Wix SEO Review 2023 | Can You Rank Well With Wix?
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Here’s the big question: is Wix any good for SEO?
The short answer is, “Yes”.
Wix has worked hard to catch up to rivals WordPress and Weebly in the last couple of years. Today it boasts a wide range of SEO features that are practical and easy to use. In our most recent round of research and testing, Wix scored an impressive 5 out of 5 for its SEO tools.
Websites using Wix will have no trouble getting to the top of search engine results. This is especially important given how SEO is evolving and changing – using a website builder that ticks all the right boxes is vital for keeping your site fresh and demonstrating its authority to the search engines.
Although it’s slightly lacking when it comes to server response time, Wix is a neat fit for almost anyone looking to start a website, and it comes with everything you need to help your website get found and grow.
We’ve tested its features to see how they match up against other website builders, and tracked down the best tips for success with Wix SEO. We have all the information you need to decide for yourself whether Wix is right for you and your site.
Check out our snapshot of Wix in this summary table below to get a quick feel for how we rate it.
We’ve outlined the pros and cons, with a more thorough breakdown below. If you’re already using Wix and are looking for information on how to improve your rankings, we’ve also put together our top tips.
Further Information:
Wix Review – our in-depth review of Wix
Wix eCommerce Review – we look at Wix’s online store building capabilities
Best Website Builders – take a look at the top rated website builders of 2021, including which is best for SEO
At a Glance: Pros and Cons of Wix SEO
One of Wix’s main selling points as a website builder is its ease of use, and the same applies to its SEO functionality. Wix has all the basic SEO features built in, and most of the advanced ones too.
Pros
- No coding required. You don’t need any coding skills to use Wix SEO, which is marvelous. SEO can be a bit daunting to newcomers, but Wix keeps it simple and intuitive.
- SEO is built-in. There’s no need to mess about with plugins and widgets. SEO functionality is built into the Wix dashboard, which means you can focus on the content.
- Google integration. Connecting Wix websites to Google Analytics and Google Search Console (both of which are super useful for SEO) is very, very easy.
Cons
- Advanced SEO is trickier. Wix is excellent for core SEO, but it isn’t great for the fancier stuff. The margins can be pretty fine when it comes to search results, and Wix doesn’t excel beyond the basics.
- Slow server response time. In our research, although Wix’s overall page speed was good, its server response time was slower than its big competitors.
- Structured Date must be added separately. Although Wix does support structured data, this function isn’t built-in and you’ll need to add it manually.
Wix SEO Gallery
Click the image below to expand Wix’s SEO is an excellent fit for any website. It scored top marks for SEO in our research, and overall, came out as our best website builder with a score of 4.8 out of 5. It covers all the basics, with an ease of use that allows you to focus on content. SEO isn’t just for techies anymore. With Wix, anyone can do it.
Further Information:
- Website Builder SEO vs. WordPress SEO – we discuss which is better
- Benefits of SEO for Ecommerce – our helpful breakdown takes a closer look at why SEO is so important for your store!
