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Proper positioning of your website on Wordpress will allow you to take care of building visibility in Google search and enjoy a high number of impressions and, consequently, conversions at the expected level. Learn about effective and proven methods! See how to position sites on Wordpress
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The goal of the activities in this area is to prepare the site in such a way that it displays the keywords that browser users search for. Very important is the technical side, that is, the development of a robot-friendly site structure, and it is this element that we will discuss in this text, you will read, among other things:
Wordpress website positioning will be easier than with other CMS. This is thanks to its intuitive operation and regular updates. No wonder it has already been chosen by more than 60 million people. All the operations discussed in this guide have one goal - to build a Google robot-friendly and user-friendly site, which will translate into the expected conversions.
The choice of a theme must not be decided by chance. Here's a list of basic criteria you need to pay special attention to in order to prepare WordPress for SEO.
Once the content for the site is properly prepared, it is necessary to choose a theme that will help with Wordpress SEO optimization. One of the most important criteria is speed. Simply put, the site should be user-friendly. As experts from Google support suggest - 53% of people leave sites that take longer than 3 seconds to load. You can check the speed with tools such as PageSpeed Insights or Pingdom test.
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Is it worth opting for a page builder on Wordpress cms ? There are many advantages in favor of this popular solution, although you must know that it is not the best way to build a website.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
See also Wordpress cleaning and database optimization
You can choose from paid or free themes, and it is usually the former that meet more criteria for SEO. In addition, paid developers can spend more time developing functionality, which is beneficial for webmasters. With updates come new functionality. So you can count on your site running flawlessly. Speed and performance are also in favor of paid tools.
Another important criterion for an optimized website is responsiveness. Today, more and more users are using mobile devices, so the theme should fit the screen on any device - from a smartphone to a tablet to a laptop screen and a large-screen monitor. So it's worth testing your preferred template on each of the available devices, how it looks and whether it's equally convenient for desktop and mobile users.
Pay attention to whether the theme is updated frequently, so you won't have to worry about the risk of failure. In addition, updates often bring additional functionality. One of the most important options is content editing, which should be intuitive and easy to use. Also pay attention to whether the theme is compatible with the plugins you want to use and whether it provides adequate protection.
You can read more about security
Once you have chosen a functional, secure and pleasing to the eye theme, all that remains is to install it. You will do it in a few simple steps.
There is definitely a lot to choose from. Just consider the criteria outlined above, and you're sure to reach for a theme that will play a prominent role in optimization.
When preparing WordPress, it is important first of all to optimize, i.e.: the construction of the title comes down to the name of the sub-page and the name of the page. This process runsautomatically, so the platform will build the correct title for you. However, if you want to work on it yourself, the right plugins will help, although we will still have time to talk about them.
Just go to Settings and then select General. Later, edit the Site Title and Description.
The main key phrase should also be included in URLs.
Google Search Console is a professional and free tool that will give you data that will make optimization much easier. It will allow you to better understand what exactly is happening on the site, how users behave on it, which content is most popular.... This way you will know the details of indexing, and you will be able to react to many problems, if any....
More details in our google search console tutorial. In contrast, let's now focus on the site map, which will make WordPress much more efficient.
A site map is another step towards proper optimization. You can add the map to Google Search Console. This way you will have information about the list of subpages at hand. Moreover, this way you will let the robots know that the content is properly organized.
Thus, a well-organized sitemap allows indexing in sites that include many documents, data and multimedia. In addition, a sitemap allows you to quickly report a new page, and with large sites it will indicate subpages that should be indexed more frequently.
Keep in mind, however, that a map does not guarantee an improved position, and it takes a lot of time to prepare it. It is worth mentioning that the map can be easily spoiled by adding unnecessary themes and plugins. In addition, sitemap can hide internal linking errors and invalidate nofollow and noindex tags. So we recommend that experienced users prepare a sitemap.
Log in to Google Search Console and in the panel on the left, select Site Maps. Then go to the Add New Site Map window and type sitemap.xml, and then click Submit.
