The Best Ecommerce Platforms for SEO (2025): UK Guide

Struggling to get your online store seen? The right ecommerce platform can make or break your search visibility. We researched the top ecommerce providers for search engine optimisation (SEO). We found Wix to be the best for SEO features, thanks to built-in tools, keyword support and strong mobile performance.

In this guide, we compare platforms based on the features that move the needle, like SEO setup prompts, site speed and content tools, to help you attract more traffic and grow faster.

Briefly, we have set website builders side by side in the table below for you to compare; alternatively, scroll further down for our individual provider reviews.

These rankings are specifically for SEO qualities. If you’re interested in the bigger picture, why not take a look at our piece on the best website builders for UK businesses?

Wix: Best overall ecommerce platform for SEO

Why Wix is a great ecommerce platform for SEO

Wix performs more-than admirably across all 21 SEO-specific criteria in our latest tests, achieving a perfect score thanks to its combination of technical features, user prompts and built‑in integrations from day one.

Wix includes:

• Full control over meta‑titles, descriptions, URLs, and image alt text
• Built‑in schema markup and sitemap management
• 301 redirects and editable robots.txt files
• Keyword support and SEO guidance pages
• Integration with Google Analytics, Search Console, and Semrush

Wix also offers real‑time SEO prompts through its SEO Wiz, ideal for beginners who want to identify missing elements and see how to fix them. Unlike GoDaddy or Hostinger, Wix provides structured guidance that makes SEO setup easier for non-technical users.

Blogging features are among the best, too: writer profiles, post scheduling and even blog monetisation, all of which boost organic traffic.

Where could Wix improve as an SEO-focused ecommerce platform?

Despite its dominance in SEO capabilities, Wix lags behind competitors in site speed performance. In our testing across 200 websites:

• Wix averaged a desktop speed of 83 and a mobile score of 63.
• In contrast, Hostinger scored 88 (desktop) and 73 (mobile) – the fastest across all platforms.

Speed is a confirmed SEO ranking factor, particularly on mobile. While Wix’s desktop scores remain competitive, mobile performance could hinder rankings for stores targeting mobile shoppers.

Additionally, some users in our testing found Wix’s dashboard cluttered and occasionally difficult to navigate, especially when configuring advanced SEO settings. Shopify and Squarespace both performed better in ease-of-use testing for SEO-related tasks.

What other key features does Wix offer for ecommerce?

Wix delivers excellent value beyond SEO, especially for small and growing businesses:

• Abandoned cart recovery, multi-channel selling and no transaction fees.
• AI content tools for product descriptions, headlines and blog posts.
• A built-in AI image editor, background remover and an AI chatbot builder.
• Customisable members’ areas, loyalty tools and built-in email marketing.

That said, Wix’s ecommerce offering isn’t perfect for all use cases. It’s less suited to stores with very large inventories or those that regularly need to switch templates or themes – something that’s better supported by Shopify or GoDaddy.

For more detail on the costs of subscribing to Wix, take a look at our Wix pricing guide.

Shopify: Best ecommerce platform for SEO apps and plug-ins

Why Shopify is a great ecommerce platform for SEO

Shopify is a powerhouse when it comes to scaling ecommerce operations, and it also shares a perfect score in our SEO evaluation, hitting all 21 SEO best practice criteria. Shopify supports everything from meta fields and canonical tags to structured data, noindex controls, and multilingual SEO.

What sets Shopify apart is its extensive app marketplace, with over 374 SEO-related plug-ins. These include:

• Smart SEO automatically adds structured data for Google.
• Plug in SEO for ongoing audits and keyword analysis.
• SEO Manager, for advanced control over your tags and indexing.

Shopify also integrates seamlessly with Google’s Search Console, Analytics, and social media platforms, making it easy to track performance and distribute content.

And while Hostinger and GoDaddy both lack app markets entirely, Shopify offers one of the most diverse and well-supported ecosystems for SEO optimisation. Wix has 29 SEO-related apps by comparison, while Squarespace only has two.

In addition, it’s worth noting that Shopify has solid international SEO support. It offers native support for hreflang, multilingual stores and international domains, especially when paired with Shopify Markets.

Where could Shopify improve as an SEO-focused ecommerce platform?

Shopify’s core platform lacks native keyword research and SEO prompts, unlike Wix, which guides users through setup and provides real-time SEO checklists. This makes Shopify slightly less beginner-friendly if you don’t already know SEO basics or want to avoid adding third-party tools.

