Same people claims that “SEO is dead” with over 800,000 search results returning for that query. However, the changing algorithm of SEO optimization over the past decade doesn’t signify its death but rather a transformation. Businesses now need to adopt new and innovative approaches to SEO to succeed in the ongoing competition for search engine rankings.

Many bootstrap companies and blogs establish their entire business foundation based on organic search, indicating that organic search is not only alive but thriving. In this comprehensive post, we will share more than 45 WordPress SEO tips that we implement here at Designtalks. These tips are designed to boost your website’s traffic and help you outperform your competitors.

Organic Search: A Statistical Insight

Statistic reveals that 70-80% of users bypass paid ads, focusing on organic search results.

SEO, or search engine optimization, comprises methods and strategies employed to enhance a website’s ranking on search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo, resulting in increased organic traffic. SEO encompasses both technical aspects and natural branding plays among online businesses.

WordPress SEO Optimization Best Practices

Securing a top position with SEO relies on delivering an exceptional website experience coupled with outstanding content. For businesses, this winning strategy involves following the foundational principles of WordPress SEO best practices. The effectiveness of this approach is evident in our journey at Designtalks, where we achieved a remarkable 571% growth in organic traffic within 13 months, as showcased in the screenshot below.

1. www vs non-www Domain

The decision between using www or not in your website domain is a common consideration, especially when launching a new site. From an SEO perspective, having or not having www doesn’t impact your rankings. It’s a neutral factor. However, the choice isn’t strictly between one being better than the other. The tradition of using www was more prevalent in the past, but today, it’s not a steadfast rule. Even here at Designtalks, we’ve opted for a non-www approach.

Why do some websites still stick with www? Well, historical reasons play a role; it used to be the standard. Changing it after years of use can be complicated and potentially cause issues. Some well-established brands continue with www for this reason.

Another consideration, especially for high-traffic sites, is related to DNS. Naked domains (without www) face limitations in setting up certain redirects. Large companies may choose www due to technicalities with CNAME records, although there are workarounds available.

Ultimately, the www vs non-www decision boils down to personal preference. If you prefer shorter URLs, you might lean towards non-www. Regardless of your choice, you can set up redirects to ensure both versions are accessible. For instance, visiting www.designtalks.co.za will redirect to designtalks.co.za.

In Google Search Console, you can set your preferred domain appearance as www or non-www. While we recommend making this choice, if you’re using a WordPress plugin like Yoast SEO, it automatically adds canonical tags, informing Google which version to index. The flexibility exists, and the decision should align with your preferences and ease of management.

2. Install a WordPress SEO Plugin

While WordPress comes with solid built-in SEO features, we always advise installing an SEO plugin for enhanced control over how Google perceives your site. Popular choices, such as the free Rank Math SEO, Yoast SEO, and All-In-One SEO Pack plugins, take center stage for their comprehensive optimization capabilities. Among these, we particularly recommend the Yoast SEO plugin. In fact, many examples in this WordPress SEO checklist will reference this plugin for illustration purposes. This plugin empowers you to fine-tune and customize various aspects of your site’s SEO,

Optimizing Your Content with Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO is a powerful tool to enhance your content’s visibility and performance on search engines. Follow these steps to optimize your content effectively:

The Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress is a powerhouse, enhancing your content creation process with page and keyword analysis, automatic XML sitemap generation, breadcrumb implementation, and various other optimizations. With over 1 million installs and a stellar 5-star rating, it’s a go-to tool for many. To get started, you can either download the free plugin from the WordPress repository or follow these steps to install it directly from your WordPress dashboard.

Step 1: Install the Plugin

Navigate to the plugins section in your WordPress dashboard, click on “Add New,” search for ‘yoast seo,’ and then hit “Install Now.”

Step 2: Activate the Plugin

After installation, click on “Activate” to enable the Yoast SEO plugin.

Step 3: Access Settings

Now, you’ll find an “SEO” menu in your dashboard where you can access the plugin’s settings. We’ll delve deeper into these options below. Remember, the plugin doesn’t do SEO for you; it provides recommendations for you to make informed optimizations.

3. Setup Friendly Permalinks

By default, WordPress creates somewhat cumbersome permalinks (URL structures) that may not be the most user-friendly. The default structure includes the day and name in the URL, like this:

http://designtaks/2022/11/03/hello-world/

Google prefers URLs containing your title or keywords, but shorter URLs are generally better. We recommend using the “Post name” permalink setting for a cleaner URL that still includes your title or keyword:

http://designtaks/hello-world/

To make this change, go to “Permalinks” under the settings menu in your WordPress dashboard, select “Post name,” and click on “Save Changes.”

These user-friendly URLs not only appeal to Google but also contribute to a more aesthetic and accessible web experience for your audience.

Optimizing Your Content with Rank Math

Rank Math SEO is a rapidly growing WordPress plugin that competes with Yoast SEO. It is praised for its robust features, user-friendly setup, and an intuitive interface. The guide covers the setup process, starting with the wizard, where users can choose between Easy and Advanced modes. Importing data from other SEO plugins like Yoast is supported.

The guide continues with site configuration, including options for specifying the website type, business category, website name, logo, and other details for better search engine understanding. The Analytics section emphasizes the importance of measuring website performance, integrating with Google Analytics, Search Console, and AdSense. The setup also includes the creation of sitemaps, optimizing SEO settings, and configuring advanced options.

Role Manager allows users to manage permissions for different roles on their WordPress site. The guide also touches on the 404 error monitor and redirection manager features and highlights the significance of Schema Markup for enhancing search engine context.

The guide provides valuable insights into the configuration steps, making it a comprehensive resource for users looking to optimize their WordPress websites using Rank Math SEO.

