Having effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial for ensuring that your website content reaches its intended audience. After thorough testing, plus my personal experience building 98% of my sites on this platform and carrying clients to TOP #1 on Google, I have determined that Wix is the best website builder for SEO.
This innovative builder continually offers PRO tools like no other, such as Semrush, to assist you in finding the necessary keywords.
At Kendall Web Development, we prioritize SEO and have conducted extensive research to identify the top five website builders for this purpose. Use our interactive comparison chart to evaluate each builder's performance, or continue reading for detailed reviews.
The TOP 5 Best Website Builders for SEO
As an expert in website builders, I can assure you that SEO is of utmost importance. It's the key to making sure your website appears in search engine results, such as Google and Bing. When users search for information, search engines aim to provide them with relevant and reliable content. That's where SEO comes in – it's all about meeting the criteria search engines use to find and recommend your website.
I understand the importance of staying up-to-date with SEO trends and providing easy implementation. Depending on your skill level, some builders even offer SEO education. If you're still learning about SEO, don't worry. There are builders like Wix that can support you every step of the way.
To do so, I can provide you with a convenient chart that offers a quick overview of each builder's SEO offerings. In this chart, you can easily compare their key features, ratings, and pricing.
WIX | SQUARESPACE | WORDPRESS.org | WORDPRESS.com | WebFlow |
Starting from $16/month $14.40 with code “GET10!” | Starting from $16 | Starting from $2.95 | Starting from $4 | Starting from $14 |
Free plan or free trial available | 14-day free trial available
| NO FREE plan or free trial available
| Free plan or free trial available
| Free plan or free trial available
|
Domain renewal cost/year $17.95 | Domain renewal cost/year $16 | Domain renewal cost/year $12 | Domain renewal cost/year $28 | Domain renewal cost/year $14 |
800+ FREE templates | 100+ FREE templates | 10.000+ FREE templates | 300+ FREE templates | 2000+ FREE templates |
✅ SSL security included | ❌ NO SSL security included | ✅ SSL security included | ✅ SSL security included | ✅ SSL security included |
✅ Customizable Meta Titles | ✅ Customizable Meta Titles
| ✅ Customizable Meta Titles | ✅ Customizable Meta Titles | ✅ Customizable Meta Titles |
✅ Image Alt Attributes | ✅ Image Alt Attributes | ✅ Image Alt Attributes | ✅ Image Alt Attributes | ✅ Image Alt Attributes |
✅ SEO Prompts when adding products | ❌ NO SEO Prompts when adding products | ❌ NO SEO Prompts when adding products | ❌ NO SEO Prompts when adding products | ✅ SEO Prompts when adding products |
✅ Keyword support | ✅ Keyword support | ❌ NO Keyword support
| ❌ NO Keyword support
| ✅ Keyword support |
✅ Analytics | ✅ Analytics | ✅ Analytics | ✅ Analytics | ❌ NO Analytics |
✅ SEO customer support | ❌ NO SEO customer support | ❌ NO SEO customer support | ❌ NO SEO customer support | ❌ NO SEO customer support |
✅ Ai content generator included | ❌ NO Ai content generator included | ❌ NO Ai content generator included | ❌ NO Ai content generator included | ❌ NO Ai content generator included |
✅ Ai image generator included | ❌ NO Ai image generator included | ❌ NO Ai image generator included | ❌ NO Ai image generator included | ❌ NO Ai image generator included |
Visit | Visit |
I have carefully researched and analyzed various website builders to determine which ones are the best for SEO. You can trust our recommendations, as they are backed by accurate data and our rigorous research process. For more information on our methodology, you can refer to the dedicated section at the end of the article.
In this piece, I will delve into the SEO capabilities of each builder and highlight key features to consider when selecting a website builder. By the end of this article, you will have a clear understanding of which builder is the perfect fit for your needs. If you're unfamiliar with SEO terms and need assistance deciphering them, our SEO glossary provides detailed explanations.
