31 SEO for WordPress Tips You Must Follow

Having a robust online presence is crucial. This comprehensive guide is designed to be your ally in enhancing your WordPress site’s search engine optimization (SEO). It gets into the essentials of creating a website that not only attracts visitors but also keeps them engaged.

From selecting the right hosting provider to fine-tuning your site’s structure, each section of this guide is meticulously crafted to provide actionable insights into the complex world of SEO. Whether you’re a seasoned webmaster or just starting, this guide will equip you with the knowledge and tools to ensure SEO for WordPress is at the same playing field as others.

31 SEO for WordPress Tips

Here’s a comprehensive guide to enhance your WordPress SEO:

1. Choosing a Quality Hosting Provider

Selecting the right hosting provider is foundational for SEO. A good hosting service ensures high site speed, essential since Google’s algorithm considers page load time. Uptime is another crucial factor; frequent downtimes harm your site’s reputation and rankings. Security is equally important, as Google penalizes sites that get compromised. Look for hosts offering WordPress-optimized services, as they provide better integration and support for the CMS. The server’s location also affects speed – choose a host with servers near your target audience to reduce latency. Lastly, consider hosts that offer free SSL certificates, as HTTPS is a ranking factor.

How-to

• Research and compare hosting providers focusing on their uptime records, speed performance, compatibility with WordPress, and customer support quality.
• Ensure they offer SSL certificates and consider server locations relative to your target audience.
• Check reviews and possibly consult with other WordPress users for recommendations.
• Once chosen, follow the provider’s process for setting up your WordPress hosting.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Selecting a hosting provider with a proven track record of high uptime, fast loading speeds, and excellent customer support.
• Bad: Opting for the cheapest option without considering performance and reliability, leading to frequent downtimes and slow site speed.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Regularly monitor your website’s performance metrics like load times and uptime.
• Reoptimization: If you notice a decline in performance or an increase in downtime, consider switching to a more reliable host. Evaluate new providers based on current user reviews and updated performance data.

2. Selecting an SEO-Friendly WordPress Theme

Your theme determines your site’s look, feel, and to some extent, its speed – a key ranking factor. A theme cluttered with unnecessary features can slow down your site. Choose themes tested for speed and coded for performance. Lightweight themes contribute to faster page loading, enhancing user experience and SEO. Ensure the theme is responsive, as Google prioritizes mobile-friendly sites. Additionally, consider themes with built-in SEO features, like proper heading tags and schema markup support.

How-to

• Browse the WordPress theme library or reputable theme shops.
• Test potential themes using Google PageSpeed Insights to ensure they are optimized for speed.
• Ensure the theme is mobile-responsive and supports essential SEO features like proper heading tags.
• Install and activate the chosen theme in your WordPress dashboard.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Choosing a lightweight, mobile-responsive theme that is frequently updated and well-rated by users.
• Bad: Using a bloated theme with unnecessary features and poor coding, resulting in slow load times and mobile incompatibility.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Regularly check for theme updates and ensure compatibility with the latest version of WordPress.
• Reoptimization: If your theme becomes outdated or starts slowing down your site, consider switching to a more updated, lightweight theme. Before switching, run a staging site to test the new theme’s performance and compatibility with existing plugins.

3. Implementing SSL Certificate

SSL certificates encrypt data between the user’s browser and your server, enhancing security. Google uses HTTPS as a ranking signal, so having an SSL certificate can give you an SEO edge. Most hosting providers offer free SSL certificates, making implementation straightforward. Remember, user trust increases on secure sites, which can indirectly boost your SEO through improved engagement metrics.

How-to

• Most hosting providers offer an easy SSL certificate installation process through their admin panel.
• Install the SSL certificate, often a simple one-click process.
• Use a plugin like ‘Really Simple SSL’ to enforce HTTPS across your site.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Utilizing your hosting’s one-click SSL certificate installation and ensuring your site fully operates under HTTPS.
• Bad: Not installing an SSL certificate, leaving your site unsecured and potentially being penalized in search rankings.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Ensure your SSL certificate remains valid and renew it before it expires.
• Reoptimization: If SSL issues arise (like mixed content warnings), use tools like ‘Really Simple SSL’ to identify and fix these problems. Regularly test your site to ensure HTTPS is correctly implemented across all pages.

