Wix vs. WordPress: Which is Best for SEO?

WordPress and Wix are both popular website builders with SEO features. WordPress controls 44% of the market (34 million or more websites), whereas Wix has 11% (8 million or more websites). Wix offers an all-in-one platform with hosting and tools, making it ideal for small businesses. WordPress is an open-source platform that allows for complete customization but needs separate hosting. While WordPress remains the market leader, Wix continues to improve its functionality. Each platform has various SEO benefits, which we’ll discuss to help you choose the best one for your needs.

Why Wix Deserves A Second Look?

While WordPress was once the go-to platform for SEO, Wix has evolved well beyond its basic website builder foundations. Originally regarded mainly for its simplicity, Wix has evolved with significant SEO-focused improvements in recent years, offering it a genuine choice for technically knowledgeable customers.

Wix now offers comprehensive SEO features including:

• Customized URL structures 
• Automated sitemap updates
• Bot traffic monitoring
• AI-powered optimization suggestions
• Automated structured data
• Server-side rendering
• Developer API access
• SEO checklist

This integrated approach eliminates the need for different third-party tools, which simplifies SEO management.

The Drawbacks Of Wix For SEO

Wix has major SEO drawbacks as well including code bloat that can slow down pages, limited customization options for site structure, and difficulty moving your site due to linked hosting and creation. Also, some developers find Wix Studio unreliable for high-end applications, including complaints regarding its performance.

The Argument for WordPress

WordPress, an open-source platform, benefits from continuous community development. While the main platform is free, most SEO features require premium plugins. Its large user base provides plenty of support resources and solutions.

WordPress SEO Challenges 

WordPress faces many challenges, including potential plugin conflicts and compatibility issues, security risks caused by updates, and criticism of code bloat that affects Core Web Vitals performance. However, its broad plugin ecosystem remains a big asset, offering several customization options for SEO optimization.

Both platforms excel at key SEO features such as 

• Title tags and meta descriptions
• Header tags 
• XML sitemaps
• Alt tags 
• 301 redirects
• No-index options
• Schema markup
• Mobile-friendly designs
• Interaction with Google tools

The main difference lies in advanced features, where WordPress’s flexibility shines. However, either platform works well for small businesses that only need basic information.

Making SEO Work

Both platforms handle essential SEO tasks differently. WordPress provides more control over a content organization with custom post types and taxonomies, as well as performance fine-tuning via hosting and plugins. Wix offers pre-optimized tools and automatic features with less technical control. For e-commerce, WordPress with WooCommerce Plugins provides more versatility but needs setup, whereas Wix has ready-to-use SEO tools.

Both platforms manage basic SEO features like meta descriptions and image optimization well.

Wix Vs. WordPress: The Verdict

Wix has greatly enhanced its SEO skills, calling into question its former reputation for limited control. As Google’s John Mueller confirms, Wix now has advanced SEO features equivalent to WordPress. The platform you choose is decided by what you need: WordPress for advanced technical customization or Wix for a streamlined, all-in-one solution with strong SEO features. For small businesses and online stores, Wix’s integrated approach could be the best option.

Source-searchenginejournal