[Note: This has been updated with newer content!]
Chances are that if you are using WordPress as the platform for your website, you know the importance and need to for WordPress Optimization for SEO. It does not matter if you are blogging on your site or if it is a static site, WordPress automatically gives you the advantage in the eyes of Google.
Why Optimize?
Google and other search engines (Bing, Yahoo, for example), display search results based on what they think is the relevance of the searched Key Word. If you search for gratitude, you would expect results like AllAboutGratitude.com. If you search for the perfect cup of Joe, you would want to see ThePerfectCupOfJoe.com to be returned. For Google to rank you as a relevant result, you can hope they find you, or you can nudge them into showing them what you are all about! This is what WordPress optimization is all about!
One way to do this is to advertise your website. This can be tough. The old adage of, “If you build it, they will come’ does not hold true on the web! If you create a website, post some content and then walk away, changes are no one will find you. Not even Google! You need to start to spread the word – you need to let people know you are out there!
Another way is to design a site that is already Google Friendly. This is much easier (although there is still work involved!) For example, imagine if every time you posted a new webpage or added new content to your website that Google would AUTOMATICALLY be notified and indexed that page – how awesome would that be?
When you use WordPress as the foundation of your website, this can and does happen! The first step in WordPress Optimization of your website for SEO is to make sure you are running it on WordPress! The next couple suggestions will also aid in getting the favorable Google Juice for your site:
1. Yoast SEO Plugin
This is the definitive SEO Plugin for WordPress. WordPress SEO makes optimizing your WordPress blog for Search Engines much easier. This is one of the plugins that is recommended in the 7 Essential WordPress Plugins report.
2. Permalinks
A permalink is the web address of a blog. When you write your blog post, you create a title and the body of the post which contains all the content. By default, the permalink of a blog is something similar to ?p=133 – this is not very search engine friendly. A better link would be yoursite.com/top-seo-secrets
You can change this in your dashboard under:
Settings -> Permalinks -> Custom Structure.
In the box, enter:
/%post_id%/%postname%/
(WAIT! Do this ONLY on a new site! If you have an existing WP site with lots of content already indexed by the search engines, DO NOT CHANGE it!)
3. Google XML Sitemaps Plugin
Computers and search engines look at websites a little differently than people look at websites. Because of this, this plugin will generate a special type of sitemap which will help search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo and Ask.com to better index your blog. It uses something called XML.
Does it matter if you know (or don’t know) XML? Not at all! With this type of sitemap, it is much easier for the search engines to see how you have your website designed, what pages and content exist on your site, and the sitemap makes it easier for the search engines to rank your website. This ultimately means that more people may be able to find your website when they are searching for it. When you perform some simple WordPress optimization, Google becomes happy. And when Google is happy, you will obtain better rankings!
The Google XML Sitemaps plugin understands all the various types of web pages that WordPress can create as well as custom URLs.
Another great feature of this plugin is that will be let the search engines know when you create a new a new blog post! And it does this automatically!
If you found these ideas helpful, you can learn more about some useful plugin in the FREE report, 7 Essential WordPress Plugins. WordPress optimization does not have to be a difficult thing – anyone can do it!
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