When creating a sitemap, the Yoast SEO plugin will do an excellent job. Open the plugin settings and select Features. There you will find Site Map, so check the Enable item. Then next to the words Site Map, click the question mark. Then you will see the option to select View sitemap.
Google Analytics is an advanced tool that will allow you to correct many shortcomings. First of all, with its help you can track site visits, conversions or analyze page speed ( see our google analytics guide ).You will get all the information in the form of numbers and reports, making it easier to understand whether your strategy is sufficient.
The first way is manual configuration. If you know a thing or two about coding, you should be able to handle this without a problem. Just copy the tracking code and paste it into the header.php file. To do this, you can use FTP or the WordPress panel - Appearance, and then the Editor option.
You can also use the Google Task Manager, which provides a very high degree of freedom of use. The best solution will be to paste the code. First, create and configure an account at https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/tag-manager. Once you have completed this process, you will be shown the codes you need to paste in the head and body sections.
An alternative and easier solution would be to install the plugin. Then activate it from the dashboard and enter the tracking code. Which of its plugins is worth using? Analytify will work perfectly. Once installed, select Settings, and on the authorization sub-page select Log in with Google Analytics Account. Then confirm the connection to your Gmail account. However, remember the rule - the fewer plugins the better.
URLs are also very important. Fortunately, WordPress builds them by default, and these do not cause duplication. However, be sure to properly configure the server so that a single subpage is not visible under different versions of the address.
After installing the SSL certificate, in the WordPress admin panel, select the Settings tab and go to General. Then make the address change to HTTPS.
You can redirect addresses by modifying the files that are on the server. Find the public_html folder, and in it the .htaccess file. There, just add the code that will force a redirect to HTTPS. Another way might be to use the Really Simple SSL plugin.
In addition, WordPress allows several variants of address building when using different variables. However, remember to always go for simplicity and transparency.
You can change the address in Settings, then go to Direct Links. You can adjust the URL to your preference through the Entry Name option.
The next step in WordPress SEO optimization is to set up a friendly permalink structure. In this way, you will help search engines identify the content on your site, and this will make it easier for users to navigate. You can do this in a few simple steps
When positioning a site on WordPress, it is very important to display addresses in a user-friendly form. Non-intuitive addresses can always be changed.
All you have to do is log in to WordPress and select Settings. Then click the Direct Links button. In the Common Setting section, you will find the direct link structure. You can then choose one of the six available elements. A popular and effective one will be the Post Name, which allows you to refer to the key phrases mentioned above.
Internal linking is one of the most important elements of a properly optimized site. We're talking not only about links to sub-pages of the products you sell, but also articles and sources of knowledge on your site. If you have content, it's a good idea to take advantage of it and unobtrusively, but sensitively, encourage users to access it. You can see an example a bit above, where we have posted a link to a tutorial about Google Search Console. This is substantive knowledge provided to the user "by the way."
A perfect example is Wikipedia. On its subpages, internal links always refer to other articles. And so by exploring SEO, you will learn more about Internet marketing, SEM or search engines.
https://i.postimg.cc/qkbjJPpn/wiki.png
Theme silos are groups of content on a site centered around a single theme. They can be, for example, categories placed in an online store. These are known as physical silos. Virtual silos, on the other hand, are elements of basic navigation on pages that are not too complex.
We do not recommend external linking unless you set a nofollow value in the rel attribute. In simpler terms, this way you do not vouch that the external link will be valuable. Then the search engine will not associate your site with the site you are linking to. The benefit for both parties will be lower, but it's a rational move, since the content on the linked site may change, after all.
Nofollow is worth using for user comments, sponsored links, linking to any terms and conditions or marketing information in the footer.
You need to remember that WordPress displays and links resources in the form of subpages and categories. In doing so, it shows all posts, which slows down the site and negatively affects traffic. However, you don't need to show entire posts, just do a simple configuration. You can go to the administration menu and then enter the Settings section. Later, select Reading and Summary. This will set the view of posts.
This example shows that WordPress, although a very popular choice, is not the ideal solution. However, it is still the best CMS available. All that is needed is to optimize it, and as much as possible.
