Systems (CMS) that promise to make it easier for business owners to boost their online visibility. These platforms, like WordPress, Webflow, or Wix, aim to simplify the process of creating and managing a strong online presence. One of these newer CMSs is Framer.
For the uninitiated, Framer is a no-code platform that allows users to create visually appealing websites without extensive coding knowledge. Let’s be honest: if you’re new to the game of making a website, it can be intimidating. Framer tries to make things easier for non-tech-savvy users.
But having an aesthetic website isn’t enough to build a good online reputation, your website also needs good Search Engine Optimization.
So, can Framer provide you with your website needs? Read more below to find out!
What is Framer? A SEO’s take
Having a strong online presence has become a necessity in today’s digital market. This means that if you’re a small business owner, you have to put yourself out there to make your brand visible online.
The good news is that platforms like Framer make that easy for everyone. As a web design tool, it is designed for both designers and non-designers. It uses its drag-and-drop elements to help users make clean and functional designs. Additionally, Framer’s intuitive design makes it a go-to option for startups and small businesses looking for an uncomplicated solution.
When I worked with Framer for a client’s site (Expansive Therapy), I was curious—could this sleek, modern builder hold up against SEO best practices? What I found was a mix of strengths and challenges.
On the one hand, Framer’s performance-focused architecture means fast-loading pages, which is great for SEO. On the other hand, customization and technical SEO implementation can be more restrictive compared to platforms like WordPress or Webflow.
Strengths of Framer as a CMS
Building a website from scratch is a hard thing to do. Many people who can’t afford to hire a web developer sometimes end up doing it themselves. So, if you’re planning to make your website on your own, Framer has several good features you want to consider whether you want to use it.
Framer has built-in SEO features
Perhaps one of Framer’s selling points to new users is its built-in SEO capabilities. Framer automatically generates essential SEO files like sitemap.xml and robots.txt. A sitemap lets search engines know exactly which pages to crawl. Meanwhile, a robot.txt file helps search engines know where your sitemap is. These files help search engines crawl and index your site easily.
Crawling and indexing are important steps in SEO, especially if you want your site to be visible online. Search engines use bots called crawlers to access and navigate website content. Crawlability refers to how easily these bots can explore your site’s pages. If your site is easy to navigate, it increases the chances of search engines like Google discovering it. Since indexing follows crawling, a site must be crawlable to appear in search results.
Pages are optimized for speed
No one likes a slow website, and the same goes for search engines like Google. Framer had this in mind, and so they used cutting-edge technologies to optimize their websites’ speed. These technologies include Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), pre-rendering, and lazy loading.
- Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) — To help reduce latency and improve website speed, CDNs distribute content across multiple geographically dispersed servers. This means that when a user accesses a website, the content is served from a server closer to them.
- Pre-rendering — This involves generating a preloaded version of a webpage before a user decides to access it. As a result, pre-rendered pages load more quickly, making search engines crawl and index pages more efficiently.
- Lazy loading — Framer supports lazy loading, which helps minimize bandwidth usage and improve site speed. With lazy loading, non-critical resources are delayed until they are needed.
Making mobile-friendly sites
It’s undeniable that everyone is using their phones whenever they search for things online. Whether it’s the nearest café or urgent services they need, it’s easier and faster to search for them on their mobile phones. Recognizing the shift toward mobile internet usage, Google has adopted a mobile-first indexing strategy.
This means that Google now primarily uses the mobile version of a website to determine its search engine rankings, aligning with the majority of users accessing the web through mobile devices.
Framer responds to this strategy by making designs and templates that have excellent mobile support. The platform allows users to create layouts using their grid system, which then automatically adjusts to whatever screen size they’re being accessed.
Limitations of Framer
With all the points mentioned above, it’s easy to see why many users choose Framer as their go-to CMS. It’s accessible, user-friendly, and makes it easier for non-technical users to create their websites hassle-free. But Framer also has a fair share of flaws.
From my experience working with Framer sites, I’ve noticed a few areas that could use some improvement. These might be helpful before you jump on the wagon and use this platform to build your site.
SEO customization requires more workarounds
Like many no-code website builders, Framer has limitations when it comes to advanced SEO and accessibility features. While basic SEO elements—such as meta titles and descriptions—are customizable, more complex optimizations (like structured data and schema markup) require extra effort or external solutions.
Having structured data through schema markup is important for enhancing how search engines gain a deeper understanding of your content. By embedding structured data into your website’s HTML, schema markup provides search engines with additional context about the meaning and relevance of your content.
Image caption: Screenshot of a Redditor’s comment about Framer’s SEO capabilities.
Lack of analytics integration
Building a pretty website and making good SEO is not just the work you need to do; you also need to do some follow-through. Tracking your website’s SEO analytics is as important as building the groundwork of your SEO.
While Framer has native analytics features, they remain limited compared to more well-oiled CMSs like WordPress or Webflow. Framer allows users to integrate analytics tools like Google Analytics into their websites to compensate for this. But this integration process can still be complex for non-technical users.
Dynamic SEO features aren’t as straightforward
Since Framer is React-based and component-driven, traditional HTML/CSS SEO optimizations aren’t as intuitive. For example, when trying to implement a dynamic HTML sitemap, I found that it wasn’t a built-in feature—meaning it required workarounds or external assistance.
This is something businesses shouldn’t be surprised by. If you’re using Framer (or any design-first platform), SEO professionals and designers need to work closely together to ensure the site is both visually stunning and technically optimized for search engines.
Key findings on whether Framer is good for SEO
Like any other CMS, Framer has strengths and weaknesses. It’s important that you weigh these to develop a better SEO strategy for creating a stronger presence online.
One thing that Framer hits the nail on the head is their sites’ speed. Their CDNs, lazy loading, and other technologies they use reduce latency and loading time. So, say goodbye to slow pages with this one!
Framer also allows users to customize basic SEO elements like meta tags, descriptions, page titles, and URLs directly from its platform. As basic as this sounds, these elements remain important factors in SEO.
The bad news is that these basic SEO elements can only do so much. With just these, making your website rank in Google or other search engines is an uphill climb. You still need advanced SEO elements that Framer can’t directly provide.
For me, Framer isn’t necessarily bad for SEO—it just requires a different approach than traditional CMS platforms. If your business is considering Framer, be prepared to collaborate with an SEO expert early on to avoid limitations that could impact search visibility later.
Get personalized advice from an SEO expert
Knowing the strengths and limits of your CMS is as important as the content you publish online. After all, a major chunk of your SEO success relies on your CMS’s SEO capabilities. That’s why at Marketing by Rocio, we offer reliable SEO services that your business might need.
Whether you’re an existing Framer user or just curious about its features, we’re here to help you make the most of it.
Contact us, and let’s make your website work!
