12 Best CMS SEO Tips & 13 Top CMSs For Improved Visibility

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Every blogger knows the right content management system (CMS) can make or break your SEO game. But with so many options, how do you find the one that’ll boost your blog growth engine without leaving you lost in the weeds? That’s where we come in. Whether searching for the best CMS SEO tips or just trying to figure out which platform will give you the most bang for your buck, we’ve got you covered. This guide will help you find the top CMSs for improved visibility and give your content the attention it deserves.

And if you’re looking for a tool to help you nail those objectives, Feather’s solution, notion to blog, might be just what you need.

What We Mean By CMS SEO?

CMS SEO, or Content Management System Search Engine Optimization, enhances websites built on platforms to perform better in rankings. These platforms include:

WordPress

Webflow

Joomla

These systems empower users to create, manage, and publish content without deep coding knowledge. Many modern CMS platforms have built-in SEO tools to make this job more manageable. CMS SEO involves technical and content-related tweaks, all tailored to maximize the CMS’s capabilities for boosting:

Visibility

Traffic

User engagement

Why CMS SEO Is Crucial for Your Website

With the CMS market expected to skyrocket from USD 28.15 billion in 2023 to USD 54.16 billion by 2032, the demand for SEO-friendly content management solutions will continue to rise. Effective CMS platforms are crucial when businesses focus on digital transformation. They help companies:

Manage content

Enhance SEO

Improve online visibility

By leveraging SEO-friendly CMS tools, companies can:

Stay competitive

Reach wider audiences

Drive organic traffic growth

How CMS Platforms Support Your SEO Efforts

Most modern CMS platforms offer a range of features designed to support your SEO efforts. For example, they often provide plugins or extensions to help with:

Keyword optimization

Meta tag management

Technical SEO elements like:

Sitemaps
URL structure

Using these tools ensures that your website is optimized for search engines and provides a great user experience.

The Role of Content in CMS SEO

While technical SEO is important, content is still king for CMS SEO. The content you create should be optimized for the keywords you want to rank for and structured in a way that makes it easy for search engines to understand.

To make your content clear and engaging, consider the following:

Use Headings and Subheadings: Organize your content with descriptive headings and subheadings to guide readers through sections. This improves readability and helps readers find key points quickly.

Incorporate Bullet Points: Break up dense paragraphs with bullet points. This highlights essential information and makes it easier for readers to skim.

Ensure Relevance and Value: Tailor your content to address your audience's interests and needs. Each section should offer insights or information that your readers will find useful or interesting.

The Future of CMS SEO

As the CMS market grows, we expect to see more features and tools designed to help businesses improve their SEO. Staying on top of the latest trends and technologies will be crucial for companies that want to remain competitive. By leveraging the power of CMS platforms and optimizing your website for search engines, you can ensure your business is well-positioned for success in the digital age.

12 Best CMS SEO Tips for Improved Visibility

Optimizing SEO is crucial for improving visibility with a CMS. Here are some of the best CMS SEO tips for maximizing search engine performance and reaching a broader audience:

1. Optimize Page Titles and Meta Descriptions

Titles and meta descriptions are key elements in SERPs. Use relevant keywords at the beginning of each title, and keep descriptions concise but compelling. Many CMS platforms offer built-in fields for these elements, so take advantage of them.

Here’s a refined guide to crafting well-optimized titles and meta descriptions:

Title

Be Clear: Ensure the title represents the page’s content so readers know exactly what to expect.

Include Primary Keywords: Incorporate relevant keywords to improve SEO and help search engines understand the content's focus.

Convey Content Scope: The title should give readers an immediate idea of the page's main topic or theme.

Meta Descriptions

Entice Clicks: Write a description that captures the reader’s interest and encourages them to click through.

Use Active Language: Focus on action words that engage users and highlight value.

Align with Content: Ensure the meta description reflects the page's content to avoid misleading users and maintain credibility.

2. Structure URLs Carefully

Use clean, keyword-rich URLs that are easy for users and search engines to understand. CMS platforms typically offer customizable URL structures, allowing you to set descriptive URLs (e.g., yourwebsite.com/blog/seo-tips). Avoid including special characters or excessive numbers, and keep URLs as short and readable as possible.

3. Use Headers Strategically (H1, H2, H3)

Proper header use improves readability and provides a structured way for search engines to interpret content. Use an H1 tag for the main title and H2 and H3 for subheadings. Including keywords in headers where relevant can help boost SEO, but always focus on natural readability. Most CMSs offer easy-to-format header options, so make sure your structure flows logically.

