For years, Wix has had a reputation for being less than ideal for SEO. But has it turned things around?
Let’s explore the past issues Wix faced and the significant improvements it has made to enhance its SEO capabilities.
1. Flash Dependency vs. HTML5 Transition
Past Problem: Early versions of Wix relied heavily on Flash, which search engines struggled to index effectively. This reliance severely impacted the visibility of Wix websites in search results.
Improvement: Wix has completely phased out Flash, adopting HTML5, a more SEO-friendly technology that significantly improves how search engines index Wix sites.
2. Limited SEO Customisation vs. Enhanced Control
Past Problem: Users previously had limited control over critical SEO elements such as meta titles, meta descriptions, and alt text for images. This lack of customisation made it difficult for search engines to properly understand and rank Wix sites.
Improvement: Wix now allows full customisation of these elements. Users can edit meta tags, alt text, and other SEO-related settings, providing greater control over how their site appears in search results.
3. Crawlability Issues vs. Improved Indexing
Past Problem: Wix websites suffered from poor crawlability and indexing due to issues with the robots.txt file and sitemap customisation. Search engines had difficulty accessing and indexing Wix sites, which hurt their search rankings.
Improvement: Wix has resolved these issues by allowing users to edit their robots.txt files and customize XML sitemaps. This enhancement improves the crawlability and indexability of Wix websites.
4. Complicated URLs vs. Clean, SEO-Friendly URLs
Past Problem: Wix automatically generated long and complex URLs, often filled with unnecessary characters. This complicated URL structure negatively impacted SEO and the user experience.
Improvement: Wix now supports clean, SEO-friendly URLs and allows users to customise them. This improvement makes URLs more readable and better suited for search engines.
5. Accessibility Challenges vs. WCAG Compliance
Past Problem: Wix had poor accessibility features, making it difficult for users with disabilities to navigate sites and for search engines to index them properly.
Improvement: Wix now complies with WCAG 2.0 standards and has introduced an accessibility wizard. These features not only enhance user experience but also boost SEO by making websites more accessible to all users and easier for search engines to index.
6. Performance Bottlenecks vs. Enhanced Speed
Past Problem: Slow page load times and performance bottlenecks were common, negatively impacting SEO since page speed is a critical ranking factor.
Improvement: Wix has implemented server-side rendering and automatic image compression to improve page load times and overall site performance, making sites faster and more reliable.
7. Lack of Structured Data vs. Rich Snippets and Structured Data Support
Past Problem: Limited support for structured data meant Wix websites missed out on rich snippets in search results, reducing visibility and click-through rates.
Improvement: Wix now supports structured data, allowing users to boost their content with rich snippets. While automatic for some pages, users can also manually add structured data across their site.
8. Inadequate Multilingual Support vs. Comprehensive Multilingual Features
Past Problem: Wix lacked proper multilingual support, causing issues with indexing translated content and potential penalties for duplicate content.
Improvement: Wix now offers robust multilingual support, including customisable URL structures for different languages and auto-translation features, improving SEO for global audiences.
Conclusion: A New Era for Wix SEO
Wix has made significant strides to address its past SEO shortcomings, transforming into a platform that supports robust SEO practices. Leveraging these improvements and adhering to SEO best practices, users can achieve excellent search engine visibility and grow their online presence effectively.
By understanding the historical issues and acknowledging the substantial improvements, you can confidently choose Wix as a powerful tool to help your site climb the search engine rankings.
If you’re considering Wix for your website, rest assured that its SEO capabilities have come a long way.
For further guidance and expert assistance in maximising Wix's SEO potential, feel free to reach out to us.
As Wix experts, we're here to help you navigate and utilise all that Wix has to offer.
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