1. Setup Wizard:
   • Rank Math’s setup wizard initiates automatically upon installation.
   • Three modes are available: Easy, Advanced, and Custom Mode (for PRO users).
   • Compatibility check is performed, and conflicting plugins may need deactivation.
   • The wizard guides through essential SEO configurations based on user responses.
2. Import:
   • Import data from other SEO plugins (e.g., Yoast SEO, All In One SEO).
   • The wizard helps ensure a smooth transition by importing relevant data.
3. Your Site:
   • Configure website details, including type (blog, store, organization), business type, website name, alternate name, and logo.
   • Specify social share image and other metadata for Google’s Knowledge Graph.
4. Analytics:
   • Connect Rank Math with Google Analytics, Search Console, and AdSense.
   • Grant necessary permissions for data fetching without storing or selling user information.
   • Configure options for Search Console, Analytics, and AdSense integration.
5. Sitemap:
   • Enable or disable the built-in sitemap feature.
   • Include images, select public post types and taxonomies for inclusion.
   • PRO features include News Sitemap and Video Sitemap with additional settings.
6. Optimization:
   • Noindex empty category and tag archives.
   • Nofollow external links by default.
   • Open external links in a new tab/window.
7. Ready:
   • Confirmation page with links to additional resources.
   • Option to enable auto-updates for the plugin.
8. Advanced Settings:
   • Advanced setup options for users who prefer a more detailed configuration.
9. Role Manager:
   • Configure role-based access permissions for various user roles.
10. 404 + Redirections:
    • Enable or disable Rank Math’s 404 error monitor and redirection manager.
11. Schema Markup:
    • Enable Schema Markup by default for posts, pages, and custom post types.
    • Configure default Schema types for different content.

This setup guide aims to help users optimize their WordPress websites using Rank Math SEO, covering a range of features from basic configurations to advanced settings.

Optimizing Your Content with All in One SEO

All in One SEO (AIOSEO) is a widely used SEO plugin for WordPress websites, having been downloaded on over 100 million sites worldwide since its released in 2007. This plugin is designed to empower WordPress site owners, even those with no programming or SEO expertise, to achieve high rankings on Google.

Initially known as All in One SEO Pack, AIOSEO holds the distinction of being the first comprehensive WordPress SEO plugin. Its primary purpose is to automate and enhance the search engine optimization process for websites built on the WordPress platform.

Getting Started:

1. Installation: Download and install the All in One SEO plugin from your account page.
2. Setup Wizard: AIOSEO provides a setup wizard that helps optimize SEO settings based on your industry needs in under 10 minutes.

Migrating from Another Plugin:

• AIOSEO facilitates easy migration from other SEO plugins during the setup wizard.
• It offers to copy basic settings from another plugin, but users should be aware that not all settings may transfer seamlessly.
• A reminder to deactivate the old SEO plugin is provided at the end of the setup.

Features and Settings:

1. General Settings: AIOSEO offers a range of features, and most are controlled in the plugin settings.
2. Feature Manager: In the Pro version, users can turn addons on and off using the Feature Manager.
3. Site Audit: A site audit feature allows users to check the SEO health of the entire website, providing a score and identifying critical issues.

Search Appearance:

• This section allows users to preview how their site information appears in search results.
• Knowledge Graph information, including name, phone number, logo, and opening hours, can be set here.
• Dynamic placeholders (tags) for meta templates provide flexibility in displaying information.

Social Networks:

• Users can control how posts appear on various social networks.
• Default post type and image for each network can be set, ensuring consistency.

Sitemaps:

• AIOSEO supports the creation of four types of sitemaps: General, Video, Google News, and RSS.
• Users can customize sitemaps by excluding specific posts, pages, or keywords.

Redirects:

• Redirects are managed within AIOSEO, helping prevent loss of rankings when posts are removed or URLs are changed.
• Automatic redirects are suggested when a blog post is deleted.

Local SEO:

• A major addon for businesses with a defined geographical area, supporting SEO for single or multiple locations.
• Collects data in Knowledge Graph format, aiding Google in displaying local information in search results.

Link Assistant:

• A tool displaying the number of internal and external links to posts.
• Offers suggestions for related posts, streamlining the linking process.

On-Page Optimization – TruSEO:

• TruSEO is a feature that scans content as users compose it, providing suggestions for keyword relevancy, basic SEO, title optimization, and readability.
• More sophisticated than some other tools, TruSEO offers comprehensive content optimization guidance.

Overall, All in One SEO aims to simplify and enhance the SEO optimization process for WordPress users, covering a wide range of features and settings.

WordPress Default Permalinks: A Cautionary Note

It’s crucial to understand that altering the permalink structure after your posts are live can break previous links, rendering them useless. People who shared these links on social networks won’t be able to direct traffic to your site. If you’re changing permalinks on an older site, redirecting previous URLs to the new permalink is essential. This can be done by editing the .htaccess file or using third-party plugins like Change Permalink Helper. For more detailed information, check out our comprehensive post on WordPress permalinks.

4. Always Use a Focus Keyword

It’s worth emphasizing that while you’re creating content for your audience, keywords still matter in 2024. Google is, after all, a computer algorithm. Writing smartly involves catering to your visitors and customers as Google recommends, but with SEO optimizations in mind. Don’t forget, other search engines like Bing, Yandex and Yahoo still rely on what some might consider outdated SEO practices.

Every time you write a blog post or create a page on your WordPress site, keep a focus keyword in mind. Don’t just publish content for the sake of it. With the Yoast SEO plugin, setting a focus keyword is easy. For instance, in this post, our focus keyword is “WordPress SEO.” Yoast SEO even analyzes keyword density, highlighting that it’s a bit low for this post. Ideally, aim for a keyword density of 0.5% or more. So, we should naturally find ways to include our keyword a few more times within our content.

5. The Crucial Role of Title Tags in WordPress SEO

Ensuring your main “focus keyword” is present in your blog post or page title tag is pivotal. SEO expert Brian Dean suggests placing the keyword at the beginning of the title, if feasible, as it carries more weight in search engines. For instance, in this blog post, our title is “WordPress SEO Checklist – 50 Tips for 2018,” strategically placing our keyword, “WordPress SEO,” right at the start. While this might not always be feasible, it can provide a helpful boost.

You can manually set a title tag using the Yoast SEO plugin, as illustrated below. Keep in mind that Google has a visible limit of 65 characters, so exceeding it may result in truncation. Although they are more pixel-based now, Yoast SEO uses characters as a close approximation. Additionally, remember that title tags impact not only SEO but also your clickthrough rate (CTR). Some have reported up to a 20% increase in CTR by making minor adjustments to their titles.

WordPress SEO title tag

Conducting split-testing and A/B testing on your titles can further enhance CTR and, in a way, help Google perceive your content as more relevant. WordPress plugins like Title Experiments and Nelio AB Testing can assist in running these tests.

While Google places importance on well-optimized H1 and title tags, even small, data-driven, and well-researched changes to these elements can influence your organic search performance. Regarding incorporating your company name at the end of the title tag, it won’t harm you, but it’s worth considering if it fully maximizes the available space. Having your company name might not always be the optimal decision in terms of increasing CTR or relevance to the content.

