Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is all about increasing traffic to your website through organic search engine results. A well-executed and thorough SEO strategy can help you boost your online presence, and even increase click-through and conversion rates.
For those reasons and more, it’s worth learning about SEO basics in order to maximize your website’s reach. In this article, we’ll share nine top WordPress SEO tips for your website. Let’s get started!
Top 9 WordPress SEO tips
1. Optimize your page titles
When someone looks up your site in Google, the first thing they’ll see is your page title. So it’s vital to get that element right from the start:
An optimal title tag is usually between 50 and 60 characters long, and it contains a short description of your page. Adding a focus keyword can also drive traffic to your website, especially if you use psychological trigger words that inspire readers to take action.
Note that certain characters are wider in pixels than others, which might cut-off your title even if it’s within Google’s character limit. Therefore, it’s smart to use a tool like Yoast SEO to manage your character length.
2. Create strong meta descriptions
A meta description is a blurb that appears underneath your page title in search engines. It’s crucial to make it compelling, relevant to the content, and unique for each page:
An ideal meta description should be around 150 characters, or 130 if you want your snippet to be fully visible on mobile devices. It should also include your focus keyword in a way that sounds natural.
A well-written meta description can improve your Click-Through Rate (CTR) and boost your search engine rankings. If in doubt, Yoast SEO can help with this task.
3. Include plenty of headings
Online readers favor content that is easy to skim. Make sure your paragraphs are short and include different headings (e.g., H2, H3, H4).
An effective headline can grab readers’ attention and improve your CTR. Google algorithms will use them to scan your website and assess its structure. To assist in that process, it’s important to use the proper heading tags to create a clear hierarchy.
4. Add external and internal links
Link building is a crucial SEO strategy. Providing contextual resources can help you build authority, improve the user experience, and increase engagement on your site.
Apart from linking to reputable external sites, don’t forget to link to your internal pages too. This will help your readers (and Google bots) navigate through your website.
Backlinks can also boost your rankings. However, avoid unethical practices like mass link buying, as they could hurt your reputation or even lead to blacklisting. If you need help, you can check out our own link building service.
5. Optimize your images
Images are an excellent way to engage your audience, but they can quickly overload your website. According to Google, most users will leave if a page takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Optimizing your images is a must.
Plugins like Imagify, ShortPixel, and TinyPNG will help you compress your graphics and even facilitate “lazy loading:”
Make sure to add relevant ALT text when including new images on your posts and pages. Don’t worry; our team can maintain your WordPress site and take care of these tasks for you.
6. Use short URL slugs
Another SEO-boosting practice is to create user-friendly URL slugs. A slug is the page descriptor that comes after your website’s address, such as:
It’s usually best to follow the “post name” structure, which you can select via Settings > Permalinks in WordPress. You’ll also want to make sure your URL slugs are short, use lowercase letters only, and contain your focus keyword.
7. Redirect old pages
Imagine clicking on a link, only to see a 404 error. Broken links can negatively affect your page rankings due to their bad user experience and the waste of valuable “link juice.”
Ensure your links are always working or that they redirect to a relevant page if the content expires. You can monitor the health of your links with tools like Dr. Link Check or Broken Link Checker, which scan your website and give you a report detailing any issues.
8. Use a caching plugin
Another tip to boost your page loading times is to use cache plugins such as W3 Total Cache and WP Rocket. Caching means that your visitors’ browsers will store a temporary version of your pages, helping them access your website much faster.
This frees up your WordPress database and improves its overall performance. You can also contact our team for website support to ensure that your WordPress site is fully optimized.
Uncover Why a Beautiful Website Design with Top Performance is What Your Business Needs
9. Create a location page
Finally, make sure to create a location page to help visitors find you through local listings. This is especially useful if your business has more than one office in several areas, as local landing pages tend to hold more SEO authority.
Our team of experts can help you plan the specific content and SEO elements of your landing pages to maximize your website’s reach. This includes web design, SEO-friendly copy, and more.
Conclusion
SEO can make or break any website. While it won’t guarantee overnight success, following best practices can give you a head start and maximize your chances of being found online.
In this article, we’ve discussed nine SEO tips for your WordPress site that you can implement immediately. If you need help with any aspect of SEO or website maintenance, don’t hesitate to contact us for a complimentary consultation
Do you have any questions about our WordPress SEO tips? Let us know in the comments section below!
