Which CMS is best for SEO in 2025
If you’ve landed here, chances are you’ve been asking yourself: What is the best CMS for SEO?
That’s a good question, because while a CMS won’t directly boost your rankings, choosing the right one can make a huge difference in how easily you can optimize your site for search engines. From improving site speed and managing metadata to supporting mobile-friendly designs, the right CMS lays the groundwork for effective SEO.
In this article, we’ll explore the top CMS tools available today that help marketers and developers get the most out of their SEO efforts.
Let’s dive in and find the best fit for your needs.
How does your CMS affect SEO?
A good CMS makes it easier for Google and other search engines to find, read, and understand your content. This includes things like:
How your content is organized and whether search bots can crawl it easily
How fast your website loads and performs overall
How simple it is to create or update pages and manage SEO details like page titles, meta descriptions, and image alt text.
There are two main types of CMS:
Traditional CMS (like WordPress) where the content management and website display are combined. You usually use templates, and the CMS handles everything from showing the site to things like sitemaps and redirects.
Headless CMS separates managing the content from how it’s displayed, giving you flexibility to push content to websites, apps, or even voice assistants. But since it doesn’t control the frontend directly, the SEO and speed depend on how you build the site around it.
Why does this matter for SEO?
Content structure and crawlability: Search engines need a clear site structure to find and index your pages properly. A CMS that creates messy URLs or complicated navigation can confuse crawlers and hurt rankings.
Website speed: Page load time is a ranking factor. Slow CMSs, heavy themes, or too many plugins can slow your site down. Headless CMSs combined with static site generators and CDNs (content delivery network) often deliver faster experiences.
Metadata management: You want an easy way to edit SEO-critical elements like titles, meta descriptions, alt tags, and canonical URLs without always needing a developer.
Mobile-first and multichannel: Google mainly looks at your mobile site for ranking, so your CMS needs to support responsive design. Plus, if you want to share content across apps or devices, headless CMSs can help with that.
Team collaboration: Even the best CMS won’t help if your team finds it hard to use. Marketers should be able to create and update content, manage SEO, and work efficiently without waiting on developers.
So, your CMS isn’t just about storing and publishing content, it shapes how well your site performs in search and how smoothly your team can keep it optimized.
13 best CMS solutions for SEO in 2025
1. InBlog : A modern blogging platform for content teams
Best for: Marketing teams looking for an SEO-friendly blog with built-in lead generation.
Self-hosted? No
InBlog is a modern blogging platform designed specifically for content marketing teams. It combines SEO optimization, lead capture, and analytics, ideal for turning readers into customers.
Why it’s great for SEO:
Fully optimized out of the box
Great technical SEO scores (90+ Lighthouse)
Analytics + keyword tracking included
Designed for marketers
Why it might not be for you:
Still a new platform, evolving feature set
No built-in AI content assistant yet
Example:
The Blux blog, built on InBlog, is focused on AI-driven marketing. It showcases expert insights and products like hyper-personalized CRM tools, showing how InBlog helps position thought leadership and capture leads.
Want to explore further? Check out our detailed guide on how to use InBlog.
Pricing details:
Plan | Monthly price | Pagesviews/Month |
|---|---|---|
Basic | $39 | Up to 10,000 |
Growth | $79 | Up to 100,000 |
Pro | $149 | Up to 200,000 |
Business | $299 | Up to 500,000+ |
Enterprise | Custom (Talk to sales) | 500,000+ |
Annual Plan | $2,900/year | ㅤ |
*Free 14-day trial available*
2. Hygraph : For multi-source, multi-channel content
Type: Headless CMS
Best for: Teams managing complex content operations across multiple channels.
Self-hosted? No
Hygraph is a modern content management system that uses GraphQL (a way to request exactly the data you need from a server). It’s great when you need to gather content from different places and share it easily on many platforms, like websites, apps, or digital screens.
Why it’s good for SEO:
Full control over metadata structure and output, allowing precise SEO customization.
Excellent support for multilingual and multi-channel SEO strategies.