Boosting Click-Through Rate (CTR) with Meta Descriptions

While meta descriptions don’t directly impact your WordPress SEO rankings, they play a significant role in your CTR. Crafting a well-written meta description can be the difference between a user clicking on your post or choosing the one above or below it in SERPs. It’s often said that the higher your CTR, the more Google perceives your content as relevant, potentially influencing your rankings. Meta descriptions, therefore, indirectly contribute to your SEO success. You can manually set your meta description using the Yoast SEO plugin.

Previously, there was a 156-character limit for meta descriptions. Google extended this to 320 characters in December 2022 but later reverted to limits ranging between 150 and 170 characters. Anything exceeding these limits might not be visible in SERPs. Although the constraints are more pixel-based now, Yoast SEO still uses characters, providing a close approximation.

Writing compelling meta descriptions not only encourages clicks but can also contribute to Google’s understanding of the relevance of your content. Therefore, take advantage of this space to create engaging snippets that entice users to explore your post.

Meta Description Tips

It’s beneficial to incorporate your focus keyword into your meta description, as Google highlights the search term in bold. For instance, if you search for “coolest car” in Google, and a post from KBB includes “coolest car” in the meta description, Google bolds this keyword, emphasizing its relevance to your search. Including your focus keyword in the meta description can make your snippet stand out a bit more.

However, it’s crucial to note that Google might automatically rewrite some meta descriptions. What you input isn’t always what will show up in the SERPs.

7. The Deal with Meta Keywords

The question of whether to use meta keywords may cross your mind, but the simple answer is no. While Google and Bing once factored meta keywords into their ranking algorithms, they no longer do. Although Yahoo might still have some reliance on meta keywords, it’s not a strong enough reason to recommend their use. It’s important to note that the Yandex Russian search engine and Baidu Chinese search engine continue to use meta keywords, depending on your site’s location.

According to Yandex, the tag may be used to determine a page’s relevance to search queries. If you still want to include meta keywords on your WordPress site posts and pages, you can enable this feature in the Yoast SEO plugin by following these steps:

Step 1: Enable Meta Keywords in Yoast

Navigate to the “Title & Metas” section of the Yoast SEO plugin and click on the “Other” tab. You can then enable the “Use meta keywords tag” option.

Step 2: Add Meta Keywords in Your Content

Now, when editing your posts and pages, the Yoast SEO plugin provides a section to enter your meta keywords, as seen in the example below.

Spending time on meta keywords is generally not recommended unless you’re targeting search engines like Yandex or Baidu that still consider them. Meta keywords have been deprecated in Google and many other major search engines for quite some time.

8. Tags – H1, H2, H3

The Google crawler meticulously examines HTML header tags like H1, H2, H3, etc., to gauge the relevance of your site’s content. A good rule of thumb is to employ a single H1 tag per post or page, followed by multiple H2s and H3s beneath it. Picture it as a hierarchy of importance, with the H1 tag being one of the most crucial headers, ideally containing your focus keyword. Additional headers, like H2 and H3, can also feature your keyword or its long-tail variations. However, it’s important not to overuse headers; they serve to break up content for better readability.

Typically, well-coded WordPress themes will automatically designate the title of your page or post as the H1 header. You can then manually assign H2, H3, H4 headers, and so on, within your post or page. Creating a header is simple using the dropdown in the visual editor, which automatically assigns the appropriate HTML tags (e.g., <h2> or <h3>) that Google recognizes.

For quicker application of headers, you can also use shortcut keys in the visual editor:

• ALT + SHIFT + 2 (H2 header)
• ALT + SHIFT + 3 (H3 header)

These header tags contribute not only to the structure of your content but also help search engines understand the hierarchy and relevance of the information on your page or post.

9. Image Alt Text: Enhancing Accessibility and SEO

ALT text, short for alternative text, refers to the ALT attribute applied to images on your WordPress site. Google utilizes ALT tags to assess the relevance of your image to the surrounding content. Additionally, these tags are crucial for screen readers used by visually impaired individuals. ALT text not only aids in SEO but also enhances the navigation experience for users employing assistive technologies like Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

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<img src="image.jpg" alt="image description" title="image title"/>

Thankfully, with WordPress, you don’t need to delve into coding to add ALT text. You can conveniently include them when uploading images to the media library or by clicking on an image within the visual editor. Follow these steps to swiftly add ALT text to an existing image:

Step 1: Edit Image in Visual Editor

In the visual editor, hover over your image and click on the “Edit” option.

Step 2: Enter ALT Text

Within the editing options, enter your ALT text description in the “Alternative Text” field. It’s beneficial to add your focus keyword if applicable to the image. However, avoid adding the same focus keyword as ALT text across all your images. As with all SEO practices, moderation is key—Google frowns upon spamming.

Ensuring every image has descriptive ALT text not only contributes to SEO but also makes your content more accessible and user-friendly for all visitors, including those with visual impairments.

10. Image Title Text: Adding a Touch of Interactivity

Image title text doesn’t directly impact WordPress SEO, as it’s not crawled by Google or Bing, and its usage is entirely optional. Here’s an example of how image title text, or the title attribute of an image, looks:

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<img src="image.jpg" alt="image description" title="image title"/>

While image title text doesn’t contribute to ranking better in search engines, it does provide the opportunity to add tooltips to images. This can be a neat way to include a subtle call-to-action (CTA) when a user hovers over the image. Although it’s not a technical SEO factor, it can enhance the overall user experience. Similar to ALT text, you don’t need to be familiar with code to add title text; you can easily include it when uploading images to the media library or by clicking on an image within the visual editor. Follow these steps to swiftly add title text to an existing image:

Step 1: Edit Image in Visual Editor

In the visual editor, hover over your image and click on the “Edit” option.

Step 2: Add Title Text

Within the editing options, enter your title text description in the “Image Title Attribute” field under the advanced options.

You can then witness the title text in action as a tooltip when you hover over your image.

While not a crucial SEO element, incorporating title text can contribute to a more engaging and interactive user experience on your WordPress site.

11. Focus Keyword in First Paragraph

The initial paragraph of your WordPress post or page holds significant weight! Whenever possible, it’s advisable to incorporate your focus keyword within this opening section. Why? Google systematically crawls content from top to bottom, and locating your keyword in the introduction helps establish your article’s relevance to the topic. The Yoast SEO plugin even includes a check for this, ensuring you adhere to this best practice.

