Search engine optimization (SEO) professionals have long expressed dissatisfaction with platforms other than WordPress, mainly because they prefer WordPress’s comprehensive SEO capabilities and customizability.
However, this perception may be outdated as Wix develops more robust SEO functionality.
The debate was sparked recently by an insightful Reddit thread on why SEO professionals remain wary of Wix, with contributions from experienced marketing professionals and industry insiders like Google’s John Mueller.
Emerging Wix Developments
According to the original poster on Reddit, Wix markets itself as a user-friendly platform designed for those with limited coding skills who desire to create their own website.
Over the past few years, Wix has incorporated increased SEO functionalities to cater to the needs of its growing user base. It even added generative AI tools for website design.
Nevertheless, Wix’s past reputation still lingers, creating a barrier for users with unfavorable experiences with the platform.
This wariness has generated a preference for WordPress, a platform praised for its innate SEO capabilities and customization options.
Employing SEO features on Wix makes the platform viable for SEO.
Notably, the discussion underscores that while Wix has improved its SEO capabilities, it is ultimately up to the user to use them effectively.
Delegate Website Management
Instead of obsessing over granular details, he suggested that most people (and their clients) focus on the larger picture by delegating website management to a specialized team.
“The other (really for me: bigger) thing is that IMO most people should just not be running their own website or server, period. “
He argued that this mitigates risk, guarantees maintenance, and frees one from dealing with technicalities that experts could handle better.
“Speed, structured data, metaverse-ML, whatever the world throws at you – a platform will be able to do this for everyone, immediately, and they will fix it if it doesn’t work properly.”
SEO professionals should effectively stay in their own lane regarding website management.
“Let a professional do it, just like *you* are probably the professional when it comes to SEO.”
Nevertheless, Mueller’s view might be challenging for those who crave control and direct impact on results.
He maintained that in 2023, the web has evolved considerably, and clinging to older practices may leave one unable to adapt to future changes.
Prepare Ready For Change
Ultimately, Mueller hopes that SEO professionals will focus on staying at the forefront of technology.
“Y’all should be – and can be – at the forefront of technology, and sometimes that means letting experts do their things, just like you’re the expert of your things. The only constant is change, and there’s going to be more change in the future, and it’ll be harder to adapt if we try to hold it back and have to take a bigger jump.”
Does the “change” refer to advancements in AI for Google search, such as continued development of Search Generative Experience (SGE) capabilities? That remains to be seen.
As highlighted by this Reddit discussion, the final decision on website hosting and what to focus upon lies in what SEO professionals value more.
It also emphasizes the importance of evolving with changing web dynamics and staying up-to-date with platform developments to make informed decisions about marketing technology.
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