4. Implement Internal Linking

Internal links help search engines understand your site’s structure and guide users to relevant content. Create an internal linking strategy that connects related content across your site. Link to previous articles, service pages, or product pages within your content to:

Keep users engaged

Help search engines crawl deeper

This is easily done within a CMS editor by adding links directly to your text.

5. Optimize for Mobile-Friendliness

Since mobile-friendliness is a ranking factor, ensure your CMS uses a responsive design that adjusts content for different devices. Most modern CMS platforms provide mobile-responsive themes or design tools, so choose a theme or template optimized for mobile and test how your site appears on different devices. This boosts both user experience and SEO rankings.

6. Improve Page Load Speed

Fast load times are essential for both SEO and user experience. Use CMS plugins or features that allow:

Image compression

Caching

Minification of CSS/JavaScript files

Consider using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to distribute content and decrease user load across various regions. Speed optimization features are typically found in CMS plugins or add-ons that enhance site performance.

7. Use Schema Markup for Rich Snippets

Schema markup, or structured data, helps search engines understand the content context and display rich snippets (e.g., star ratings and product prices). Many CMS platforms support schema plugins or allow you to add markup manually. Adding schema improves visibility by increasing the chance of featured snippets, which can attract more clicks.

8. Optimize Images with Alt Text

Images are essential for a visually engaging site but should be optimized to improve SEO. Include alt text for each image, describing the image’s content with relevant keywords. This helps with:

Search engine indexing

Enhances accessibility for users with screen readers

Most CMS platforms allow you to add alt text to images when uploading easily.

9. Regularly Update and Improve Content

Frequent updates to your content show search engines that your site is active and relevant. Improve search rankings by:

Updating blog posts

Adding fresh information

Revising existing pages with new insights or statistics

Your CMS should simplify content updates, so keep a content calendar and review existing pages regularly for potential updates.

10. Install SEO Plugins

SEO plugins like Yoast SEO (for WordPress), Rank Math, or CMS-specific SEO modules help you optimize various aspects of your website. These plugins provide tools for:

Keyword analysis

Readability checks

XML sitemap creation

Using an SEO plugin simplifies optimization and can guide in improving page scores and rankings.

11. Create and Submit XML Sitemaps

An XML sitemap helps search engines find and index all your pages. Most CMS platforms allow you to create and manage XML sitemaps, often with built-in features or plugins. To ensure search engines easily crawl and index your content, submit your sitemap to:

Google Search Console

Bing Webmaster Tools

12. Enable HTTPS for Secure Browsing

Security is a ranking factor, and enabling HTTPS (using an SSL certificate) adds a layer of trust and security. Most CMS platforms support easy integration of SSL certificates, either through hosting providers or third-party services. HTTPS signals users and search engines that your site is safe, positively impacting your rankings.

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13 Best SEO-Friendly CMS

1. Feather: A No-Code SEO Powerhouse

Feather is an SEO-friendly blog and email newsletter service that lets you publish content through Notion, requiring no coding or design skills. It allows you to:

Set up a subfolder blog, which is better for SEO

Manage CRM and website blog management through Notion

Notion-Powered Email Campaigns

Feather also lets you send newsletters directly to your email subscribers from Notion.

Run your blog and newsletter with Feather today! Create a new account and send emails from Notion, or go from notion to blog in minutes!

2. WordPress: The Flexible Giant of SEO

WordPress is a widely used CMS known for its flexibility and extensive range of SEO plugins, including Yoast SEO. It allows both beginners and advanced users to optimize on-page SEO elements such as meta descriptions, alt texts, and URL structures.

Benefits

User-friendly for beginners and advanced users.

Extensive plugin support for SEO, security, and performance.

Easy customization with drag-and-drop editors like Elementor.

Large community support and regular updates.

Drawbacks

Outdated or poorly coded plugins may cause security risks.

Manual updates can lead to downtime or conflicts.

Can become expensive with premium themes and plugins.

Best Suited For

WordPress is best for bloggers, small businesses, and marketers who want:

Flexibility

Ease of use

Access to a wide range of SEO plugins

3. Drupal: The Robust SEO CMS for Complex Sites

Drupal is a robust CMS offering advanced SEO capabilities, including customizable URLs, structured data support, and efficient taxonomy management. Known for its flexibility and strong security, Drupal is ideal for websites handling large amounts of content or complex structures.

Benefits

Fast page load speeds and responsive design.

Strong SEO features like XML sitemap generation and structured data.

High customization potential with powerful SEO modules.

Drawbacks

Complex configuration requiring skilled developers.

Expensive to host and maintain compared to other platforms.