12. Content is King (Word Count)

The timeless adage “Content is King” still resonates strongly. Both Google and visitors favor high-quality, substantial content. Generally, prioritizing longer-form content of superior quality surpasses the benefits of frequently publishing shorter content. Of course, this can vary. For a news site, the approach might be the opposite. However, the effectiveness of long-form content in securing higher positions in SERPs has been consistently proven. Capsicum Mediaworks shared statistics underscoring the importance of content length.

Quality and length go hand in hand, with comprehensive and informative content not only appealing to users but also aligning well with search engine algorithms, contributing to better visibility and rankings.

SEO Content Length: A Critical Factor for SEO Success

Examining the image above reveals a compelling correlation between content length and top search engine positions. Websites occupying the pinnacle positions boast substantially more content. In fact, aiming for 2,000 words or more should be your new minimum standard in the current landscape.

Neil Patel, a renowned internet marketer, delves into the benefits of long-form content in a noteworthy post from 2016, illustrating how it can significantly enhance your rankings. Our practices at Kinsta align with these principles, evident in the extensive content we consistently produce.

CanIRank conducted a comprehensive study in early 2017 on the effectiveness of content length. Their analysis covered various aspects, including assessing whether longer content attracts more backlinks and examining the impact on rankings for those on the third and fourth pages. In essence, their findings underscored that content length, even when considering other potential factors, remains a crucial determinant for achieving higher rankings. The evidence is clear: investing in comprehensive, longer-form content pays dividends in terms of SEO success.

13. Optimize with Short URLs for SEO Advantage

Google favors clean, organized, and structured WordPress sites, and this preference extends to the use of short URLs. Beyond contributing to a streamlined site architecture, short URLs can enhance your Click-Through Rate (CTR). According to a study by MarketingSherpa, executives are 250% more likely to click on an organic listing if it has a fairly short URL, particularly when appearing below a listing with a long URL. This insight highlights the significant competitive advantage of maintaining concise URLs.

For instance, WordPress automatically generates a URL based on the title, resulting in something like:

http://trendesign.co.za/on-page-seo/

However, it’s often beneficial to refine this for improved aesthetics and user engagement, especially by incorporating the focus keyword. Here’s how you can shorten a URL for a WordPress post or page:

Step 1: Edit URL in WordPress

Next to your URL (slug), click on “Edit.”

Step 2: Customize and Save

Type in the desired URL, ensuring keyword separation with hyphens, and click “OK.”

This leads to a more refined and user-friendly URL:

http://trendesign.coza/optimizing-your-web-page-for-better-rankings/

Remember, each URL or slug in WordPress must be unique, so factor this in when crafting URLs for your posts or pages. Keeping them short, meaningful, and relevant can significantly contribute to a positive user experience and potentially improve your SEO performance.

14. Use Smart Image File Names

Smart image file names play a crucial role in optimizing your WordPress website for search engines, and it’s an aspect often overlooked. Correctly naming your images can yield a noticeable boost in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) and Google Image Search. Here are some best practices to follow:

1. Use Descriptive Words:
   When naming your image files, use actual words related to your content. Instead of generic names like DC0000.JPG, opt for something more descriptive like wordpress-seo.JPG.
2. Include Hyphens Between Words:
   Always separate words in your image file names with hyphens. For example, if you name it wordpress_seo.JPG or wordpressseo.JPG, Google might struggle to interpret it correctly. Hyphens help Google recognize individual words, so go for something like wordpress-security.JPG.
3. Incorporate Focus Keywords:
   If applicable, include your focus keyword, especially in the file name of your featured image. This can align with your overall SEO strategy. For instance, naming your featured image the same as your focus keyword for a blog post is a good practice.

Search engines, including Google, rely on descriptive and well-structured file names to understand the content of an image and its relevance to a webpage.

15. Dofollow vs NoFollow Links

Understanding the distinction between Dofollow and Nofollow links is crucial for effective WordPress SEO. Here’s a breakdown of the basic differences:

Dofollow Links: By default, every link you create on a WordPress site is a Dofollow link. When Google crawls websites and encounters Dofollow links, it passes link juice between them and the linked site. This exchange helps build authority and has a direct impact on your rankings in Google. The common advice to acquire more backlinks usually refers to obtaining Dofollow links from other high-authority sites. In general, the more Dofollow links you have, the better it is for your site’s SEO.

Nofollow Links: Nofollow links are identified by the “rel” attribute set to “nofollow” in the HTML code, as shown below:

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<a href="https://35.229.143.219" rel="nofollow">my link</a>

Nofollow links communicate to Google that they should not pass any link juice and should be ignored. However, this doesn’t diminish the importance of Nofollow links entirely. Even though they don’t contribute to passing link juice, Nofollow links can still generate traffic. For instance, links on platforms like Twitter use the nofollow attribute. While they don’t boost SEO directly, they remain valuable for driving traffic.

Building a balanced backlink profile that includes both Dofollow and Nofollow links is a wise and safe approach. It ensures a diverse link portfolio, contributing to a more robust SEO strategy. If you’re interested in identifying whether a link is Dofollow or Nofollow, check out this post for some easy methods.

16. Add Interlinks

Adding interlinks to your WordPress site is a valuable strategy for enhancing user experience and optimizing your SEO. Interlinks are essentially links that connect one page or post on your site to another page or post within the same site. Here’s why they are crucial:

1. Navigation and Time on Site: Interlinks assist users in navigating within your website, encouraging them to explore more content. This not only enhances user experience but also increases the time visitors spend on your site.

2. Hierarchy and Structure: By linking to other relevant content, interlinks help establish a hierarchy of information and structure on your site. This can improve the organization and accessibility of your content.

3. Spread of Link Juice: Internal links contribute to spreading link juice throughout your website. Since they are usually Dofollow, they pass authority and relevance from one page to another, benefiting your overall SEO.

It’s considered a best practice to include 3-5 internal links in each post or page you create, and potentially more depending on the length of your content. Here’s a simple guide on how to add an interlink:

Step 1: To create a hyperlink, click on the link button at the top of the visual editor or highlight the word and press CTRL + K. Then, click on “Link options.” and click “Add Link.”

Step 2: Select the recent article or relevant content you want to link to and complete the linking process.

Interlinking is not only beneficial for SEO but also enhances the overall user journey on your site. It’s an essential practice for content creators looking to improve engagement and create a well-connected website.

17. Incorporate High Domain Authority External Links

Just as interlinks play a crucial role, integrating external links to high domain authority sites is equally beneficial for your WordPress SEO. This practice signals to Google that your content is connected to reputable sources, enhancing your credibility and providing users with additional valuable information.