4. Choosing Between WWW and Non-WWW

The choice between www and non-www URLs is more about personal preference and brand identity than SEO. However, consistency is key. Inconsistent URL formats can lead to duplicate content issues, diluting your SEO efforts. Choose one format and stick to it, ensuring you set up proper redirects to maintain link equity.

How-to

• Decide between using www or non-www in your site’s URL.
• Configure your preferred format in WordPress by going to Settings > General and updating the ‘WordPress Address’ and ‘Site Address’ fields.
• Set up proper redirects from the non-preferred to the preferred version.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Consistently using either www or non-www across your entire site and setting up proper redirects.
• Bad: Inconsistently using both www and non-www versions without redirection, causing duplicate content issues.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Consistently monitor for URL consistency across your website.
• Reoptimization: If you decide to change from www to non-www (or vice versa), ensure proper 301 redirects are in place to maintain link equity. Use tools like Screaming Frog to audit your site for URL format consistency.

5. Ensuring Website Indexability

For your content to appear in search results, your site must be indexable. The ‘Search Engine Visibility’ setting in WordPress should be unchecked to allow search engine bots to crawl your site. Use tools like Google Search Console to monitor your site’s indexing status. Regularly check for crawl errors and fix them to ensure all your important pages are indexed.

How-to

• In your WordPress dashboard, go to Settings > Reading.
• Ensure the box next to “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” is unchecked.
• Use Google Search Console to verify your site and monitor its index status.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Making sure your WordPress ‘Search engine visibility’ setting is unchecked and regularly monitoring Google Search Console for indexing status.
• Bad: Accidentally leaving the ‘Discourage search engines from indexing this site’ option checked, leading to your site not being indexed.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Periodically check Google Search Console for crawl errors or issues with indexation.
• Reoptimization: If you notice a drop in indexed pages, investigate the cause (e.g., accidental noindex tags, crawl errors) and resolve these issues. Regularly update your XML sitemap and resubmit it if significant changes are made to your site structure.

6. Enabling SEO-Friendly Permalinks

Default WordPress permalinks are not descriptive and poor for SEO. Changing to a ‘Post name’ structure makes URLs readable and informative, both to users and search engines. Include relevant keywords in your permalinks to improve your content’s relevancy signal.

How-to

• Navigate to Settings > Permalinks in your WordPress dashboard.
• Select the ‘Post name’ option for clean and descriptive URLs.
• Save the changes to apply this structure site-wide.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Using the ‘Post name’ permalink structure for clear, readable URLs.
• Bad: Sticking with the default ‘Plain’ permalink structure, leading to non-descriptive URLs (e.g., yoursite.com/?p=123).

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Regularly check for permalink consistency in new posts or pages.
• Reoptimization: If you need to change your permalink structure, do it cautiously. Set up proper redirects for old URLs to new ones. This is crucial to avoid 404 errors and maintain search rankings.

7. Use a WordPress SEO Plugin

SEO plugins streamline the optimization process. They offer features like sitemap generation, readability checks, content analysis, and more. Plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math provide a user-friendly interface to manage these tasks. They also help in optimizing meta tags and titles, crucial for on-page SEO.

How-to

• Choose an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO, Rank Math, or All in One SEO.
• Install and activate the plugin through the Plugins section of your WordPress dashboard.
• Follow the plugin setup wizard to configure basic SEO settings.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Installing a comprehensive SEO plugin like Yoast SEO and properly configuring it according to your site’s needs.
• Bad: Overloading your site with multiple SEO plugins that overlap in functionality, causing conflicts and performance issues.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Keep your SEO plugin updated and regularly review its settings.
• Reoptimization: Periodically review your plugin’s performance. If a plugin is no longer meeting your needs due to changes in SEO trends or website requirements, consider switching to a more suitable plugin. Always back up your site before making major changes.

8. Submitting Your Sitemap to Google Search Console

Sitemaps guide search engines through your site’s structure, making it easier for them to crawl and index your pages. Submitting your sitemap to Google Search Console accelerates the indexing process and helps identify crawl errors. Regularly update your sitemap as you add or remove pages.

