Wix: Where Good SEO Goes to Die
Wix spends millions on Super Bowl ads. Maybe that's because their users can't get found on Google.
Disclaimer: Wix has improved significantly since their early days. They're not as bad as they were in 2015. But "not as bad" isn't the same as "good." Here's the current reality for small businesses.
The Core Problem: JavaScript Everything
Wix websites are built primarily with JavaScript. When you visit a Wix site, here's what happens:
- Browser requests the page
- Server sends a near-empty HTML shell
- JavaScript downloads (often 2-4MB)
- JavaScript executes and renders the content
- Page finally displays
Google's crawler can execute JavaScript, but it's slower, more resource-intensive, and less reliable than reading plain HTML. Many pages end up in a "render queue" that can take days or weeks to process.
Translation: While your competitors' pages get indexed in hours, your Wix pages might wait days. In competitive local markets, that delay costs you customers.
Page Speed: The Silent Killer
Google has explicitly stated that page speed is a ranking factor. Here's how Wix typically performs:
Core Web Vitals Comparison
| Metric | Good | Typical Wix | Static Site |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) | <2.5s | 3-5s | <1s |
| FID (First Input Delay) | <100ms | 100-300ms | <50ms |
| CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) | <0.1 | 0.1-0.3 | <0.05 |
| Total Page Size | <1MB | 3-6MB | <500KB |
When you're competing against faster sites, you start with a handicap.
The URL Structure Nightmare
Clean, descriptive URLs help with SEO. Here's what Wix gives you by default:
https://yoursite.wixsite.com/website/my-services
Even with a custom domain, Wix URLs can be problematic:
- Dynamic pages have hash fragments (#) that Google historically ignores
- Product and blog URLs can get unwieldy
- Changing URL structure later can break existing links
Limited Technical SEO Control
Professional SEO requires precise control over technical elements. Wix limits your options:
Schema Markup
Limited to their templates. Can't add custom structured data without workarounds. Local business schema? Often incomplete.
Robots.txt
Limited customization. Can't fine-tune crawler access like you can on custom sites.
Server-Side Rendering
Wix uses client-side rendering by default. While they've added some SSR, it's not as reliable as proper static generation.
Canonical Tags
Auto-generated, but you can't always control them for duplicate content issues.
Header Tag Hierarchy
Template designs sometimes misuse H1-H6 tags, hurting content structure signals.
Mobile Performance: The Real Battleground
Google uses mobile-first indexing. Your mobile site IS your site for ranking purposes. Wix mobile sites often suffer from:
- Heavy JavaScript - Mobile devices have less processing power
- Large images - Auto-optimization isn't always aggressive enough
- Layout shifts - Elements jumping as JavaScript loads
- Touch target issues - Buttons too small or too close together
Run your Wix site through Google's PageSpeed Insights. The mobile score is usually 30-60 points lower than desktop.
The "Wix SEO" Marketing Machine
Wix heavily markets their "Wix SEO" tools. Let's be real about what they actually offer:
Wix SEO Features: Reality Check
"SEO Wizard"
A checklist of basic SEO tasks. Useful for beginners, but doesn't address Wix's fundamental technical limitations.
"Meta Tags"
Yes, you can add title tags and meta descriptions. This is table stakes, not a competitive advantage.
"Instant Indexing"
Integration with Google Search Console for indexing requests. Every website can do this - it's not unique to Wix.
Core Technical Issues
None of these tools fix the JavaScript rendering, page speed, or code bloat problems.
Local SEO: The Biggest Loss
For small businesses, local SEO is everything. Ranking in "plumber near me" or "dentist in [city]" is worth thousands in new customers. Wix sites struggle here because:
- Local Business schema is often incomplete or missing
- NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency issues with how data is structured
- Page speed penalties hurt local pack rankings
- Limited control over location pages and their optimization
Real impact: We've seen businesses gain 40-60% more local search visibility within months of migrating from Wix to properly optimized static sites.
But Wix Is So Easy!
Yes, Wix's drag-and-drop builder is genuinely easy to use. That's not the argument.
The question is: what's the point of a beautiful website nobody can find?
Ease of building means nothing if your site doesn't rank. You could build the perfect storefront, but if it's in a back alley with no signage, customers won't find it.
The Alternative: Build for Search From Day One
Modern static sites are built with SEO as a foundation, not an afterthought:
SEO-First Static Site Benefits
The Bottom Line
Wix prioritizes ease of use over search performance. That's a valid trade-off for hobby sites and portfolios.
But if you're a business that depends on customers finding you online, that trade-off is catastrophic. You're paying Wix $200-500/year for a site that actively works against your visibility.
Ready to Actually Get Found?
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