Here’s why and how to add high domain authority external links to your content:

1. SEO Boost and Enhanced User Experience: Including external links to high-quality content indicates to Google that your site is a valuable resource linking to other authoritative sources. This not only strengthens your SEO but also enriches the user experience by offering supplementary insights.
2. Opportunity for Engagement: External links can be a strategic way to initiate conversations with other brands. After linking to another company in your post, reaching out via email or social media can lead to potential shares. If the linked company shares your content on their platforms, it translates to free, instant traffic for you.
3. Recommendation: We recommend adding a minimum of 2 high domain authority external links within your content. To ensure that users remain on your site after clicking external links, consider making the links open in a new tab or window. While some may prefer otherwise, this approach can prompt users to return and explore more of your content.

How to Open Links in a New Tab:

Step 1: Create a hyperlink by clicking on the link button at the top of the visual editor or by highlighting the word and pressing CTRL + K. Enter the external URL and click on “Link options.”

Step 2: Select “Open link in a new tab.” This action adds the HTML equivalent of target=”_blank” to your posts, ensuring that external links open in a new tab.

This simple yet effective strategy not only contributes to your site’s SEO but also fosters engagement and collaboration within your niche.

17. Boost SEO with High Domain Authority External Links

In addition to incorporating internal links, enhancing your WordPress SEO involves adding external links to high domain authority sites. This strategic move not only signals to Google that you’re connecting to top-notch content related to yours but also improves the user experience by offering valuable additional information.

Beyond SEO benefits, linking to high domain authority sites can initiate meaningful conversations with other brands. After linking to a company in your post, consider reaching out via email or social media, politely asking for a share. If they promote your content on their platforms, you gain instant free traffic—a tactic that often proves effective.

Here’s a quick guide on how to integrate high domain authority external links into your content:

Step 1: Create a hyperlink by clicking on the link button at the top of the visual editor, or highlight the word and press CTRL + K. Enter the external URL and click on “Link options.”

Step 2: Select “Open link in a new tab.” This automatically adds the HTML equivalent of target=”_blank” to your posts.

By adding at least 2 high domain authority external links and making them open in new tabs, you not only enrich your content but also encourage users to return to your site later. It’s a subtle strategy to balance user experience with outbound linking practices. Many bloggers choose to set external links to open in new tabs while allowing internal links to open directly.

19. Sitemaps for Better SEO

Sitemaps serve as valuable guides for search engines like Google, Bing, and Yandex, offering a clear view of your WordPress site’s hierarchy and structure, aiding in more efficient crawling. While not mandatory for search engine crawling, creating a sitemap provides additional reporting data about your site. We strongly recommend utilizing a sitemap file, and the Yoast SEO plugin simplifies this process by automatically generating it for you. Here’s how to enable or verify this feature:

Step 1:
Navigate to “XML Sitemaps” under the Yoast SEO options and activate the XML sitemap functionality.

Step 2:
To ensure your XML sitemap file is being created, click on the XML Sitemap button. It will launch the file itself, typically located at the root of your domain (e.g., http://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml).

Check that it looks similar to the example above. In our subsequent discussion, we’ll delve into submitting this file to Google and Bing for faster indexing and crawling.

Using sitemaps provides search engines with a structured map of your content, improving their understanding of your site’s organization. This, in turn, contributes to more effective crawling and potentially better visibility in search results.

20. Google Search Console: Submitting Your Sitemap

Now that you have your XML sitemap file, it’s a wise move to submit it to Google Search Console. This grants you access to additional data on the status of your WordPress site. Assuming you already have a Google Search Console account, follow these steps:

1. In Google Search Console, go to “Sitemaps” under the Crawl section.
2. Click on “Add/Test Sitemap.”
3. Input the location of your sitemap file, set up in the previous step, and click “Submit.”
4. The interface will display the number of pages/posts submitted and the ones actually indexed. Google will automatically crawl your sitemap file regularly.

21. Submit Sitemap to Bing Webmaster Tools

Similar to Google Search Console, it’s advisable to submit your WordPress site to Bing Webmaster Tools for comprehensive insights. Follow the steps outlined in this in-depth tutorial on submitting your website to Bing.

22. Submit Sitemap to Yandex Webmaster Tools

For global traffic, consider submitting your WordPress site to Yandex, a Russian search engine. While it may not be as widely used as Google, it can still impact your visibility. Explore this in-depth tutorial on submitting your website to Yandex.

23. Force Crawl for Faster Indexing

Typically, Google determines the crawl rate for indexing your content, which could take minutes, hours, or days. However, here’s a nifty trick to index your content instantly in Google and Bing, offering a quicker gauge of your SERP standings against competitors.

These steps, coupled with a strategic use of sitemaps and integration with search engine tools, contribute to a well-optimized WordPress site that stands out in search results.

Force Crawl in Google Search Console

To Force the immediate crawl of a WordPress post or page in Google Search Console, follow these steps:

1. Click into the “Fetch as Google” option under Crawl in Google Search Console.
2. Input the URL of the post or page.
3. Click on “Fetch.”

4. Then click on “Request Indexing,” and your URL will be sent for indexing in SERPs. It’s important to note that while Google doesn’t guarantee instant indexing, in practical tests, this method has proven effective. For faster indexing, ensure your WordPress site loads quickly and nothing impedes Google’s crawling.

Force Crawl in Bing Webmaster Tools

You can execute a similar process in Bing Webmaster Tools:

1. Click into “Submit URLs” under Configure My Site.
2. Input the URL.
3. Click “Submit.”

24. The Power of Social Signals

The impact of social signals, such as tweets, shares, and upvotes, on WordPress SEO is not entirely straightforward. While it’s not a definitive factor, we’ve observed firsthand that social signals can temporarily influence SERP rankings. Platforms like Reddit and Y Combinator, when a post trends, can propel it to page one on Google. After the trend subsides, rankings may fluctuate before settling into a more stable position.

The theory behind this phenomenon is that the influx of traffic and social signals signals to Google that the page is highly relevant, leading to a temporary boost in SERP rankings. While there may be debates among SEOs about the lasting impact of social signals, our observations suggest that a surge in social traffic can indeed elevate a post’s search rankings in the short term.

In the example above, a post with decent keyword volume skyrocketed in SERPs the day after receiving significant social traffic. This demonstrates the potential influence of social signals on search engine rankings, even if the effect is not permanent. Subsequent optimization efforts may be needed to maintain or improve the post’s ranking over time.

