Is WordPress Good For SEO?

Is WordPress the best website builder to boost your SEO score, or could another CMS (content management system) better fit your specific needs?

What is WordPress?

WordPress is a popular content management system (CMS) used to create and manage websites. It’s a flexible platform that allows users to build everything from personal blogs to complex e-commerce stores.

Some key features of WordPress

User-friendly interface
WordPress is designed to be easy to use, even for those without technical experience.
Customizable themes
Thousands of free and premium themes are available to customize your website’s look and feel.
Extensive plugin library
WordPress offers a vast collection of plugins that can add new features and functionality to your website, such as contact forms, e-commerce capabilities, and SEO tools.
Open-source
WordPress is open-source software, meaning it’s free to use and modify.
Large community
There’s a massive community of WordPress users and developers who can provide support and resources.

How many people use WordPress?

WordPress powers over 40% of all websites on the internet today. That’s a significant number, but it’s not just popularity that sets WordPress apart — it’s flexibility. WordPress started as a blogging platform, but over the years, it evolved into a powerful CMS capable of handling anything from tiny blogs to complex e-commerce sites.

Is WordPress capable of improving your SEO metrics?

Before jumping into WordPress specifically, let’s clarify what makes a website SEO-friendly.

Common SEO metrics

Some of the criteria that Google and other search engines use include:

Page speed
Faster websites provide a better user experience.
Mobile Optimization
Websites that work well on mobile devices tend to rank higher.
The quality of the content
Search engines reward websites that provide high-quality, relevant content.
Security
HTTPS encryption is a ranking factor.
User experience (UX)
Simple navigation, clean design, and low bounce rates all contribute to better rankings.

Does WordPress support these metrics?

WordPress has earned a reputation as being SEO-friendly. Here’s how it supports the most essential SEO ranking factors:

SEO-friendly code structure
WordPress offers a clean, streamlined codebase that’s easy for search engine crawlers to read. This makes it easier for Google and other search engines to index your content and rank it accordingly. Additionally, the WordPress community consistently updates its core code, keeping it compliant with the latest SEO practices.
Customizable permalinks
With WordPress, you can easily edit your URLs to include keywords or structure them in a way that is easier for users and search engines to understand. This helps create more optimized, clean, and descriptive URLs that appeal to Google’s ranking algorithm.
Mobile-responsiveness
Google has made it clear that mobile-first indexing is a key factor in SEO rankings. Fortunately, most WordPress themes are mobile-responsive, meaning they adapt smoothly to different screen sizes, which helps boost your SEO.
Built-in blog capabilities
WordPress originated as a blogging platform, so it still offers one of the best blog management systems out there. Regularly updated, high-quality content is a vital SEO ranking factor, and WordPress makes it simple to post articles, add images, and optimize your posts for search engines.

Their plugins are arguably the best in the market.

One of the key selling points for WordPress in terms of SEO is its vast ecosystem of plugins. While WordPress itself is designed with SEO in mind, plugins like Yoast SEO, Rank Math, and All in One SEO Pack significantly improve your site’s SEO potential.

Yoast SEO
Yoast SEO is the most popular SEO plugin for WordPress. It offers a user-friendly interface for optimizing your on-page SEO, including:

• Meta titles and descriptions
• Keyword analysis
• Readability analysis
• Canonical URLs to avoid duplicate content
  

Rank Math
Rank Math is another powerful plugin that has quickly gained popularity. It offers features like:

• In-depth SEO analysis
• Google Search Console integration
• Schema markup for rich snippets
• Local SEO options
  

All in One SEO Pack
All in One SEO Pack offers a comprehensive suite of tools and features to improve your site’s visibility, including:

• Keyword optimization
• Sitemap generation
• Breadcrumbs

How does WordPress compare to Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify?

Let’s analyze some of WordPress’ main competitors and see if any of them are more suitable for your SEO needs.

Wix

Wix is a cloud-based website builder that allows users to create websites without knowing how to code. It’s known for its user-friendly, drag-and-drop interface, which makes it easy for beginners to build a website from scratch.
Wix vs WordPress
WordPress generally offers more flexibility and control for SEO optimization. Its vast plugin ecosystem and customization options make it a preferred choice for those prioritizing search engine ranking.

However, Wix can be a good option for beginners or those who need a quick and easy way to create a website with basic SEO features.

Squarespace

Squarespace is a website-building and hosting platform known for its sleek, professional designs and all-in-one functionality. It provides users an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, a wide range of customizable templates, and integrated tools for managing content, e-commerce, and marketing.
Squarespace vs WordPress
If you want the best SEO performance and are willing to invest more time optimizing your site, choose WordPress. It offers unparalleled flexibility and a wide range of plugins to tackle every aspect of SEO.

If you’re a beginner, need something simple, or want a visually beautiful site with basic SEO capabilities, choose Squarespace. It’s easier to manage but offers less control and customization regarding advanced SEO strategies.

Shopify

Shopify is an e-commerce platform allowing individuals and businesses to create and manage online stores. It’s a popular choice for selling products and services online because it offers a user-friendly interface, customizable templates, and built-in tools for managing inventory, payments, and shipping.
Shopify vs WordPress
WordPress offers better SEO control and flexibility through powerful plugins, making it ideal for those who want to customize and optimize their site deeply.

On the other hand, Shopify has decent built-in SEO features, but it’s more limited in terms of customization than WordPress. Shopify is better suited for users who want an all-in-one e-commerce platform with simpler SEO needs.

Is WordPress the best choice for you?

While WordPress is undeniably a strong contender for SEO, the real question is: Are you right for WordPress?

WordPress is Ideal for:

Content creators and bloggers
If regularly updating content is central to your strategy, WordPress excels with its easy-to-use content management features.
Businesses scaling their SEO efforts.
With its flexibility, WordPress can grow with you, offering advanced SEO options as your business expands.
Users who want control
WordPress’s open-source nature and the wide variety of plugins give you full control over SEO settings, design, and performance.

When WordPress might not work for you:

Complete beginner looking for something simple
If you’re after an easy, drag-and-drop website builder, Wix or Squarespace might be more appealing, though they come with SEO limitations.
A small business focused only on e-commerce.
While WordPress can handle e-commerce via WooCommerce, Shopify is purpose-built for online sales and may offer a more straightforward, seamless experience.

Our verdict

Our answer is a definite yes — WordPress is good for SEO. Its clean code, mobile-responsive themes, and SEO plugins provide a strong foundation.

However, SEO success doesn’t happen automatically. You must still actively optimize your content, monitor site performance, and follow SEO best practices.

Need help choosing a website builder?

We can assist you. As Florida’s resident SEO and digital marketing experts, headquartered in Tampa, XDigitalSEO has helped dozens of businesses find the perfect website builder for their needs, and we can also build you a website customized to your business needs.

Contact us to get started today.