How SEO features are built into Wix

There’s a lot of SEO features built into Wix websites. You don’t need a stack of plugins just to cover the basics (unlike WordPress, which typically relies on SEO plugins and a bit more “fiddling”).

But built-in doesn’t mean “it’ll rank itself”. Wix gives you the tools and handles a bunch of the technical groundwork — you still need decent structure, content and authority.

Here’s what’s genuinely built in, what it doesn’t do for you, and how to make the most of it.

What SEO features are built into Wix and handled for you automatically?

1) Sitemaps (auto-generated and kept updated)

Wix creates your XML sitemap(s) for you and updates them when you publish changes. If you use things like Stores, it can generate extra sitemaps for those sections too.

Why it matters: Sitemaps help search engines discover your pages — especially on newer sites.

2) Default SEO meta tags (so pages aren’t “empty” by default)

Wix adds default SEO meta tags and social share (Open Graph) tags based on your site’s data and general best practice.

Why it matters: It stops your site being a total blank slate, and gives you a decent baseline to improve.

3) SEO settings you can control per page and at scale

Wix’s SEO Settings let you edit things like:

• URL slugs

• indexability (noindex controls)

• robots meta tags

• structured data markup…from one place, and you can apply rules by page type (handy if you’ve got lots of pages).

Why it matters: This is the “real” SEO control panel in Wix — not just a couple of boxes.

4) Built-in 301 redirects tools

Wix supports 301 redirects and gives you a URL Redirect Manager, including automatic redirects in some cases when you change page slugs (with a key exception: blog URL changes may need manual redirects).

Why it matters: Redirects are what stop your rankings falling off a cliff after a redesign or URL tidy-up.

5) Google integration via Wix’s checklist

Wix has an SEO Setup Checklist that includes connecting your site to Google (including Search Console connection requirements like having a premium plan + connected domain).

Wix also explains that completing the checklist can automatically submit your sitemap to Google (again, tied to having a premium plan + your own domain).

What Wix SEO does not do for you

This is where people get disappointed — they tick the boxes and expect page 1.

Wix won’t magically:

• pick the right keywords

• write content that matches what people search for

• build your internal linking strategy

• earn you backlinks / mentions

• create trust (reviews, case studies, proof)

So yes, Wix can be SEO-friendly — but ranking is still about content + structure + authority.

How to use Wix’s built-in SEO properly

Set titles and metas for every “money page”

In Wix: Page settings → SEO basics. Set a proper title like:

• Service + Location | Brand (if local)

• Service | Brand (if national)

Wix supports editing these and using variables and rules across pages if needed.

Keep your URLs clean (and redirect when changing them)

Short, clear slugs:

• /wix-seo

• /wix-website-design

If you change a slug, use redirects so the old URL doesn’t die. Wix supports this via the redirect manager.

Control what gets indexed

Wix lets you decide whether pages are indexable (and apply this by page type via SEO settings).

What we usually noindex (case-by-case):

• thank you pages

• thin tag pages

• temporary promo pages you don’t want ranking long-term

Use Search Console (non-negotiable)

Whether you’re on Wix or not, Search Console is where you see:

• what you’re showing up for

• what pages are indexed

• what errors Google is reporting

Wix supports connecting/verifying and even has docs on doing it.

The honest takeaway

A Wix website comes with proper built-in SEO foundations:

• sitemaps

• meta tags (defaults + custom)

• index controls

• redirects

• structured data options

• Google integration tools

So if someone tells you “Wix can’t rank”, they’re usually stuck in 2014.

The bigger question is: is your site structured and written in a way that deserves to rank? That’s the part most sites miss on Wix and WordPress.