Wix has come a long way in proving its SEO capabilities, especially for local businesses. If you’re building your online presence with Wix, rest assured that you have powerful tools at your fingertips to help local customers find you.
Think of your Wix website as your digital storefront. Just like you’d put up a clear sign and list your hours at your physical location, SEO helps you do the same online. It tells Google exactly what your business is, where it’s located, and why it’s relevant to local searchers.
Here’s our essential, five-step guide for local businesses using Wix to optimize their basic SEO settings for maximum local impact.
Step 1: Complete Your Wix SEO Setup Checklist (The Foundation)
Wix provides an excellent built-in SEO Setup Checklist that acts as your primary guide. Don’t ignore it! This wizard helps you tell Google crucial information about your business right from the start.
⚙️ What to Focus On:
- Your Business Name & Type: Be precise. This is the official name Google will see.
- Your Location: Crucial for local SEO! Enter your exact address. Wix will use this to generate Local Business Schema, which tells Google your physical location.
- Keywords: While you don’t want to “stuff” keywords, use this section to identify the primary phrases local customers would use to find you (e.g., “bakery in Edmonton,” “plumber in downtown Calgary”).
- Connect Google Search Console: The checklist will guide you to connect your site to Google Search Console. This is how you formally tell Google your site exists and monitor its performance in search.
Step 2: Optimize Your Global SEO Settings (Site-Wide Clarity)
Even if you’re a local business, your entire site needs to be optimized for search engines.
Go to your Wix Dashboard > Marketing & SEO > SEO Tools > SEO Settings.
- Basic SEO Settings:
- Favicon: Upload a distinctive favicon. It doesn’t directly impact SEO, but it improves user experience and brand recognition in browser tabs.
- Social Share Image: Set a default image that appears when your homepage is shared on social media. This enhances your brand’s appearance across platforms.
- Robots.txt: Wix generally handles this well. Ensure your
robots.txtisn’t blocking important pages. If you’re unsure, leave the default settings. - Advanced SEO Settings:
- Canonical Tags: Wix manages these automatically for most pages, preventing duplicate content issues.
- Structured Data (Schema Markup): This is where Wix truly helps local businesses.
- Action: Ensure your Local Business Schema is correctly populated with your Name, Address, Phone (NAP), opening hours, and business type. This tells Google exactly what and where your business is, directly improving your chances of appearing in the Google Local Pack.
Step 3: Craft Compelling Page Titles & Meta Descriptions
These are the “blue links” and short descriptions people see in Google search results. For a local business, they’re your primary opportunity to entice local searchers.
Go to Pages > [Select a Page] > … (Show More) > SEO Basics.
- Homepage: Your most vital page.
- Action: Manually write a unique, compelling SEO Title (under 60 characters) and Meta Description (under 160 characters). Include your city/region and primary service/product. Example: “Best Artisan Coffee Shop in [Your City] | Fresh Brews & Pastries”
- Service Pages / Location Pages: If you have specific pages for different services or locations, optimize each one.
- Action: Include the specific service (e.g., “Plumbing Repairs in [Your Neighborhood]”) and relevant local keywords.
- Image SEO: While on each page, ensure all images have descriptive Alt Text. This helps Google understand your images and is important for accessibility.
Step 4: Leverage Your Wix Blog for Local Content
A blog isn’t just for big corporations; it’s a powerful local SEO tool.
Go to Blog > Blog Posts > Create New Post.
- Local Content Ideas: Write about local events, community involvement, specific services tailored to your area, or answer common questions local customers ask.
- Example: “Top 5 Reasons to Visit [Your Local Park] This Summer (and Grab a Coffee Nearby!)”
- SEO Settings for Blog Posts: When editing a blog post, click the SEO tab within the editor.
- Action: Customize your SEO Title, Meta Description, and URL Slug. Ensure they include relevant keywords and your location if applicable.
- Categories & Tags: Use these to organize your local content, making it easier for users and search engines to navigate.
Step 5: Monitor & Refine with Google Tools
Your SEO journey doesn’t end with setup; it’s an ongoing process.
- Google Search Console: Regularly check your “Performance” report to see what local keywords people are using to find you. Look for “Coverage” issues to ensure your important pages are indexed.
- Google Business Profile (GBP): While not directly a Wix setting, your GBP is paramount for local SEO. Ensure it’s fully optimized, regularly updated with posts, photos, and that your website link points to your Wix site. Consistency between your Wix site’s NAP (Name, Address, Phone) and your GBP is CRITICAL.
By following these five steps, your Wix website will be well on its way to attracting more local customers and showing up prominently in local search results.