#1 WIX
Perfect for absolute SEO Beginners and advanced SEOs
Starting at $16.00/month
PROS
✅ SEO tools built-in
✅ Easy-to-use editor
✅ Step-by-step guides
CONS
❌ Not the most economic
❌ Slow server response time sometimes
❌ Structured data is added separately
💲FREE PLAN AVAILABLE
Paid Plans: $16 - $159 / month
WIX Overview
In recent years, Wix has made significant advancements in its SEO capabilities and is now recognized as a leading player in the market. In our most recent tests, Wix achieved an impressive overall score of 4.9 out of 5.
Not only does Wix offer comprehensive guides on SEO implementation, such as the SEO Learning Hub, but it has also integrated with Semrush to provide direct keyword viewing within the platform.
Additionally, Wix provides an SEO checklist that allows you to set up your keywords. Another notable improvement is the enhanced functionality of SEO Wiz, which now includes the ability to test and edit keywords. These reasons have led us to rank Wix as the top choice for SEO.
Ease of Use
For someone who lives from SEO services, Wix has proven to be one of the best SEO website builders for me. Its SEO Wiz feature provides a step-by-step guide, helps me identify areas for improvement, and even sets goals for me. In fact, Wix tied with Squarespace with an impressive ease of use score of 4.4 out of 5 in our testing.
Throughout our testing of various website builders, Wix has consistently ranked as the most user-friendly option. While Squarespace has made progress in this area, it still falls short of Wix. Users highly appreciate Wix's ease of use, with one user commenting:
"I must say, I am thoroughly impressed! As someone with no coding knowledge, I was initially skeptical about building a website from scratch, but Wix.com proved to be the perfect solution."
With Wix, you don't need any coding skills. SEO is seamlessly integrated into the Wix dashboard, covering everything from meta titles to 301 redirects. Each page has its own dedicated SEO settings, and when you upload an image, you can provide alt text, allowing search engines to interpret the images correctly.
Features
When it comes to website features, Wix stands out in our research. Wix provides excellent tools for building a website, with a particular emphasis on SEO. With its comprehensive set of SEO tools, it achieves a remarkable score of 4.8 out of 5 in this category. Here are some of the SEO tools you can take advantage of:
Wix provides a variety of keyword support tools, such as Semrush, which combines features of Google Trends, a keyword research tool, and Hootsuite in one software bundle.
You can find a plethora of SEO guidance with Wix, from the SEO Learning Hub to the Wix SEO Guide.
While building your website, Wix offers prompts to suggest SEO improvements, ensuring you don't overlook any opportunities.
Wix websites are optimized for mobile, making it easy for mobile visitors to navigate your site. This mobile-friendly feature is crucial in today's digital landscape.
One of the standout features of Wix is its strong integration with Google. When it comes to understanding your website's traffic, Google is the go-to platform with its reliable web analytics tools. Connecting Google Analytics and a Google Search Console to your Wix site is a simple process that only requires entering your tracking ID.
Managing your site's SEO is much more straightforward than it may appear, thanks to Wix. It makes SEO upkeep easy and provides helpful notifications when improvements are needed.
Over the past few years, Wix has introduced a range of SEO features and its Help Center is a comprehensive resource. Even if you don't use Wix, their SEO guide is definitely worth exploring.
When it comes to advanced SEO methods, Wix's ease of use and in-house functionality have a tradeoff. Adding structured data to your Wix site needs to be done manually with code, which may not be beginner-friendly. Although there are tools available and information in Wix's SEO guide to assist you in creating your markup.
Site speed is becoming increasingly important in SEO. In our testing and analysis, Wix scored 87 out of 100 for performance. While this is an average score compared to other builders, Google still categorizes it as "Needs Improvement," with a minimum score of 90 being considered "Good."
Moreover, Wix's server response time is slightly disappointing sometimes, taking around 0.7 seconds to deliver a response. To provide context, GoDaddy responds in 0.3 seconds, and Squarespace in 0.5 seconds. Google generally recommends aiming for a response time of less than 600 milliseconds.
