The world of SEO is truly complex and changing. If we start from the fact that Google updates its algorithm about 500 times a year, we will realize that it is practically impossible to be a true SEO expert if we do not focus exclusively on that area of online marketing. Here you can see all these changes: deteresa.com/cambios-algoritmo-google/. However, without being true experts we can achieve great results if we learn to properly use the best plugin to position WordPress: Yoast SEO
What does this plugin offer us to position WordPress?
The best thing about this plugin is that it combines two fundamental elements of SEO: technical optimization and content optimization.
The real-time content optimization It is really easy to manage. You only have to choose your keyword, and when creating a new page or post, once you indicate the keyword in the snippet, the plugin will warn you in real time if you have placed the keyword in the important points (first paragraph, URL, headline, images, etc.), as well as other conditions for Google to identify your text as quality content (number of words, size of sentences, etc.)
At the level of technical optimizationthe plugin itself will guide you to improve some aspects such as activate pretty links, insert meta tags, control which pages are shown in search results and which are not, make your XML sitemap easily, optimize your RSS, include breadcrumbs , integrate your social networks, etc.
How to configure Yoast SEO?
The first steps to configure this plugin to position WordPress are really simple. Like any other plugin, we only have to look for it to install it on our WordPress page. You can find it by the name “Yoast SEO” or download it on this page wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-seo/
Once installed we will find in the left bar a SEO section with its sub-sections: desktop, titles and metas, social, XML sitemaps, advanced, tools, Search Console and Premium.
In the zone of desk you will find a space for notifications of problems and warnings that the plugin will automatically notify you when it sees that you do not have something properly configured. It is important that you keep the updated pluginbecause from time to time they make changes to collect the modifications that occur in the Google algorithm.
- In the tab of general you will find a button to open the Setup Wizard that we highly recommend… it is the best way to start configuring your plugin to position WordPress! You will also find the text link counter which you can put to work to notify you if it is necessary to include more internal links on your website.
- In the tab of characteristics You can indicate if you want to activate and/or deactivate different analyzes: readability, keyword, advanced settings, indexing, administration bar, essential content and link counter in texts.
- in the tab company information You can change the name that Google puts by default and even provide an alternative name for it to take into consideration. You can also mark if you are a person or a company, and its logo.
- in the tab webmaster tools You can configure your Webmaster Tools by entering your Tag Manager, in the case of Google through Search Console.
- In the tab of security you can activate or deactivate the possibility of indexing entries or change the canonical relationship of each entry.
In the zone of titles and goals You will also find several tabs that you can configure:
- In general you can modify the title separator by different symbols.
- On the cover you can determine the title and description for the home page.
- In content types you can tell Google to index or de-index certain contents (pages, posts, multimedia, etc.) as well as whether or not the Yoast SEO meta box.
- In taxonomies you can tell Google to index or de-index certain content (categories, labels, etc.) as well as whether or not to display the Yoast SEO meta box
- In files you can tell Google to index or de-index certain contents (authors, archives, special pages, etc.)
- In others you can activate the use of the meta keywords tag and index or deindex the archive pages.
In the zone of social You can configure everything related to your social networks:
- In general you will add the URLs and users of your social networks.
- On Facebook you can activate or deactivate the option to add Open Graph metadata, include a default image and add Administrators and Facebook Insights.
- On Twitter you can activate or deactivate the option to add metadata to the Twitter card and select the type of card (with or without image) by default.
- On Pinterest you can verify your website on Pinterest.
- In Google+ you can add the URL and link to the “About” page from your Google+ page.
In the zone of XML sitemaps You can activate or deactivate this function in addition to:
- In general see your XML map and indicate the maximum number of tickets by sitemap.
- In the user site map you can activate or deactivate the author file urls of each user.
- In types of content you can add or remove map content (post, page, multimedia…)
- In excluded tickets you can exclude map entries of the site.
- In taxonomies you can add or exclude categories and tags of the site map.
In the zone of advanced you can make some additional settings such as:
- In breadcrumbs it can be activated or deactivated and configured in detail.
- In permalinks you can change urls and clean up permalinks.
- In RSS we can add content to the RSS, something especially advisable if you have “content stealers” who can enter the autotext (The post %%POSTLINK%% was originally published on %%BLOGLINK%%.)
In the zone of tools we find three functionalities:
- He file editor to modify important elements for the SEO of the robots.txt or the .htaccess.
- He mass publisher to quickly modify titles and descriptions of post and pages improving your SEO.
- the tool import and export for SEO settings of other plugins that we have been able to use previously.
In the zone of Search Console You will have to authorize Yoast SEO with your personal code to use your access to this Google tool, and from there you will be able to see broken links and fix them with redirects.
In the zone Premium You will find the advanced settings that I will talk about in the next section, as well as the extensions created by Yoast SEO for specific cases such as: Video SEO, News SEO and Local SEO.
The advantages of Yoast SEO in premium version
I recommend using the free version of this plugin to position WordPress in the first instance, and once you see its effectiveness, value hiring the premium depending on the project you are working on. I will show you below the advantages of Yoast SEO in premium version:
- It allows you to optimize up to 5 keywords for each page.
- You can see the preview of your page on Google, Facebook and Twitter (and not only on Google as in the free version).
- Analyze the readability of each text and indicate the Flesch Reading Ease score.
- Full control of breadcrumbs, being able to establish a main category for each publication and determine the taxonomy for each page.
- Identify duplicate content and avoid it with canonical URLs.
- Update every 2 weeks according to the changes of the Google algorithm.
- Internal link suggestions as you type.
- Easily redirect old URLs to new ones.
- Free access to support.
- no ads
For more information about this plugin to position WordPress I recommend this post from its creator: yoast.com/wordpress-seo