How to improve SEO optimization on Wix
We frequently write about the ways to create websites ( business sites, online stores, blogs, etc. ) and the services that can be used for this purpose. We also test different platforms, defining their benefits and disadvantages compared to competitors.
However, we rarely focus on the basics of promoting these services. We only mentioned the SEO toolset of a certain website builder and that's it. Obviously, this is assumed by default when you create a website and then you have to attract the public. But how?
That is a very good question. Many specialists gain SEO expertise when they work in a niche for years. You cannot learn this for a day or a week as you will see the result of your actions in a few months or so. However, there is a list of steps you need to take to increase your chances of successfully promoting your website on Google.
Why do we talk about the possibility of effective search engine optimization on websites only, when we definitely need a safe result?
Unfortunately, this is almost impossible as we are always faced with the need to resist niche competition. Also, the quality of the websites and the professionalism of an SEO master can also vary markedly.
Your success rate depends on the quality of the SEO services provided. We will look at the main principles of internal and external website optimization in the example of websites created with Wix.
What you should know is that Wix-based Website SEO does not technically differ from websites launched with other platforms. So we can legitimately call this guide universal.
Chapter 1: Website Optimization On Page
When it comes to the set of website optimization on the page ( by code, content, settings ), we can subdivide all the steps into two groups, namely technical and content parts. Let's describe each of them in detail.
Technical optimization
This part of on-page website optimization comes down to filling in meta tags ( titles, descriptions, keywords ), web page URLs, and image optimization in order to decrease their size to speed up the loading of web pages.
The process also includes measures aimed at increasing the loading speed of the web page, managing the user interface, mobile optimization of templates, the configuration of system files and web pages. Many things are configured by default in Wix.
For example, the chosen template defines the usability and set/variants of the widget configuration, partially avoiding hectic combinations.
1. Fill in title and description meta tags
Proper meta tag filling involves the use of keywords that are relevant to a text/website and help search engines understand the essence of the content and the audience it is intended for.
Title
Obviously, the title (60-80 symbols) can contain the explicit form of a keyword like “How to cook a medium-rare steak | Steakhouse.wow | New York". You can see this title in search engine results, where every word is capitalized. You can make several additions through the following symbol «|». This can be a website domain for better memorization, location, product service/price, focus on quality, important terms, etc.
Description (the optimal length of which should be around 160-290 symbols) serves as a web page advertisement, displayed in search engine results under a certain title. It is desirable that the keywords come with certain content, but do not go too far: the text must be legible and create a sales impact.
Finally, the keywords must be chosen by qualification in specialized services like Google Keyword Planner . Take into account the popularity of the keywords and try to apply the header and long tail queries, but do not overuse them.
How to set the title and description on the Wix website?
You can access the settings SEO " Websites - Menu website " From the Wix editor by clicking " ... ". This is where you can add a title, description, keywords, and change the human-friendly URL. You will be shown how your web page layout will look in search engine results in preview mode.
You can also access the SEO Wiz from here - this is the tool that allows you to connect Google Analytics, check the readiness of your website for promotion based on certain criteria and get quick links to complete the optimization of the required elements.
The SEO section contains a perfect website optimization guide. By following the recommendations of the Wix SEO Master, you can create a perfect effect without additional guidelines. In reality, website builders rarely allow to launch websites and provide tips on their further promotion at the same time. By clicking on any position, you will find out what makes this or that action important and where it can be done.
2. Fill in keywords on the Wix website
The keyword meta tag has once been used by search engines to understand what the page is about. However, Google no longer uses this particular parameter to rank the website. On the other hand, it can still be used to provide search engines with additional information about the content of the page.
How to Add Keywords to the Wix Website
Wix no longer uses the metatag keyword. It is also not available in the dashboard's SEO settings. However, users can still add it manually with the help of advanced page SEO options, where you can add different types of tags, including keyword meta tags. Just make sure you indicate it correctly with the following syntax:. Otherwise, the search engine will not process it correctly.
To add the tag manually, you will need to:
Select the page you want to optimize.
Go to Settings → Advanced Wix SEO.
Paste the keyword meta tag into the custom meta tags section
You can also use the text editor to put some keywords inside the article and optimize its heading and subheadings as well.
3. Fill in the ALT tag for images
Currently, Google does not recognize the content of the image. That is why, it is mandatory to fill the Alt tag for each image (open the image settings, add your title and description). Here's how you can help a search engine understand the essence of the image and index it correctly.
Also, this is a great way to insert additional keywords by context without affecting their readability and excess spam. Sometimes users search for images on their own and a properly completed Alt tag allows them to access your website.
Images should be optimized for size and quality .. By uploading a photo directly from your camera without any editing, you risk slowing down the loading speed of the web pages, where this image will be published. This will eventually hurt the behavior parameters of the website, the attitude of the search engine and the final results of the search engine.