Works seamlessly with modern frontend frameworks, enabling fast, SEO-friendly websites.
Requires technical setup but great for complex SEO needs across multiple platforms.
Why it might not be for you:
Requires technical setup to define your own content models and SEO structure
Better suited for mid-size to enterprise teams
Pricing:
Plan | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
Hobby | $0 / month (Free) | 2 locales, 3 seats, 2 standard roles, 10 components, unlimited asset storage, 50MB upload max |
Growth | From $299 / month | Everything in Hobby, plus 3 locales, 10 seats, 4 standard roles, 200MB upload max, email support |
Enterprise | Custom pricing | Everything in Growth, plus custom limits, scheduled publishing, SSO, multitenancy, dedicated support |
3. Storyblok : Visual editing for marketers
Type: Headless CMS
Best for: Marketers who want visual editing with headless flexibility.
Self-hosted? No
Storyblok bridges the gap between developer flexibility and marketer usability. Its visual editor is a big win for non-technical teams.
Why it’s good for SEO:
Visual editor lets marketers optimize SEO without losing developer flexibility.
Native SEO field controls and extensible metadata management.
Produces clean, performant code which benefits site speed and SEO rankings.
Why it might not be for you:
Limited developer flexibility compared to other headless CMSs
Not ideal for deeply custom use cases or apps
Pricing details (USD – Monthly):
Plan | Price (Monthly) | Team Members Included | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
Growth | €99 / month | 5 users (add €15/user) | Visual Editor, Collaboration, 1 Space |
Growth Plus | €349 / month | 15 users (add €15/user) | Story Scheduling, Access Control, 1 Space, 97% SLA (Service Level Agreement) |
Premium | Custom pricing | Custom number | AI SEO, Custom Roles, GraphQL, SSO, 99.9% SLA |
Elite | Custom pricing | Custom number | Unlimited Stories & Assets, Priority Support, 99.99% SLA |
4. Prismic : Headless CMS with page-builder vibes
Type: Headless CMS
Best for: Teams building fast marketing websites with custom layouts.
Self-hosted? No
Prismic offers a nice balance between structured content and creative freedom. Great if you need fast performance with marketing flexibility.
Why it’s good for SEO:
Component-based “Slices” give fine control over metadata on each page section.
Integrates well with frameworks like Next.js and Nuxt for fast, SEO-optimized performance.
Customizable content types and URL structures enhance SEO flexibility.
Why it might not be for you:
Not built for eCommerce, apps, or content-heavy platforms
Limited workflow tools for complex editorial teams
Pricing plans (Annual billing)
Plan | Price per month | Users | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
Free | $0 | 1 | Visual page builder, Unlimited documents, Types, Assets, Image optimization |
Starter | $10 | 3 | Includes all free features |
Small | $25 | 7 | Includes all starter features |
Medium | $150 | 25 | Includes all small features, user roles |
Platinum | $675 | Unlimited | Includes all medium features, D-development environment |
Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Includes all platinum features, Custom roles, SSO, Backups, priority support |
5. WordPress : The OG CMS
Type: Traditional CMS
Best for: Anyone who wants full control over a blog or site.
Self-hosted? Yes (WordPress.org) / No (WordPress.com)
If you want maximum control, WordPress is hands down the best choice. You can customize literally everything, design, functionality, SEO, you name it. That’s why it powers 43.4% of the internet.
WordPress.org vs WordPress.com: What’s the difference?
WordPress.org → Self-hosted, full control. You need to find a hosting provider, but you get full customization, access to all plugins, and the ability to monetize freely. Best for those who want a serious, scalable website.
WordPress.com → Hosted solution, easier to use. No need for separate hosting, but customization is limited unless you pay for higher-tier plans. Best for beginners who want a simple, hassle-free setup.
