Which platform “wins” for SEO?

Several well‑known reviews that compare Shopify and WordPress side by side conclude that WordPress offers more SEO power and flexibility, while Shopify is easier to use but more limited.

• A 2025 comparison by Omnisend states that both have strong SEO options, but WordPress wins because it gives complete control over meta tags, URL structure, schema and site architecture through plugins.
• WebsiteBuilderExpert’s 2026 review notes that Shopify is one of the best hosted builders for SEO out of the box, but emphasises that WordPress is more flexible and better for advanced optimisation.

• A large 2024 CMS study analysing 59,033 high‑ranking domains found that almost 50% of top‑ranking sites use WordPress, while Shopify sits at a tiny share, suggesting strong real‑world SEO adoption of WordPress.

So the answer is:

• If you care most about maximum SEO control and content, choose WordPress/WooCommerce.

• If you care most about ease of use and speed to launch, and are happy with “good but not perfect” SEO, choose Shopify.

How each platform handles SEO

WordPress: strengths for SEO

High‑traffic SEO and CMS studies agree that WordPress remains one of the most SEO‑friendly platforms.

Key advantages:

• Full technical control: You can edit almost every part of the site – HTML, CSS, server rules, robots.txt, redirects, URL structure – which allows very fine tuning of technical SEO.

• Powerful SEO plugins: Plugins like Yoast and Rank Math give detailed control of titles, meta descriptions, sitemaps, breadcrumbs, schema and internal links.

• Content‑first design: WordPress was built for blogging, so it handles articles, guides, FAQs and case studies very well, which is ideal for SEO and AI/answer engines.

Large SEO‑focused sites and many ecommerce brands choose WordPress because this combination supports complex content, structured data, and custom site structures.

Shopify: strengths and limits for SEO

Independent tests and agency guides show that Shopify has very good basic SEO features built in.

Strengths:

• Hosting and speed handled for you: Shopify’s hosted setup means SSL, mobile‑friendly themes and solid performance are included, which is good for Core Web Vitals and rankings.

• Simple SEO controls: You can easily edit titles, descriptions, alt text and basic URLs; Shopify also auto‑generates sitemaps and canonical tags.

Limits:

• URL structure is fixed around /products/ and /collections/ and cannot be fully customised, which some SEO experts see as a disadvantage for large, complex SEO architectures.

• More advanced needs (detailed schema, image optimisation, redirects) often require extra apps; several technical SEO audits show that apps and theme changes can create duplicate content and canonical issues if not handled carefully.

In short: Shopify is very good for basic SEO and non‑technical store owners, but WordPress offers deeper control.

Real‑world examples: which platform suits which shop?

1. Paint shop with hundreds of products

Scenario: Many colours, finishes, sizes; big potential for how‑to guides and project inspiration.

• Why WordPress is best here

  • You can build detailed category trees (by room, finish, surface) and fully customise URLs and filters, which helps search engines understand the catalogue.

  • WordPress makes it easy to run a strong blog with painting guides, tutorials and galleries that link into relevant categories and products.

  • SEO plugins let you manage schema and meta data for large numbers of pages more flexibly than typical Shopify setups.

When Shopify can work: If the catalogue is simpler and the priority is a fast launch with low maintenance, Shopify is fine, but you may hit limits as you add more products and complex filters.

2. Beauty brand with multiple categories

Scenario: Skincare, haircare, makeup; storytelling and education are important.

• When WordPress is better

  • You want to invest in content marketing: ingredient breakdowns, routine guides, skin concerns, blog posts – all linking to the right products.

  • You may add multi‑language or multi‑region SEO later; WordPress has more flexible plugins for this type of setup.

• When Shopify is better

  • The team is small and non‑technical, and wants a polished store that is easy to run day to day.

  • You will mainly optimise product and category pages and add a simple blog, without complex structures or experiments.

For a content‑heavy, SEO‑driven beauty brand, WordPress usually wins. For a lean DTC store focused on ads + basic SEO, Shopify is often easier.

3. Hardware shop with fewer categories

Scenario: Smaller catalogue of door hardware, tools or accessories; strong local focus.

• Why Shopify often fits
  • With fewer categories and products, Shopify’s fixed structure is less of a problem, and its built‑in SEO tools and hosting are usually enough.
  • Store owners can manage products, prices and basic SEO without needing a developer.

• Why you might still choose WordPress

  • The business wants to combine local services plus ecommerce (e.g. fitting services, case studies, local landing pages) with the shop.

  • Local SEO and content (blogs, guides, case studies) are key to attracting new customers in search.

Here, the choice is more about content and local strategy than catalogue size alone.

How budget and maintenance affect your SEO choice

• Low technical skill, small budget for upkeep

  • Shopify is safer. Hosting, security and core updates are handled for you, reducing the risk of the site breaking and hurting SEO.

• You have (or are) a web professional

  • WordPress can deliver better SEO results, but it needs good hosting and regular care. With that in place, you can do things that are difficult or impossible on Shopify (complex schemas, custom site structures, advanced on‑page and technical experiments).

In conclusion we can say that the choice of platform depends on your goals, budget and business needs.We recommend to make an informed decision based on your long-term goals. If you are still not sure just book a free consulation with us, and we will be happy to clarify all your doubts.