Pricing
When it comes to pricing, Wix may not be the most affordable option, with plans starting at $16 per month when billed annually. However, it offers on my opinion the BEST range of tools for SEO, marketing, and website design by FAR.
Wix understands that not all of its users are tech-savvy and aims to balance usability with control. Its builder makes SEO straightforward and provides guidance whenever needed. If you want a supportive and comprehensive SEO experience, Wix is a top choice, but is it worth the cost?
Wix receives a score of 3.5 out of 5 for value for money, which is lower than Webflow on this list.
Although its pricing plans have increased, Wix offers flexible pricing options and stands out for its high-quality features, earning it the top spot on our list despite the 14% increase in the Combo plan price this year.
#2 Squarespace
Best for Boosting Your Site’s SEO With Built-in Features
Starting at $16.00/month
PROS
✅ Structured data automatically added
✅ All tools are clearly formatted
✅ Excellent social media integration
CONS
❌ Not as much in-editor SEO support as Wix
❌ SEO guides are not as detailed as Wix’s
❌ Editor doesn’t autosave for you
💲FREE PLAN AVAILABLE
Paid Plans: $16 - $49 / month
Squarespace Overview
When it comes to SEO, Squarespace received a score of 4.8 out of 5, just falling short of the top spot. It offers helpful prompts to optimize SEO on each page as you build your site. In our testing, it ranked first for ease of use, design flexibility, features, and help and support, tying with Wix.
Ease of Use
Squarespace is ranked joint best for ease of use, along with Wix, with a score of 4.4 out of 5. Users have provided positive feedback on its user-friendly interface.
""The SEO tooltips provided by Squarespace are especially helpful for beginners like me. I have found these prompts to be a quick and easy way to grasp the basics. Pretty handy platform"
After our testing, I'll say Squarespace offers a highly organized backend that resembles a content management system. This makes it easy to manage SEO, assuming you are already familiar with best practices. While the dashboard still provides some prompts and explanations, it's not as guided as it is in Wix.
However, if you ever need assistance, Squarespace provides an SEO checklist and a guide to search engine visibility. These resources offer a thorough breakdown of everything related to SEO. As a beginner, you won't be left to figure it all out on your own.
Overall, comparing Squarespace to Wix, the experience is more relaxed and customizable.
Features
In my opinion, Squarespace provides an impressive suite of features, with a special emphasis on SEO. It comes in second place with a score of 4.6 out of 5 because it has fewer apps and plugins. As a result, Squarespace is perfect for those who want everything in one place.
In terms of SEO, Squarespace offers meta titles, alt text, and unparalleled social media integration. It also includes all the basics that Wix offers, such as custom URLs on paid plans, image alt attributes, and keyword support prompts.
Squarespace keeps up with the latest developments by automatically generating structured data for your pages. This eliminates the need to manually add code, unlike with Wix. However, Wix does have an advantage with its SEO hub, which provides comprehensive information on current SEO practices and high-quality tools like Semrush.
Additionally, Squarespace offers keyword support, allowing you to check the "Search Keywords" panel to identify the search terms driving the most traffic. These features make Squarespace beginner-friendly and provide valuable insights for improving website visibility.
Pricing
First of all, I would like to acknowledge that Squarespace has increased its Personal plan by 33% from $12 to $16 per month. Despite this increase, Squarespace is still ranked as the second-best value option after WordPress.org because of the rate at which it improves its feature offering every month. When compared with Wix’s Core plan ($34 per month), Squarespace provides better website-building tools. Both Squarespace and Wix offer the same SEO tools for the same price, but Squarespace has managed to maintain its good value-for-money score of 4.6 out of 5 this year.
Overall, I would highly recommend Squarespace for SEO. With Squarespace, you'll get all the essential SEO tools, as well as some support and guidance along the way. Squarespace does not hold your hand in the same way that Wix does, but it provides more website-building features for your money. Why not take advantage of the free trial and see if Squarespace will work for your website needs?
