All About Wix and SEO

You may have heard it time and time again. Wix doesn’t always produce the best SEO results, especially in highly competitive areas. However, we have as mental health SEO specialists have seen some good rankings in areas like Wisconsin, Florida, Oregon, California, and such. Usually, we recommend Squarespace or WordPress. However, to those who love their WIX website, we are here to support you. There are ways to boost your website to get the most out of SEO. 

Why Would Someone Work with a Wix Website?

There are many reasons practice owners find themselves on a Wix website. Usually, individuals are here because they are trying SEO for themselves. Therapists know that SEO is great for private practices and referrals, however, SEO can be expensive. So individuals build a site and do some baseline SEO to get on the map. Others have already invested in SEO and have been on Wix for a while. Honestly, if you know how to maneuver around Wix, it can be a great platform to use.

Here are some of the benefits of working with a Wix website.

1. It’s free
2. You can customize your site
3. Honestly, it’s easy to use
4. Has a clear and easy to understand website walkthrough
5. Wix does offer support on the platform.

Work on the basics for Wix and SEO

Remember that SEO takes time on any platform. We recommend in-depth SEO for about 6 months. We need to begin with high-quality content and good keyword research. These are the building blocks of the site. Make sure you have at least 500 words of content broken down into subheadings ( heading 1-3 only). Then make sure you are doing basic readability, this can make or break communicating your message to your clients. Additionally, add photos, internal and external links. 

Nuances with Wix to Know

 

Photos:

Wix can be interesting to optimize and it is important for SEO, that we have the opportunity to add in Alt text. On other sites like Squarespace and WordPress, you can add an alt description and title. On Wix, you can only add an alt title. So make sure you are placing the focus keywords here with train tracks | separating the content. Add in 3-5 zip codes as well. Place 3 or more photos to get the best results on WIX. There is an option to add a tooltip to your site which works as a caption or alt description. The only issue with this is that it will show up on the page or blog itself rather than being an invisible description for a screen reader. On blogs for Wix, it is ever so slightly different. There is an option to add a caption and a title. However, just like the tooltip, the caption option will show up on the blog. If you are ok with this, then by all means add it on there to enhance your SEO, otherwise just focus on the alt title. 

Here is an example of a good alt title you could utilize: Corner of Wix Website | Wix and SEO | Is Wix Good for Blogging| Is Wix A Good Website| SEO for Therapists | Rolla 65402 | Columbia 65201 | Kirksville 53501

Important Point About Photos

Another issue we often see on Wix websites is that individuals will use backgrounds in place of photos. You may be wondering, “how is that not a photo?” The thing is we want to ensure that we are adding photos in for the purpose of optimization ( locations, zip codes, focus keywords). If we are not able to add in these elements, then although it may be appealing design-wise, it doesn’t enhance or offer value to your SEO. If you absolutely want these background photos or headings on your pages, make sure you still include 3 independent photos, that have the opportunity to be optimized. 

Meta Descriptions:

On Wix just as on any site, you have a certain length that your meta title and description should be. Wix actually has a shorter requirement and it will display on your preview of the meta when you type it in. Therefore, Make sure that you can see all of the text you intentionally want to be viewed by potential clients. Anything over this limit will show up as dots and can be off-putting from a user experience standpoint. Place the focus keyword, locations, and a zip code for your meta title. Then add in an attention-grabbing meta description incorporating keywords and locations. 

Font Size and Subheadings

There have been many sites I have seen where it looks like individuals have places Heading 1-Heading 3 as we would want on a site. Formatting can be unusual on Wix if you are not familiar with it. The good thing about Wix is that it offers more options to change font size, type, and colors. Make sure you have only one heading 1. It can be easy to assume that on Wix the headings are not interchangeable, however, you can easily modify it. If you like the font and size of an h1 for other headings, great news, you can mimic it on Wix and change it to an H2. Be careful that you’re not adding in Heading 4- 6 because Google doesn’t register this as a valid heading to read to someone using a screen reader. 

