The Best Ecommerce Platforms for SEO

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When it comes to search engine optimisation (SEO) features, we found Wix to be the best overall, with an overall score of 4.6/5 in our in-depth research of the top ecommerce platforms. It’s also the best free ecommerce website builder. With its convenient SEO tools that are readily available as you set up shop, generating traffic to your online shop should become a walk in the park.

What are the best ecommerce platforms for SEO?

  1. Wix
  2. Squarespace
  3. BigCommerce
  4. Shopify
  5. Square

For a physical shop, you’d want them to be somewhere accessible, so easily accessible – it’s the same online! You want people to find you so they can buy your goods. This is exactly what SEO does for your business – it attracts customers by enhancing your visibility in a vast sea of competition.

In this article, we ranked these ecommerce platforms according to their SEO-enhancing features: keyword support, traffic generation, and mobile responsiveness. Read on for more.

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Wix

Squarespace

BigCommerce

Shopify

Square

Price Range
Paying for one year upfront

£14-£119/month

Price Range
Paying for one year upfront

£12 – £35 per month, billed annually

Price Range
Paying for one year upfront

$29 – $299 (around £23 – £240) per month, billed annually

Price Range
Paying for one year upfront

£5 – £259 per month, billed annually

Price Range
Paying for one year upfront

£0 – £54 per month, billed annually

Key Features
  • Built-in SEO tools
  • Simple, intuitive interface
  • Integrates with Google Analytics and Google Search Console
Key Features
  • Comprehensive SEO panel page
  • Provides keyword search analytics
  • Integrates with Google Analytics and Google Search Console
Key Features
  • Built-in micro data in themes
  • Broad selection of SEO-specific apps
  • Integrates with Google Analytics and Google Search Console
Key Features
  • Broad selection of SEO-specific apps and plug-ins
  • Excellent sales features
  • Integrates with Google Analytics and Google Search Console
Key Features
  • Built-in basic SEO features
  • Integrates with Google Analytics and Google Search Console

 

Free Plan
Free Plan
Free Plan
Free Plan
Free Plan
Free Trial
Free Trial
Free Trial
Free Trial
Free Trial
Try Wix Try Squarespace Try BigCommerce Try Shopify

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

Wix
Wix
4.6
Pricing £14 - £119
Why is Wix the best overall?

With an overall score of 4.6/5 in our independent research, Wix reigns supreme in our ecommerce platforms for SEO. It has a wealth of SEO tools that are already built-in to its interface, meaning you no longer need to install third-party apps or plug-ins to rank well on search engines! 

It's also intuitive and beginner-friendly, thanks to the Wix SEO Wiz, which gives you step-by-step SEO prompts. It'll assist you with setting up the fundamentals and demonstrates how to improve your online presence by highlighting weak points and providing helpful SEO tips.It is worth noting that Squarespace, which scores 4.3/5 in our research, does not offer prompts like this but it does have faster server response time than Wix, which is also crucial to SEO as Google drops sites that tend to load slower in its rankings.

Wix integrates with Google Analytics and Google Search Console  the gold standard of website analytics! With these, you can easily track your SEO performance, from click-through rates to website impressions. You can also get insights into which sites receive and send traffic to your page, including the bounce rate, timeline, and other aspects of your website. 

It recently integrated with SEMRush and improved its page-level SEO settings, allowing you to customise technical SEO factors, like structured data on a page-by-page basis from a single settings page. However, you have to add structured data manually, which can be tricky and time-consuming, especially since it requires code. Here, we'd recommend our ecommerce top scorer Shopify (4.7/5). Shopify offers Smart SEO in its app store, automatically providing detailed structured data for Google and other search engines, allowing them to better understand your website’s niche. However, Shopify does not have keyword support, which is already integrated into Wix. 

Pricing
Business Basic Business Unlimited Business VIP
£15 per month £20 per month £27 per month
Unlimited products? Unlimited products? Unlimited products?
Storage data 20 GB Storage data 35 GB Storage data 50 GB
Customer support 24/7 customer care Customer support 24/7 customer care Customer support Priority customer care
Abandoned cart recovery? Abandoned cart recovery? Abandoned cart recovery?

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

Squarespace: Best ecommerce platform for keyword support

Squarespace
4.3
Pricing £12 - £35
Why is Squarespace the best for keyword support?

Our research may have hailed Squarespace as the Design Guru because of its rich catalogue of website design tools for UK businesses, it can also “square” up with its competitors with its SEO features. With an overall score of 4.3/5 in our research, we found that Squarespace has stellar keyword support!

Squarespace has a Keyword Search Analytics panel available on all of its plans. With this, you can see which keywords drive traffic to your site. With this data you can curate your website for your target market. It is worth mentioning that even though Wix offers keyword support, it only analyses your keyword rankings, which is a considerable difference from what Squarespace offers. 

It’s also mobile-friendly, which ticks another box in the SEO checklist. Sites that are more mobile-responsive rank higher on Google. However, we’ll hand it to Wix since it enables you to edit how your site looks both on mobile and desktop with just a single click, thanks to its Page Layout Optimiser

Still, Squarespace packs a punch with its 0.5-second server response time, faster than Google’s recommended 0.6 seconds and below. Since Squarespace loads your website and all its contents more quickly than Wix, Google will prioritise it higher in its rankings, which can help you earn higher click-through rates.