How-to

• Generate a sitemap with your SEO plugin.
• Locate the sitemap URL, typically in the format [yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml].
• Submit this URL in Google Search Console under the ‘Sitemaps’ section.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Regularly updating your sitemap and promptly submitting it to Google Search Console.
• Bad: Neglecting to submit a sitemap, making it harder for search engines to discover and index your content.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Update and resubmit your sitemap after significant changes to your site’s structure or content.
• Reoptimization: If you add new categories of content or restructure your site, regenerate and resubmit your sitemap. Use Google Search Console to monitor how effectively your site is being crawled and indexed.

9. Setting ‘Noindex’ for Unimportant Pages

Noindexing unimportant or duplicate pages like archives and tags can focus search engine crawlers on your more important content. It prevents dilution of your site’s keyword relevance and improves crawl efficiency. Use an SEO plugin to set these pages to ‘noindex’.

How-to

• Use your SEO plugin to access indexing settings.
• Apply ‘noindex’ tags to pages like admin login, archives, and certain taxonomies that don’t need to be in search engine results.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Setting ‘noindex’ for pages that don’t add value to search engines, like admin pages, to focus crawl on important content.
• Bad: Incorrectly applying ‘noindex’ to important content pages, preventing them from appearing in search results.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Regularly review your site for any unintentionally noindexed important pages.
• Reoptimization: Use an SEO plugin to audit your site’s pages and ensure that only the appropriate pages are set to noindex. Adjust as necessary, especially when adding new types of content or restructuring your site.

10. Planning Website Architecture

A well-structured site architecture improves user experience and helps search engines understand your content hierarchy. Plan your navigation to reflect your site’s priorities and categorize content logically. This also aids in distributing page authority throughout your site, strengthening your internal linking structure.

How-to

• Sketch a hierarchy of your site’s pages and categories.
• Structure your main menu and navigation based on this plan.
• Ensure the site hierarchy is logical, with important pages no more than three clicks from the home page.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Designing a logical site structure where important pages are accessible within a few clicks. Clear, easy-to-understand main menu categories, such as “Products,” “Services,” “About Us,” “Blog.” Sub-categories under each main category are well-organized and relevant. For example, under “Products,” there might be “Men’s Clothing,” “Women’s Clothing,” “Accessories.”
• Bad: Having a confusing site layout where users and search engines struggle to find important content. The main menu is cluttered with too many categories or sub-categories, making it difficult to find specific information. Categories are not intuitively named, leaving the user guessing about where to find certain content.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Regularly review your site architecture for logical flow and ease of navigation.
• Reoptimization: If site navigation becomes confusing due to added content or new services, consider reorganizing your menu and page structure. Conduct user experience tests to identify navigational issues and rectify them.

11. Nesting Pages into Subfolders

Nesting related pages into subfolders creates a clear and logical URL structure. It helps search engines understand the relationship between different parts of your website. This structure mimics a filing system, intuitively grouping similar topics, which can improve user experience and site organization.

How-to

• Determine the logical groupings of your pages.
• In the WordPress page editor, use the ‘Parent’ attribute under ‘Page Attributes’ to nest pages under appropriate parent pages.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Organizing content into relevant subfolders for a clean URL structure (e.g., yoursite.com/services/digital-marketing).
• Bad: Using a flat URL structure that doesn’t indicate the site’s hierarchy (e.g., yoursite.com/digital-marketing).

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Consistently ensure new content is correctly nested within your site’s structure.
• Reoptimization: If your site expands significantly, reevaluate your URL structure. Ensure that new pages or categories are logically nested and accessible, and implement redirects where necessary for any major changes.

12. Designing an Easy-to-Navigate Menu

Menus are key navigation tools. A well-organized menu leads users effortlessly to important pages, improving engagement and reducing bounce rates. Use clear, descriptive labels for menu items and limit the number of menu options to prevent overwhelming users. Remember, a good user experience is a fundamental part of SEO.

Also, strategically placed footer links can significantly enhance both Google’s understanding of your site structure and user experience. Typically, visitors expect to find links to crucial pages like About, Contact, and Privacy Policy in the footer, so including them is beneficial.

