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Does the choice of CMS for creating websites have anything to do with search rankings?

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Sujain Thomas
August 23, 2018


Sujain Thomas
Sujain Thomas has written 8 articles for CGIDir.
View all articles by Sujain Thomas...

Google search ranking algorithms are like never-ending enigma for marketers who are ever curious to know its working methodology. What influences SEO is a big question that hounds marketers and the search for answers intensify with time. Therefore, when you want to sort your marketing with the top SEO agency in Perth, you could well ask them if WordPress has some marked advantage for SEO marketers over other CMS. WordPress provides site architecture and comes with a host of benefits that far outnumber a few disadvantages. Well, this statement holds right from the user's perspective, but when it comes to search engines, it does not differentiate between WordPress websites and HTML/CSS websites. Search engines judge websites by the index of user satisfaction and the quality of content measured regarding the value it conveys to users.

The architecture of a website is a matter that influences viewer experience and SEO but not search engines. Google is concerned about website quality and functionality and assesses its quality regarding the satisfaction derived by users when interacting with the website. That is evident from the importance that Google attaches to user engagement. Only when the website design is highly attractive and functional, and it publishes quality content that users would be happy and spend more time on it which in turn would make Google happy.  What went into the making of the website is of no concern to Google that evaluates sites by gauging the audience reaction to it. If the audience likes any website, Google construes it as a positive gesture in favour of the website and does not discriminate against sites based on the choice of CMS. 

The truth about the statement would become more evident when you look around. Had Google given preference for WordPress websites moreover custom coded websites or websites created on other CMSs, then almost all sites would be on WordPress only. Even today, WordPress might have a significant market share, but other CMSs are also quite prevalent. The ultimate factor that Google uses to weigh websites is its web dominance, and nothing else matters much.

The better you know about the options available for creating SEO friendly websites, easier it becomes to make the right choice. Indeed, WordPress has some SEO advantages with some disadvantages, which is natural. The most important being its user-friendliness that helps to launch SEO with more confidence. In this article, we will discuss both advantages and disadvantages so that you can be more confident in making decisions regarding the choice of CMS.

SEO advantages of WordPress

It is natural that advantages would first come up for discussion not only because these are more in number but would be helpful to understand  WordPress better, especially in the manner it supports SEO. Moreover, there are other marketing and usage advantage which although does not have a direct impact on SEO, influences it indirectly.

  • Quick set up – Setting up WordPress websites is a breeze, and it takes the least time among other CMS to launch a WordPress website. Moreover, it is so easy to work with WordPress that it becomes even more accessible to set it up all on your own without having to depend on web developers. If you have a hosting service ready to play host to your website and you are familiar with working on WordPress, then it should not take you more than an hour to launch a fully functional website.

 

  • Plugins add to the versatility – WordPress websites are highly versatile by default but you can enhance it many more times to suit your needs, and this aspect of WordPress sets it apart from the rest. There are endless options for expanding the default features and functionalities to integrate it with SEO for meeting special needs by using WordPress plugins. It will not be wrong to say that WordPress derives its powers from plugins. There are so many plugins available for any function you want to achieve that you might face the problem of plenty when choosing plugins.  There is no more need to create custom developed websites for incorporating advanced features. You can integrate it into a general website by using WordPress plugins. It is the reason that the cost of creating WordPress websites is quite low as you begin with an ordinary site and customise it gradually.

 

  • Website speed – The SEO friendliness of WordPress is evident in the Genesis framework that is built for speed and facilitates the creation of speedy websites.  Speedy websites are what Google and viewers like, and the website speed is a factor that influences search rankings. Speedier websites make it easy to earn high ranks, and with WordPress, it is an inherent advantage for all users.

 

  • Responsive design - WordPress themes are available in a responsive design that helps to create mobile-friendly websites which have become mandatory. As much as Google is eager to ensure that all sites are responsive to mobile devices so also marketers like to expand their outreach by tapping new consumer segments among mobile users.  Besides, Google is ready to launch its mobile-first indexing, which makes it imperative that all website design has to be mobile-oriented first. By choosing the right theme, you could create the most useful website that complies with all recommendations of search engines about mobile-friendliness.

 

  • Comprehensive plugins – You can add as many plugins as you want to your WordPress website, but too many plugins can do more harm than good. Firstly, it could slow down the, and secondly, there can be issues of compatibility. Therefore, you have to be optimal in using plugins by understanding the need and decide if at all you would need any plugin. An easier option is to limit the use of plugins by choosing some comprehensive plugins like All-in-One and Yoast that could meet the majority of requirements and help to keep all bases covered. It would do away with the need of maintaining a long checklist of plugins and remembering various SEO nitty gritty. You can include multiple SEO aspects with a single plugin.

 

  • Low cost – Being open source, WordPress is free, and you only have to pay for the hosting service. Even, you need not pay anything for using the majority of plugins and those that charge a license fee ranging between $5 and $10 annually; it is almost as good as getting it free. WordPress websites are ideal for small businesses and individuals who want to have a low budget highly functional site capable of providing high returns.

 

  • Easy content publication and web maintenance – Publishing content on WordPress websites is easy; by accessing the admin console that you can operate on your own.  The console makes it a whole lot easier to maintain the website, and you can publish content as and when required without any help from anyone. Publishing content is as comfortable as using a Word Processor and is one of the reasons why WordPress is so popular.

 

  • Standard user experience – WordPress websites offer a standardised user experience that helps to generate better user metrics.  The users are at ease when browsing the site as they know how to navigate through it and what to expect without having to spend the time to figure out how to use the website features conveniently.

WordPress disadvantages

Not finding a readymade plugin – Although there is a plugin for almost every function that comes to the mind, there might be some remote instance when you do not get the desired plugin. In such cases, you may have to use some less reliable plugin that could compromise with the security features.  In fact, there is a dire need for incorporating the element or functionality into the website, and you can get it to tailor-made by some developer that could cost quite a bit depending on the complexities. Moreover, you have to wait to see how it performs as you are the only and first user of the plugin.

Theme and plugin update - WordPress developers are working continuously to improve the themes and plugins and also make it more secure by incorporating the latest security features in it. You have to be aware of all updates and upgrades that happen to the themes and plugins that you use and ensure its timely updates to avoid problems of functionality and security issues developing from the delayed update. Sometimes plugin updates can have some adverse effect on your website, and even some plugin developer might make some changes to the plugin that you might find difficult to handle.

Unless you have unique customisations necessary for your website that WordPress or other CMSs cannot meet, it is better to avoid using HTML and CSS for creating sites with the help of web developers. Moreover, building HTML/CSS websites would cost you much more, and you have to upload content manually for which you might need external help at an extra cost.

How you want to use the website and the budget would influence the process of creating a site and the choice of CMS.


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