#3 WordPress.org
Best Value for Money SEO Tools
Starting at $5/month
PROS
✅ Unlimited design freedom with knowledge about coding
✅ HTML formatted for search engines
✅ Customizable SEO tools
CONS
❌ Costs can shoot up over time
❌ Requires some tech knowledge
❌ No dedicated support team
💲FREE PLAN AVAILABLE
Paid Plans: $2.95 - $5.45 / month
WordPress.org Overview
After we reviewed WordPress.org I can say is a solid choice when it comes best DIY website builder for SEO, with a score of 4.1 out of 5. With WordPress.org, you have the ability to create the website you truly desire, but it's important to note that it requires technical skills and financial resources.
In terms of value for money, WordPress.org performs well, as you technically have the option to create a website for free. However, there are certain payment considerations that I will elaborate on later.
I would recommend WordPress.org to individuals who have experience in building websites and are looking for specialized SEO features to enhance their website.
Ease of Use
During our testing, my team and I observed that users faced challenges when using WordPress.org, which led to a rating of 3.2 out of 5 for ease of use. Although it wasn't overly complicated, we cannot classify it as beginner-friendly either. However, users did find it easy to incorporate the features they required. As one user put it:
"The feature search bar was instrumental in finding exactly what I needed."
On the other hand, editing the website’s look and feel took more expertise. Our users were frustrated by how complex it seemed. One user said:
"Transforming a template into my desired design proved to be quite challenging. Deleting and repositioning blocks was difficult, and I almost wished I had started with a blank slate and added elements from there."
Although WordPress.org may not be the most beginner-friendly website builder, it offers significant value in terms of SEO capabilities. Now, let's explore the possibilities and see what you can create.
Features
As someone who has used WordPress.org for a long time, I can tell you that it's an open-source platform that offers complete control over your website. Unlike WordPress.com, where hosting is taken care of for you, with WordPress.org, you'll need to find a hosting provider that supports WordPress.org installation. Once that's set up, you can start creating your website and adding the desired features.
What makes WordPress.org stand out is its wide range of features, earning it a respectable rating of 4.3 out of 5. You can install various website-building tools and even explore 51 pages of SEO plugins, including popular options like Yoast SEO. I recommend checking user reviews to find the best plugins for your needs.
One of the great things about WordPress.org is the flexibility it offers through code customization. This gives developers the freedom to shape their WordPress website in any direction they prefer. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, WordPress.org is an excellent choice for building a highly customizable website.
Pricing
WordPress.org offers a range of pricing options and the availability of SEO features depends on the apps and plugins you choose. The cost of your WordPress.org site can vary greatly, ranging from low to no cost if you opt for basic features, but it can exceed $1000 per month if you go for premium themes, plugins, and extras which is something I dislike very much. But the positive is the flexibility of this website builder allows it to grow with your business.
If you have a good understanding of SEO and possess the necessary technical skills to handle WordPress.org, it has the potential for long-term benefits. While WordPress.org may not be as beginner-friendly as Wix or Squarespace, it is actually easier to use than WordPress.com. Moreover, you have the freedom to take your website in any direction you desire.
#4 WordPress.com
Ideal for those seeking a hands-on SEO experience
Starting at $4/month
PROS
✅ SEO-optimized theme designs
✅ HTML formatted for search engines
✅ Customizable titles/meta descriptions
CONS
❌ Hands-on tools only on advanced plans
❌ Most difficult website editor that relies on plugins
❌ Templates are very focused on blogging mostly
💲FREE PLAN AVAILABLE
Paid Plans: $4 - $45 / month
WordPress.com Overview
When comparing WordPress.org and WordPress.com, there are some notable differences. With WordPress.com, you don't need to worry about coding, hosting, or managing updates because it's all taken care of for you. In terms of SEO, WordPress.com matches its WordPress counterpart with a rating of 4.1 out of 5.
However, there is a trade-off with WordPress.com. While it provides strong support and assistance, it sacrifices complex features and value for money. If having a safety net of support is important to you, then WordPress.com is the better choice.
