Until recently, I didn’t think much about search engine optimization for a website and the best website builder to support search engine optimization efforts and best practices. After all, I am a WordPress girl and in my head WordPress is the only option. However, recently my personal Facebook group was asked a series of questions about SEO company in Dubai and comparing Squarespace, Wix and Weebly to WordPress. I had some initial thoughts for each post that came up, but I went deeper and found that I had to try each service myself.
And I did. And our group also wanted that information, so we went ahead and added COS to HubSpot.
Weebly, Wix and Squarespace created test sites. While reviewing the options for building a website, we paid close attention to SEO features and documented the options for each platform offered. You will also have access to the live HubSpot COS site, where you can learn about the SEO capabilities of this platform.
Rather than providing lengthy messages for each software package, we thought it would be useful to provide an overview table that allows you to scan and compare features quickly and efficiently. Without further ado, below is the SEO battle between WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, Weebly, and HubSpot COS.
CMS score details for SEO Features
This table compares the SEO capabilities of the most popular website builders and content management systems and their ability to support powerful search engine optimization.
So, who really won the battle for the most reliable SEO on a website? Before going into the details, I want to share a screenshot of the URL-level SEO options for all four packages. I think only they will show you that there is a huge difference in functionality and usability.
I have 39 data points in my table. Converting each example response to binary makes it easy to get a score for each CMS package. This approach allows you to see a clear distinction between website developers. Overall SEO score of:
- CMS platform:
- WordPress SEO = 39/39
- Squarespace SEO = 29/39
- Wix SEO = 23/39
- Weebly SEO = 21/39
- HubSpot’s COS = 37/39
Squarespace had a lot of features, but it lacked some of the core SEO features that couldn’t be imagined without it.
- SEO options Included in Squarespace:
Decentralized Content - Identify the target of a keyword
- Page SEO Score
- link anchor text
- Schema and structured data support
While this isn’t important for new webmasters, it serves as a guide for website owners who rely on search to drive traffic, leads, and sales. Wix and Weebly miss all the gaps in Squarespace SEO, but these two website builders also lack the following features:
- Canonical Link
- Control or correct use of the H1 header
- XML sitemap
- Robot.txt file
To make matters worse, you can’t even change the design template in Wix. You literally have to create a new site to change your design style. what? Yes, I am confused too.
Weebly didn’t even have a few extra SEO options included in the other three.
- ALT Image Text
- Subheading Control
- blog tags
- AMP support
- CDN Options
I understand the lack of AMP support, but the lack of control over image alt text and the ability to add subtitles is truly amazing. When I went back to and added HubSpot COS to my data, I was pleasantly surprised that it offered so many SEO options. Given the fact that HubSpot COS is very expensive, it doesn’t support schema and structured data which surprised me.
WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, Weebly, and HubSpot COS are really incomparable.
So I tried to get out of WordPress snob mode and accept another CMS package, but it didn’t work. I’m a serious SEO consultant and I cite SEO consulting packages that require things like isolated content repositories and structured data. You need these advanced SEO features to compete on the search network. And I am not alone.
SEO aside, Weebly and Wix gave you the ability to make a good looking website with minimal effort. Perfect for small businesses that don’t rely on SEO. We even know that WordPress and 50,000+ plugins can be overwhelming at times.
If you’re a first-time website owner, Weebly and Wix have some suggestions. However, if you need to complete your searches and want to rely on SEO generated traffic, you should use Squarespace or WordPress. Explore the HubSpot option and consider the real cost of the HubSpot COS platform if you think it is viable. It’s very expensive and it doesn’t make sense to know that WordPress offers the same number of options.