Why it’s great for SEO:
Plugins like Yoast SEO and RankMath make optimization easy
Fully customizable content and URLs
Huge ecosystem of themes and extensions
Why it might not be for you:
Plugin overload can hurt site performance
Requires regular maintenance and updates
Pricing details:
Plan | Monthly price | Key features |
|---|---|---|
Free | $0 | Basic hosting, 1GB storage, WordPress branding. |
Personal | $4 | Custom domain, no ads, basic support. |
Premium | $8 | Advanced customization, monetization, Google Analytics. |
Business | $25 | Plugin & theme installation, advanced SEO, custom code. |
Commerce | $45 | Full eCommerce tools, payment & tax management. |
Enterprise | From $25,000/year | Scalable, high-security solutions for large businesses. |
6. Drupal : For custom-built content-heavy sites
Type: Traditional CMS
Best for: Developers building complex websites with custom content needs.
Self-hosted? Yes
Drupal is the developer’s choice for custom, secure websites that scale. If your team knows how to handle it, it’s a powerhouse.
Why it’s great for SEO:
Total technical control over URLs, tags, and indexing
Lots of SEO-focused modules
Better native multilingual support than WordPress
Why it might not be for you:
Steep learning curve
Not marketer-friendly without custom admin interfaces
Pricing:
Free (open-source), but requires hosting & dev resources
7. Joomla : Somewhere between WordPress and Drupal
Type: Traditional CMS
Best for: Teams wanting more flexibility than WordPress, without diving into full developer territory.
Self-hosted? Yes
Joomla tries to do a little bit of everything. It’s more customizable than WordPress, but easier to manage than Drupal.
Aside from native features, Joomla’s extension directory contains a wealth of SEO add-ons to change how your URLs are generated, structuring your content for Google snippets, creating an XML sitemap, and implementing redirects.
Why it’s good for SEO:
Built-in SEO tools without needing additional plugins.
Clean URL structures and metadata handling improve crawlability.
Decent multilingual support, suitable for mid-level SEO needs.
Why it might not be for you:
Smaller plugin/theme community than WordPress
Doesn’t fully please either devs or marketers
Pricing:
Free (open-source), with optional premium templates/extensions
8. HubSpot Content Hub : SEO + CRM in one
Type: Traditional (but tightly integrated) CMS
Best for: Businesses already using HubSpot’s CRM and marketing tools.
Self-hosted? No
Content Hub is part of HubSpot’s all-in-one platform. It works best when paired with their other tools, CRM, email, automation, etc.
Why it’s great for SEO:
Built-in keyword suggestions, content scoring, and performance tools
Smart content recommendations tied to contact data
Great for inbound marketing and SEO-driven lead gen
Why it might not be for you:
Limited if used outside the HubSpot ecosystem
Price adds up quickly as you grow
Pricing :
Plan | Professional | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|
Price | $890/month | From $3,600/month |
Marketing Contacts | 2,000 included | 10,000 included |
Billing | Annual commitment (monthly or upfront) | Annual commitment |
Key features | Automation, reporting, social media, lead scoring, dynamic personalization | All Professional features + advanced governance and scale |
9. Webflow : For pixel-perfect marketing sites
Type: Traditional CMS with modern frontend output
Best for: Designers and marketers creating brochure-style sites.
Self-hosted? No
Webflow is a designer-first CMS that outputs clean, performant code. Ideal for marketing and brand sites that need tight visual control.
Why it’s great for SEO:
Native SEO tools (metadata, alt tags, sitemap, robots.txt, etc.)
Excellent performance and mobile-first design
Good control over on-page SEO without plugins
Why it might not be for you:
Not built for content-heavy or complex logic sites
Not intuitive for non-designers
Pricing :
Plan | Price | CMS Items | Bandwidth |
|---|---|---|---|
Starter | Free | 50 | 1 GB |
Basic | $14/mo (yearly) | 0 | 10 GB |
CMS | $23/mo (yearly) | 2,000 | 50 GB |
Business | $39/mo (yearly) | 10,000 | 100 GB |
Enterprise | Custom pricing | Custom | Custom |
10. Wix : Drag-and-drop simplicity
Type: Traditional CMS
Best for: Beginners and small businesses who want SEO basics done for them.