How-to

• Go to Appearance > Menus in your WordPress dashboard.
• Create a new menu or edit an existing one, adding only the most essential items.
• Organize the menu items logically and use clear, descriptive labels.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Creating a concise menu with clear labels, guiding users smoothly to key areas of your site.
• Bad: Overloading the menu with too many items, causing confusion and poor user experience.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Regularly assess your menu for user-friendliness and logical flow.
• Reoptimization: Use analytics to determine how users navigate your site. If certain important pages have low traffic, consider their placement in your menu. Update the menu to highlight key areas based on user behavior and site growth.

13. Using Post Categories Correctly

Categories organize your content and help users find relevant information quickly. Use a reasonable number of broad categories to avoid dilution. Optimize each category page with unique metadata to make them more indexable. Well-managed categories can turn into valuable landing pages that attract traffic.

How-to

• Define a set of broad yet descriptive categories relevant to your content.
• Assign each post to an appropriate category through the post editor.
• Optimize each category page with unique metadata and descriptions.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Categorizing posts in a few broad yet descriptive categories and optimizing each category page. “Mobile Technology,” “Software Reviews,” “Gaming,” “Industry News”. Each post is carefully categorized into one of these broad yet distinct categories. For instance, a post about the latest smartphone release goes into “Mobile Technology,” while a post about a new video game review is placed under “Gaming.”
• Bad: Overusing categories with many similar ones, causing disorganization and dilution of content focus. Posts are often assigned to multiple overlapping categories like “Quick Recipes,” “Dinner Recipes,” and “Healthy Snacks,” causing confusion. A single recipe might fit into several categories, diluting the focus and making it hard for users to find specific content.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Regularly review categories for relevance and organization.
• Reoptimization: If certain categories become too broad or irrelevant, consider reorganizing or merging them. Use insights from analytics to understand which categories are most engaging to your audience.

14. Enabling Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs enhance navigation and contribute to a positive user experience. They offer users an easy way to trace their path back to your homepage and understand the structure of your site. Breadcrumbs also appear in search results, providing users with context about where the page sits within your site hierarchy.

How-to

• Use an SEO plugin like RankMath to enable breadcrumbs.
• Navigate to the plugin’s settings and find the breadcrumbs option.
• Customize the breadcrumbs settings and integrate them into your site’s design.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Implementing clear, hierarchical breadcrumbs that help users navigate your site. The breadcrumbs accurately reflect the structure of the site. For example, on a product page, the breadcrumbs might be “Home > Men’s Clothing > Jackets > Specific Jacket Model.” Each part of the breadcrumb is clickable, allowing users to easily navigate back to each previous step.
• Bad: Having misleading or broken breadcrumb links that lead to a poor user experience. Breadcrumbs that do not accurately represent the page hierarchy. For example, missing categories or showing a different category than the one the product belongs to. Breadcrumbs that are hard to find due to poor placement or inadequate contrast with the background.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Check that breadcrumbs are displaying correctly and accurately reflect the current page hierarchy.
• Reoptimization: If site restructuring occurs, update your breadcrumbs to match the new hierarchy. Ensure they remain user-friendly and accurate.

15. Conducting Keyword Research

Keyword research is the backbone of SEO strategy. Use tools to identify the terms your audience is searching for and the language they use. Look for a balance between high search volume and attainable competition. Understand search intent behind keywords to align your content with user needs.

How-to

• Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Semrush, or Ahrefs for keyword research.
• Identify keywords with a good balance of search volume and competition.
• Analyze search intent behind each keyword to ensure content alignment.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Using keyword research tools to find relevant, high-potential keywords for your audience.
• Bad: Guessing keywords without research or targeting highly competitive keywords without a strategy.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Continuously conduct keyword research to stay updated with trends and user search behavior.
• Reoptimization: Regularly update your content strategy based on new keywords or changes in search volume and competition. Use tools like Google Trends to stay ahead of shifts in user interest.

16. Creating High-Quality Content

Content is king in SEO. Create content that provides value, answers user queries, and engages your audience. Ensure it is well-researched, authoritative, and matches the search intent. Update content regularly to keep it relevant and fresh. Use multimedia to enhance user engagement and dwell time.