Although WordPress.org and WordPress.com share some similarities, they are distinct platforms. WordPress.com is primarily a blogging tool that functions more like a website builder, while WordPress.org offers greater flexibility and customization options.
Ease of Use
Some great news about WordPress.com is you can rely on the platform to take care of 80-90% of the basic SEO mechanics for your website. The WordPress themes are designed to be appealing to search engines, with HTML formatting that caters specifically to search engine crawlers. If you prefer to have more control over your site's SEO, we have additional options that we'll explain in the features section.
During testing, WordPress.com received a low ease of use score of 2.7 out of 5, which is lower than WordPress.org. This is because some users faced difficulties in creating the exact website they wanted. However, one user-provided positive feedback:
"Editing visual elements like images and page design was a breeze."
After making the initial basic changes, WordPress started to become more complex. Some users experienced difficulties with navigation and finding the necessary features to implement on their websites. Here's what other users had to say:
"Initially, I felt overwhelmed by the multitude of tasks presented to me. The abundance of options made it difficult for me to figure out how to perform simple tasks because they were overshadowed by the sheer volume of information."
As a website builder, WordPress.com may not be the most user-friendly option. However, it does offer helpful support features. On personal plans, you have access to unlimited email support, while premium plans offer live chat and phone support. This level of support sets it apart from WordPress.org.
Features
On the Premium plan, you have Google Analytics integration, but advanced SEO tools are only available with the Business plan upgrade. If you decide to upgrade, you'll gain access to the following features:
Front page meta description: Edit the brief summary that viewers will see in Google results for your site.
Custom post meta description: Edit the meta description for individual pages.
Custom title formats: Customize how your site's content titles appear in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Search and social previews: Preview how your site will look on search engines and social media platforms before publishing it.
Also, WordPress.com allows you to have the option to improve your website even further by installing advanced SEO plugins like Yoast SEO that can take your SEO efforts to the next level.
In our previous evaluation of the best free website builder for SEO, WordPress.com ranked last. However, our recent site speed test, an important factor in SEO, showed a significant improvement.
Search engines prioritize websites that load quickly, and WordPress.com outperforms Squarespace in this aspect with a Google performance score of 81. As a result, WordPress.com now claims the third position in this category. Although there is still room for improvement, particularly in its server response time as it currently takes 1.3 seconds for any action to start.
As someone who understands SEO and actively participates in the process, I highly recommend WordPress.com. However, it's important to note that opting for hands-on involvement may require sacrificing some ease of use.
Pricing
WordPress provides four pricing plans, each offering different levels of SEO features. The Free and Personal plans, priced at $0.00 and $4.00 per month respectively, offer basic SEO capabilities suitable for personal websites. However, if you have plans for expansion, I recommend considering the Premium ($8.00 per month) or Business ($25.00 per month) plan for more comprehensive SEO features.
#5 Webflow
Good for Start to Incorporate SEO Into Your Web Design
Starting at $14/month
PROS
✅ Offers customizable 301 redirects
✅ Mobile friendly templates
✅ Pretty good for custom designs
CONS
❌ Very limited SEO functions on free plan
❌ Very steep learning curve
❌ Hard to use for beginners
💲FREE PLAN AVAILABLE
Paid Plans: $14 / month
Webflow Overview
After reviewing it, in my opinion, Webflow is a combination of a traditional and modern web builder. It offers high levels of customization and power typically associated with WordPress, but it's also user-friendly. Web designers who prefer to avoid extensive coding often choose Webflow. In terms of SEO, Webflow receives a rating of 3.5 out of 5 and ranks fifth on our list.
Ease of Use
If you're familiar with software like Photoshop, you'll find Webflow to be quite familiar as well. The editor bears a striking resemblance, featuring a design-focused side menu that may either intimidate you (if you've never used Photoshop) or excite you with its customization capabilities.
In testing, Webflow received an ease of use score of 2.1 out of 5, indicating that it is the most challenging builder on this list to use. One user commented:
"Webflow took so much of my time to learn it. I had to watch a lot of YouTube tutorials to understand how to use it; therefore, it's not ideal for those seeking a quick and straightforward building process. But been completly honest, once I became familiar with it, I was able to create a beautiful website. I believe that website designers would find Webflow to be amazing due to the level of creative control it provides."
