Getting your website noticed online is a total struggle these days. There are millions of other sites out there battling for those precious top spots on Google and other search engines. But don't stress, we've got your back with 13 proven strategies to boost your WordPress site's SEO game.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the key to scoring more eyeballs on your content and driving tons of free, organic traffic your way. And who doesn't want that?

Let's understand twelve WordPress SEO best practices that can help enhance your website, increase organic traffic, and boost your brand's credibility on search engines.

1. Check Your WordPress Visibility Settings

It's crucial to check your WordPress visibility settings. 

  • Make sure your website is visible to search engines by checking your WordPress dashboard under "Settings."
  • There's a feature that lets you hide your site from search engines, which is useful when you're still working on it.
  • Ensure this feature is turned off; otherwise, your site won't rank well, no matter how much SEO you do.
  • Therefore, double-checking and ensuring that your website is visible to search engines is essential to kick-start your SEO journey on WordPress.

2. Update Your Permalinks

Updating your permalinks is essential for both user experience and SEO. Permalinks are the permanent URLs that direct visitors to specific pages or posts on your website. They serve as a crucial element in helping search engines understand the content of your site. By ensuring that your permalinks are concise, descriptive, and relevant to the content they lead to, you improve your site's SEO performance. To update your permalinks, go to your WordPress dashboard, click on "Settings," and then select "Permalinks."

3. Use Tags and Categories

Tags and categories help organize your website's pages and blog posts into specific groups. Tags are like labels that describe what each page or post is about, while categories are broader groups that organize your content. Using tags and categories can improve your website's SEO because it helps search engines understand your site's structure and content.

An added benefit is that tags and categories also improve the experience for visitors to your website. They make it easier for people to find the content they're looking for quickly. Plus, they help you manage all your website's content more efficiently.

Tags

Tags are like keywords that describe the topics of your pages or posts. For example, if your website is about a bookshop cafe, tags might include "books," "beverages," and "food." To add new tags or see your current ones, go to your WordPress dashboard, click "Posts," then "Tags." You can add new tags or see the ones you already have there.

Categories

Categories are broader groups that organize your posts and pages. For instance, categories for your bookshop cafe website might include "cafe" and "bookshop." To create a new category, go to your WordPress "Settings," then click "Writing." You'll find your current categories there and a button to add a new one.

4. Choose an SEO Plugin

WordPress plugins are fantastic for boosting your website's capabilities. Because they add extra features that aren't included with the basic software. They're especially helpful for beginners learning how to add SEO to their WordPress site. With thousands of plugins available, many can assist you in enhancing your WordPress SEO. If you're unsure which plugin to use, you can explore the WordPress plugin library to find options that suit your needs. 

SEO plugins offer various features to improve your site. Such as generating XML sitemaps, managing tags and categories, optimizing titles and content using keywords, controlling breadcrumbs, and integrating with Google Analytics. Popular options for WordPress SEO plugins include Yoast SEO, All In One SEO Pack, and SmartCrawl Pro. Simply download and install the plugin of your choice to start enhancing your SEO right away.

5. Use XML Sitemaps

An XML sitemap is a file containing code on your web server that lists all the pages of your website. It helps search engines discover, evaluate, and rank your site's content. Unless you're skilled in coding and want to create an XML sitemap manually, the easiest way to do it is by using a plugin. Plugins like Yoast SEO or Google XML Sitemaps can automatically generate sitemaps for you, saving you time and effort.

6. Internally Link Your Site

Increasing your website's authority is essential for improving SEO. And one effective method is through internal linking. Search engines use internal links to assess your site's authority based on how often you link to your own pages, posts, blogs, and other content. To create internal links, simply highlight the text on your page where you want the link.  Click on link button in the WordPress toolbar. And paste the URL you want to link to.  This process will underline the linked text and direct visitors to the specified URL when clicked.

7. Optimize Your Images

You can boost your WordPress website's performance by optimizing your images. One way to do this is by adding Image-Alt-Text. Search engines use this text, which describes your images, to rank your site and determine if your images match what users are searching for.

If you need help adding Image-Alt-Text, you can use plugins like SEO Optimized Images. Look through your current plugins' features to ensure they allow you to add Image-Alt-Text. When adding Image-Alt-Text, use dashes between words if your description is multiple words long. This helps search engines understand that you're using different words.

For instance, if you're describing a picture of HubSpot's WordPress Contact Form Builder plugin. Your Image-Alt-Text should be "WordPress-Contact-Form-Builder," not "WordPressContactFormBuilder" or "WordPress_Contact_Form_Builder." Remember, alt text is crucial for website accessibility and can also benefit SEO. Include the page's target keyword in the alt text if possible. But ensure it accurately describes the image for those with disabilities using your website.

8. Use SSL

SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, is a security technology that encrypts the connection between your website and visitors' browsers. It ensures that information shared, like credit card details, remains secure and protected from hackers.

SSL improves SEO because search engines like Google prioritize secure and encrypted connections when ranking websites. If there are two identical sites but one has SSL and the other doesn't. Google is more likely to rank the SSL-enabled site higher.

If you're using WordPress.com, SSL is automatically added to your site. For WordPress.org sites, where you manage security individually, you can install an SSL plugin like Real Simple SSL.

9. Use Nofollow External Links

When you link to pages within your site, it boosts your site's authority. Similarly, when you link to external sources or content, you're also helping those sites gain authority, which is good for SEO. However, to prevent spam and retain control over your site's SEO, you can use Nofollow external links.

Nofollow links prevent search engines from following the URLs you link to, ensuring that your site's ranking isn't affected. You can manually add Nofollow links to your WordPress site or use plugins available in the plugin library. Simply add "nofollow" in the "Link Relationship" field when adding hyperlinks to your content.

10. Manage Your Security

Search engines favor secure websites, so improving your website's security can enhance its authority and ranking. Depending on your WordPress plan, security may or may not be taken care of for you. If you need assistance, consider adding a security plugin like Wordfence Security or iThemes Security to bolster your site's protection.

11. Optimize Your Comments

Comments on posts can boost engagement, leading to more traffic and improved SEO. However, spam comments can harm your site's ranking. Ensure you only receive comments from real people by using WordPress plugins. Like All In One WordPress Security & Firewall and Spam Protection, Anti Spam, Firewall by CleanTalk. These plugins block spam comments and other forms of spam, preventing known spammers from returning to your site.

12. Choose WWW or non-WWW

Decide whether your website URL should include "www" or not, as search engines view these as separate websites. Consistency is key, so pick one option and stick with it. Link to your chosen domain internally and externally on social media and email to improve your site's authority and SEO. Head to your WordPress dashboard. Click "Settings," and under "General Settings," choose your preferred URL format.

13. Use a Fast Theme

Page speed significantly impacts user experience and SEO ranking. Opt for WordPress themes optimized for speed or known for their fast performance. You can use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to test your site's speed and receive suggestions for improvement. If your site is still slow despite optimizations, consider if your theme might be the issue. 

Enhance your WordPress SEO today! 

With these simple tips, anyone can boost their website's authority and ranking on search engines. By implementing some or all of the strategies outlined in this guide, you'll likely see an increase in website visitors, leads, and conversions. Don't hesitate to take action and start improving your WordPress SEO now. Your website's success is within reach!