As the name says - custom post types are simply custom post types. However, these are important for Wordpress optimization, when your site may need, for example, a glossary, a tab with downloads and other seemingly unusual content for WordPress. Here are two types of Custom Post Types.
Taxonomies are simply tabs for Categories and Keywords. In simplest terms, with them you will take care of the order on the site. For example, if you run an online bookstore, you can include detailed information under Author or Publisher.
The role of these elements is to group content on your site. If you are going to use tags, do so carefully. Why? Well, you can't repeat keywords, and tags shouldn't duplicate phrases from titles and headings. Sometimes it's very easy to make a mistake, which is why some SEO specialists advise against using them.
However, if you have everything under control, you can create tags in the admin panel. All you have to do is select Entries and then Tags, where you fill in the title and add a simplified name and description. However, remember not to have too many tags, as possible duplicate content will affect SEO very badly.
It happens that after a seemingly well-performed optimization, the site is still not visible. It is likely that something has gone wrong. Here are the elements to check.
However, you can hide your site from search engines until you do a perfect WordPress optimization and take care of SEO. Go to Settings and select Reading. Then go to the Search Engine Visibility section. There you will find a box Ask search engines not to index this site. Check it while you make changes.
You can also put this metatag in the head section:
<meta name="robots" content="noindex">
Remember, however, that Google accepts the index directive by default. If you want the search engine to index your pages, you don't need to use other directives.
Favicon is nothing more than an icon that is placed in the address field. It's a simple way to make your site stand out, as well as increase brand awareness among users. To change the setting, just go to the Appearance tab, then Customize and select Site Identity.
In addition to the option to implement a logo, you will also find a title and description. Include a keyword in the title, which will also help search results. On the other hand, in the description include content that will entice the user.
We've already written about why you should take care of an SSL certificate in How to Secure WordPress. In a nutshell, this will increase the level of security on your site. However, it is worth mentioning how to make the necessary settings and redirect URLs. This will help you avoid duplicate content.
First of all, choose only those useful and proven plugins. They should be frequently updated and willingly downloaded. Then you can rest assured about their functionality. Here are some recommended solutions that will positively affect Google positioning, which you can't pass by.
This is a real must have when optimizing WordPress for SEO. The plugin includes many optimization tools not available from the pure CMS. We have already mentioned a few uses of Yoast SEO. With the plugin you can prepare a site map, Meta title and meta description. However, these are just some of the many useful applications.
Also in favor of using the plugin is the ability to manage noindex and nofollow tags and set the canonical URL. In addition, you can specify the information that will appear on social networks related to your site. As if that wasn't enough, Yoast SEO allows you to thoroughly analyze readability and keyword usage.
This functional plugin analyzes changes in real time and suggests the best solutions for your site. In addition, you can remotely edit .htaccess and robots.txt files. So you don't need to log in to an FTP server or enter the WordPress admin panel. And these are just some of the many solutions.
General settings
Start by connecting your WordPress site to Google Search Console. Go to General Settings, then select Webmaster Tool and paste the verification code there.
In General Settings, you will also find the title setting. The key aspect is to rewrite the title correctly on all subpages.
Homepage
Here you will find information about the author of the blog. Depending on which template you are using, you will see here a link to the page editor or options to complete the title and description of the home. By default, this is the data you added when using the basic WordPress menu.
Types of entries
This tab will allow you to control the display of META data. Here you can allow content indexing or block indexing by selecting one of the options. In addition, you will prepare separate titles and meta description for each subpage.
Taxonomies
In short - tags and categories. Many specialists do not recommend indexing tags. If you agree with this, you can check the noindex, follow option. In addition, you will add separate <head> elements for categories, tags and entry formats. In this way, you will get control over duplicates that will arise when a post is in two or more categories.
Other
If you do not include any parameters in this tab, the content will be displayed according to WordPress criteria. However, you can set date archives not to be indexed.
Communities
You can set which posts will be shared on social networks and prepare titles and descriptions for them. This is a useful option for bloggers or ecommers.
