Home » Website Builders » Best Website Builders for SEO: My Top Choices To Boost Visibility Best Website Builders for SEO: My Top Choices To Boost Visibility We may receive a commission from our partners if you click on a link and purchase a product or service on their website. Learn more Written by Emma Ryan Researched by Oliver Simpson Updated on May 18, 2026 Advertisement We may receive a commission from our partners if you click a link and purchase a product or service. This does not impact our ratings, which are determined by years of hands-on testing and expert research. FEATURED PROVIDER Hostinger 4.1 We may receive a commission from our partners if you click a link and purchase a product or service. This does not impact our ratings, which are determined by years of hands-on testing and expert research. See Pricing Visit Hostinger Starting from $11.99$2.99/mo + 3 months free Beginner-friendly SEO AI SEO assistant Affordable plans Best site speed Best all-in-one SEO Wix 4.8 We may receive a commission from our partners if you click a link and purchase a product or service. This does not impact our ratings, which are determined by years of hands-on testing and expert research. See Pricing Starting from $17$15.30 with code “TAKE10” Custom SEO checklist Keyword research tools SEO Learning Hub Best in test Best for creatives Squarespace 4.5 We may receive a commission from our partners if you click a link and purchase a product or service. This does not impact our ratings, which are determined by years of hands-on testing and expert research. See Pricing Starting from $16$14.40 with code “WBE10” Built-in AIO Scanner tool Search preview Mobile optimization Best SEO for online stores Shopify 4.1 We may receive a commission from our partners if you click a link and purchase a product or service. This does not impact our ratings, which are determined by years of hands-on testing and expert research. See Pricing Starting from $29$1/mo for 3 months Semrush integration SEO-friendly content AI-powered SEO support Best for selling Good SEO for socials GoDaddy 4.0 We may receive a commission from our partners if you click a link and purchase a product or service. This does not impact our ratings, which are determined by years of hands-on testing and expert research. See Pricing Starting from $9.99 Simple to use Pay for expert SEO help SEO wizard Our methodology We’ve researched and tested each builder out for ourselves, paying special attention to how easy-to-use and comprehensive their SEO features are. Comments: 2 On this page Quick Comparison How To Choose 1. Wix: Best All-in-One SEO 2. Squarespace: SEO for Creatives 3. Hostinger: AI-Powered SEO 4. Shopify: Best SEO for Stores 5. GoDaddy: SEO for Socials How We Test Summary FAQs Top 3 website builders Wix Squarespace Hostinger Wix tops our list of the best SEO website builders because of its brilliant built-in tools, including AI features to help you generate SEO-optimized content and a beginner-friendly SEO Learning Hub to improve your general knowledge.In our most recent round of website builder testing, we compared the top 12 website builders against 21 key SEO functions, including keyword support and schema markup. I’ve used these findings, along with my first-hand testing of each builder, to recommend the best solution for your business. Key Takeaways 🔍 Wix is our top-rated SEO website builder thanks to its comprehensive built-in SEO tools, including automated schema markup and personalized tipsSquarespace is the best choice for creative websites, offering strong SEO features within a design-focused platformHostinger is the cheapest option, with plans starting at $2.99/mo, though you’ll need the $3.99/mo plan to access the AI SEO assistantShopify is our recommended choice for online stores because its SEO tools are designed with ecommerce businesses in mindWhen choosing a website builder for SEO, prioritize those with free SSL certificates, mobile-responsive templates, fast loading times, and keyword support as standard features Why should you trust us? Our research methodology Our user-led testing process and 300+ hours of research has helped us determine the top SEO website builders. For this guide, we looked at six core categories: website functionality (35%), design features (25%), pricing (15%), user experience (15%), help and support (5%), and reputation (5%).And, when researching website functionality, we paid close attention to SEO tools to ensure the builder follows best practices and provides suitable integrations, such as Google Analytics. Read about the recent updates I've made to the page: I’ve updated this page to reflect the latest features and pricing for each builder, such as GoDaddy’s recent price decrease and Squarespace’s built-in SEO scanners. I’ve also added pricing tables to provide a more detailed breakdown of each builder’s different pricing tiers, and how much you need to pay to access SEO features. Quick Comparison: Find Your SEO Builder You can compare our top SEO website builders side-by-side using the table below: Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward Wix Squarespace Hostinger Shopify GoDaddy Today's best price $17$15.30 with code “TAKE10” Today's best price $16$14.40 with