Wix SEO vs WordPress SEO: which one actually ranks better?

If you’re comparing Wix SEO vs WordPress SEO, you’re probably trying to answer one question:

Will I rank better on WordPress than I will on Wix?

Here’s the honest version: Google doesn’t hand out bonus points because you picked a certain platform. What matters is whether your site is crawlable, fast enough, well-structured, and genuinely answers what people are searching for.

That said… Wix and WordPress feel very different for SEO, and the right choice depends on what you’re building, who’s managing it, and how much tinkering you want in your life.

We design and fix Wix sites all the time, and we’ve worked on plenty of WordPress SEO setups too. So here’s a proper, no-fluff comparison.

The quick verdict

Choose Wix if you want…

• Solid SEO foundations built in (without a plugin rabbit hole)

• A platform that’s easier to manage day-to-day (less “maintenance tax”)

• A service business / brochure site / small ecommerce setup where speed of implementation matters

• Fewer moving parts, fewer things to break

Choose WordPress if you need…

• Maximum flexibility and technical control (especially on bigger / more complex sites)

• Custom SEO logic, advanced schema setups, heavy content sites, or very specific plugins

• A developer (or dev team) maintaining it properly

WordPress powers a bigger chunk of the web and has a massive ecosystem, but that doesn’t automatically mean “better SEO”.

1) Built-in SEO vs plugins: the biggest day-to-day difference

Wix SEO

Wix gives you a lot out of the box:

• Edit titles, meta descriptions, URL slugs

• Redirect manager (proper 301s)

• Auto sitemaps and Search Console connection

• Structured data controls and SEO “logic” across page types

Wix also leans into built-in automation like image optimisation and mobile-friendly output (assuming you build sensibly).

WordPress SEO

WordPress can be incredible for SEO… but most SEO capability comes from plugins (Yoast, Rank Math, etc.).

That can be a positive (more control), but it also means:

• You’re relying on third-party plugins being set up correctly

• Plugins can conflict, update badly, or add bloat

• Two WordPress sites can have totally different SEO “quality” depending on whoever built them

Even the plugin world itself is a “pick your poison” decision (Yoast vs Rank Math and so on).

Our take: for most small businesses, built-in beats bolt-on because it’s harder to mess up.

2) Technical SEO: can both platforms tick the essentials?

Yes. Both can tick the SEO fundamentals.

What Google actually needs

At a minimum:

• Crawlable pages

• Indexable pages (not accidentally noindexed)

• Clear site structure and internal linking

• Mobile-friendly output (mobile-first indexing has been default for ages)

• No major duplication / canonical chaos

Wix has put a lot of effort into making sure Google can crawl and index Wix sites properly. And Google’s stance has long been basically “platform-agnostic”: Wix can work fine in search.

On WordPress, you can do everything — but you can also do everything badly. The platform doesn’t stop you.

3) Control and flexibility: WordPress wins… but do you need it?

This is where WordPress usually gets the “SEO advantage” reputation.

WordPress gives you:

• Full control over themes/templates

• Server-level changes (depending on hosting)

• More freedom around structured data, custom post types, editorial workflows, etc.

Wix gives you:

• A lot of control in the UI

• Enough technical SEO control for most sites

• Less scope for deep customisation (unless you’re going into Velo / more advanced setups)

So yes, WordPress can be “better” for SEO if:

• your SEO strategy requires very specific technical implementation

• you’ve got developers to maintain it

• you’re running a content-heavy or complex site

But for a typical UK small business site? That extra control often becomes extra complexity.

4) Performance: neither platform is magically fast

You can build a fast Wix site. You can also build a slow one.

Same with WordPress.

Wix performance is usually hurt by:

• Huge images (people uploading 8MB hero banners)

• Over-designed pages (video backgrounds everywhere)

• Too many apps/widgets

• Heavy animations

Wix does automatically optimise images and supports modern formats like WebP in many cases. But you still need to be sensible with what you upload.

WordPress performance is usually hurt by:

• Cheap hosting

• Bloated themes

• Too many plugins

• Poor caching setup

Our take: for most smaller sites, Wix is easier to keep a quick pace because there are fewer things to tune. WordPress can be faster at the high end, but you have to earn it.