25. The Power of Keyword Research

91.5% of users never scroll past the first page of results, keywords remain a vital factor. Google, being a computer algorithm, relies on certain criteria to calculate rankings, and keywords play a substantial role in this process. Let’s explore the significance of keyword research with a real-world example:

Client Success Story:

Consider a client’s website initiated in October 2015. In less than a year, they transformed their site into a property that now draws over 120,000 organic visitors monthly, with only 2-3 hours of weekly effort. The secret? They identified a lucrative niche and executed strategic keyword research.

There are several excellent tools available for effective keyword research, with favorites including KWFinder, SEMrush, and Ahrefs. The key is to pinpoint keywords with substantial search volume without opting for overly competitive terms.

Pro Tip:

• Write Naturally, Write Smart: Avoid making assumptions about search behavior. Craft content that is natural yet strategically aligned with keywords.
• Multilingual SEO: Don’t overlook the potential of keywords in other languages. In many cases, keywords in non-English languages are less competitive. While the English market is saturated, exploring keywords in other languages can unveil untapped opportunities.

Example:
In English, the term “marketing strategies” yields around 40,000 searches per month. However, it is highly competitive, going against established domains with high authority. A smart approach involves choosing keywords that strike a balance between search volume and competition.

Keyword research is a dynamic process that empowers your content to resonate with search algorithms and user intent. It’s the foundation upon which successful SEO strategies are built, ensuring your content is discoverable and ranks prominently in search results.

Keyword Volume Beyond English: Unleashing Opportunities

Exploring the same concept in a different language, let’s take the term “estrategias de marketing” in Spanish. While it may not boast the same search volume as its English counterpart, with approximately 15,000 searches per month, the competitive difficulty is notably lower. The domains you’d be up against typically have a domain authority under 40, making it a more manageable target. This highlights a key insight: keywords in other languages often present opportunities with less intense competition.

When delving into SEO strategies for languages beyond English, you’ll discover that certain search terms are inherently more accessible and easier to rank for. This opens up a realm of possibilities for capturing specific language markets and reaching diverse audiences.

26. Building Backlinks

Backlinks remain a formidable force. Google utilizes backlinks to pass link juice, as discussed earlier, and to signify that another relevant or important site endorses similar information. Contrary to some perceptions, high domain authority sites linking to you carry substantial weight. A comprehensive analysis by Brian Dean at Backlinko, based on over one million search results, concluded that backlinks continue to be a crucial ranking factor.

A positive indicator is witnessing an upward trend in the number of referring domains linking to your site. Brian’s study highlighted that the number of unique referring domains demonstrated the strongest correlation with higher rankings. Websites with more referring domains tended to secure higher positions in search results.

Matthew Barby conducted a separate analysis of one million URLs, reaffirming the significance of backlinks. On average, the top two results on Google’s first page possessed 38% of all the backlinks from pages on that page.

To gain valuable insights into your backlink profile, consider using tools like Ahrefs. This tool offers a comprehensive overview, including the total number of backlinks, referring domains, organic keywords, and more. The “new backlinks” feature allows you to track when new websites link to your WordPress site, enhancing your understanding of your site’s growth.

Pro Tip:
Support the content shared by those linking to you. Sharing their content builds social signals for their page, contributing to higher page authority. Don’t hesitate to reach out to other bloggers, requesting mentions of your outstanding posts on their blogs.

27. WordPress SEO HTTPS Advantage

Google has officially designated HTTPS as a ranking factor. Although it may be a relatively small factor now, leveraging every advantage to surpass competitors in SERPs is crucial. As Google continues to push for widespread HTTPS adoption, the impact of this ranking factor is likely to grow in the future. Matthew Barby’s analysis of one million URLs revealed that over 33% of all pages ranking in the top three on Google use HTTPS.

Embracing HTTPS not only aligns with Google’s recommendations but also contributes to a more secure and trustworthy user experience. As the significance of HTTPS in SEO continues to rise, making the switch becomes a strategic move to enhance your site’s overall performance and standing in search results.

Further Reading:
For a deeper exploration of the impact of TLS/SSL on rankings, check out this informative article on the TLS/SSL impact on rankings.

27. SEO and HTTPS

Consider this compelling data point in the SEO landscape: Matthew Barby’s analysis of one million URLs revealed that over 33% of pages ranking 1, 2, or 3 on Google utilize HTTPS.

This underscores the significance of embracing HTTPS for your WordPress site. It’s not merely a recommendation from Google but a strategic move to enhance your site’s security, user trust, and overall SEO performance. The shift to HTTPS aligns with the evolving standards of online security and contributes to a more robust online presence.

28. Schema Markup: Elevate Your Presence in SERPs

You may have come across the terms “schema markup” or “structured markup” in discussions about SEO. What exactly is schema markup? In simple terms, it’s additional code that assists search engines, like Google, in delivering richer and more accurate data to visitors. Those stars you see next to a review in SERPs? They are a direct outcome of schema markup. Integrating schema markup not only secures special spots in SERPs but also leads to a substantial increase in Click-Through Rate (CTR).

The Power of Stars in SERPs:
According to a study by the CXL Institute, companies that incorporated stars for reviews experienced a significantly higher organic SERP Click-Through Rate, up to 35%. The conclusion drawn was that utilizing schema markup, particularly for reviews, yields demonstrable improvements in search result visibility and user engagement.

While many WordPress themes come equipped with schema markup, it’s crucial to verify its presence. You can use the Google Structured Data Testing tool to check your website or blog post. Ideally, you want to see zero errors and relevant data displayed on the right-hand side. If it’s blank, it indicates that your WordPress site lacks schema markup.

Adding Schema Markup to Your WordPress Site

To seamlessly incorporate schema markup into your WordPress site, we recommend using the free Schema plugin. This plugin automates the process of adding the necessary markup, streamlining the implementation of schema on your site. Once installed, you can run another test using Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool to ensure the correct application of schema markup.

Let’s talk about Social Markup – a companion to schema markup, playing a crucial role in how your content appears on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. You’ve likely noticed those eye-catching thumbnails that pop up when you share a blog post from your WordPress site on social media; well, those are a result of social markup. Luckily, these SEO plugins makes managing this easy.

These plugins does the heavy lifting by adding the essential social markup for you. While the precise impact of social markup on WordPress SEO remains a bit mysterious, it’s a good practice to inform Google about the social media profiles linked to your brand. A little heads-up to the search giant can go a long way.