How-to

• Develop a content strategy based on your keyword research.
• Write informative, engaging, and original content that fulfills user search intent.
• Regularly update existing content to keep it relevant and fresh.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Producing original, informative content that answers user queries and is regularly updated.
• Bad: Publishing thin, duplicated, or outdated content that provides little value to the user.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Regularly update existing content to keep it current and relevant.
• Reoptimization: Analyze content performance using tools like Google Analytics. Refresh underperforming content with updated information, improved SEO, and enriched media. Adjust your content strategy based on engagement metrics and feedback.

17. Writing SEO-Friendly URLs

Keep URLs short, descriptive, and keyword-rich. Avoid using unnecessary parameters or numbers. A clear URL structure helps users and search engines understand the page content at a glance.

How-to

• When creating a new page or post, customize the URL slug to be concise and include the main keyword.
• Avoid using unnecessary parameters or overly long URLs.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Creating concise, descriptive URLs with relevant keywords.
• Bad: Using lengthy, vague URLs filled with numbers and special characters.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Monitor that all new URLs are descriptive, concise, and include relevant keywords.
• Reoptimization: If you need to update URLs, do so with care. Implement 301 redirects for any URL changes to maintain SEO value and user access.

18. Using Headers Correctly

Headers structure your content and make it scannable. They help search engines understand the hierarchy and relevance of your content. Use H1 for titles, and organize content logically under H2s, H3s, etc. Keep headers descriptive and include keywords where natural.

How-to

• Structure your content with clear hierarchy using H1 for titles and H2, H3, etc., for subheadings.
• Include keywords naturally in your headers where relevant.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Structuring content with a clear hierarchy using headers for readability and SEO. Headers are descriptive and give a clear idea about the content below. For example, H2 for “Essential Nutrients in a Balanced Diet.” Keywords are integrated naturally into headers where relevant, without forcing or stuffing them.
• Bad: Using headers inconsistently or skipping levels, which confuses both users and search engines. Skipping header levels, like jumping from H1 directly to H3, disrupting the logical flow. Vague headers that don’t provide clarity about the content that follows, such as “Section 1” or “Introduction.”

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Regularly review your content to ensure headers are used correctly and effectively for SEO and readability.
• Reoptimization: Revisit older content to improve header structure for better user engagement and SEO. Ensure headers are descriptive and include relevant keywords.

19. Optimizing Title Tags

Title tags are a major SEO element. They should be unique for each page, contain primary keywords, and be under 60 characters to ensure they display properly in search results. Engaging and descriptive titles improve click-through rates.

How-to

• Use your SEO plugin to customize the title tag of each page.
• Include primary keywords and keep the title under 60 characters.
• Ensure each title is unique and accurately describes the page content.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Writing unique, descriptive titles that include primary keywords and fit within the character limit.
• Bad: Using generic, overlong, or stuffed titles that don’t accurately describe the page’s content.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Consistently review title tags for relevance and effectiveness.
• Reoptimization: Update title tags based on performance data. If certain titles are underperforming in click-through rate, test different formulations to improve engagement.

20. Crafting Engaging Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions don’t directly impact rankings, but they influence click-through rates. Write compelling descriptions that summarize the page content and encourage clicks. Include target keywords and keep them under 160 characters.

How-to

• Write a unique meta description for each page in your site.
• Include the main keyword and make it action-oriented to encourage clicks.
• Keep it under 160 characters to avoid truncation in search results.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Creating unique, concise meta descriptions with a call to action, reflecting the content of each page.
• Bad: Writing vague, overlong meta descriptions or using the same description across multiple pages.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Review meta descriptions regularly to ensure they are compelling and accurate.
• Reoptimization: Revise meta descriptions based on page performance. Experiment with different calls to action or descriptions to improve click-through rates.

21. Including the Target Keyword in All Content

Incorporating your target keyword effectively in your content is a cornerstone of SEO strategy. The chosen keyword for your blog post or webpage should naturally weave into the text, signaling to search engines the relevance of your content to specific search queries.

How-to:

• Integrate the target keyword naturally within the content, ensuring it fits grammatically and contextually.
• Aim for a keyword density of around 0.5% of the total word count, using tools like the Yoast SEO plugin for guidance.
• Include the keyword in the introduction to immediately establish the content’s focus.
• Avoid keyword cannibalization by having unique keywords for each page or post.
• Employ synonyms and LSI keywords to enrich content and avoid repetitive usage.