5) Content SEO: it’s mostly platform-irrelevant

Whether you’re on Wix or WordPress, content is what ranks.

If your page:

• targets a real search term

• answers the intent better than competitors

• is well structured (H1/H2s, FAQs, internal links)

• has proof (reviews, case studies, examples)

…you’ve got a shot.

Where WordPress can win is editorial workflow:

• more flexible content types

• more publishing tools

• more advanced content management setups

Where Wix can win is “actually getting it done”:

• less faff

• easier editing

• fewer tech blockers

Wix also talks a lot about SEO best practices and content quality (and, fair play, they’re right: content quality and usefulness matters more than gimmicks).

6) Local SEO: both can rank, but your setup matters more than your CMS

If you’re a local business (plumber, solicitor, salon, etc.), your rankings are usually driven by:

• strong service pages

• good internal linking and location relevance

• a properly set up Google Business Profile

• consistent NAP (name/address/phone) on the site

• reviews and trust signals

Wix is absolutely fine for this.

The bigger danger we see is thin location pages (copy/paste pages for 20 towns). That can backfire on any platform.

7) Ecommerce SEO: depends on complexity

For small-to-mid ecommerce, Wix can do a solid job, especially if the site structure is clean and product pages are well written.

For large ecommerce (thousands of SKUs, complex filtering, international SEO, advanced schema, heavy integrations), WordPress + WooCommerce (or a different platform entirely) can give more flexibility, but it also adds complexity and ongoing maintenance.

8) Cost, maintenance and “SEO debt”

This is where a lot of businesses make the wrong call.

Wix tends to be:

• predictable cost

• fewer updates/plugins to maintain

• less technical overhead

WordPress tends to be:

• “free” software, but paid hosting, paid plugins, paid maintenance

• more moving parts

• more chance of something breaking after an update

A lot of “WordPress is better for SEO” opinions ignore the fact that many small businesses don’t maintain WordPress properly, and that creates SEO problems over time.

Even third-party comparisons often point out that WordPress commonly relies on paid third-party SEO plugins, whereas Wix includes SEO features as part of the platform.

So… does WordPress outrank Wix?

Not automatically.

If two sites are equal on:

• content

• structure

• speed

• authority/backlinks

• technical basics

…then the platform isn’t the deciding factor.

Most of the time, the winner is the site that’s clearer, more useful, and better maintained.

What we recommend (based on real-world projects)

Wix is usually the better choice for:

• UK service businesses

• small ecommerce

• startups and trades

• anyone who wants a site they can actually manage

• anyone who doesn’t want to pay a developer every time something needs tweaking

WordPress is usually the better choice for:

• content-heavy publishers

• businesses with dev resources

• complex technical SEO requirements

• highly customised builds

And if you’re already on Wix and thinking of moving purely for SEO: don’t. Not without a proper reason. A platform migration can easily hurt SEO if redirects and structure aren’t handled perfectly.

If you want your Wix site to outrank WordPress competitors

Here’s the simple playbook we use:

1. Fix indexing basics (noindex issues, sitemap, Search Console)

2. Write proper service pages that match what people actually search

3. Sort titles and H1s so every key page targets one clear topic

4. Improve internal linking so Google can see what matters

5. Add proof (reviews, case studies, real photos, detailed FAQs)

6. Build authority (mentions, local links, partner links, PR, directories that aren’t spam)

That’s it. No wizardry.

Want a straight answer for Wix SEO and Wordpress SEO?

If you tell us:

• what your business does

• whether you’re local or national

• roughly how many pages/products you have

• and what you’re trying to rank for

…we’ll tell you whether Wix or WordPress makes more sense, and what the first SEO fixes would be.

Or if you’re already on Wix and it’s just not performing, we can help via:

• a Wix SEO audit (clear priorities, no fluff)

• a Wix Fix (hourly cleanup + improvements)

• ongoing Wix SEO if you want steady growth rather than random tinkering

If you'd like a detailed breakdown on how Wix stacks up to Squarespace, we've got you covered here.