Pricing
Personal BusinessCommerce BasicCommerce Advanced
£12 per month (billed annually) £17 per month (billed annually) £23 per month (billed annually) £35 per month (billed annually)
Custom domain Free Custom domain Free Custom domain Free Custom domain Free
Abandoned cart recovery? Abandoned cart recovery? Abandoned cart recovery? Abandoned cart recovery?
Sell on Facebook & Instagram? Sell on Facebook & Instagram? Sell on Facebook & Instagram? Sell on Facebook & Instagram?

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

BigCommerce: Best ecommerce platform for advanced SEO management

bigcommerce scorecard logo
BigCommerce
4.4
Pricing £23 – £240
Why is BigCommerce the best for advanced SEO management?

Our independent research sees BigCommerce as the third-best ecommerce platform, with an overall score of 4.4/5. 

When it comes to SEO, our researchers named BigCommerce as the best for advanced SEO as it dives deeper into the Google Algorithm, which typically involves metadata, structured data, and all the complicated codes on the backend. 

BigCommerce's themes automatically incorporate microdata or "rich snippets" in your pages. Microdata adds a layer of vital information to your pages, such as ratings, price, brand, or stock level, as they appear on search engines. This can help improve your click-through rates in your online store.

Another helpful feature is the content delivery network (CDN), which helps your pages load faster, allowing people to comfortably explore your online store with a lengthy wait. With CDN servers in Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, London, Hong Kong, and Singapore, your website’s pages should load at lightning speed, no matter the location. 

As a comprehensive ecommerce platform and website builder, you can let out your creative flair with its vast theme options up for grabs. What gives Bigcommerce the upper hand is that it doesn't have any transaction fees, which is a major plus for budding businesses that want to waive as many fees as possible! 

Although it’s one of our top contenders for the best ecommerce platforms, it has an Achilles’ heel. You can't do keyword research with BigCommerce. You can only integrate it with keyword research tools, like SEMRush, to find the keywords to include in your content. Since keywords are also a confirmed Google ranking factor, we recommend Squarespace, which scores an overall 4.3/5 in our independent research. Squarespace uses Keyword Search Analytics to analyse the keywords that drive traffic to your website and shows you how it's performing on UK search results. 

Pricing
Standard Plus ProEnterprise
£23* per month (billed annually) £64* per month (billed annually) £240* per month (billed annually) Custom pricing available upon request
Transaction fees: 0% Transaction fees: 0% Transaction fees: 0% Transaction fees: 0%
Abandoned cart recovery? Abandoned cart recovery? Abandoned cart recovery? Abandoned cart recovery?
Sell on Facebook & Instagram? Sell on Facebook & Instagram? Sell on Facebook & Instagram? Sell on Facebook & Instagram?
24/7 tech support (chat, phone, ticket) 24/7 tech support (chat, phone, ticket) 24/7 tech support (chat, phone, ticket) 24/7 tech support (chat, phone, ticket)

*Prices are converted from USD to GBP according to conversion rates as per writing.

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

Shopify
4.7
Pricing £5 - £259
Why is Shopify the best for SEO apps and plug-ins?

Shopify, which scores an overall 4.7/5 in our in-depth ecommerce research, is best known for its diverse app store. It's home to the SEO boosters you need to help your online store rank higher in Google search results. Shopify offers a bountiful selection of 167 SEO apps and plug-ins to help optimise your store and generate traffic. BigCommerce (4.4/5), which we named the best for advanced SEO management in our research, only has 10 options. 

These apps and plug-ins crack the SEO code all too well, so you no longer have to focus all of your time optimising your pages to help make an excellent first impression on Google. SEOMetriks, for example, allows you to spy on your competitors' websites to compare traffic and analyse performance. It also monitors how a product performs on Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin, and other social media platforms. But the downside is that it’s pricey. To unlock these apps, you have to pay a monthly fee in addition to your subscription fees.

Another disadvantage to Shopify is that it does not have keyword support. As such, your only choice is to pay a little extra for SEO plug-ins that can research and analyse keywords that will help increase your ranking. It would be better for your pocket to opt for an ecommerce platform with keyword tools that are built-in, like Wix (4.6/5). Wix gives you access to excellent keyword research tools, like SEMRush, which researches the suitable keywords for your site.

Pricing
StarterBasic ShopifyAdvanced
£5 per month (billed annually) £19 per month (billed annually) £49 per month (billed annually) £259 per month (billed annually)
Transaction fees: 5% Transaction fees: 2% Transaction fees: 1% Transaction fees: 0.5%
Sell on Facebook & Instagram? Sell on Facebook & Instagram? Sell on Facebook & Instagram? Sell on Facebook & Instagram?
24/7 support (live chat, phone, email) 24/7 support (live chat, phone, email) 24/7 support (live chat, phone, email) 24/7 support (live chat, phone, email)

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.

Square: Best ecommerce platform for affordability

Square
4.4
Pricing £0 – £54
Why is Square the best for affordability?

