There’s a whole lot of “talk” online about which website platform is the best for SEO. In fact, there’s so much noise out there, that it’s becoming harder and harder to make sense of it all, without having to become an SEO expert in the process. (Check out ALL of my SEO resources here!)
That’s why this week I’m bringing you 3 website SEO truths. You can use these truths to help you filter out the overwhelming amount of bad SEO advice that’s all over the internet (more on that later…), and to help you pick a platform that’s best for your site’s long-term SEO success.
Truth #1: I ranked on the first page of Google with a Squarespace site
A lot of SEO “experts” claim that Squarespace sites have terrible SEO. But my website was on Squarespace for FOUR years, and I’ve consistently been on the first page of Google when you search “Atlanta Graphic Designer.”
I’ve been on the first page for that search, and a few others over the past 2-3 years. And I’ve never paid an expert to help me with my SEO. To be perfectly honest, I really wasn’t focused on improving my SEO at all when I first found out I ranked on the first page of Google for a few keywords.
But this isn’t a #humblebrag….it’s a #newsflash. Because guess what I was focused on, that just happened to boost my site’s SEO….
Blogging. Blogging consistently. Every single week. And apparently, Google really liked that.
From the beginning, I set my site up for success using a few foundational SEO best practices. But from there, the only thing I can attribute my initial SEO success to is the fact that I created quality content on a consistent basis.
If you set your site up properly and create good content, you can be successful with WordPress or Squarespace. So in most cases, you should simply pick the platform that’s right for your business. Truths #2 and #3 will help make that choice even more clear for you.
Truth #2: Google cares about content, and you should, too
Since we’re talking about WordPress and Squarespace sites, consistent content is important.
Now, there are a lot of website platforms out there — too many to cover in one blog post. So, the “truths” I’m sharing here apply if you’re using WordPress and Squarespace. (In general though, I only blog about/recommend WordPress and Squarespace, since these two have both been around a while and are highly reputable.)
Even though Google’s algorithm changes all the time, it’s almost always appeared to favor sites that publish high-quality, original content on a consistent basis. Writing a weekly blog is a great way to build your site’s SEO, regardless of whether it’s on WordPress or Squarespace.
Hint: For a while now, Google’s been giving SEO “bonus points” to sites that publish consistent video content. Speaking of that, here’s this week’s video all about the worst SEO practices I’ve seen people doing:
Truth #3: Google also cares about what’s happening on your site, and you should, too
Because consistent content is important, you should pick a platform that simplest for you to use, specifically when it comes to regularly publish content that will engage your ideal audience.
There are two key things to consider here:
In general, does the platform seem approachable for you to use regularly?
Simply uploading good content on a consistent basis can help your site’s SEO. So make sure this is simple for you to do on the platform you pick. Otherwise, you may end up procrastinating, or giving up on posting content altogether.
If you think that having to learn to use WordPress (which can be a little bit technical) might hold you back from getting content up on your site, I’d seriously consider Squarespace. It’s the most user-friendly of the two. Plus, everything will automatically be mobile responsive (an essential for good SEO) so your audience will be able to experience your content from any device.
In general, does the platform allow you to have a site that does what you need it to do?
For some businesses, Squarespace just isn’t customizable enough. WordPress, as you may know, is highly customizable.
Sure, there are lots of workarounds and “hacks” you can use to make Squarespace work how you need it to work…to an extent. The problem is, these workarounds can slow your site down and cause other issues that create “less than ideal” experience for people who visit your site. In Google’s eyes, this is a big no-no.
So, if you’re thinking you’ll need to use a lot of these workarounds to make Squarespace work for you, I’d recommend WordPress.
Here’s the ultimate truth though, there are so many things that factor into your site’s SEO. It’s a bit of a game. And it’s a game you can win on WordPress or Squarespace — so pick the platform that’s right for you.
Want step-by-step SEO help? I’m not only going to show you step by step EXACTLY how I got my own website on Google, but some other helpful SEO tactics. I’ve ranked my website on the first page of Google, and it didn’t matter if I was on Squarespace or WordPress! This guide covers: placement of keywords, page SEO, blogging SEO, optimizing images, and back-end SEO.
Hi Jess! Thank you for your input on SEO! You mentioned WordPress and Squarespace, but I was wondering if Wix is not as good a platform. What are your thoughts on this?
No, Wix is not that great for SEO. I personally don’t recommend it to anyone. It’s not fully responsive and can be limiting. 🙂
Thoughts about Weebly?
I don’t recommend it for many reasons, including SEO.
Hi, reading a lot about the problem SS has with not allowing the creation of meta descriptions that are hidden in the page. Apparently in some templates your meta descriptions will actually show! Any comment on this?
There are some templates that will show your meta descriptions, but you can add some code so it will not appear on the banner anymore. The code depends on which template you use, so I can’t pinpoint the exact code for you. It’s usually easiest to hire a developer for that (should be less than $100), or you can try searching for the code in Squarespace forums!