Reasons We Do Not Recommend Wix for SEO

• Individuals report having low rankings. Wix did fix this error back in 2016, but even so, Wix is a closed-circuit site, so adding additional plug in’s is not possible like on wordpress.
• While you do not need a ton of tools to rank well for SEO, Wix doesn’t have as many options like Squarespace and WordPress
• Does not offer advanced SEO options. Since Wix is a beginner-friendly SEO site, it does not have the in-depth options for SEO like other platforms do. With this in mind, that is why we say that we often see plateaus in SEO on a Wix site because you can only take it so far.
• Is not always mobile-friendly. It is important to have a mobile-friendly website. Most people are searching for therapy services via their phones. If your site does not look flattering or appealing on a phone, individuals will bounce right off.

What Wix Does Offer

• Since Wix is meant to be beginner-friendly, you will be able to use their SEO tools and be guided through some baseline SEO for your site. Such as setting up your home meta description, connecting your site map, and seeing your site analytics.
• Doesn’t require coding. One of the biggest reasons individuals find themselves on Wix is because while wordpress is the gold standard of websites, it does require some familiarity with coding, and knowing how to build out certain features. It can be challenging to use if you do not have a web designer or enough experience.

More Features Wix and SEO Include:

• Default and custom title tags, meta descriptions, H tags (H1, H2, etc.)
• SEO patterns to automatically update sitewide default settings
• Custom URLs for every page
• Alt image tags to optimize photos on the page
• Already optimized mobile-friendly templates
• Google Analytics & Search Console integration
• Canonical tags
• HTTP
• XML sitemap
• Schema markup
• Structured data
• Social share settings
• Instant indexing

How to Get The Most out of Wix?

• Do keyword research, but get specific. You will rank better for long-tail keywords with locations before short-tail. Example: PTSD treatment and trauma therapy in Columbia, MO before trauma therapy near me
• Submit site maps, and indexes anytime you make any changes to your site.
• Use the SEO Wiz tool. This is kind of a requirement to be able to do any type of SEO on your Wix site
• Create quality content on your service pages and blogs
• Optimize for Locations in paragraphs, subheadings, and alt text
• Write quality meta titles and descriptions. This makes you clickable.
• First things first create a quality domain name. Add keywords, brand-specific names, and locations.
• Add quality slugs to your pages. Slugs are in the URL and add rankings to your overall SEO. Example www. aspirecounseling.com/depression-counseling-mid-mo
• Check to see if your site is mobile-friendly. Wix has options to view on the desktop and on mobile options. Additionally, if you index your pages and you find there are errors. Google search console can tell you what needs to be fixed.
• Periodically check in on your data and see where you are maintaining and where you can improve.

Begin SEO for Your Wix Website or Learn About The Best Strategy for Your Practice!

Want to know more about how to get the most out of your Wix Website. Try our Done for you Program. Keep your eyes out for a Wix and SEO Webinar by our Training Director Danica Wolf in the near future. If you need support, we are here to help. Our skilled and passionate team of SEO specialists is here to make sure your SEO journey is tailored to your brand and identity. Simplified SEO Consulting would be excited to help you on your SEO journey. To get started with our service follow these simple steps:

1. Schedule a consult with our Client Success Specialist or Consult Team
2. Learn more about our wonderful team of SEO Specialists.
3. Start getting the best return on your SEO investment from a skilled team!

Other Services offered by Simplified SEO Consulting    

Simplified SEO consulting offers a wide range of services that can help you begin working with your people. We offer. Done for You SEO Service packages, online courses, and SEO training opportunities. Our most popular course includes our “Top of Google” Online course, and we have 12 weeks (about 3 months) of intensive SEO for therapists who want to learn with a guide. Additionally, we are offering a limited-time SEO Mastermind group if you want a great training opportunity for a steal, this is for you. For those looking for a more specialized package, we also offer an SEO strategy package. To get started, schedule a consultation with our Client Success Specialist today!

About the Author:

As an SEO specialist at Simplified, Jasmine is an SEO services consultant and helps new clients become oriented to our services. If you are ready to begin SEO services, then get in touch and schedule your free consultation today!

Jasmine Jaquess is currently working towards her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University. Currently, she is seeing clients in practice as part of her internship. Her interests include working with athletes, high functioning anxiety, mild eating disorders, and more. Currently, she serves as the Client Success Specialist in new client consultations with Simplified SEO Consulting. Plus she is one of our Mental Health SEO Specialists. She specializes in platforms such as Squarespace and Wix. If you’re ready to see how Simplified can serve you, schedule your next consultation. If you are ready for a no-nonsense effective SEO strategy, we can help!