Shopify’s site performance is also weaker than most top competitors:

• It scored just 60 overall in our speed testing (68 desktop, 51 mobile).
• That’s significantly behind Hostinger (81) and even GoDaddy (73).

User testing highlighted difficulties navigating the SEO dashboard and editing key site metadata, particularly on mobile. Shopify also scored lower in sentiment-based usability testing, especially compared with Hostinger and Squarespace, which users found more intuitive for simple SEO tasks.

What other key features does Shopify offer for ecommerce?

Shopify has exceptional ecommerce depth, as you might expect from the platform:

• Unlimited product uploads with CSV support (no template editing required).
• Advanced multi-channel selling, including POS integration and social commerce.
• Customisable members areas, automated invoicing and robust analytics.

It’s also one of the few platforms with zero transaction fees on its Advanced plan, and it supports mobile app management for on-the-go updates.

Shopify is ideal for businesses that need to scale fast, but smaller sellers or SEO beginners may prefer the built-in simplicity of Wix or the lightning-fast load speeds of Hostinger.

Shopify has a lot of extra costs that aren’t always immediately obvious when you first hear about all its features. But don’t worry because we’ve set everything out clearly in our Shopify costs guide.

Squarespace: Best ecommerce platform for keyword support

Why Squarespace is a great ecommerce platform for SEO

Squarespace is one of only three platforms (alongside Wix and Shopify) to achieve a perfect score in our SEO criteria, thanks to its comprehensive range of built-in SEO features. These include:

• Editable meta titles and descriptions.
• Clean custom URLs and 301 redirects.
• Canonical tags, alt text for images and mobile optimisation.
• Full integration with Google Analytics and Search Console.

Where Squarespace really stands out is in keyword analytics. Its built-in Keyword Search Analytics panel helps you understand which search terms are driving traffic to your site: a feature not offered by Shopify or GoDaddy. This empowers you to optimise your site content for the exact terms your audience is already using.

Additionally, Squarespace benefits from schema markup, sitemap management and multilingual SEO support, helping it perform well in both local and international search rankings. And with advanced blogging features like scheduled posts, writer profiles and SEO tags, it’s particularly strong for content-led SEO strategies.

Where could Squarespace improve as an SEO-focused ecommerce platform?

Despite scoring well on SEO features, Squarespace performs poorly on speed:

• It scored just 53 overall in our site performance tests, the lowest among the top five.
• Specifically, its mobile score was 47, falling below Google’s recommended threshold.

As we’ve mentioned above, speed is a crucial Google ranking factor, so this could limit visibility for mobile-first audiences unless mitigated with image optimisation or lightweight design choices. In contrast, Hostinger (81) and Wix (73) offered significantly faster load times.

User testing also revealed frustration with Squarespace’s SEO tool visibility. Unlike Wix’s SEO Wiz or Shopify’s plug-in options, Squarespace’s SEO features are sometimes buried within its menus, making them harder for newcomers to locate and use efficiently.

What other key features does Squarespace offer for ecommerce?

Squarespace is ideal for visually-led brands that value elegant design. It offers:

• Polished, mobile-responsive templates with full branding control.
• Acuity scheduling is built in, making it perfect for appointment-based businesses.
• Customisable checkout pages, guest checkout and flexible discount tools.

It also offers strong blogging, content tools, and built-in email marketing that’s fully customisable to match your site theme. While it lacks the app store depth of Shopify, its simplicity and integration make it easier for smaller businesses and service-based sellers to manage everything in one place.

Squarespace is best for creators and small retailers who want a beautiful, SEO-friendly store. But if speed or technical SEO customisation is a top priority, Wix or Hostinger may serve you better.

Do you know which Squarespace plans have transaction fees attached to sales? Read our Squarespace pricing guide for all the details.

Hostinger: Best Ecommerce Platform for Fast SEO Performance

Where could Hostinger improve as an SEO-focused ecommerce platform?

Hostinger falls short in several areas when compared with the top three:

• No dedicated SEO apps or app marketplace.
• No structured data/schema markup tools.
• No built-in SEO audit or keyword analytics tools, like those found on Squarespace or Wix.

This means users must rely on external tools like Semrush or Ahrefs to manage and improve SEO performance. Hostinger also doesn’t offer SEO content prompts or keyword research suggestions, making it less suited for those looking for step-by-step guidance.