Self-hosted? No
Wix is perfect if you want a simple way to build a blog without touching a single line of code. It’s primarily a website builder, but it includes solid blogging features as well. The drag-and-drop editor makes it easy for beginners to design a website without technical skills.
Why it’s great for SEO:
Automated sitemaps and image optimization
Step-by-step SEO assistant
SEO basics like URL control, metadata, and redirects built-in
Why it might not be for you:
Not scalable for complex websites or teams
Limited technical SEO flexibility
Wix pricing breakdown:
Plan | Monthly (Annual) | Monthly (Monthly) | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
Light | $17 | $24 | Personal site, 2GB storage, no Wix ads |
Core | $29 | $36 | Online selling, 50GB storage, marketing tools |
Business | $36 | $43 | Advanced features for businesses |
Business Elite | $159 | $172 | Enterprise solutions, unlimited storage |
11. Shopify : Easy eCommerce with SEO built-in
Type: Traditional CMS (Commerce-first)
Best for: Small to medium eCommerce stores looking for an easy-to-manage platform with solid SEO fundamentals.
Self-hosted? No
Shopify is a leading eCommerce platform designed to get your online store up and running quickly. It includes built-in SEO features that help improve product visibility and rankings without requiring advanced technical knowledge.
Shopify SEO capabilities:
Automatic generation of product-rich snippets for better search listings
Built-in canonical tags to prevent duplicate content issues
Easy redirects and clean URL structures
Auto-generated XML sitemaps and schema markup
Fast loading times and mobile-optimized themes
Why it’s great for SEO:
Provides essential SEO tools right out of the box
Handles technical SEO like sitemaps and canonical URLs automatically
Good site speed and mobile performance boost rankings
User-friendly interface suitable for non-technical store owners
Why it might not be for you:
Limited SEO customization beyond product pages
Not ideal for large, content-heavy editorial sites or complex SEO strategies
Some advanced SEO features require third-party apps
Pricing :
Plan | Monthly price (USD) | Third-party payment fees | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
Basic | $25 | 2% | 10 inventory locations, 24/7 support, sell in 3 countries, POS Lite |
Grow | $65 | 1% | Same as Basic + 5 extra staff accounts |
Advanced | $399 | 0.6% | Same as Grow + 15 extra staff accounts, add more countries for $59/month |
Plus | $2,300 (3-year term) | Competitive rates | 200 inventory locations, priority support, unlimited staff accounts, sell in 50 countries |
12. Magento : Highly customizable eCommerce CMS for SEO-focused developers
Type: Traditional CMS (eCommerce-focused)
Best for: Large eCommerce businesses needing deep customization and advanced SEO control.
Self-hosted? Yes (Open Source)
Pricing: Free (Open source version); Paid options via Adobe commerce (custom pricing)
Magento is a powerful, enterprise-grade CMS for online stores. While it’s less user-friendly than Shopify, it gives full control over your site’s structure, metadata, and performance, making it a strong choice for SEO if you have the technical resources.
Magento SEO capabilities:
SEO-friendly URLs
Canonical tags support
Custom metadata (titles, descriptions, Open Graph)
Mobile-optimized themes
XML sitemaps & robots.txt file access
Extensions available for advanced SEO features
Why it’s great for SEO:
Comes with all essential SEO tools built-in
Highly customizable for technical SEO (structured data, indexing rules, etc.)
Mobile-friendly and performance-focused
Expandable via SEO extensions (Mageworx, Amasty)
Why it might not be for you:
Requires coding or developer expertise to optimize SEO settings
Some default configurations are not SEO-friendly and must be manually adjusted
Steep learning curve compared to more beginner-oriented platforms
13. Strapi : Open-source headless CMS for custom SEO control
Type: Headless CMS
Best for: Developers and teams building custom websites or apps with full control over content and SEO.
Self-hosted? Yes (also available on cloud)
Strapi is a flexible, open-source headless CMS built in Node.js. It’s API-first, letting you define your content structure and deliver it to any frontend. Ideal for custom websites and apps where SEO performance is a top priority and you need technical freedom.