code “WBE10” Today's best price $11.99$2.99/month + 3 months for free Today's best price $29$1/mo for 3 months Today's best price $9.99 Free plan or free trial Free plan Free plan or free trial 14-day free trial Free plan or free trial 14-day free trial Free plan or free trial 3-day free trial Free plan or free trial Free plan Free custom domain Free for 1 year Free custom domain Free for 1 year Free custom domain Free for 1 year Free custom domain No Free custom domain Free for 1 year AI website builder AI website builder AI website builder AI website builder AI website builder SEO Custom SEO checklist, Semrush integration, AI support, Google Business Profile, analytics, SEO Learning Hub SEO AIO Scanner, SEO Scanner, AI Site Scanner, SEO panel, search preview, Google Search Console integration SEO Fastest loading times, AI SEO assistant, SEO page settings SEO Shopify Sidekick, Shopify Magic, personalized title tags, Semrush integration, third-party apps SEO GoDaddy Airo, SEO Wizard, Google Business Profile, social media tools, SEO expert consultation How Do I Choose an SEO Website Builder? When choosing an SEO website builder, look for platforms that offer free SSL, mobile-responsive templates and elements, dependable performance, and customizable meta tags.If you don’t tick those SEO boxes, search engines won’t be able to find and scan your pages, meaning visitors won’t be directed to your website.Each platform in our list of recommendations includes the following benefits, but keep these factors in mind when choosing your builder:Can tweak aspects of your site’s SEO – edit important SEO elements, such as meta titles, meta descriptions, and URLsWebsite analytics – once your SEO strategy is underway, you’ll need to track your page’s analytics to see how it’s performingMobile-friendly designs – our top website builders will automatically optimize your site for mobile devices, but not all platforms will let you edit your mobile design directlyOptimized website speeds – slow load times can negatively impact SEO, so look for a builder with good servers and built-in support to optimize and compress content or imagesSEO integrations – a good SEO builder lets you connect your website with tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, or even Semrush (see if these are available as built-in integrations, or if you need to use a third-party plugin from the builder’s app market) Learn more about SEO 💡 It’s also important to choose an SEO website builder that supports your learning as well, such as Wix with its online SEO resources. Alternatively, you can check out our guides on SEO below:SEO basics – your one-stop guide to SEO strategy and what you need to do to rankSEO glossary – a beginner’s guide to help you decode SEO jargonSEO mistakes – top tips on what to avoid when it comes to SEOAI in SEO – how can AI help optimize your site?What is Google’s algorithm? – learn what makes the search engine tickGoogle algorithm update history – keep an eye on the latest changes in the search landscape 1. Wix: Best All-in-One SEO Package SEO score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Cheapest price: $17 per monthBest for: Beginners and businesses looking to grow onlineRead our Wix review for a detailed look at the builderWix is the best all-in-one SEO website builder because if offers built-in AI features for content and image generation, automated schema markup, and a dedicated SEO Learning Hub.Wix also handles the SEO basics with its website builder, including customizable URLs and mobile-optimization. On top of that, you can create SEO logic and apply it to multiple pages, instead of working through them individually.Wix generated a personalized SEO checklist for my test website to help optimize my pages. Source: Website Builder ExpertWhat Wix Does WellThe custom SEO checklist suggests areas to improve and provides actionable tips, which is great for beginnersWix supports Google Business Profile, offering valuable insights to improve your site’s visibility, build customer engagement, and manage reviewsThe Semrush integration analyzes keywords and creates reports to help you create targeted and optimized contentWix’s AI meta tag creator helps you generate title tags and meta descriptions, ensuring your pages follow SEO best practicesUnderstand and fix technical issues with Lumar (DeepCrawl) to prevent lost sales due to broken links, helping businesses protect their bottom lineThe Wix SEO Learning Hub is a one-stop destination to help bring you up to speed on the SEO basics (there are 10 online courses available in this hub)Where Wix Could ImproveWix has slow load times and has continued to decline in our site speed tests, which could impact the user experience – I noticed a lot of lag when using Wix myself, and Wix achieved an average performance score of 73 out of 100 in our site speed testing (Google classifies anything below 90 as needing improvement)Wix offers so many features that it can be difficult to locate all of Wix’s SEO settings, which isn’t ideal for beginners or SEO novicesI loved exploring Wix’s SEO Learning Hub which offers a wide variety of resources, such as podcasts and video tutorials. Source: Website Builder ExpertDo I Need To Pay Extra for