Wix SEO Features Checklist
| Feature | What is it? | Is it included? |
|---|---|---|
| Meta title | Tells search engines and users what the page is about. | Yes… Each page and post has its own SEO section. There you can fill in essential info and preview how the page will appear in search results. |
| Meta description | A chance to expand on the content in the title, summarizing what users can expect and why they should click on your page. | Yes |
| Custom URLs | Allows you to make urls that reflect the content, rather than a random jumble of numbers and letters. "example.com/article/wix-seo-guide" is much more informative than "website.com/hds73tgha" | Yes |
| Headings | Subheadings which show search engines (and readers) how you’ve structured your content. | Yes |
| Image alt text | Google is smart, but it’s not (yet) smart enough to know for sure what an image is showing or why it’s relevant. Alt text describes the images on your site. | Yes… Click an image, go to its settings, and it’s one of the sections for you to fill in. |
| Good speed & uptime | Sites are quick to load and are reliably ‘live’ more than 99% of the time. | Kind of... In our site speed testing, Wix performed well overall, however, it fell down when it came to server response time, and its performance was slower than some of its competitors |
| Mobile friendly | Sites are easy to use on mobile and easily crawled (understood) by search engines. | Yes… The drag-and-drop editor lets you edit your site in mobile as well as desktop. Its ‘Page Layout Optimizer’ makes pages mobile-friendly with one click. |
| 301 redirects | If you change a pages URL from X to Y, 301 redirects mean people will be directed to the new page even if they use the old address. | Yes… This is built straight into the dashboard. You put the old URL in one box, and the new URL in another. Simple. |
| SSL encryption (HTTPS) | SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) establishes a secure, encrypted link between a web server and a browser. Search engines are beginning to punish sites without SSL, so this is essential. Plus it’s just good practice. | Yes… All Wix sites have HTTPS and are provided with SSL certificates. |
| Sitemap | A complete list of pages on your site which tells search engines how it’s structured. Try adding ‘/sitemap.xml’ to the end of a site’s URL to see for yourself! | Yes… You can access your sitemap from your dashboard, under Marketing and SEO, and then SEO Tools. |
| Google Analytics | A freemium Google tool which allows you to view data about your site, from page-specific traffic to user demographics. | Yes... You simply click ‘+ New Tool’ in the Wix Site Manager and enter your Google Analytics code. |
| Google Search Console | A free Google tool which shows how your site is performing in search results. | Yes... Connecting to Google Search Console is one of the steps in the Wix SEO Wiz tool. |
| Social media integration | Built-in functionality for users to share your content on social media. | Yes |
| Search engine instructions | Sometimes a site needs to ‘speak’ to search engines, asking them not to index certain pages. | Yes...Every page has its own SEO settings. If you don’t want a page to show up in search results, you just tick the ‘Hide’ option. |
| Canonical tags | If you have multiple versions of the same page, canonical tags allow you to choose which one search engines should focus on. This stops them from competing with each other. | Yes |
| Structured data | A way of giving search engines more information about your pages. You know the star ratings you see on search results? That’s structured data. And that’s just one type of thousands. Search engines love structured data because it helps match users with relevant information. | Kind of...Structured data isn’t built into Wix as slickly as you might expect. You can add it yourself, but it can be tricky. With the right plugins it’s actually easier to add structured data in something like WordPress. |
7 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Wix
Every website builder has strengths and weaknesses… and quirks. A Ferrari’s not much good if you don’t know how to get it out of first gear. With that in mind, here are our tips for getting the most out of Wix SEO.
- Take advantage of Wix SEO Wiz. It will set up a custom SEO plan for you based on just a couple of questions. It’s not the most thorough plan, but it’s an excellent introduction if you’re new to SEO. It even gives you achievements as you meet your goals. We’re not sure we’d ever call SEO fun, but Wix gives it an admirable go.
- Get the basics right. You’d be amazed by how many sites don’t even do core SEO properly. Look at the results on page two next time you search for something, you’ll see what we mean. Wix gives you everything you need to talk to search engines. Don’t cut corners. Sometimes all it takes to top the rankings is consistency.
- Focus on mobile. Wix is excellent for making mobile friendly sites, and Google rewards mobile-friendly sites. This is hardly suprising, seeing as mobile traffic accounted for just over half of web traffic worldwide in 2020. Lesson? Take the extra time to make your site as good as it can be on mobile. Search engines will love it and, just as importantly, so will your users.
- Make full use of your meta descriptions. The recommended character limit to is 160 (130 for mobile) — use it. It’s your one opportunity to explain why searchers should click on you. Use it. Tests suggest longer descriptions improve user engagement.
- Submit a sitemap. Sitemaps are essential for SEO. They tell search engines what’s on your site, how it’s structured, and where to find it. Wix will create a sitemap for you, but in order to do this, you’ll need to make sure you’ve turned indexing on in Wix’s general SEO settings.
- Connect to Google Analytics. No website builder can provide the traffic insights Google can. Google Analytics is the gold standard of web analytics, and it’s free! Connect your Wix account to Google Analytics and you’ll open a whole new world of useful data on how you can improve your website.
- Keep learning about SEO. Wix is great for ‘jump-starting’ your search engine performance, but for long-term success, it pays to learn about SEO in more depth. There are plenty of great resources out there, but we recommend The Beginner’s Guide to SEO by Moz for getting started.
