Think SEO is dead? Well, think again! As the Gen-AI revolution reshapes how we search, Wix’s SEO team is building tools that make optimization effortless, accessible, and ready for the next era.

Most people know SEO as a service digital agencies provide. What’s the mission when working on SEO as a product?

Nati Elimelech: Our mission is twofold: first, to make Wix the go-to platform for SEO – simple, intuitive, and outperforming alternatives, and second, to democratize SEO.

SEO is often seen as a highly technical and exclusive world, but we’re breaking that barrier. We’re simplifying SEO for everyone, including those who might not even know how to spell it! At the same time, we’re ensuring Wix’s infrastructure is fully optimized, enabling small business owners, enterprises, and partners to achieve great results.

Einat Hoobian-Seybold: Think of SEO as a bird’s-eye view of an entire industry rather than a single need. Working on SEO as a product means tackling broad trends, addressing industry-wide challenges, and shaping the future of how businesses grow online.

What has the team achieved lately?

Nati: One standout innovation is our Google URL Inspection API integration. Previously, this was a tedious, manual process. Now, with a single click, Wix users can send all their site pages to Google Search Console and access insights in seconds. The results? An increase of tens of percent in traffic and a significant boost in monthly GPV for eCommerce sites that adopted this feature.

We also launched an SEO AI assistant that redefines how users interact with SEO. It handles keyword research, generates optimized titles and descriptions, and simplifies complex tasks. Essentially, it’s like having a personal SEO expert built into your site editor.

Einat: We’re entering the Gen-AI era of SEO, which means we’ve moved from making SEO accessible to making it proactive and generative. Our tools no longer just assist – they actively suggest improvements, making it easier for users to optimize their sites without needing to know the details.

Assaf Cohen: A personal highlight for me is our multilingual project. Many businesses struggle to rank in multiple languages because search engines penalize sub-domains for bilingual sites. We transitioned Wix users from sub-domains to sub-directories, dramatically improving their SEO performance for diverse audiences.

"SEO is often seen as a highly technical and exclusive world, but we’re breaking that barrier. We’re simplifying SEO for everyone, including those who might not even know how to spell it!" - Nati

What’s different about SEO at Wix?

Nati: The scale. At an agency, you’re focused on a single client. Here, we’re creating tools that impact millions of users – around 8% of all the traffic on the internet.

Many of us come from agency backgrounds, so we ask ourselves, “What would I have needed as an agency SEO expert?” That empathy helps us design tools that truly make a difference. But scaling these solutions is no small feat. Every tweak we make impacts millions of websites, making this work both exciting and challenging.

Assaf: One of the most unique aspects of Wix is the depth of our insights. For instance, we can see exactly what search engine crawlers index - or don’t - on our servers. As an agency provider, I never had access to this level of detail. Now, we can use these insights to refine performance in groundbreaking ways.

Nati Elimelech, Co-Head of SEO & Accessibility

What’s the future of SEO as AI changes search engines?

Nati: AI is changing how people consume content. Chatbots like ChatGPT are becoming go-to sources for information, which means SEO is evolving into AIO (Artificial Intelligence Optimization).

SEO isn’t dying – it’s adapting. Tools like ChatGPT still rely on ranking systems to decide what content to show, so the principles of SEO remain essential. The key is learning how to communicate with AI models to ensure your content gets featured.

Einat: When I used to present on SEO, ten years ago, I’d start with a slide that said, “SEO is dead?” But the truth is, it’s not. The way we search has evolved, and SEO has evolved alongside it. AI tools offer incredible opportunities, but they still need human refinement to deliver meaningful, authentic results.

Assaf: The Gen-AI revolution is exciting, but it’s not without challenges. AI-generated content won’t rank well unless it’s combined with a human touch. Use AI to streamline your work and enhance creativity, but always review the output. Balance is key - AI should assist, not replace.

"Think of SEO as a bird’s-eye view of an entire industry rather than a single need. Working on SEO as a product means tackling broad trends, addressing industry-wide challenges, and shaping the future of how businesses grow online." - Einat

Einat Hoobian-Seybold, Head of Product @ SEO & Accessibility

We know Wix has its own way of doing things. What’s the “Wix way” of doing SEO?

Einat: Wix is unique because we serve two very different types of users:

1. DIY users – We make SEO effortless for people who might not have technical expertise.

2. Professional users – We offer advanced, customizable tools that cater to experts and agencies.

It’s a delicate balance, but it ensures we meet the needs of everyone on our platform.

Assaf: The Wix difference lies in what we deliver out of the box. Users get built-in essentials like structured data, meta titles, etc. With competitors, you’d need to install add-ons for these features. Wix makes it easy – no extra effort required.

What makes a candidate a great fit for the SEO team?

Nati: We’re looking for SEO experts who think beyond best practices. The ideal candidate has a developer’s mindset - they can explain the “why” behind SEO, think strategically, and collaborate across disciplines. It’s a rare mix of creativity, technical expertise, and big-picture thinking.

Einat: I call it a “round” candidate – analytical, technical, creative, and people-focused. This role involves working closely with stakeholders from different teams, so collaboration skills are a must.

Assaf Cohen, Team Lead - Tech SEO @ SEO & Accessibility

"One of the most unique aspects of Wix is the depth of our insights. For instance, we can see exactly what search engine crawlers index – or don’t – on our servers. As an agency provider, I never had access to this level of detail." - Assaf