Therefore, you must edit the pages before uploading them to the website compressing them with minimal loss of quality. This can be done here or in any other convenient way.
4. Sitemap and Robots.txt
The system creates the sitemap.xml and robots.txt files automatically. You can view its content by adding a title for one of these files with a "/" sign after a domain name. They don't matter much in this particular case. However, the availability of the mobile version of the website is one of the main factors in the high ranking of the Google search engine. Wix lets you create a mobile layout separately from the basic one. You will get it by default, even if nothing changes.
Robots.txt is a file that defines pages that can be accessed by Google search robots. In other words, a user can manage the pages that search engines should or should not rank for. As a general rule, Robots.txt files are generated automatically. In other words, Wix initially allows Google to visit every page of the site and present content.
However, you may want to hide some of the sections or blog posts for different reasons. This is where you will need to edit the file and submit your new version. Unfortunately, Wix users do not have the opportunity to manually edit the file and indicate which pages they want to skip. The good news is that you can still add a tag without an index for each sparse page. The tag will hide it from search engines.
5. Correct user-friendly URLs
Creating human-friendly URLs is a crucial nuance. The address line of the browser must contain a phrase that reflects the context of the web page. It is desirable that it contains a keyword.
Each web page in the address line should be a single sentence, but not a meaningless combination of letters and numbers.
There should be no web pages with similar URLs on the website.
Meta tags ( title, description, keywords ) must also be unique on each web page: it is inadmissible to assign the same title and description to all pages at the same time using Ctrl + C / Ctrl + V button combinations.
To separate words in a human-friendly URL, we recommend using signs like "-" or "_".
Create signatures for each image according to its theme before uploading. For example, type "night-forest.jpg" instead of "0983764.jpg", etc.
This is how you will get a normal human friendly URL when opening the image. This information is intended for both a user and search engines.
6. Make a Wix website appear on Google
Now when your meta tag optimization is done, you may want your Wix website to appear on Google. In order for Google to rank it faster, the site must be connected to two main services that show the general quality of the website and help track the statistics:
Google Search Console - a webmaster tool that highlights how your website is ranked and listed. It is used to verify your site with Google. Here we have the tools you need to monitor page efficiency, keyword rankings, CTR, and other crucial measurements. In addition, the console allows you to manage the site map, consult the pages that are already classified by Google and that are not yet. Users can track the loading speed, possible errors, the progress of the index and, if the project is applicable for mobile devices.
Google Analytics - the tool is for tracking your website traffic and efficiency. Users have the opportunity to get a detailed view of the target audience and keep track of key parameters. They include visitor location, session duration, bounce and conversion rates, traffic sources, interactions per visit, and other essential website metrics. The service allows you to set specific goals, launch advertising campaigns, and connect your projects with other Google products or services.
To access all the functions of Search Console and Google Analytics, you only need to have your website connected to both platforms. Check out our simple guide on how to verify your Wix website with Google.
How to verify the Wix website with Google
The process refers to the procedure of integrating the website with Search Console. But first, you need to make sure that your website and its content are visible to search engine bots. To do it:
Go to the Wix Editor and select the Site.
Click on the Site Manager, go to settings and choose SEO.
Here you will see the status of the SEO website.
Check if the switch enables the feature that says “allow search engines to include your site in search results”.
Now, we can proceed to the next stage and connect the website with Search Console. The process is very simple, especially if you already have a valid Google account. You just have to confirm that you are the owner of the domain and the website. A user needs to verify the account with a simple procedure:
Visit Search Console and add a new domain.
Choose the prefix ( http or https ), insert the domain name and press continue.
The system will offer several options to confirm the domain. Verification with an HTML tag is what we need.
Choose it and copy the code generated by the console.
Go back to the Wix editor and select Advanced SEO Settings.
Paste the code below Add Header Code Meta Tags . The settings are not available to Wix ADI users.
Publish the website and hit "Verify" in the Search Console.
If you do everything right. Your website will automatically show up on the console.
Note: The first thing to do is use the console to submit your sitemap directly to Google. Go to the sitemap files on the dashboard and paste yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml. The system will show if the request has been processed correctly or if there are some errors. Such measures will help you index the website faster.
How to connect the Wix site with Google Analytics
As we've mentioned above, the service provides a detailed traffic overview with the most effective pages, in-depth buyer personality, and crucial site metrics. While most platforms come with seamless Google Analytics integration, Wix is no exception. All you need is:
Create a new Google Analytics account in the administrator settings;
Indicate the name of the account;
Paste it into the Wix Dashboard: Control Panel → Marketing Tools → Marketing Integrations → Google Analytics.
Re-publish the website. If you have done everything right, you will see the green sign that says “Connected”.
Note: the best way to check if the service is working properly, go to the Google Analytics dashboard without leaving your Wix website. If the tool shows active users at the moment ( this is actually you ), everything is fine.
