You can rank a small business site on any of the big platforms. What changes is where the settings live and how much control you have. The basics are the same everywhere: titles, page content, speed and a sitemap in Search Console.
Wix
- Set page titles and descriptions in each page's SEO settings.
- Make sure pages are set to be indexed.
- Connect Search Console through Wix's SEO tools.
- Watch page speed with heavy animations and apps.
Squarespace
- Edit SEO titles and descriptions in each page's settings.
- Check pages aren't hidden from search engines.
- Make sure the site isn't still private or password-protected.
- Compress images before uploading.
Shopify
- Write unique titles and descriptions for products and collections.
- Write product descriptions yourself instead of copying the manufacturer's.
- Remove the storefront password at launch.
- Be careful with apps. Each can add weight to your pages.
WordPress
- Use an SEO plugin such as Rank Math or Yoast for titles, descriptions, sitemaps and schema.
- Untick "Discourage search engines" after launch.
- Keep plugins few and updated. See WordPress security.
- Use good hosting and caching.
Which gives most control?
WordPress, followed by Shopify for stores. See WordPress vs Shopify vs Wix and moving from Wix to WordPress.
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