WordPress SEO Tips to Put to Work Right Now

Recently, I noticed a spike in traffic to my SEO articles. Consequently, I wanted to provide a quick run-through of the essential WordPress SEO tips you can put to work in every piece of content you create on your website.

Search Engine Optimization is an ongoing, never-ending process, not something put in place and expected to work. Nor is it a “service” that you can pay a one-time fee for instant rankings. You must continually work on SEO with every page and post you publish.

SEO Plugins Role

There are several available for you to choose from. I have used the Yoast SEO Plugin on sites forever, including mine. But many incorrectly assume that once an SEO plugin is installed, that’s it — let the rankings commence!

Nope. That is just the beginning.

With any SEO plugin you use, you want to become an expert at using it to take full advantage of its features. This provides the opportunity to get the best results.

For example, you want to become familiar with and pay attention to the Yoast panels provided. Take the time to complete them, and use each one to guide you in “SEO’ing” your content. This is why you want to become intimately familiar with how Yoast works and what the plugin offers. (If you choose another plugin, use the same approach.)

Once Yoast is installed on your WordPress website, it provides an onboarding process that walks you through setting it up. You’ll find the plugin’s SEO panels in two locations on each page, depending on your settings: in the right sidebar and after the content near the bottom.

At the bottom of every page and post, you’ll see the three tabs below:

Yoast feature panel below each page and post. — Yoast’s feature panel is below each page and post.

There are additional tabs if you upgrade to premium, which I recommend. You can also find them in the right sidebar of every page and post. Just click on the Yoast “Y.”

Yoast “Y” Icon on the Top right of your screen

Yoast WordPress SEO Side Panel Options You Need to Fill Out

In the case of the right sidebar, the most common go-to location, you’ll want to enter the focus keyphrase your post is primarily about.

Yoast SEO Starter Guide

Below are the tabs available in this plugin’s free version.

SEO Analysis: This will show a frowny or smiley face depending on how that keyword phrase is represented in your content.
Readability Analysis: Guides you on writing for the Web. Try to get that green smiley. (Sometimes, it isn’t possible due to layout or topic.)
Tracking SEO performance requires using a third-party service called Wincher ($).
Search Appearance: This is what will show in search engine results. Craft it carefully — include your focus keyphrase.
Schema: This is where you set your page and article types.
Advanced: Here is where you can set additional meta information for search engine bots.
Cornerstone content is content you consider your best or most important.

Go through each tab and complete it. Moving forward, if you update your article, do the same in these tabs to ensure you target the correct data for that page.

Content First

Yoast or any other SEO plugin or tool cannot do its job without content. The better the content, the easier it is to read — the best results.

The primary goal is to satisfy the searcher’s intent. What are site visitors searching for, and what do they want to know? Provide that.

What I usually hear next is, “What should I write about?”

Part of SEO is writing about what online users are searching for. What do your target customers want to know? How do you know what that is? Research.
Once you’ve done your research, how do you prioritize your target keyphrases? Map them out.

You’ve done your keyword research on the topics you know your potential customers want to know about. You’ve prioritized your keyword phrases and variations and are ready to start writing. Now what?

You write. You set a schedule and stick to it. Be consistent and provide the information your target market is looking for. You know what they are looking for because they’ve asked you questions. Those questions are clues as to the type of information they will find helpful.

Writing for the Web

Writing takes time to do well. So, of course, over time, you’ll hone your skills. But you must dive in and do, learn, write, and rewrite to get there. I have used Grammarly for years to help me become a better writer.

When creating content for the Web, remember a few things about structure (Yoast helps with this, too). How you lay out your content significantly affects whether and how it is consumed.

Onliners scan a page before, or instead of reading, to find what they are looking for. (I bet you scan, too, right?) By creating content structured for scanning, you make your articles more readable. They scan the article and, if it fits their needs, will likely read it.

Here are some general guidelines to help you get into the habit of implementing them when adding content to your WordPress website.

Keyword Integration

Use your targeted keyphrase in your page/post title.
Keep your title as short, sweet, and concise as possible.
Include your keyphrase in the first paragraph of your article.
Then, apply variations of your keyphrase throughout your article.
Use your keyword phrase in one of your subheadings.
Input your keyphrase variations in subheadings.
Incorporate your keyphrase in the last paragraph.

Do not underestimate keyphrase variations. Variations help put the puzzle pieces together and cover the terms that website visitors may use.

Once your article is completed, read it out loud. If it doesn’t flow smoothly or you feel the article is choppy due to keyphrase integration or redundancy, that indicates you are writing for search engines. Not site visitors. Rewrite and tweak.

FREE: Find new keywords for your market…

Article Structure

Keep your sentences short — less than 20 words.
Paragraphs should be one thought, one point. 2-3 sentences.
Subheadings help to guide the reader down the page.
Lists are an easy way to present information.
Link to off-site credible resources to back up your article.
Link to related articles within your site if appropriate.
Include at least one image or video.
Incorporate your keyphrase into image file names: keyphrase-file-name.jpg.
Be sure to complete the “alt” (alternative text) field for each image with an accurate description of what it portrays.

Article Length

That depends on the topic and the intent of your article. I don’t look at word count when I write. I write to make a point and provide information. When I’ve done that successfully, I usually end up between 1,000 and 2,000 words — this post is 1,313. Sometimes shorter, sometimes longer.

Great content is as long as necessary and as short as possible.
@Kevin_Indig

Some sites don’t need to write extensive posts. For example, only a few paragraphs will do if you offer a daily tip. However, remember that shorter content offers fewer opportunities to optimize.

As the saying goes, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. When you write consistently (once a day, once a week, twice a month) about your niche topic, you build a resource site that becomes of value over time.

Wrapping Up SEO Tips for WordPress Websites

Become proficient in how to use the Yoast SEO plugin (or the plugin of your choice)
Research your keyphrases and map them out.
Write for site visitor intent while smartly integrating keyphrases and variations.
Develop the habit of structuring your content for the Web.
Create articles in-depth enough to cover your topic.

Now you know what to think about and implement as you create content for your WordPress website to give you the best chance of gaining relevant rankings over time. For more details, bookmark my SEO | SEM archive and tap into my articles as needed.

At your service,

*Some of the links on this page are to companies with which I have a professional affiliation.
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