Do’s and Don’ts:

• Good: Using the target keyword in a way that feels natural and enhances the reader’s understanding of the content.
• Bad: Overusing the keyword (keyword stuffing), which can lead to penalties from search engines and diminish the quality of the content for readers.

Maintenance and Reoptimization:

• Maintenance: Regularly review your content to ensure the keyword usage remains relevant and natural.
• Reoptimization: If updates to the content or shifts in keyword strategy occur, adjust the keyword placement and density accordingly. Use updated SEO tools to reassess the optimal frequency and placement of the keyword.

22. Implementing Effective Internal Linking

Internal links guide users to relevant content, increasing their time on site and reducing bounce rates. Use descriptive anchor text and link contextually to relevant pages. This also helps distribute page authority throughout your site.

How-to

• Regularly include links to your other content pages within your new posts.
• Use descriptive anchor text for these links.
• Review older content and update it with links to your newer pages where relevant.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Strategically placing relevant internal links with descriptive anchor text within content.
• Bad: Overloading a page with irrelevant internal links or using generic anchor text like ‘click here’.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Continuously add relevant internal links to new and existing content.
• Reoptimization: Audit your site to identify missed internal linking opportunities. Update older content with links to new relevant pages, and ensure all internal links are functional and relevant.

23. Adding Trusted External Links

External links are vital in providing your readers with additional, valuable resources, enhancing their understanding of your content. These links also assist search engines in grasping the thematic relevance of your article for targeted keywords.

However, just like internal links, external linking follows certain best practices. These links pass authority to the referred site, making it crucial to carefully select which pages or posts you link out to.

Crucially, the websites you reference should be authoritative and trustworthy within your industry. Ensure that their content is original, well-crafted, and aligns with your readers’ interests. It’s also advisable to investigate the author’s credentials to confirm their expertise in the subject matter.

How-to:

• Use tools like Moz’s Free Domain SEO Analysis to assess the domain authority of the sites you plan to link to.
• Verify the content’s freshness and relevance by checking its publication or last modification date.
• Ensure that the external content aligns with your audience’s interests and adds value to your article.

Do’s and Don’ts:

• Good: Link to content from reputable, high-authority sites that enrich your content.
• Bad: Link to outdated, low-authority, or irrelevant sites, as this can diminish your content’s credibility.

Maintenance and Reoptimization:

• Maintenance: Regularly review your external links to ensure they remain relevant, accurate, and functional.
• Reoptimization: Periodically update your external links, replacing outdated or underperforming links with more current and authoritative ones. Monitor changes in the domain authority of the sites you link to and adjust your external links accordingly.

24. Use Human-Readable File Names for Images

Use descriptive file names for images is a small yet significant step in optimizing your WordPress site for search engines. Just like alt text, a well-chosen file name can provide context to what the image represents, aiding search engines in understanding and categorizing your content. Instead of generic, ID-based tags like IMG_12345.jpg, opt for names that briefly describe the image and, if possible, include a relevant keyword. Google recommends using lowercase letters for file names and replacing spaces with hyphens to maintain clean, accessible URLs.

How-to

• Rename your image files before uploading them to WordPress, ensuring they briefly describe the image.
• Include a relevant keyword in the file name if it naturally fits.
• Follow Google’s best practices by using lowercase and hyphens to separate words in the file name.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Naming an image file “fresh-strawberry-pie.jpg” for a blog post about baking.
• Bad: Keeping a default camera name like DSC12345.jpg, which offers no description or context.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Regularly audit your site to ensure all uploaded images have descriptive, SEO-friendly file names.
• Reoptimization: Periodically review your most important pages’ images. If newer, more relevant keywords emerge or if the focus of the content shifts, consider updating the image file names to better reflect these changes, always ensuring proper redirects are in place to avoid broken links.

25. Writing Descriptive Image Alt Text

Alt text describes images for search engines and visually impaired users. Use concise, descriptive language that includes relevant keywords. Alt text improves accessibility and provides additional context to search engines.

How-to

• When uploading images, fill in the ‘Alt Text’ field with a concise description that includes relevant keywords.
• Ensure the alt text is contextually relevant to the image and the surrounding content.