Wix’s SEO Features?You can access Wix’s SEO features across all plans, including the free forever plan. Wix’s pricing ranges $17 to $159 per month (billed annually): Plan Price with our discount TAKE10 Monthly price (paid annually) Monthly price (paid monthly) Ecommerce Free $0 $0 $0 No Light $15.30 $17 $24 No Core $26.10 $29 $36 Yes Business $35.10 $39 $46 Yes Business Elite $143.10 $159 $172 Yes 2. Squarespace: SEO Support for Creatives SEO score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Cheapest price: $16 per monthBest for: Creative businesses, portfolio sites, and beginnersRead our Squarespace review for a detailed look at the builderSquarespace is the easiest website builder I’ve tested, and its SEO features are intuitive and accessible for beginners.While there are plenty of built-in SEO tools, including automatically generated schema markup, I was most impressed by Squarespace’s new scanners, which help you track search mentions and optimize your site for AI search engines, as well as traditional search channels.Squarespace made it easy for me to edit my test website’s SEO settings in the backend, offering handy links to resources too. Source: Website Builder ExpertWhat Squarespace Does WellSquarespace has three built-in SEO trackers (the AIO Scanner, SEO Scanner, and AI Site Scanner) to help you monitor brand mentions in AI search results and audit your site so you can make strategic optimizationsSquarespace’s SEO panel offers detailed advice and guidance (like Wix’s personalized SEO checklist), providing the best possible foundation if you’re after results in the SERPsThe search preview tool shows you exactly how your site will appear to users searching online, allowing you to make tweaks if necessarySquarespace was the first website builder to directly integrate with Google Search Console, helping you see what keywords customers and visitors use to find your site (so you can then optimize your content to target this audience)Squarespace’s social media integration helps to boost the visibility of your website and content, since you can display social posts directly on your site and automatically share website content when publishedWhere Squarespace Could ImproveSome of Squarespace’s elements go against SEO best practices – for example, Squarespace set a testimonial element as a H2, confusing search engines about my test site’s page hierarchyThere are limited SEO plugins (I could only see one SEO integration in the Squarespace Extensions library, whereas Shopify’s app store contains 300+ SEO-specific apps)Like Wix, Squarespace performed poorly in our site speed tests with one of the slowest average times – a slow website could severely harm the performance of your siteI could add alt text to my images in seconds with Squarespace, making the site more accessible and scannable. Source: Website Builder ExpertDo I Need To Pay Extra for Squarespace’s SEO Features?Squarespace’s pricing ranges from $16 to $99 per month (billed annually), with SEO features available from the cheapest plan: Plan Price with our discount WBE10 Monthly price (paid annually) Monthly price (paid monthly) Ecommerce Basic $14.40 $16 $21 Yes Core $20.70 $23 $32 Yes Plus $35.10 $39 $48 Yes Advanced $89.10 $99 $119 Yes 3. Hostinger: AI-Powered SEO Support SEO score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐Cheapest price: $2.99 per monthBest for: Side hustles and budget-conscious beginnersRead our Hostinger review for a detailed look at the builderBased on our testing, Hostinger has the fastest loading times, so you can rest assured that your website is running optimally for both search engines and visitors. Plus, Hostinger is incredibly beginner-friendly and low-cost, with two very cheap website builder plans, meaning you can get key SEO features without breaking the bank.Hostinger flagged pages to me that needed further optimization. Source: Website Builder ExpertWhat Hostinger Does WellHostinger has the best site speed we’ve tested – this is a standout feature for this SEO website builder, helping your site run smoothly and reliablyYou can use Hostinger’s AI SEO assistant to help create title tags, meta descriptions, and suggest keywordsHostinger automatically manages select SEO factors, such as sitemaps and general performanceI could tweak the SEO settings for individual product pages, ensuring products are seen by the right customersWhere Hostinger Could ImproveHostinger’s AI SEO assistant isn’t included on the cheapest plan – you’ll need to pay $3.99/mo for the Business Website Builder plan to unlock advanced SEO features and supportHostinger’s SEO features are limited and basic in comparison to other builders, such as Wix (for example, you can’t add schema markup with Hostinger)The SEO settings are hard to find when navigating the Hostinger dashboard – for a builder that does well at catering for beginners, this was disappointing to seeHostinger provided keyword suggestions based on my original prompt when using its AI builder. Source: Website Builder ExpertDo I Need To Pay Extra for Hostinger’s SEO Features?SEO basics are available from Hostinger’s cheapest plan, but you’ll need the Business Website Builder plan to unlock the AI SEO assistant. Introductory pricing for