Has WIX improved for SEO?

WiX – why it’s better than it was for SEO

In the changing world of website builders, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) remains an important factor for success. Why have a website if nobody on Google or other search engines can find you?

Previously, WiX faced criticism for its perceived shortcomings in SEO capabilities, especially when compared to industry giants like WordPress. It wasn’t unusual in the marketing community to hear SEO professionals even refusing to work on WiX websites!

However, WiX has undergone major transformations over the years, in all areas of its performance and structure.

Let’s check how WiX’s SEO features have improved and lay the bad reputation to rest!

The Early Days: Learning from Feedback

When WiX first emerged as a user-friendly website builder, its primary focus was on empowering non-technical users to create visually appealing websites without needing coding skills.

This makes sense… they were trying to make life easy for business owners and reduce the cost of starting a business.

However, this ease of use came at a cost.

Early critics pointed out limitations such as:

Non-customisable URL structures
Heavy reliance on JavaScript, which some search engines struggled to crawl
Lack of advanced SEO tools like schema markup

Over the years, the WiX made it a priority to address these concerns, resulting in a complete overhaul of its SEO infrastructure.

They had to… savvy business owners were afraid of a website that nobody could find!

Game-Changing Improvements

Customisable URL Structures
WiX now allows users to fully customise their URL slugs, ensuring they can create clean, descriptive, and search-engine-friendly URLs. This flexibility eliminates one of the most significant early criticisms of the platform.
Improved Site Performance
Fast-loading websites are crucial for SEO. WiX has significantly optimised its platform for speed, with features like automatic image compression, global CDN (Content Delivery Network) integration, and lightweight code. These enhancements help improve Core Web Vitals, a critical ranking factor for Google. However, site owners still play a key role by ensuring that image and video files are appropriately optimised for the web in the first instance.
Advanced SEO Tools
WiX offers built-in SEO tools that rival those of its competitors, including:
1. Schema markup integration to enhance rich results on SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).
1. A robust SEO Wizard that guides users step-by-step in optimising their sites.
1. 301 redirects and canonical tags for managing site structure and avoiding duplicate content issues.
Integration with SEO Analytics Tools
WiX now integrates seamlessly with tools like Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and third-party keyword trackers. These integrations provide users with data-driven insights to refine their SEO strategies.
Server-Side Rendering (SSR)
Addressing concerns about its reliance on JavaScript, WiX introduced server-side rendering, ensuring that search engines can effectively crawl and index its websites.