• Good: Providing clear, concise alt text for images, including relevant keywords when appropriate. The alt text provides a clear and brief description of what the image depicts. For example, for an image of a person hiking, a good alt text would be “Hiker ascending a mountain trail at sunset.”
• Bad: Leaving alt text empty or stuffing it with irrelevant keywords. Leaving the alt text field blank. This is a missed opportunity for SEO and makes the content less accessible for visually impaired users. Alt text that is too generic, like “image” or “photo,” which doesn’t describe the image’s content or context.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Regularly check that all images have relevant, descriptive alt text.
• Reoptimization: Review and update alt text for improved accuracy and relevance, especially if images are replaced or content context changes.

26. Managing Comments Manually

Manual comment approval helps maintain the quality of your content and prevents spam. Engaging in comment sections can build a community and encourage repeat visits, indirectly boosting SEO through enhanced user engagement.

How-to

• In WordPress settings under Discussion, select the option to manually approve comments.
• Regularly review and approve comments that add value to your content.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Regularly reviewing and approving valuable, relevant user comments.
• Bad: Allowing auto-approval of comments, leading to spam and irrelevant content on your site.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Regularly monitor and approve user comments to maintain quality and relevance.
• Reoptimization: If comment quality decreases, consider updating your comment moderation policy or guidelines to maintain a constructive and valuable comments section.

27. Speeding Up Your Website

Do’s and Don’ts

Site speed is a direct ranking factor. Use caching, image optimization, and minimize HTTP requests to improve loading times. Regularly monitor your site’s speed using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and make necessary adjustments.

How-to

• Install a caching plugin like WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache or WP Super Cache.
• Consider using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) like Cloudflare.
• Optimize images and minify CSS and JavaScript files.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Implementing caching, optimizing images, and minimizing code to enhance site speed.
• Bad: Ignoring site performance issues, resulting in slow loading times and a poor user experience.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Regularly check site speed using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and monitor for any slowdowns.
• Reoptimization: If site speed decreases, investigate and rectify issues such as unoptimized images, bloated code, or slow plugins. Consider upgrading your hosting plan for better performance.

28. Optimizing Images

Optimize images for web use to reduce load times. Use appropriate file formats and compress images without losing quality. Properly sized images contribute to faster page loading, enhancing both user experience and SEO.

How-to

• Use image optimization plugins like Smush to compress and resize images.
• Choose the correct file formats (JPEG for photographs, PNG for graphics with transparency).
• Ensure images are appropriately sized for their display on your website.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Using compression tools to reduce image file sizes without losing quality.
• Bad: Uploading large images that slow down page loading times.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Continuously optimize new images for web use.
• Reoptimization: Periodically audit existing images for optimization. Reoptimize any images that are larger than necessary or not in the most efficient format.

29. Implementing Schema Markup

Schema markup helps search engines understand your content contextually. Implementing schema can result in rich snippets, which make your search results more appealing and informative. This can improve click-through rates and user experience.

How-to

• Use plugins like Schema Pro or integrate schema markup through your SEO plugin, such as, Rank Math.
• Select the appropriate schema types for your content (e.g., article, product, FAQ).
• Test your schema implementation using Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Adding relevant schema markup to enhance search engine understanding and rich snippet appearance.
• Bad: Misusing or applying irrelevant schema, leading to confusion for search engines.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Check that schema markup is accurate and displays correctly in search results.
• Reoptimization: As new content types are added to your site, update your schema markup to include them. Regularly review schema for any changes in Google’s guidelines.

30. Securing Your WordPress Website

Website security affects user trust and SEO. Implement measures like regular backups, security plugins, and prompt updates. Secure sites are less likely to be compromised, maintaining their integrity and rankings.

How-to

• Install security plugins like Wordfence or Sucuri.
• Regularly update WordPress, themes, and plugins.
• Use strong passwords and consider implementing two-factor authentication.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Regularly updating WordPress and plugins, using security plugins, and implementing strong passwords.
• Bad: Neglecting updates and security measures, leaving your site vulnerable to attacks.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Keep WordPress, themes, and plugins updated. Regularly scan your site for security vulnerabilities.
• Reoptimization: If new security threats emerge, promptly implement security updates or changes. Regularly review your security plugins and strategies to ensure they remain effective.