Hostinger is low, ranging from $2.99 to $3.99 per month (for a 48-month term): Plan Price with our discount WBE Monthly price (48-month term) Monthly price (paid monthly) Ecommerce Premium $2.69 $2.99 $11.99 No Business $3.59 $3.99 $18.99 Yes 4. Shopify: Best SEO for Online Stores SEO score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐Cheapest price: $29 per monthBest for: Growing small businesses and established online storesRead our Shopify review for a detailed look at the builderShopify handles ecommerce SEO best practices for your online store, such as generating optimized product descriptions and creating canonical tags automatically to prevent duplicate content appearing in the SERPs.In addition, Shopify’s sales features can’t be beat, meaning you can run your small business with ease, grow your inventory, and market your store, while also optimizing your site for search engines and your target audience.I loved that Shopify Magic would generate keyword-optimized product descriptions for me. Source: Website Builder ExpertWhat Shopify Does WellThe AI assistant, Shopify Sidekick, supports your business 24/7 – you can ask the AI chatbot for SEO advice or insights into your site’s performanceShopify’s suite of AI tools (Shopify Magic) helps your online store convert more customers with SEO-friendly product copy, email subject lines, headings, and moreGet titles tags personalized to your store so search engines understand your site’s content and relevanceShopify automatically handles SEO basics, such as canonical tags, your site’s sitemap.xml, and robots.txt filesShopify integrates with SEO giant Semrush to provide merchants with a clear optimization plan (this includes an AI description editor and an image tool that can generate alt text)Where Shopify Could ImproveShopify relies heavily on third-party apps – you’ll need to browse Shopify’s app market for advanced SEO tools, meaning you’ll also have to navigate between apps to oversee all of your SEO settingsYou can’t edit your sitemaps manually – these are automatically generated by Shopify, which is great for beginners, but not ideal if you want full controlI found it tricky to find Shopify’s SEO settings, since they’re tucked away in your account settingsShopify performed poorly in our site speed tests, sitting just ahead of SquarespaceWhile Shopify relies heavily on third-party apps, it gave me many SEO app recommendations. Source: Website Builder ExpertDo I Need To Pay Extra for Shopify’s SEO Features?Every plan includes SEO support, with Shopify’s pricing ranging from $29 to $299 per month (billed annually): Plan Monthly price (paid annually) Monthly price (paid monthly) Ecommerce Basic $29 $39 Yes Grow $79 $105 Yes Advanced $299 $399 Yes 5. GoDaddy: Quality SEO for Socials SEO score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐Cheapest price: $9.99 per monthBest for: Beginners and time-sensitive businesses on a budgetRead our GoDaddy review for a detailed look at the builderGoDaddy is the best SEO website builder for beginners on a tight schedule, since it offers an automated SEO Wizard for support, integrated Google Business Profile management, and AI-powered social media tools.That said, while GoDaddy provides the SEO basics you need to boost your traffic and visibility in the SERPs, it lacks the agentic commerce features provided by Wix and Shopify, which is critical for businesses selling in 2026.Like Hostinger, GoDaddy suggested a range of related keywords when setting up my site's SEO. Source: Website Builder ExpertWhat GoDaddy Does WellUse GoDaddy Airo to generate an SEO-optimized website, as well as content, emails, and social media posts, helping your business engage with its target audience and boost visibility (the content calendar and AI social post creator is especially good for social media SEO)The Google Business Profile integration syncs opening hours, your business contact number, and directions to Google Search and Google Maps – this is hugely beneficial for small businesses looking to build a personalized local presenceGoDaddy’s SEO wizard is very straightforward – you’ll be asked questions to optimize your site, such as where your customers are located, and the feature even suggests industry-relevant keywords to targetGet a free consultation with an SEO expert – this is a premium service offered by GoDaddy (pricing is determined during your consultation, based on your budget), where experienced SEO professionals can help you optimize your site and offer onsite recommendationsWhere GoDaddy Could ImproveAfter testing GoDaddy, clearer SEO guidance is needed – the SEO wizard is useful but quite basic, and GoDaddy doesn’t offer any tooltips or advice when tweaking your SEO settingsThere’s a risk of keyword stuffing (overusing keywords in your content) – after setting my keywords, I couldn’t mark one as my primary keyword, and GoDaddy requested I add all three of my keywords throughout my copy, which felt a bit unnatural at pointsIt was difficult to find all of GoDaddy’s SEO settings, since broad site tools are located under GoDaddy’s “Marketing” tab, but if you want to list your business on Google, you’ll have to navigate to the “Social” tabI could easily optimize my social post