Best Suited For

Drupal is ideal for enterprises, government organizations, and developers looking for a highly secure, customizable CMS with advanced SEO features.

4. Magento: The SEO-Driven E-commerce Solution

Magento is a feature-rich CMS explicitly designed for e-commerce websites. It offers customizable SEO settings, including:

URL structures

Metadata

Schema markup

This makes it an excellent choice for businesses seeking to optimize their online stores for search engines.

Benefits

Customizable SEO settings and structured data support.

Mobile-friendly and optimized for search engines.

Auto-generated XML sitemaps for easy indexation.

Drawbacks

Complex interface requiring technical expertise.

Costly to build and maintain, especially for smaller businesses.

Best Suited For

Magento is best for medium—to large e-commerce businesses that want advanced customization and scalability in SEO and site management.

5. HubSpot CMS Hub: All-in-One SEO and Marketing

HubSpot CMS Hub is an all-in-one platform that combines content management, marketing, and SEO tools. Its easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor and built-in SEO tools make it suitable for businesses looking to streamline their marketing efforts.

Benefits

SEO tools integrated with marketing and analytics.

Simple drag-and-drop editor for easy content management.

Great for businesses focused on inbound marketing.

Drawbacks

Limited customization options compared to other CMSs.

Premium plans can be costly, especially for smaller businesses.

Best Suited For

HubSpot CMS Hub is ideal for small—to medium-sized businesses, marketers, and enterprises looking to integrate content management with marketing automation and SEO.

6. Contentful: The Headless CMS for SEO

Contentful is a headless CMS that separates content from presentation, providing flexibility in delivering content across platforms. It offers powerful SEO-friendly features like:

URL slug optimization

Content structuring

Seamless integration with third-party SEO tools

Benefits

Flexible and scalable API-driven platform.

Supports structured content and fast content delivery.

Easily integrates with SEO tools and analytics platforms.

Drawbacks

Steeper learning curve for non-developers.

Limited CMS features compared to competitors.

Best Suited For

Contentful is perfect for developers, digital agencies, and large enterprises that need a scalable, multi-platform content delivery system with strong SEO support.

7. Adobe Experience Manager (AEM): Enterprise SEO and Content

Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) is a high-end CMS built for large enterprises. It offers comprehensive tools for:

Content creation

Digital asset management

Multi-site management

With built-in SEO tools, AEM allows businesses to manage SEO at scale.

Benefits

Powerful SEO tools for large-scale content management.

Multilingual and multi-site capabilities.

Integrated analytics for tracking website performance.

Drawbacks

Expensive and complex to implement.

Requires technical expertise to leverage fully.

Best Suited For

AEM best suits large enterprises or content-heavy websites requiring:

Advanced SEO

Multi-site management

High-level customization

8. Wix: Beginner-Friendly SEO CMS

Wix is a beginner-friendly CMS known for its drag-and-drop website builder and beautiful templates. It offers SEO tools like Wix SEO Wiz, automatic mobile optimization, and fast loading speeds thanks to its CDN.

Benefits

User-friendly interface with drag-and-drop features.

Built-in SEO tools and mobile responsiveness.

Ideal for beginners and small businesses.

Drawbacks

Limited customization options.

Ads on the free plan and extra domain/hosting costs.

Best Suited For

Wix is best for small businesses, freelancers, and bloggers who want an easy-to-use CMS with built-in SEO features without needing to manage technical details.

9. Squarespace: Design-First SEO Platform

Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder known for its stunning design templates and integrated hosting. It offers built-in SEO tools and mobile-optimized designs to help users improve their site’s visibility.

Benefits

User-friendly design with professional templates.

Built-in SEO tools and analytics.

Integrated hosting with SSL security.

Drawbacks

Limited customization once a template is chosen.

Basic blogging and content management features.

Best Suited For

Squarespace is best suited for creative professionals, artists, and small businesses who prioritize design and ease of use while maintaining basic SEO optimization.

10. Joomla: Advanced SEO CMS

Joomla is a powerful CMS offering various customization options, making it ideal for e-commerce, media, and large content sites. It has built-in SEO features like:

Customizable URLs

Keyword management

Structured data support

Benefits

Strong SEO tools for complex sites.

Flexible content management system with customizable templates.

Great for e-commerce and large-scale websites.

Drawbacks

Steeper learning curve compared to other platforms.

Requires more technical knowledge for advanced customization.

Best Suited For

Joomla is ideal for large enterprises, e-commerce businesses, and media outlets that require more flexibility and scalability in SEO management.

