New to SEO - why is WordPress more likely to surface compared to other site builders?

Wordpress Specific Forum
1

I’ve been on this forum for a while and I’ve seen more posts about how Wix is not ideal for SEO. When I was looking to build a site, I always thought WordPress was outdated and basic, but I had no idea what SEO was like 10 years ago.

What about site builders like Squarespace, HubSpot, or GoDaddy? Would you still choose WordPress over all of these?

2

WordPress offers the best value for its flexibility and features compared to other site builders:

  • It’s easier to create a fast, mobile-friendly site.
  • A vast plugin ecosystem lets you optimize for SEO (Yoast, WP Rocket for speed, Smush for image compression, etc.).
  • WordPress is highly customizable compared to closed platforms.
  • It’s free (you just pay for hosting and optional development work).

Other CMS options have their pros and cons, but WordPress remains one of the easiest to use and most effective for SEO.

3

@paula
I’d say Squarespace is easier to use, but I still prefer WordPress for most projects.

4

The difference comes down to the business model of website builders versus WordPress.

DIY site builders (Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy, etc.) prioritize ease of use for non-developers, which means they limit access to technical settings. This makes SEO optimization more difficult since you can’t fine-tune things like structured data, site speed, or caching.

With WordPress, you have full control over every SEO-related element, making it the better long-term choice if ranking well is a priority.

5

I used to swear by Squarespace, but after years of frustration, I moved to WordPress, and here’s why:

  1. SEO Control – Squarespace claims SEO is ‘built-in,’ but there’s little visibility into backend optimization. WordPress tools like Yoast and Rank Math give you full SEO control.

  2. Customization – I needed a simple hero banner on blog posts, and Squarespace couldn’t handle it without excessive CSS workarounds. With Elementor and Astra on WordPress, I got exactly what I wanted.

  3. Cost Efficiency – Squarespace cost me $25/month. Switching to WordPress, I pay for hosting and occasional premium plugins (like WP Rocket for speed), but overall, I spend less and get better results.

  4. Long-Term Scalability – With Squarespace, I had no control over hosting, database access, or advanced customizations. WordPress gives me complete ownership.

If you’re serious about SEO, WordPress is the better choice. It has a learning curve, but in the long run, it’s worth it.

6

I’m working on ranking a client’s Squarespace site, and while it’s possible, it’s frustrating. I’m also secretly rebuilding their site on WordPress to show them the difference.

WordPress has:

  • Better SEO plugins (Yoast, Rank Math, etc.).
  • Full control over metadata, URLs, and performance settings.
  • More flexibility with site structure and internal linking.

Squarespace and Wix aren’t built for SEO at a high level, so for serious projects, WordPress is the way to go.

7

WordPress is such a large percentage of the web that Google has dedicated engineering resources to optimize crawling it.

8

DataDynamo said:
WordPress is such a large percentage of the web that Google has dedicated engineering resources to optimize crawling it.

Do you have a source for this? I’d love to read more about it.

9

Wix has improved significantly for SEO, but it still doesn’t offer the flexibility of WordPress. Google’s Core Web Vitals update has made performance an even bigger factor, and WordPress allows you to optimize every detail, which is why it remains a strong choice.

10

I’ve never been a fan of WordPress because of its bloated code and excessive plugins. However, I acknowledge that it provides better SEO control compared to Wix and Squarespace.

If you want full control over your site structure, performance, and search optimization, WordPress is the way to go.

11

I’m on Wix. If you think just using WordPress automatically boosts rankings, that’s incorrect.

WordPress simply gives you more control over advanced optimizations, which helps if you know what you’re doing. Wix is easier for beginners but is limited in advanced SEO configurations.

12

I’ve worked with a variety of website builders, and WordPress is hands down the best for SEO:

  • Full control over URL structures, caching, and metadata.
  • Advanced plugins for performance and indexing control.
  • Faster load times with proper optimization.

If you’re serious about ranking, WordPress is the most adaptable choice.

13

WordPress is probably the best CMS out of the box.

It takes effort to mess it up.

14

WordPress provides greater SEO flexibility compared to other site builders. The built-in customization options and plugins make it easy to optimize pages for search rankings.

15

WordPress ranks better in search because of:

  • A large developer community improving SEO tools.
  • Plugins that optimize speed, metadata, and structure.
  • Open-source flexibility, which allows fine-tuning that site builders lack.

Platforms like Wix and Squarespace are catching up but still don’t offer the same level of control.