There are also interlocking website pages. This is a way of connecting the pages of the website by interconnection. It is good, if you use several anchor links to other similar web pages in context in the body of the material. Just make sure you don't overload the text with links. Use them wisely and consistently.
You can also read a complete Wix SEO review .
It is desirable to optimize the content of the web page for keywords. The ideal variant is when each page is written for only one keyword , but this does not happen often in practice.
If you open the Keyword Planner and type " buy iphone " phrase, for example, you will see a variety of formulations of this search engine query in the order of their popularity decrease. The keywords at the top of the list are top queries as search engine users have used them as is for a month.
Proper keyword usage isn't just about filling out your article or blog post with all the key phrases you can find using. It is primarily about proper keyword planning and use within the text. The idea is to place them correctly throughout the page integrating them harmoniously with the existing content.
When filling out our keywords on the Wix website, you should keep several basic rules in mind:
Include only words that make sense to the reader. Avoid repetitive phrases.
If the word doesn't fit the content, a good idea is to rearrange the sentence or rearrange the entire paragraph to insert the keyword in the most meaningful way.
Use some of the key phrases in the subtitle ( H2,…, H6 ) and try to bring them closer to the beginning of the paragraph.
Avoid using too long sentences. The optimal keyword consists of 2-4 words.
Never produce content for search engines. Write it for your readers. Make sure you are ready to understand and read. Avoid long and complex paragraphs, use unnamed lists, and allow precise text formatting.
Here are some advanced tips that will allow you to create more SEO friendly content with keywords placed correctly throughout the page.
Keyword frequency also differs.
For example, the maximum number of keyword usage has been 1000. Keywords from 750 to 1000 times are frequent, those from 400 times are medium, and keywords used from 300 times are the lowest. This is the approximate percentage that can help you understand the situation. However, it is quite vague as the numbers will still be different for each website. Put keywords at the very beginning, popular at the top of the page, rare at the end.
The optimal number of key phrases found on a page depends on the size of the text. The oversaturation of a web page with keywords is known as excess spam. As a rule, this affects the readability of the text and triggers hostility from search engines.
The keyword oversaturated approach to writing was quite effective some time ago and helped websites get to the TOP quickly. Today, however, the situation has changed markedly and this approach often has a negative impact on search engine results.
The point is, search engines have learned to understand the context of text. As a result, the notion of the latent semantic index ( LSI ) was introduced several years ago. This is the analysis method based on the relevance of the thematic context.
LSI texts differ from those, which are optimized for SEO by the strong focus on the quality of the development of the subject involved in the title, but not on the use of key phrases.
In other words, it's not about the excessive use of keywords and terms, but about the detailed coverage of the essence they convey. This is where the recipe for context quality comes from the point of view of users and search engines:
We initially review the list of keywords on the subject of our website. Depending on the nature of the search query, we can understand what users are interested in.
Then we learn the TOP list of search engine results based on queries to see what terms and approaches these articles use.
The terms reflect the relationship of a text with a given topic. Having learned the search engine results, we can finally conclude what we should write about and what is the essence of the terms, which should be conveyed in the context of the material.
The next step is to prepare a text with a more detailed coverage of topics. In this stage, we use the niche terms, their synonyms, reveal their meaning, describe the processes, approaches, algorithms and other similar things depending on the topic.
If it is possible to add new shades of meaning with respect to the TOPs of the search engine results , it is likely that your website has a higher ranking than that of its competitors (in other conditions the same, but there is no guarantee about it, as well as other multiple search engine ranking parameters).
As a result, we get user-friendly content, which will receive higher ranks on Google. Yes, you should know the niche basics and have enough time to write such articles, but it's definitely worth that.
This is the highest quality level, which is understandable to both users and robots. This is because we have already mentioned that using keywords to write an article on a certain topic is not entirely necessary. In other words, a quality article is optimized for website promotion by default as it covers all the terms and the meaning of the title in details.
Do you need a copywriter?
The next problem concerns a person, who will be responsible for writing the content. Will you do it yourself or will you hire a copywriter for this purpose? It is not easy to realize all the mentioned aspects from a technical point of view. You may know the basics of the niche, understand the important nuances, but you may not just be proficient in writing.
No one will value illegible texts with errors, vague coverage of the topic, etc. A good article should cover grammar and language proficiency, knowledge of the subject, the high level of readability and of course the attractive and quality design of the website, including important elements such as fonts, lists, images, accents, etc. This is the combination of skill, utility, and effective presentation.
You can fill several web pages with suitable materials yourself. Not crucial, if they are not ideal, although they should be devoid of obvious flaws. Finally, the target audience is rarely made up exclusively of linguists. You have conveyed the gist of the topic, provided the details, making the material understandable to readers and that's it. This can take a long time from an inexperienced user, but can eventually be completed successfully.