11. Craft CMS: Customized SEO for Developers

Craft CMS is a developer-friendly platform designed for building customized websites with advanced content modeling capabilities. It offers control over SEO with options to edit:

Meta tags

URLs

Structured data

Benefits

Flexible content modeling and powerful templating.

Control over SEO elements like URLs and meta tags.

Ideal for multi-language websites and blogs.

Drawbacks

Steep learning curve for non-technical users.

Limited built-in SEO features compared to other CMS platforms.

Best Suited For

Craft CMS is best for developers, designers, and web professionals who want complete control over website customization and SEO optimization.

12. Jekyll: Fast and Efficient SEO Static Sites

Jekyll is a static site generator rather than a traditional CMS, built for developers who want fast-loading websites. Jekyll offers quick page load times and enhanced SEO performance by generating static HTML files.

Benefits

Lightning-fast loading speeds for better SEO.

Flexible customization with full control over content.

Active developer community offering support.

Drawbacks

Requires coding skills for setup and customization.

Lacks a built-in content management system.

Best Suited For

Jekyll is best suited for developers and tech-savvy users who need a fast-loading, highly customizable static website with excellent SEO performance.

13. Prismic: Scalable SEO with Headless CMS

Prismic is a headless CMS that decouples content management from front-end design. It provides APIs for seamless integration, making it an excellent choice for businesses that need to deliver content across multiple platforms.

Benefits

Headless CMS allows for multi-platform content delivery.

Easy integration with SEO tools and third-party platforms.

Great for scaling fast and SEO-friendly websites.

Drawbacks

Requires more technical expertise.

May not be ideal for smaller businesses with limited resources.

Best Suited For

Prismic is ideal for developers, agencies, and enterprises looking for a flexible, API-driven CMS to deliver SEO-optimized content across various platforms.

9 Essential CMS Features For SEO

1. On-Page SEO Features: The Basics You Can’t Ignore

CMS platforms often include intuitive tools for on-page SEO, such as fields to add:

Title tags

Meta descriptions

Header tags (H1, H2, etc.)

Image alt text

These tags are crucial for search engines to understand page content, and most CMS platforms allow you to edit them easily. Solid CMS platforms offer SEO checklists or plugins (like Yoast SEO for WordPress) that aid in optimizing these tags and provide guidance on keyword usage.

2. URL Structure and Permalinks: The Backbone of SEO-Friendly URLs

A CMS allows you to create custom URL structures that are SEO-friendly and easy to read. An optimized URL structure should be:

Short

Descriptive

Include relevant keywords

Many CMSs allow for simple, editable URL structures (like yourwebsite.com/blog/post-title), which helps search engines understand the page’s topic.

3. Mobile Optimization: Why Your CMS Must Be Mobile-Friendly

Search engines prioritize mobile-friendly sites, and many CMS platforms offer responsive design options that automatically adjust page layouts for different screen sizes. Responsive themes and templates ensure that the website provides a seamless user experience across all devices, which can positively impact rankings.

4. Speed and Performance Optimization: Fast Is Better Than Slow

Website speed is a ranking factor, and many CMS platforms offer tools for optimizing page load times. This can include:

Caching plugins

Image compression

Content delivery network (CDN) integrations

Faster load times improve user experience, reduce bounce rates, and boost SEO performance.

5. Technical SEO: Enhancing Your Site’s Technical Underpinnings

CMS platforms often have options for structured data markup (schema), which makes it easier for search engines to understand the content and display rich snippets (e.g., product ratings, event times). Many CMSs also provide tools to edit robots.txt and generate XML sitemaps automatically, helping search engines crawl and index pages efficiently.

6. Content Creation and Management: The Heart and Soul of SEO

Since content is the core of SEO, a CMS makes it easy to create, update, and organize content on a website. This includes:

Blogs

Product descriptions

Landing pages

Multimedia elements

CMS platforms with SEO in mind enable consistent content publishing, support multimedia, and ensure content readability through tools like visual editors or block-based layouts.

7. Security and HTTPS: Why Sticking to HTTPS Is Crucial

Security is crucial for SEO, as search engines favor websites with HTTPS encryption. Many CMSs make it easy to implement SSL certificates and follow best practices for website security, which prevents issues like hacking or spam and ensures a safe experience for users.

8. Integration with Analytics and Tracking: The Key to Effective SEO

CMS platforms often offer easy integration with tools like:

Google Analytics

Google Search Console

These integrations help:

Track SEO metrics

Monitor traffic sources

Measure the effectiveness of SEO strategies

They can also alert users to errors like broken links, indexing issues, or security concerns.