With an overall score of 4.4/5 in our independent research, Square is the best ecommerce platform for affordability because it’s an economical yet power-packed ecommerce platform, perfect for UK businesses. It lets you unlock all the ecommerce essentials sans the costly price tags. For a fraction of the price of its competitors you get all the basics, like social media integration, custom metadata, and canonical tags.

Square also integrates with Google Analytics and Google Search Console, like Wix (4.6/5). Moreover, it provides SEO tips and guides on the Square Support Center to help you get started with boosting your website. 

It is also worth noting that Square’s free plan allows you to sell using social media platforms, access its website builder, sync with its point of sale (POS), and integrate with various payment methods, like Apple Pay and Google Pay. 

But although it’s one of the top free ecommerce platforms in our research, there are lots of limitations to Square's SEO. It doesn’t offer keyword support or SEO-specific apps. It also does not have SEO consultation, so you'll need to find SEO experts to do the job for you. Another flaw of Square's SEO toolbox is that it takes weeks to index your information for search engines. Indexing is the most critical factor in SEO, as content outside the index cannot rank for a search result and it will affect your click-through rate. 

As such, we recommend opting for a comprehensive SEO-friendly platform, like Wix. It has intuitive SEO tools that are built-in, so you no longer have to find third-party apps to boost your SEO. Plus, it offers keyword support, which Square does not provide.

Pricing
Free Professional PerformancePremium
£0 no monthly fees £9 per month, billed annually £19 per month, billed annually £54 per month, billed annually
Sell on Facebook & Instagram? Sell on Facebook & Instagram? Sell on Facebook & Instagram? Sell on Facebook & Instagram?
Syncs with Square POS Customer accounts Customer accounts Customer accounts
Free domain for 1 year Free domain for 1 year Free domain for 1 year

How did we compare the best ecommerce platforms for SEO?

At Expert Market, we have an in-house team of expert researchers that do a deep-dive into the finer details of ecommerce platforms. We compare these platforms according to the following criteria:

  • SEO Features: We explore all of the features provided, like keyword support, social media integration, and mobile responsiveness, which contribute to your Google ranking.
  • Website Features: We look at which provider has the capabilities to make your online stores more functional and convenient for your clientele. We also analyse its marketing tools that can help you improve your online presence.
  • Sales Features: Since you’re building an ecommerce website, we look at the features offered that can help boost your sales. We also compare their payment channels and whether these are convenient for you and your customers.
  • Design Functionalities: Here, we match up the platforms to analyse the design tools they offer, from the themes to the customizable elements.
  • Value for Money: We also explore every platform’s prices, plans, and included features to see if it’s a great bang for your buck.
Verdict

Our in-depth research shows that Wix is the best overall ecommerce platform for SEO, with an overall score of 4.6/5. It has a beginner-friendly interface suited for SEO newbies. Its most commendable SEO-friendly feature is the Wix SEO Wiz, which gives helpful prompts as you build your site, helping you to rank higher in Google’s search results.

Wix also has a wealth of SEO plug-ins and apps for absolute SEO capability, such as its recent integration with SEMRush. However, Wix is outdone when it comes to server response time, another crucial SEO factor. Its competitor, Squarespace (4.3/5), is a stronger candidate in this category as it beats Google’s recommended 0.6-second time. However, Wix redeems itself with its stellar mobile-friendly themes. With Wix, you can edit how your site looks both on mobile and desktop. As we know, Google prioritises more mobile-friendly sites because they load faster.

Ready to try Wix? Sign up through this link to get started on your 7-day free trial and enjoy zero transaction fees on your plans!

Frequently Asked Questions

Which ecommerce platform has the best SEO?
Our independent research finds that Wix has the best SEO features. With an overall score of 4.6/5, it has an excellent roster of intuitive SEO-friendly tools, such as the Wix SEO Wiz, that help boost your Google search rankings. It also has a wealth of SEO-friendly integrations, such as SEMRush, which provides superb keyword support.
How do I do SEO for an ecommerce website?
Google has a relatively strict checklist of dos and don’ts for SEO, and it can be hard to cover everything at once. Luckily, the ecommerce platforms we’ve mentioned here can help you nail the SEO game. Take Shopify, for example – it has a wealth of SEO apps and plug-ins readily available to guide you as you build your online shop.
Do ecommerce sites need SEO?
Yes! Ecommerce is exceptionally competitive, so you need to boost your visibility and drive traffic to your site by enhancing your SEO. Ecommerce SEO helps introduce your products and services to a broader audience by improving your click-through rates and increasing your chances of conversion (i.e., making a sale).
Is Shopify SEO-friendly?
Yes. Shopify is an SEO-friendly ecommerce platform. It has a wide variety of SEO apps and plug-ins that you can add to your website to help you rank higher on Google. Some of its apps, like SEOMetriks, even enable you to analyse your competitor’s SEO performance so that you can improve yours.
Written by:
Laurice first fell in love with words at seven years old. Today, she drives her passion by writing informative content about fleet management systems and vehicle tracking solutions for Expert Market. When she’s not writing, she’s indulging her profound love for all things pink or caffeine-infused.