In user testing, some participants noted that SEO settings were harder to find than on Wix or Shopify, and that the quality of AI-generated content (used for SEO pages or blogs) was mixed, requiring additional editing to maintain quality.

What other key features does Hostinger offer for ecommerce?

Hostinger’s appeal lies in its affordability and speed, making it ideal for small businesses and beginners:

• No transaction fees, which means you keep more profit.
• AI-powered blog and website builder, with templates tailored to your industry.
• Generous feature set on lower plans, with incremental pricing.
• Fastest site builder in our speed tests, ideal for customers on mobile, as we stated above.

Why Hostinger is a great ecommerce platform for SEO

Hostinger might not have the same SEO pedigree as Wix, Shopify or Squarespace – it scored a moderate 17 out of 21 SEO points in our testing – but what it lacks in advanced configuration, it makes up for in speed and usability.

Hostinger earned the highest site performance score across all tested platforms:

• 88 for desktop, 73 for mobile and an average of 81 overall.

This makes it the fastest ecommerce website builder we tested – a major SEO advantage, as Google rewards fast-loading sites, especially on mobile.

Hostinger also covers all the SEO fundamentals:

• Editable meta titles and descriptions.
• Custom URLs, 301 redirects and alt image tags.
• Integrated sitemap management and mobile responsiveness.

It includes basic keyword support and noindex/robots.txt controls, giving users a decent level of customisation. However, it lacks SEO-specific guidance or prompts during setup, which is something Wix and Squarespace offer to streamline optimisation for beginners.

However, Hostinger lacks advanced ecommerce depth: its booking system is limited, inventory tools are basic, and it doesn’t support SEO-focused apps or deep product customisation like Shopify does. For larger stores or those seeking automation and SEO depth, Wix or Shopify offer more comprehensive ecosystems.

Still, for entrepreneurs looking to get online fast with minimal costs and a lightning-fast site, Hostinger is a strong contender, especially if paired with third-party SEO tools.

GoDaddy: Best Ecommerce Platform for Quick Setup and Built-in Marketing

Why GoDaddy is a great ecommerce platform for SEO

GoDaddy may not be as comprehensive as Wix or Shopify when it comes to SEO, but it still includes many of the core optimisation tools needed to get a small business found online. In our testing, GoDaddy met 15 out of 21 key SEO criteria.

Key features include:

• Editable meta titles, descriptions and custom URLs.
• Canonical tags, 301 redirects and alt image text.
• Seamless integration with Google Analytics and Google Search Console.

It also supports basic multilingual SEO and includes SEO best practice prompts, which can help guide users through setup. This gives GoDaddy a slight edge over Hostinger in terms of structured SEO guidance. For new users who want a fast, functional SEO setup without needing to install plug-ins, GoDaddy can be a decent starting point.

Another plus: GoDaddy integrates SEO with its broader marketing tools, including a built-in social media calendar and planner, helping businesses align their content strategy across platforms from one dashboard.

Wix is the only other platform in the top five that matches GoDaddy here, with a built-in social media calendar, post planner and AI-generated social content tools. Shopify, Squarespace and Hostinger do not include a native social media calendar or planner (but instead, rely on third-party apps or manual scheduling).

Where could GoDaddy improve as an SEO-focused ecommerce platform?

GoDaddy has several significant limitations when it comes to SEO depth:

• No keyword support or analytics tools.
• No structured data/schema markup.
• No sitemap controls, robots.txt editing or SEO-specific apps.

While it does the basics, it doesn’t offer advanced technical SEO settings or in-depth guidance for ecommerce businesses that want to grow their visibility. Squarespace, for example, includes keyword analytics and schema markup, both absent in GoDaddy.

It also scored just 73 overall in our performance tests, and while that’s average, its mobile score (67) still trails behind Hostinger (73), which is a better pick for mobile-first stores. Although users praised its ease of setup, our testing showed mixed satisfaction with SEO task visibility, with some reporting keyword stuffing warnings and a lack of customisation flexibility.

What other key features does GoDaddy offer for ecommerce?

GoDaddy shines when it comes to speed, simplicity, and marketing integration:

• Built-in booking tools for one-on-one or group appointments.
• Mobile app for managing your store on the go.
• No need for plug-ins – everything is integrated and beginner-friendly.

GoDaddy is best suited to service-based businesses or small online sellers who want to get online quickly without managing plug-ins or SEO apps. But for stores that plan to scale or need deeper SEO control, Wix or Shopify will offer far more flexibility.

How did we compare the best ecommerce platforms for SEO?