We notice that Webflow provides more than 100 responsive templates that adjust to different screen sizes, which is crucial for SEO with the growing number of mobile users.
Although it may be challenging to use, it offers excellent design and SEO opportunities.
Features
In my analysis, Webflow outperformed WordPress.com with a higher feature score of 2.9 out of 5. It also came in second place for design flexibility, tied with Wix. Notably, Webflow offers a range of SEO specific features worth considering like:
Custom URLs, meta titles & meta description
Header code
Autogenerated sitemaps
Image alt attributes
Mobile friendly
Customizable 301 redirects
SEO best practice prompts
Google Search Console
Google Analytics
Canonical tag
Generally speaking, most platforms allow you to add and modify metadata, target keywords, and create image alt texts. However, after our testing, we noticed Webflow goes above and beyond by offering customizable 301 redirects and automatically generated sitemaps as well as WIX platform, which is AMAZING.
On the downside, Webflow lacks keyword support, SEO-specific apps, and integration with social media. This omission is particularly significant because many businesses rely on social media to expand their audience. As a result, Webflow ranks lowest on the list of builders.
Pricing
With Webflow, you can create a website for free, giving you ample time to learn how to use it. The free plan is suitable for simple sites, but it lacks advanced SEO features. To access 301 redirects, sitemap controls, schema markup support, Open Graph meta tags, and structured search support, you'll need to upgrade to one of Webflow's four paid plans.
The Basic plan is the most affordable option at $14 per month. If you have a content-driven site, the CMS plan is priced at $23 per month. The Business plan is designed for businesses looking to market and scale. Additionally, there's the enterprise plan, which requires a custom quote and provides enterprise-level security to help grow your website.
Best Website Building Platforms for SEO - Conclusion
As someone who understands the importance of search engine optimization (SEO) for a website's success, I know that even a slight difference in ranking can greatly impact click-through rates. In fact, the click-through rate of position one can be up to 17.5% higher than position three. That's why, after conducting thorough research, I can confidently recommend Wix as the top-performing website builder for SEO. It's incredibly user-friendly, making it an ideal choice for beginners in the world of SEO.
As a current experienced user of Wix, this platform excels at providing clear explanations of features and helping users set goals by integrating its knowledge base directly into the builder, with a large documentation of how to use the platform complemented with a super prepared customer support.
For those who have a bit more familiarity with SEO best practices, Squarespace and WordPress.org are excellent options, but these platforms may not offer as much hand-holding during the process, and if you are a beginner you may need or want a higher level of guidance.
When it comes to site speed, both Wix and WordPress.com have emerged as top performers with the highest performance scores. On the other hand, Webflow is well-suited for web designers who desire more freedom and flexibility in their designs. All five builders meet the essential SEO requirements, and their development teams work diligently to stay up to date with the latest trends.
When choosing your future website builder, it ultimately comes down to finding the one that best meets your site's needs and provides tools to help avoid SEO mistakes or the struggles. If you're considering a website redesign, we have a helpful guide for you.
Wix, WordPress.com, and Webflow offer free plans, allowing you to use them extensively before making a decision which is amazing when you are just getting started. Squarespace provides a generous 14-day free trial period, that can be quite short, but gives you enough time to assess the platform.
Feel free to share in the comments below which builder you choose and your experience with it!
Website Builders for SEO FAQs
Why is SEO important?
Search engine optimization is a powerful technique to increase online visibility. It provides free marketing and the potential to attract thousands of visitors per day. What's even better is that these visitors are actively searching for exactly what your site offers. They are actively seeking out your website.
Which SEO website builder is the easiest to use?
Do website builders affect SEO?
Is Wix not good for SEO?
Do website builders do SEO?
Does Google prefer Wix or WordPress?
Sources: WebsiteBuilderExpert, WIX, WordPress, Squarespace, Webflow.