9. SEO Plugins and Add-ons: Supercharge Your SEO with Plugins

Many CMS platforms, especially WordPress, have a wide range of plugins specifically for SEO. These plugins can add advanced features, like:

Schema markup

Redirects

Keyword optimization suggestions

Readability checks

This helps simplify and enhance the SEO process.

All-in-One Content Creation and Distribution

Feather is an SEO-friendly blog and email newsletter service that lets you publish directly from Notion without coding or design skills. You can set up a subfolder blog and streamline your CRM and blog management while collaborating seamlessly.

Run your blog and newsletter with Feather today! Create a new account and send emails from Notion, or go from notion to blog in minutes!

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How Does a CMS Impact Website SEO?

A Content Management System (CMS) shapes your website’s structure, making it easy for search engines to crawl and index. Think of it as the blueprint of a house, organizing content with clean navigation and logical hierarchies.

Feature, like breadcrumbs and internal linking, makes navigating more accessible for users and search engines. A CMS with a clear structure enhances user experience and improves SEO performance.

Page Speed: The Need for Speed in SEO

Page speed is a critical ranking factor for SEO. CMS platforms optimized for performance help websites load quickly, positively impacting rankings. Improving website load times includes:

Caching Mechanisms: Store static versions of web pages to reduce load times and improve performance for returning visitors.

Image Optimization: Use tools to reduce file sizes without compromising quality, allowing faster load times and a better user experience.

Clean Code: Ensure your website code is streamlined, without unnecessary scripts or elements that can slow down the site.

A slow-loading website leads to higher bounce rates and lower SEO rankings, so it's key to choose a CMS that prioritizes performance.

Content Optimization: Making Your Content Shine

Many CMS platforms come equipped with tools that make optimizing content for search engines easier. These features improve on-page SEO, allowing you to easily add and customize meta tags for each page, such as title tags and meta descriptions.

Keyword optimization features ensure your content aligns with target keywords, while descriptive URLs are customizable, ensuring your URLs are SEO-friendly, readable, and reflect your content.

Mobile Optimization: The Key to SEO Success

Mobile optimization is a significant SEO factor because search engines prioritize mobile-first indexing. Many CMS platforms offer responsive design features that automatically adjust your website for mobile devices.

Mobile Optimization for Better User Experience and SEO

Responsive themes and templates ensure your website looks good on both desktops and mobile devices, while mobile-friendly interfaces improve user experience and boost SEO rankings. A CMS that enables easy mobile optimization is essential, as search engines prioritize websites that offer a seamless mobile experience.

Technical SEO: The Backbone of Your Website

Technical SEO focuses on aspects like site architecture, indexation, and crawlability, all of which are influenced by the CMS. Canonical tags prevent duplicate content issues by indicating the preferred version of a page, while robots.txt files guide search engines on which pages to crawl or ignore.

XML sitemaps ensure search engines can quickly discover and index your site’s pages. A good CMS allows easy access to these technical SEO tools, which is critical for maintaining a search engine-friendly website.

Regular Updates and Maintenance: Keep Your Site in Top Shape

A CMS that offers regular updates helps keep your website secure and compatible with the latest SEO best practices. Updating the CMS and any plugins or themes ensures your site remains fast, safe, and optimized. Additionally, outdated CMS versions can introduce security vulnerabilities that harm user trust and SEO rankings.

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Go From Notion to Blog With Ease Today with Feather

Imagine crafting a compelling article on Notion and effortlessly transforming it into an SEO-friendly blog post. Feather allows you to do just that. Its seamless integration with Notion lets you and your team collaborate on content creation without the need for coding or design skills. By the time you're ready to hit publish, Feather has you covered—automatically. You can also set up a subfolder blog for better SEO, making it easier for search engines to find and rank your content.

Make Subfolders Work for You

Why are subfolders better for SEO than subdomains? It’s simple. Subfolders like domain.com/blog keep everything under one roof. This helps search engines understand and rank your content better. Feather makes setting up a subfolder blog easy, so you’re not stuck with a subdomain that might not get the love it deserves from Google.

Experience HubSpot in Notion

Feather brings the power of HubSpot to Notion. You can manage everything from your CRM to website blog management without leaving the platform. Want to change the design? Feather lets you use custom CSS to make your blog look exactly how you want. You can even collect emails and grow your subscriber list from Notion.

Send Newsletters Without the Hassle

Why use multiple tools when you can do everything in one place? With Feather, you can write your newsletter in Notion and send it directly to your email subscribers. It’s simple, clean, and efficient. Plus, you’ll save time by not having to switch between platforms.