Our recommendation? Dive into the “Social” options in these SEO plugins and fill in all the details. Take control of elements such as the default thumbnail that appears when your website is shared and the type of thumbnail Twitter uses. These seemingly small adjustments can enhance the visual appeal and engagement of your content across various social media platforms.

Let’s dive into a couple more essential aspects of WordPress SEO.

30. Last Updated Date in SERPs

The debate around showing dates on your WordPress posts is quite lively. Some wonder whether displaying dates might influence rankings in some way, directly or indirectly. There’s an interesting case where reverting to an old publish date impacted rankings for a high-volume, high-competition keyword. Simply fixing the date led to an improvement in rankings.

The decision to showcase dates or switch them to “Last Updated” depends on your site’s nature. For sites with a lot of evergreen content, opting for “Last Updated” makes sense. At Kinsta, we use this approach, especially since we invest considerable time in updating older content.

Here’s how you can implement this:

Step 1: Depending on your WordPress theme, edit your single.php file and locate:

<?php the_time('F j Y'); ?>

Step 2: Replace the above code with:

Last updated on <time datetime="<?php the_modified_time('Y-m-d'); ?>"><?php the_modified_time('F jS, Y'); ?></time>

This adjustment ensures that your blog posts display a “last updated” date. It’s Google Structured Data Testing tool validated, and the updated date appears in SERPs. This can boost your Click-Through Rate (CTR), as illustrated in the example where Google recognizes recent updates.

Remember: Genuine updates matter. Trying to trick Google by faking dates might cost you the ability to display those date bylines.

31. Evergreen Content

Evergreen content holds significant weight in WordPress SEO and long-term organic traffic. This type of content remains relevant regardless of when it’s read. While publishing evergreen content, periodic updates are essential, given that most industries undergo slight changes over time. The power of evergreen content lies in its shareability, enabling continuous backlink and social signal accumulation.

Given the choice between evergreen content and news, the long-term play is a wise choice.

32. Google Knowledge Graph

Ever seen that information box atop Google search results? That’s the Google Knowledge Graph or featured snippets. Having this means you can potentially rank twice for the same keyword in SERPs. While there’s no guaranteed recipe, incorporating schema markup and using headers and bullet lists as intended could increase your chances. Organize your posts with proper markup, and you’re on the right track toward securing that coveted featured snippet.

33. Negative SEO

Understanding and addressing negative SEO is crucial, as it’s a facet that often catches people off guard. Typically, in SEO, the aim is to gather backlinks from others to bolster your domain and page authority through the transfer of link juice. However, this strategy can be turned against you. Ryan Sullivan explores this in-depth in his article, “Negative SEO: Destroying Businesses One Spammy Backlink at a Time.”

Monitoring your backlink profile becomes paramount in ensuring that no negative SEO tactics are being employed against your business. There are instances where businesses woke up to over 200,000 harmful backlinks, laden with unrelated terms like viagra and pharmacy, after being targeted. Dealing with such an onslaught can be a prolonged and arduous process, as exemplified by a case that took over two years to rectify.

While it may seem unfair that you can’t prevent someone from creating harmful backlinks to your site, Google offers a solution—the Disavow tool. This tool empowers you to create a list of domains you want Google to ignore, providing a means to protect your website. Our in-depth post on how we tackled a negative SEO attack on Designtalks.co.za sheds light on effective strategies.

34. Claim Social Profiles

A simple yet effective tip is to promptly claim all your social media profiles, ideally right after launching your website. While most backlinks from social media profiles are nofollow, they can significantly boost your website’s traffic. Additionally, social media profile pages often rank well in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), offering valuable visibility for your brand.

For instance, a search for “Designtalks” reveals that our Facebook page and Twitter profile grace the first page of Google results, while our LinkedIn company page takes a prominent position on the second page. Utilizing social media profiles is a nearly instant win for brand visibility, requiring minimal effort on your part. Tools like Namechk can assist you in checking name availability across various social media networks—make sure to claim yours today!

33. Negative SEO

Negative SEO is a critical topic often overlooked, creating potential havoc for those unfamiliar with how to combat it. In standard SEO, acquiring backlinks from other sites is a common strategy, fostering domain and page authority through link juice. However, this tactic can be manipulated to harm your website, as explained in Ryan Sullivan’s article, “Negative SEO: Destroying Businesses One Spammy Backlink at a Time.”

Vigilantly monitoring your backlink profile is crucial. This is the only way to ensure that no negative SEO is undermining your business. Imagine waking up to over 200,000 harmful backlinks, laden with viagra and pharmacy terms, as happened to a targeted business. The cleanup process took more than two years, underscoring the severity of negative SEO.

While it may seem unfair that you can’t prevent someone from creating harmful backlinks, Google provides a lifeline: the Disavow tool. This tool empowers you to create a list of domains that you want Google to disregard, offering a means of protection. Our detailed post on how we tackled a negative SEO attack on Designtalks.co.za provides insights into dealing with such challenges.

34. Claim Social Profiles

An often overlooked but potent tip is to promptly claim all your social media profiles after launching your website. Although most backlinks from social media are nofollow, they can significantly boost your website’s traffic. Moreover, social media profiles themselves rank impressively well in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), making them invaluable for branding.

Consider Designtalks as an example. A quick Google search for our name reveals that our Facebook page and Twitter profile grace the first page, while our LinkedIn company page takes the lead on the second. Leveraging social media profiles is a nearly instant win for your brand and demands minimal effort.

To simplify the process, tools like Namechk allow you to check name availability across various social media networks. Claiming your profiles across platforms today can pay off immensely in terms of brand visibility.

35. Local SEO

Local SEO is a vast realm, and there’s more to it than we can cover in this post. However, here are some quick tips for local businesses: immediately register your site with Google My Business and Bing Places. Both platforms offer free registration, enhancing your visibility in local Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). For instance, searching for “organic Italian” food returned Picazzo’s, a local Italian eatery, at the top of the list.

For a more in-depth understanding, check out TheSiteEdge’s comprehensive local SEO guide. It’s a valuable resource to kickstart your local SEO efforts and stay ahead of local competition.

36. Google Image Search

Setting up your Google Search Console account and submitting your sitemap file, as discussed earlier, has a significant benefit—you can monitor the index status of your images in Google Image Search. Traffic from images can accumulate over time, so it’s crucial to ensure your images are indexed. According to Jumpshot’s data, Google Images comprised over 22% of web searches in 2018.

