WordPress SEO Guide
WordPress powers over 40% of all websites on the internet. While WordPress is reasonably SEO-friendly out of the box, there are many optimisations you should make to maximise your search engine visibility.
Essential WordPress SEO Settings
- Permalinks — Settings > Permalinks > "Post name" for clean URLs like
/my-page-title/ - Search engine visibility — Settings > Reading > make sure "Discourage search engines" is unchecked
- HTTPS — Settings > General > ensure both WordPress URL and Site URL use https://
Best SEO Plugins
| Plugin | Best For |
|---|---|
| Yoast SEO | Beginners — simple interface, content analysis, XML sitemaps |
| Rank Math | Advanced users — more features in free version, schema generator |
| All in One SEO | Balance of simplicity and features |
These plugins handle title tags, meta descriptions, sitemaps, structured data, and Open Graph tags automatically.
WordPress SEO Checklist
- Install and configure an SEO plugin (Yoast or Rank Math)
- Set up permalink structure to "Post name"
- Write unique title tags and meta descriptions for every page
- Use exactly one H1 tag per page
- Add alt text to all images
- Install a caching plugin (WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache, or WP Rocket)
- Optimise images before uploading (compress to WebP)
- Enable lazy loading (built into WordPress 5.5+)
- Submit sitemap to Google Search Console
- Check for broken links regularly
Run a free RankNibbler audit on your WordPress site to see your SEO score and get specific recommendations. The tech stack checker detects WordPress, your theme, and SEO plugins automatically.
Check your site now: Run a free audit on the RankNibbler homepage to see how your page scores across 30+ SEO checks.
Last updated: March 2026