A major strength of Wix is it lets you build your site around your content. Regardless of the website builder you’re using, the best way to perform well in search results is to be interesting and/or useful. Google isn’t interested in sites trying to game the system. Focus on your site, conduct smart SEO, and the results will come.
Anchor Text Guide – a really helpful tip to boost your SEO
Backlink Guide – how to work wonders with backlinks
Website Architecture Guide – another great way of optimizing your site
Wix SEO: We Ask an Expert
We caught up with Mark Preston, the ‘straight-talking SEO’ guru, to discuss Wix’s SEO functionality, and find out how he went from Wix skeptic to Wix fan:
Wix SEO According to an Expert
The biggest misconception has to be – “WIX is no good for SEO”. That is not true.
The biggest misconception has to be – “WIX is no good for SEO”. That is not true as I have proven within my Wix SEO case study, which caused quite a stir within the SEO community.
Wix Success Stories
The proof is in the pudding. It’s all well and good talking about SEO theory, but what matters is results. Here are some examples of Wix websites outperforming their competitors in search results.
The Cuts & Bruises Barbershop in London. Type ‘barbershop stoke newington’ and there they are right at the top. They even feature in Google Maps! Cuts & Bruises is an excellent example of ranking for the right keywords, rather than the most popular.
Marine Corps Aviation Association. This website now ranks for over 190 keywords, ensuring those looking for the site can find it easily. Depending on what your website is for, sometimes it’s just a case of dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s.
Long John Silver’s runs on Wix, appearing whenever people in the US search for a local fish takeaway. Looks great, too, which doesn’t hurt.
These are all very different sites, and there’s thousands more where they came from. Wix provide all the tools you needs for successful SEO. Focus on your content/service, do SEO best practice, and the rankings will come.
Wix SEO Battle
In 2020, Wix decided to settle the Wix SEO debate once and for all by choosing two agencies to try to rank highest for the search term ‘Wix SEO’ over a six month period. One agency – the ‘Wix Lovers’ – competed with a Wix-built website, while the other – the ‘Wix Haters’ – was free to use any platform.
The ‘Wix Lovers’, Marie Haynes Consulting, came out on top. Despite there being some serious controversy around the validity of the experiment, even the ‘Wix Haters’ admitted:
[Wix has] improved their tools immensely and have resolved some of the major SEO issues that previously plagued their users.
How to Build a Website – for all you need to know about getting online
How to Build an Online Store – to find out how to start selling online
Wix SEO Review: Summary
With its 5 out of 5 score for SEO, Wix is an awesome choice if you’re looking for a website builder that can help you perform well in the search engine rankings. It’s especially excellent if you’re not completely comfortable with SEO, too. Its built-in support and advice make it a fantastic way of learning the basics, and advanced techniques can still be used once you feel more comfortable with the process.
If you consider yourself a bit of an SEO whizz, Wix’s constant hand-holding might start to grate after a while. For more control through a slightly clunkier interface, providers like Squarespace or WordPress may be a better fit for you.
Rest assured you can rank with Wix, and rank well.
The real question is whether you feel comfortable with its SEO tools, and the only way to know for sure is to try it yourself.
Wix’s free plan includes all of its SEO features, so you can get a feel for its features without handing over a cent. Give it a spin!
FAQs
We often recommend Wix to beginners because its SEO tools are so easy to get to grips with. We especially like the Wix SEO Wiz, which puts together a tailored SEO action plan for you to follow.
The truth is, using WordPress doesn’t guarantee you better SEO tools or better rankings. Yes, it does give you more control and more advanced tools to choose from, but it’s harder to get to grips with. You need to choose good quality SEO plugins, whereas Wix comes with its core SEO features built-in. It’s all about what you do with the SEO tools – check out our Website Builder SEO vs WordPress SEO article for more information.
Yes! We’re happy to say that Wix has an excellent range of SEO tools to help your website rank well in search engine results. Wix is good for SEO – it’s been proven by regular Wix users, by public SEO battles, and by our thorough testing of its SEO offerings. It may not have the most advanced tools, but for a small business, blog, or portfolio, it’s a great choice.
Yes, it is! All of Wix’s SEO tools come with its free plan, so you have everything you need to rank well, even if you’re not ready to upgrade to a paid premium plan just yet.
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