Ensuring your website is well-optimised for search engines is essential for any business in the UK. SEO is critical as it enhances the visibility of your website, leading to more traffic and increased opportunities for converting prospects into customers.
Choosing an SEO plugin for WordPress depends on your requirements, and there is no right or wrong option. For instance, if you need guidance, readability analysis and tips on ensuring your pages have the correct keyword density and formatting then plugins such as Yoast, Rankmath and AIOSEO would be the best choices.
However, if you have experience and a good understanding of how SEO works, you may not need the additional features offered by these plugins. Instead, a lighter plugin like SEOPress or The SEO Framework may be more suitable.
At WPSmart, we prefer SEOPress because it offers some features that are not available with Yoast or Rankmath. Moreover, the SEOPress Pro version is also better value for money as it includes an unlimited website license which is perfect for freelancers and agencies that manage multiple websites.
As previously mentioned, there is no definite answer when it comes to selecting an SEO plugin for WordPress. In the end, the choice will depend on your specific needs and your level of familiarity with SEO. It’s also crucial to consider pricing, as all the plugins mentioned follow the freemium model, but in most cases, the free versions provide all the necessary features one needs.
Top 5 WordPress Plugins To Consider
Let’s take a look at the key features of the most popular SEO plugins available for WordPress.
Yoast SEO
Yoast was one of the first SEO tools for WordPress to be developed and to this day remains the most popular with over 5 million websites worldwide using the plugin.
Key Yoast Features:
- Readability Analysis: Yoast SEO evaluates the readability of your content and gives you tips on how to make it more readable.
- SEO Analysis: The plugin analyses your content to ensure that it’s optimized for search engines. It gives you suggestions for improving your content’s SEO.
- Snippet Preview: Yoast SEO allows you to see how your content will appear in search engine results pages (SERPs) and social media platforms.
- XML Sitemap: The plugin generates an XML sitemap that helps search engines crawl and index your website more efficiently.
- Breadcrumb Navigation: Yoast SEO allows you to create breadcrumb navigation for your website, which makes it easier for users to navigate and helps search engines understand your site’s structure.
Rankmath
Rankmath is like having your own personal SEO handyman, it can do everything Yoast can do and so much more including tracking your Google Keyword Rankings and tracking your Google Index Status.
Key Rankmath Features:
- Easy Setup Wizard: RankMath has an easy-to-use setup wizard that guides you through the process of setting up your SEO settings and preferences.
- Rich Snippets and Schema Markup: The plugin includes support for rich snippets and schema markup, which can help improve the appearance of your content in search engine results pages (SERPs).
- Keyword Optimisation: RankMath provides keyword optimisation suggestions to help you improve your content’s SEO. It also includes a focus keyword tool to help you choose the most appropriate keyword for your content.
- Google Search Console Integration: The plugin integrates with Google Search Console to give you detailed insights into how your website is performing in search engines.
- Advanced SEO Analysis: RankMath provides advanced SEO analysis and suggestions, including checking for broken links, checking your website’s speed, and identifying other technical SEO issues that could be affecting your website’s performance.
SEOPress
SEOPress is a great option for freelancers and agencies as the plugin offers a white-label option that no other plugin does. The other benefit of SEOPress is its pricing, the Pro version includes unlimited websites for $49 a year.
SEOPress Key Features:
- Easy Setup Wizard: SEOPress includes a setup wizard that guides you through the process of configuring your website’s SEO settings.
- Content Analysis: SEOPress analyses your content and provides suggestions for improving your SEO, including suggestions for improving your meta titles and descriptions and header tags.
- XML Sitemap: SEOPress includes built-in XML sitemap functionality to help search engines crawl and index your website more efficiently.
- Social Media Integration: The plugin includes social media integration, allowing you to optimise your content for social media platforms and display social media previews.
- WooCommerce Integration: SEOPress integrates with WooCommerce to provide advanced SEO options for eCommerce websites, including optimising product pages and integrating with Google Merchant Center. The plugin can also integrate with Google Analytics or Matomo and can display stats on your WordPress dashboard.
The SEO Framework
The Seo Framework is a lightweight option that may suit users with advanced SEO knowledge better.
The SEO Framework Key Features:
- Automated SEO: The SEO Framework provides automatic SEO solutions based on your website’s content and metadata.
- Schema Markup: The plugin includes built-in schema markup options to help improve your website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs).
- XML Sitemap: The SEO Framework generates an XML sitemap to help search engines crawl and index your website more efficiently.
- Social Media Integration: The plugin includes social media integration, allowing you to optimize your content for social media platforms and display social media previews.
- Lightweight: The SEO Framework is a lightweight plugin that doesn’t add unnecessary bloat to your website, making it a great choice for those who are looking for a simple, efficient SEO solution.
AIOSEO
All In One SEO is also one of the forefathers of WordPress SEO plugins. AIOSEO was launched in 2007 and currently serves over 3+ million websites.
All In One SEO Key Features:
- XML Sitemap: The plugin generates a comprehensive XML sitemap to help search engines crawl and index your website more efficiently.
- Rich Snippets: All in One SEO includes built-in support for rich snippets and schema markup, which can help improve the appearance of your content in search engine results pages (SERPs).
- Image SEO: The plugin includes options to optimise your website’s images for SEO, including adding ALT tags and optimising image titles.
- Local SEO: All in One SEO includes options to optimise your website for local search, including adding your business’s contact information and location data.
- WooCommerce Integration: The plugin integrates with WooCommerce to provide advanced SEO options for eCommerce websites, including optimising product pages and integrating with Google Merchant Center.