captions with GoDaddy's social post creator. Source: Website Builder ExpertDo I Need To Pay Extra for GoDaddy’s SEO Features?Built-in SEO is available from GoDaddy’s cheapest Basic plan. You can get started with the free forever plan, before upgrading to one of GoDaddy’s premium plans, ranging from $9.99 to $20.99 per month (billed annually): Plan Monthly price (paid annually) Monthly price (paid monthly) Ecommerce Free $0 $0 No Basic $9.99 $21.99 No Premium $14.99 $39.99 No Commerce $20.99 $44.99 Yes How We Test SEO Website Builders We carried out in-depth research into the top 12 website builders on the market so we can bring you the freshest rankings and insights.We’ve used each website builder ourselves to experience its pros and cons, and to deliver first-hand insights within our reviews. Our research team also analyzes each platform against six core categories, with unique weighting for SEO builders:Website functionality (35%): What features are available to market your site, boost online visibility, generate content, and engage with your audience?Design features (25%): Is there AI design support? Are the templates good quality?Pricing (15%): How much do you need to pay for good SEO tools? Is there a free plan or trial?User experience (15%): How easy is the builder to use and navigate?Help and support (5%): Can you get in contact with the builder 24/7, and which support channels are available?Reputation (5%): Is the builder popular in your market? How do existing customers feel about it, and can it compete with other SEO builders?When determining the best SEO website builders, our ranking focuses on the 21 SEO tests within the website functionality category (making up 20% of this research area).For this, we review the SEO features on offer and check to see if the website builder follows best practices, such as sitemap management, the ability to add metadata, and mobile-friendliness. We also carried out site speed testing across desktop and mobile to measure overall performance. Which Is the Best SEO Website Builder? Wix is our top SEO website builder if you want the best range of built-in SEO tools, such as Semrush keyword support and an AI meta tag creator.Of course, Wix won’t be ideal for everyone. Want AI to handle the bulk of the SEO work? Choose Hostinger. Looking for strong SEO support for your online store? Choose Shopify. Whichever builder you pick, remember to make the most of available free plans or trials to test out their SEO features before you commit to a subscription. SEO Website Builders: FAQs Is Wix better than Squarespace for SEO? Wix is better for SEO overall, though both builders offer great SEO tools, especially for beginners. With Wix, you’ll receive a personalized SEO checklist with actionable tips to improve your site, plus there are built-in integrations, such as Semrush. The SEO Learning Hub is also a great knowledge center to help you brush up on your SEO skills, with tutorials, online courses, and videos. Which website builder is best for SEO if I'm also running a blog? Based on our latest round of research, Wix has the best SEO and blogging features. You can easily optimize your blog pages for Google search with meta tags, blog-specific analytics, and keyword support from Semrush. Can I switch from my current website builder to another without losing my search rankings? It’s possible to retain your site’s rankings if you migrate website builders, but it’s a complex process and one you need to plan for in advance. It’s also very hard to predict the behavior of the SERPs, so you might take all the right steps and still lose rankings.To minimize a hit to your site’s performance, it’s best to keep your domain name the same, maintain your URL structure (or set up redirects where appropriate), and avoid changing your content immediately. Google also needs to recognize that your site has moved location, so make sure to submit a new sitemap to Google once you’ve transferred builders. Written by: Emma Ryan Writer Emma is Lead Writer at Website Builder Expert, having first joined the team in 2022. She manages the website's topical content strategy to help website owners navigate the highs and lows of being online. Emma also specializes in following the development of leading website builders Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify, through hands-on testing and research. Her work and expertise have been featured in Startups.co.uk, Digiday, TechRound, Industry Today, and Digital Information World. Researched by: Oliver Simpson Senior Research Executive Oliver Simpson is a Senior Research Executive at Website Builder Expert, providing objective, in-depth research and ratings on website builders and ecommerce platforms that underpins the recommendations we make across the website. Every website builder review and recommendation you read on Website Builder Expert has been informed using Oliver’s unique research methodology. Whether running first-hand testing with writers or conducting in-depth research into audience needs, industry trends, and product features, Oliver is driven by a relentless pursuit of improvement and results. 2 comments Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment*First name:*Email address:* Δ Load more