Here are six ways to quickly improve WordPress technical SEO.?
Create a WordPress sitemap
A sitemap contains links to all content on a website. This makes it easy for search engines to find and index pages to show up in search results. Creating a sitemap in WordPress involves adding custom coding to theme function files, but the Yoast and Rank Math SEO plugins offer simple sitemap functionality.
Add Custom Meta Tags to All Pages and Posts
A meta tag is a piece of code that contains a brief description of the content of a web page. Search engines display these descriptions in search results. Good meta tags drive clicks, so it pays to create unique meta descriptions for web pages. Meta tags can be added to WordPress pages with custom code or with SEO plugins such as Yoast and Rank Math.
WordPress rank Math meta descriptions seo
Rank Math’s snippet editor makes it easy to customize meta tag descriptions on every single page to improve search engine rankings and attract clicks.Use Schema Markup to Identify Page Types.Schema markup is a piece of code that helps search engines understand the type of content on a page, distinguishing between articles, news, product descriptions, recipes, and more. Schema helps search engines quickly index pages correctly and show “rich results” that attract more clicks. The schema can be added to WordPress with custom coding or by using SEO plugins such as Rank Math or Yoast.
Test and improve mobile usability
With over 60% of online searches conducted on mobile devices, websites need to both look good and work seamlessly on all screen sizes to rank well in mobile search results. All modern WordPress themes are responsive, which means they automatically adapt to different screen sizes. However, adjusting font sizes, menu functions, and file sizes can improve mobile search rankings. Try SEO plugins like AMP for WP and WP Mobile Menu to improve mobile functionality.
Improve page loading speed
Page load speed is an important factor for both user experience and search engine rankings. Search engines track when a user clicks on a website and how long they stay there. Attention span is short so if pages load slowly viewers won’t stick around, it’s as simple as that. When viewers leave quickly, search algorithms detect a problem and drop the page lower in search rankings. The WP Rocket and W3 Total Cache SEO plugins offer speed improvements, and upgrading your WordPress hosting service can also help.
Lock Down Website Security
The at the beginning of a URL indicates that the website has the necessary SSL certificate , but that’s just the tip of the security iceberg. Strong security is an essential part of WordPress SEO because it deters malware and hacker attacks that can destroy content, erode hard-earned rankings, and put user and customer data at risk.Plugins like Sucuri and Jetpack add security locks to WordPress websites, and most WordPress hosting companies offer security options. You can also purchase an SSL certificate from a third-party service provider if you wish.
Explore Off-Page WordPress SEO
Off-page WordPress SEO is all about getting links from external websites, blogs, and social media channels to improve rankings. The best way to build off-page SEO is to have great content, such as articles, products, videos, recipes, tutorials, etc., to attract links and encourage shares organically.Here are three ways to tackle off-page WordPress SEO:
Share content on social media channels
Sharing content on social media helps others discover your interesting information and share it socially or access it from their website. Done regularly, sharing on social networks can create quality backlinks and could even attract an influencer or two.Social media scheduling and posting is easy to automate with Blog2Social and SchedulePress plugins. If you want to take it to the next level, you can also explore social media management software that lets you schedule posts in advance.
Explore backlink opportunities
Guest posting, submitting product reviews, and researching influencer links can create quality backlinks from high domain authority websites. Or delegate this task to off-page SEO professionals from Fiverr and Upwork.
Conclusion
WordPress gives users full control over SEO, unlike the limited SEO tools provided by platforms like Wix and Shopify. This control comes with a higher learning curve, but don’t let that scare you off. WordPress websites with good SEO tend to outrank those on other platforms, so learning WordPress SEO is worth it. All it takes is understanding the elements of on-page SEO, technical SEO, and off-page SEO, and leveraging WordPress SEO plugins to simplify these tasks.
Frequently asked questions regarding WordPress SEO:
How to reference my WordPress site?
It’s easy to start with on-page SEO tactics when you’re creating content, then hone in on the technical details of SEO, and finally add off-page SEO to your daily to-do list.
How Does WordPress SEO Work?
WordPress SEO involves targeted strategies, tactics, and tools that help maintain high search engine rankings. On-page SEO targets the use of keywords in content and headings. Technical SEO affects site speed and functionality. Off-page SEO involves backlinks and social promotion. WordPress SEO tools can help you with all of these tasks.