31. Add Canonical Tags for Duplicate Content

Duplicate content is a common issue in SEO that arises when multiple pages have similar information or when different URLs point to the same content. This often happens when websites are accessible via both www and non-www domains. Moreover, duplicate content can unintentionally appear in cases like separate URLs for mobile and desktop site versions. Without appropriate management, these duplicates can vie for the same spots in search engine results pages (SERPs), leading to confusion for search algorithms.

How-to

• Regularly scan your site for duplicate content using SEO software or online tools.
• Identify the original version of the content that should be prioritized in search results.
• In the WordPress Editor, use plugins like Yoast SEO to easily add canonical tags to the duplicate content.
• In the Yoast SEO meta box, navigate to the Advanced section and enter the canonical URL.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Consistently using canonical tags to clearly indicate to search engines which version of the content is the original, thereby avoiding internal competition in SERPs. When the same blog post is accessible through multiple URLs (like http://example.com/article and http://www.example.com/article), a canonical tag is used to designate the preferred URL. In a situation where content is similar across two pages, such as a product page with multiple colors or versions, the canonical tag points to the main product page, indicating it as the original.
• Bad: Ignoring duplicate content issues, leading to potential penalties or confusion in search engine rankings. Having duplicate content for mobile and desktop versions without correctly indicating the preferred version through canonical tags.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Routinely monitor your website for new instances of duplicate content, especially when making changes to site structure or when adding new content.
• Reoptimization: Periodically review your site’s canonical tags to ensure they still point to the most relevant and authoritative version of the content. Update these tags if the preferred original content changes, or if site restructuring makes a different version more relevant.

31. Updating ‘Last Updated’ Dates

Displaying ‘last updated’ dates shows users and search engines that your content is current. Updated content is often seen as more reliable and relevant, contributing to better user experience and potentially improved rankings.

How-to

• Edit your content to reflect current information and data.
• Change the published date to reflect the last update.
• Use a plugin like WP Last Modified Info to display the last updated date on your posts.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Regularly refreshing content and accurately reflecting this in the ‘last updated’ date.
• Bad: Displaying outdated content with old ‘last updated’ dates, misleading users about the freshness of the information.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Keep track of content updates and reflect them in the ‘last updated’ dates.
• Reoptimization: Regularly review content to ensure it remains current. Update the ‘last updated’ date to reflect the most recent revisions, improving user trust and relevancy.

33. Avoiding Keyword Cannibalization

Keyword cannibalization occurs when multiple pages on your website compete for the same keyword or search intent, potentially undermining your SEO efforts. This internal competition can lead to a diluted click-through rate, as traffic is split across several pages rather than concentrated on one. More critically, this scenario can confuse search engines like Google, potentially leading to the lower ranking of a more conversion-optimized page.

How-to

1. Conduct a comprehensive audit of your website’s content. Create a detailed spreadsheet that lists all the URLs along with their respective focus keywords.
2. Analyze this spreadsheet to identify instances where multiple pages target the same keyword or search intent.
3. If such cases are found, evaluate the content on these pages. Look for opportunities to combine content from multiple pages into a single, more comprehensive page.
4. In cases where merging pages is impractical, consider altering the focus keywords and content to differentiate the pages clearly in terms of search intent.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Good: Regularly reviewing and updating your content strategy to ensure each page targets a unique set of keywords, thereby avoiding internal competition.
• Bad: Ignoring the signs of keyword cannibalization, such as fluctuations in page rankings and decreased traffic, which can lead to reduced overall site performance.

Maintenance and Reoptimization

• Maintenance: Consistently monitor your website’s keyword strategy. Use tools like Google Analytics and Search Console to track the performance of your pages in search results.
• Reoptimization: Should you identify cannibalization, reoptimize the affected pages. This could involve redirecting less important pages to the more authoritative ones, updating the content to target different keywords, or even merging pages. Regularly reassess your keyword distribution to prevent future cannibalization.

Conclusion

In summary, optimizing your WordPress site for SEO involves a combination of technical adjustments, content strategy, and ongoing maintenance. By following these steps, you can significantly enhance your site’s visibility and performance in search engine results.