Shopify vs WordPress SEO: Which is Better?

Ecommerce websites form a significant portion of businesses in the digital world. More and more people prefer to order products and services online, owing to the convenience it affords. It has almost become a must-have for businesses offering products and services to run online stores- even if physical locations may be present. Ecommerce websites do the best job of facilitating the buying and selling processes for all parties involved. There is no doubt how crucial eCommerce is for businesses. 

However, with numerous eCommerce platforms mushrooming, you, as a business owner, may wonder which to use for your business. Your search for the best platform might have unearthed two of the most commonplace eCommerce giants- WordPress and Shopify. You are probably wondering which platform would be best for your business. Is WordPress or Shopify better for seo? Which one will help you scale and grow faster? Let’s dive in and expound the two side by side.

Shopify

For starters, Shopify is a sales-centric eCommerce platform that works to provide businesses with a smooth-running eCommerce business. It comes in handy for users looking for a minimal effort-maximum reward tool to launch and build their eCommerce. That said, is WordPress or Shopify better for seo? Let’s look into the good side of Shopify:

 Pros of Shopify

• Shopify shines as an online store with a fast-loading time, a crucial factor in SEO ranking. The user experience is also top-notch when people do not have to wait forever to interact with a site. Shopify can attribute its fast-loading time to its lightweight architecture that does not need complex, resource-intensive applications. Also, since Shopify stores operate on their platform, it is much easier to scale computing with the backend server technology.
• It has effective product data, inventory and collection management tools to streamline processes for eCommerce stores operating under their umbrella.

• Shopify includes SSL certificates which provide encryption-based protection that goes a long way in improving the SEO security of eCommerce stores.
• It includes social selling on social media platforms while providing a multichannel marketplace on eBay and Amazon.
• It is optimized for mobile use. With a good chunk of people accessing the internet on their mobile devices, it is only ideal that businesses use platforms that can cater to users using various devices. Furthermore, mobile optimization is an SEO ranking factor that search engine giants consider.
• Shopify is not only easy to use. It also integrates the best technical SEO practices for businesses. The platform offers basic SEO features while allowing users to customize SEO aspects like Title descriptions and Meta.
• It incorporates dropship vendors and suppliers that users can print on demand.
• Has built-in payment systems through Shopify Payment.
• The 24/7 customer service makes it easier for users to set up their eCommerce stores and troubleshoot issues.
• Streamlines the sales process through their Shopify POS.
• Shopify has an app store with various SEO applications that boost the efficiency of online businesses.

Cons of Shopify

Shopify has its fair share of advantages. But that is not to say there aren’t some less-than-ideal aspects of the eCommerce platform. Below are some of the drawbacks of Shopify:

• The monthly costs and transaction fees add up to make it more expensive.
• Shopify has limited customizations, making it hard to refine a site with technological SEO upgrades.
• Despite offering blogging options, the capabilities of the features are limited. The blogging option feels more like an afterthought unlike content-focused platforms like WordPress.
• The platform overlooks the importance of website optimization for Google structured data. Granted, Shopify offers an acceptable control level over META tags, but even then, structured data support falls short.
• Shopify can be rigid, making it difficult to customize the URLs of a store. That could lead to illogical URL structures that risk getting Google penalties.

WordPress SEO

As a whole, WordPress is a content management platform. That said, it has various customization and features which users can use to create the website for their business needs. The strength of this platform lies in its versatility. Users can craft almost anything with the platform and stretch its functionalities and eCommerce features, thanks to the multiple plugins available. Some of the benefits of WordPress eCommerce are:

Pros of WordPress eCommerce

• It provides users with an online store with a single-user, multi-user and robust blog.
• It has customizable SEO features and numerous plugins, making it easy to design an eCommerce store with maximum SEO optimization. The platform is more or less SEO- focused from the ground up.
• WordPress allows users to change the structure of their permalink URL. That way, it is easier to gear the URLs to match Google requirements.
• Allows users to sell through dropship vendors and print-on-demand suppliers.
• Bring together physical product sales and affiliate income all in one website.
• Allows for partner advertising and guest posting, which is a great way to add extra income.
• Plugins like Yoast give users the ability to customize aspects like meta details, images, database access and server optimization. Not many SEO tools can hold a candle to Yoast.
• WordPress has the capacity to offer structured data support. That helps in content optimization for an online store.
• WordPress is foremost a blogging platform. As such, there is no better place to own the SEO content game. Users can incorporate incredible blog-based commerce.
• It makes it possible to market events and local services and sell tickets online. 

Cons of WordPress eCommerce

WordPress eCommerce has many advantages owing to its versatility. Unfortunately, the flip side of that versatility is that it is incredibly challenging to maintain and set up a business on the platform. Other shortcomings of the platform are:

• It can be a challenge learning the ropes with WordPress eCommerce, especially if you are not technically inclined. WooCommerce will require a little bit more manual SEO expertise.
• Generally, the general WooCommerce architecture is SEO-friendly. Unfortunately, many of the themes in the platforms may not be mobile optimized.
• It has a slower site speed due to factors like site plugins, hosting server problems, and database optimization.
• Does not include SSL encryption protection as part of its package. That means that the job of keeping your website secure falls in your hands.
• WordPress commerce requires ongoing maintenance and regular updates that can be cumbersome.
• Customer support, especially for the store themes and plugins may not be as top-notch as what Shopify offers.

Wrapping up

So, in a nutshell, is WordPress or shopify better for SEO? A quick look at the different features, advantages and shortcomings of Shopify and WordPress commerce reveals one thing- none is inherently better than the other. The winner between the two platforms boils down to what needs one has for their eCommerce store. Shopify ranks higher if you are looking for an easy-to-use platform and do not care for extensive customization options. WordPress Commerce, on the other hand, reigns supreme for users who need more versatility and are keen on having a reliable content management system. It may include a steeper learning curve but allows for more granular SEO optimizations.

Author Bio

Simran Kaur is the senior fashion designer at NoLabels and holds a keen interest in running her own eCommerce business one day. Her curious nature ignited the feeling of entrepreneurship and inspired her to learn about SEO.

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