Navigate to “Sitemap” under the Crawl section in Google Search Console to check the status.

Additionally, when moving to a Content Delivery Network (CDN), make sure your images still index with Google. If you use the Yoast SEO plugin, add the following code to the bottom of your functions.php file, replacing the domain and CDN domain with your own:

function wpseo_cdn_filter( $uri ) {
    return str_replace( 'http://yourdomain.com', 'http://cdn.yourdomain.com', $uri );
}
add_filter( 'wpseo_xml_sitemap_img_src', 'wpseo_cdn_filter' );

Failure to do this might lead to image de-indexing, as seen in the example. You can always check this in Google Search Console.

In September 2018, Google altered its image search algorithm, giving priority to freshness, ranking images higher on pages, and placing greater importance on topical authority. Stay updated with these changes to optimize your presence in Google Image Search.

39. Website Speed

The speed of your website is a crucial factor in WordPress SEO, a fact that Google emphasized as early as 2010. Why does it matter to Google? Because it matters to your visitors! Consider these stats:

• 1 in 4 visitors would abandon a website if it takes more than 4 seconds to load.
• 46 percent of users don’t revisit poorly performing websites.
• Website owners have a mere 5 seconds to engage visitors before they consider leaving.
• 74 percent of users accessing the mobile site would leave if it takes longer than 5 seconds to load.
• Every one-second delay in page load time could lead to $1.6 billion in annual losses for online merchants, as significant as Amazon.

To address this, consider using a fast managed WordPress host like Designtalks, implement a Content Delivery Network (CDN), and optimize your site accordingly.

Link to example: Domain Authority – What It Is

40. Fix Broken Links

Nobody likes broken links, and Google is no exception. To fix broken links on your WordPress site, check Google Search Console. Navigate to “Crawl Errors” under the Crawl section to identify not-found errors. Click on each error to locate the broken link.

While there are plugins for WordPress to fix broken links, we don’t recommend them as they can impact your site’s performance. Instead, do a one-time scan using a free online tool like Online Broken Link Checker or use a site audit tool, as we’ll discuss below.

41. WordPress SEO Audits

Conducting a WordPress SEO audit is an instant way to assess your site’s optimization. There are both free and premium tools available. SeoSiteCheckup is an excellent free tool with over 50 checks to evaluate your performance. Varvy offers a comprehensive SEO tool, checking Googlebot access, mobile usability, security, accessibility, pagespeed, and more.

For more advanced features, SEMrush, a premium service, provides a great SEO audit tool. It identifies missing ALT tags, pages with a low text-HTML ratio, and low word counts. While these tools serve as a fundamental starting point, they can provide valuable insights into your site’s SEO health.

42. Mobile Usability

Google’s recent announcement about mobile-first indexing signifies a significant shift in how their algorithms will prioritize the mobile version of a site’s content for ranking. This underscores the growing importance of mobile compatibility. If your site isn’t responsive yet, it’s crucial to prioritize this immediately. Google’s mobile-friendly tool can help you determine if your current WordPress site passes the test.

Consider implementing Google AMP, an open framework enabling websites to create lightweight webpages. However, AMP isn’t universally suitable; explore our AMP case study to understand why we removed it from our site.

Always check Google Analytics to assess the traffic your site receives from mobile devices. This data guides you in determining the priority you should assign to mobile optimization.

43. WordPress Categories

While optional, indexing categories in Google can enhance content relevance, boost page rank, increase traffic, and improve WordPress SEO. Many WordPress themes don’t display category descriptions by default. Follow these steps to index your categories and display them on your site.

Step 1: Verify that your categories will rank and show in Google. In Yoast SEO options, click “Titles & Meta,” go to the “Taxonomies” tab, and ensure that the meta robots setting for “Categories” is set to index.

Step 2: If your WordPress theme doesn’t display category descriptions on the front-end, use the following code and add it to the top of your archive.php file. Note that this may vary based on your current theme.

<div><?php echo category_description(); ?></div>

Step 3: Enter your category description under the specific Post category you want to index.

44. Google Analytics

To gauge the effectiveness of your WordPress SEO efforts over time, it’s crucial to set up a free account with Google Analytics. If you need assistance, follow this step-by-step integration tutorial. One of the first tasks is to link your Google Analytics account with your Google Search Console account. In your domain’s property settings, navigate to Search Console Settings, and follow the prompts to link them up.

This addition will provide an extra section in your Google Analytics account, enabling you to view search queries and identify your top-performing landing pages.

Pay attention to the “Organic Search” channel under acquisition. This reflects traffic from search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.

45. Track Keyword Rankings

Lastly, tracking your keyword rankings is essential. This allows you to monitor the progress of your “focus keywords” in your SEO campaigns. If you invest time in optimizing your posts, it’s equally important to monitor their long-term progress. A successful strategy is to focus on keywords lingering at the top of the second page on Google. Invest effort in enhancing these pages – add content, images, build backlinks, etc. Soon enough, you’ll find your content reaching the coveted first page.

We highly recommend using AccuRanker, an excellent tool developed by a skilled team.

Further Reading

For a comprehensive understanding of SEO, both on-page and off-page optimizations are crucial. We’ve covered some of each above, all of which are highly important.

Related Post: Pro SEO Tips to Rank Your Website Number One on Google

Related Post: Blog Boost 101 Using Social Media for Traffic Growth

Related Post: Your In-Depth Manual to 55 SEO Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

The article presents an extensive guide on optimizing WordPress websites for search engines, offering 45+ actionable SEO tips to enhance organic traffic. It stresses the continued importance of SEO despite evolving strategies, despite of some people believe “SEO is dead.. The emphasis is on businesses adapting new and unique approaches to stay competitive in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).

Key takeaways from the article include the significance of organic search for many startups and blogs, highlighting its continued relevance. The provided WordPress SEO checklist covers a wide array of aspects, ranging from content optimization and keyword usage to technical considerations like site speed and mobile responsiveness.

The comprehensive nature of the checklist caters to both beginners and experienced users, providing insights into various facets of SEO. By incorporating these tips, businesses can potentially increase their website traffic and outperform competitors in the in the search results. Overall, the article serves as a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their WordPress site’s visibility and ranking in search engines.

Managing your WordPress site, there’s a multitude of SEO factors to consider. For newcomers, the complexity can be overwhelming, given the nature of SEO. The checklist and tips provided above aim to guide you through this challenge. If there are additional crucial tips we might have overlooked or if you have any questions, feel free to let us know below.