XML Site Map
Why it's useful to have a map, we've already written above. With the help of Yoast SEO, you can control its elements, add post types, author subpages or exclude specific entries that you don't want to show to the search engine. In addition, you can exclude taxonomies, as well as enter a maximum number of posts per page.
Direct links
Here you can remove the word category from the URL. Note, however, that if the name overlaps with the title of the entry, there may be problems displaying the content on the page. Another option is to force the addition of a slash in URLs or to use the attachment URL to the entry URL.
Site status analysis
Yoast SEO analyzes the text you put in the editor, but does not take into account the other components of the subpage. You can get a score in the form of green, yellow and red dots. However, a green one does not mean a perfectly executed SEO optimization of WordPress, but only an optimization in sync with the rules understood by the plugin.
Yoast SEO Premium
In favor of choosing the premium option is the ability to set redirects. Advanced users often use Regex redirects. In addition, using the "full" version of the plugin will allow you to optmalize entries for synonyms and similar phrases. This, in turn, will translate into more accurate SEO analysis. Other useful features include social media previews and technical support.
This is another plugin that, when properly configured, will help you optimize SEOWordPress.... First of all, it will prove useful in improving the speed of your site and provide an increase in overall performance. With its help you can cache entire pages, objects or query results. In addition, it's a great tool for caching and reducing page load times, as well as server response times. W3 Total Cache also offers mechanisms that minify code and reduce the volume of your site.
Here you will find, among others, the following options:.
These, of course, are just some of the many capabilities of this plug-in.
This useful plugin will help you create redirects through the admin panel. In addition, you can track 404 errors on the site. When is it worth using this plugin? It will work great when you make changes to the URL structure, as well as when withdrawing products from the offer. Then you can redirect the page to a selected address or a random entry. You will do the redirects via .htaccess file or nginx server.
This plug-in will allow you to compress images quickly and conveniently. This way you will reduce the size of your files, but the quality will remain the same. How does it work? Well, the plugin removes unnecessary data and scales files before they are added in the media library. Smush unlimited optimizes images no larger than 5 MB.
After installing the plugin, you will see a new tab in the panel. Go to it to make simple settings. You can check automatic photo optimization or decide to remove metadata from the image. Another option is Lazy Load, which loads images the moment they appear on the screen.
After specifying the above elements, you will get an indication of how many images on your site need to be optimized. You can use the Compress in bulk function, which is a very big advantage of this plugin. In addition, the plugin includes all the necessary settings related to image compression.
Also worth discussing is the type and format of photos used on the website. In case you have LiteSpeed available on your server, it is worth enabling it as it will provide support for the WebP photo format.
The format of the images themselves, as well as the optimization of their weight, will already be a big nod to improving the loading time of your website. You can check the optimization results in analytical tools ie: Google Page Speed or gtmetrix.com
We are left to answer some of the most frequently asked questions. Learn more and take care of your Wordpress SEO optimization.
If you have read this guide, you already know the answer to this question, It is definitely worth investing in optimization. We're talking about both the time you need to spend on setup and the financial resources. While many tools and plugins are free, it's definitely worth taking advantage of those paid elements as well (for example, bet on a proven and frequently updated theme).
Or maybe you do not have the knowledge of optimization? Then it's a good idea to enlist the support of specialists to get your site back on its feet. If you have any questions about your wordpress, please contact us
There is no specific answer to this question, as it all depends on the activities you want to perform. First determine which elements you care about and what results you want to get, and then think about the budget you can devote. If your primary goal is a high conversion rate, let alone running an online store - optimization is not worth saving on. It's an investment.
When choosing plugins, first of all, pay attention to the number of downloads and frequency of updates. In addition, take a look at user reviews and expert tips. Recall that plugins are not a perfect recipe for success. On the other hand, however, they provide a lot of support and, if properly configured, will positively affect results. Remember not to install too many plug-ins. Moderation is definitely a good advisor.
Proper positioning of WordPress is an absolute priority and at the same time a considerable challenge. There are a great many issues that need to be mastered in order to enjoy a functional and, above all, growing like mushrooms website.
So we encourage you to take a look at our guide, and while you're at it, take a look at the topic related to site security. Combining these two aspects is a recipe for success.
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