Strapi SEO capabilities:
Full control over content models, metadata fields, and URL structure
Easily integrate with frontend frameworks (Next.js, Nuxt, etc.) for lightning-fast performance
Create and manage dynamic metadata (title, description, open graph tags, etc.)
Server-side rendering (SSR) and static generation support via frontend frameworks
Support for multilingual content with plugins
Why it’s great for SEO:
You can define and manage all SEO-relevant fields directly in your content types
Works perfectly with modern frontends that prioritize performance and Core Web Vitals
Allows fine-tuned SEO strategies (structured data, canonical tags, dynamic sitemaps)
Fully customizable, no constraints from themes or built-in structures
Why it might not be for you:
Requires developer involvement to set up and maintain
No built-in visual editor or page builder for marketers
Some advanced features (like role-based access or cloud hosting) are behind a paywall
Pricing :
Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
Community | Free : Forever | Core features, unlimited use, community support |
Growth | $15 / user / month | All Community features + preview, history, basic support |
Enterprise | Contact them | All Growth features + SSO, workflows, premium support |
Summary :
CMS name | Type | Best for | SEO strengths | Potential drawbacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
InBlog | Traditional CMS | Marketing teams needing SEO-friendly blogs with lead gen | Fully SEO-optimized, 90+ Lighthouse scores, analytics, keyword tracking | New platform, evolving features, no AI content assistant yet |
Hygraph | Headless CMS | Complex content operations across channels | Full metadata control, great multi-channel & multilingual SEO, works with modern frameworks | Technical setup needed, best for mid-enterprise teams |
Storyblok | Headless CMS | Marketers wanting visual editing + headless flexibility | Visual SEO editor, native SEO fields, clean performant code | Less dev flexibility, limited for deep custom use |
Prismic | Headless CMS | Fast marketing sites with custom layouts | Fine metadata control via slices, SEO-friendly frameworks integration | Not for eCommerce or heavy editorial teams |
WordPress | Traditional CMS | Anyone wanting full blog/site control | Plugin ecosystem (Yoast, RankMath), full customization, large community | Plugin overload, maintenance required |
Drupal | Traditional CMS | Developers building complex, custom sites | Total SEO control, many SEO modules, strong multilingual support | Steep learning curve, not marketer-friendly |
Joomla | Traditional CMS | Teams needing more flexibility than WP | Built-in SEO tools, clean URLs, decent multilingual SEO | Smaller community, lacks focus for devs or marketers |
HubSpot Content Hub | Traditional CMS (integrated) | Businesses using HubSpot CRM/marketing | Keyword suggestions, content scoring, smart personalization | Expensive, limited outside HubSpot ecosystem |
Webflow | Traditional CMS | Designers/marketers for pixel-perfect sites | Native SEO tools, fast, mobile-first, clean code | Not for content-heavy or complex logic sites |
Wix | Traditional CMS | Beginners & small businesses wanting easy SEO | Automated sitemaps, SEO assistant, basic SEO controls | Not scalable, limited SEO flexibility |
Shopify | Traditional CMS (Commerce) | Small-medium eCommerce stores | Built-in SEO, clean URLs, fast & mobile optimized | Limited SEO customization beyond products |
Magento | Traditional CMS (Commerce) | Large eCommerce with custom SEO needs | Highly customizable SEO, mobile-friendly, SEO extensions | Complex setup, steep learning curve |
Strapi | Headless CMS | Developers needing full SEO & content control | Full SEO field control, works with modern frontend, SSR & static support | Requires dev setup, no visual editor |
Final thoughts
Choosing the right CMS is a foundational step in setting your website up for SEO success. While no platform can guarantee top rankings on its own, the best CMS tools provide the flexibility, speed, and control you need to optimize your content effectively.
Whether you prioritize ease of use, technical customization, or multi-channel delivery, there’s a CMS out there that fits your unique goals. Take the time to assess your team’s needs and SEO priorities before making a decision, the right choice can save you time and boost your search visibility in the long run.
If you’re serious about improving your SEO, you might want to check out our article on content marketing analytics tools, they’re really helpful for understanding what’s working and where to focus next.
