The main difference between WordPress and Shopify is that WordPress is self-hosted, while Shopify offers design templates and hosting services in one package.
Generally speaking, WordPress requires more effort on the part of the user and has a bigger learning curve than Shopify.
But in the world of e-commerce, SEO is the most important factor to consider when choosing between WordPress and Shopify.
After all, better SEO means more traffic, and more traffic means more business. So let’s look at a comparison between WordPress and Shopify to find the best fit for you.
Do Shopify Sites Have Good SEO?
Since its inception in 2006, Shopify has consistently improved its SEO offerings, year after year. Shopify has really nailed SEO, both in terms of its own business and in terms of the website designs and services that it sells to its customers.
Shopify sites come “unboxed” with a well-organized site structure and hierarchy of categories that support the way search engines work.
All of Shopify’s sites, from the basic level to the advanced tier, come with a free SSL certificate included, which meets Google’s standard for website security.
Shopify sites also get high scores for other Google benchmarks, like mobile-ready, accessibility, and site speed.
When a site owner combines all these built-in features and adds some additional SEO customizations, Shopify comes out as a smart choice.
Which Platform Is Better Shopify Or WordPress?
Both Shopify and WordPress are powerful platforms that can meet high user demands.
Shopify hosts some of the world’s most well-known brands, such as the Kylie Jenner cosmetic line and Sephora. WordPress also boasts famous brands, including Sony Music, Time Magazine, and Mercedes Benz.
Clearly, it isn’t so much whether one platform is better than the other, but which platform works best for a particular user.
Shopify is best for users who want to get up and running as fast as possible, with as little configuration as possible.
WordPress is better suited for users who want more control and are willing to put in more time in order to get a more customized design and function.
Shopify vs. WordPress
A comparison of the pros and cons between Shopify and WordPress illuminates the benefits of each one.
Here are the pros of Shopify and WordPress:
| Pros of Shopify | Pros of WordPress |
| Hosting included | Visual editor |
| Visual editor | Large support community |
| Visual editor | Built-in CMS |
| Free SSL certificate | Massive third-party customizations |
| GDPR-compliant | Free to download and run |
| Automatic site backups | Thousands of third-party templates |
| Easy user interface | Thousands of third-party apps |
| Built-in CMS | Abundant opportunities for integrations |
| Built-in payments | |
| Abundant integrations | |
| Built-in marketing tools | |
| Built-in fraud protection | |
| “Plug and play” |
Here are the cons of Shopify and WordPress:
| Cons of Shopify | Cons of WordPress |
| Monthly fees range between $29 and $299 | Large learning curve |
| Transaction fees for e-commerce | Can be buggy |
| Limited free apps, additional apps cost more | Extended customization requires third party apps |
| Limited content creation design for blogs | Hosting not included |
| Limited design capabilities | More vulnerable to hackers |
| Limited templates | SSL certificate must be purchased separately |
| Limited customization |
WooCommerce vs. Shopify Seo
WooCommerce is an e-commerce solution for users with a WordPress site and Shopify has its own solutions for e-commerce businesses built-in to optimize this particular niche market.
Like Shopify, WooCommerce does an excellent job with SEO, but it primarily falls short in three categories; speed, site mapping, and 301 redirects.
WooCommerce sites tend to be slower than Shopify sites because the coding is more complex.
WooCommerce needs third-party apps to generate XML sitemaps, while Shopify automatically generates them.
Finally, creating a redirect with Shopify just takes a few clicks. And again, WooCommerce, 301 redirects are only possible through a third-party app.
Can I Move My Website From Shopify To WordPress?
If a user has a Shopify site and later decides to move to WordPress, a migration process has to be conducted.
This can be easily done using a third-party app. There are several to choose from, including one that specifically transfers a Shopify store to a WoocCommerce site.
To review a list of the migration plugin options, go to the WordPress dashboard and click on Plugins. In the search box on the left, type Import from Shopify. This will bring up a list of vetted plugins to choose from.
With a site migration from Shopify to WordPress, the end result of the site will most likely not be identical to the original site.
Some tweaking and editing will be needed to perfect the look.
How Do You Do SEO Yourself On Shopify?
Shopify lets users modify title tags, URLs, and meta descriptions, which helps with SEO.
Shopify also has a ton of built-in SEO features that automatically optimize content, without the need for additional input.
Apart from this, the best thing that Shopify users can do is to ensure that their images and written content have been optimized for search engines.
How Do I Set Up SEO on a WordPress Site?
As mentioned, SEO is not built into WordPress. Many successful WordPress site owners use third-party apps to maximize their SEO.
Two of the most popular ones are Yoast and RankMath. Third-party apps such as these guide users through SEO for every page and post on WordPress sites.
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