SEO and WordPress: Answers to your 5 most Pressing WordPress SEO Questions

Featured article by John Bell, Experienced SEO NJ Practitioner

WordPress is currently the most popular content management and web publishing platform. It is used to host company websites and ecommerce shops, as well as blogs. Web designers love it because it’s extremely versatile and adaptable for a range of applications. Users love if for its simplicity and efficacy.

Using WordPress requires little knowledge of web design, coding or other technical skills. In fact, WordPress currently hosts over 25% of the top 10 million websites worldwide, including Search Engine Land, Mashable, Marketing Land and TIME, popular marketing websites.

However, many people, drawn by the ease of use tend to overlook key SEO elements which affect their site’s profitability, success and growth potential. The aim of this article is to address some of the most frequently-asked questions about WordPress in relation to SEO. We’ll dispel some of those myths that have been propagated over time, and hopefully make you better equipped to handle your own site.

1. Is WordPress really SE-optimized out-of-the-box?

This is actually very commonly heard since it is postulated by vendors as a unique selling point for this and many other CMSs. while WP is search-engine-friendly, there is no such thing as an SEO-ready. As such, switching to WordPress won’t immediately push you to the top of SERPs unless you put in some effort. Vendors take advantage of business owners’ lack of technical savvy, knowing that they are unable to distinguish between ‘search engine friendly’ and ‘search engine optimized’.

Many a business has invested heavily towards an expensive CMS, thinking it a worthy investment since their SEO needs are covered. But this isn’t the way it works. Coming back to WordPress, SE-friendly just means that the CMS has a great SEO starting point; you can weave your SEO elements much easier than in other CMSs. However, one must still know what to do, which means you will still spend time and money to get someone who does, in-house or outsourced.

2. Does installing a WP SEO Plugin do away with my need for an SEO expert?

The short answer is ‘no’. Search engine optimization is not a turnkey solution. It is not something you can just buy/download and install. SEO is a never-ending process which should be part of all your current marketing efforts. There isn’t a single plugin, in WordPress or elsewhere, which can cover all your SEO needs any more than having a good hammer will help you build a nice big house! The plugin is merely a tool that brings you closer to the finish and makes the journey easier.

Even with a plugin, you must have a flesh-and-blood SEO expert who knows your business and understands how and where to apply SEO to strengthen your marketing strategy. This will either be an in-house employee or outsourced agency/consultant. Below are a few examples to make the case:

– Installing a WP/plugin upgrade changes the code of your site. Such changes can have adverse effect on your SEO and hence search rankings unless the changes are properly accounted for.

– Addition of plugins can result in longer loading times. Remember that PageSpeed is an important factor in Google’s ranking algorithm, and hence you could lose your ranking just for that

– No SEO plugin can optimize your content for keywords or address the needs of your current and prospective customers. As content grows more critical to SEO as a whole, proper keyword research and keyword optimization is vital, and your plugin won’t help with that.

SEO is still one area where machine has not been able to fully replace man.

3. How should I know which WP SEO Plugin is most ideal for my website?

There are many WordPress SEO plugins, but two have emerged as the best in the pack: WordPress SEO by Yoast and All in One SEO Pack. Bear in mind that you may require additional plugins to perform SEO-auxiliary tasks e.g. implementing a site analytics tracking code. Below are the most important considerations to make before you decide on an SEO plugin:

– Compatibility – it should seamlessly mesh with your site’s technology and functionality, including any growth aspects for the future.

– Support – you must have ready technical support, both from developers and users. Research product reviews and support forums to find out what current users are saying

– Popularity – more popular plugins indicate widespread adoption, as well as a larger community of users you can turn to for support should problems arise.

– Future development – the plugin developers should be known for posting regular functionality and security updates, meaning that they are dedicated to improving the product to meet changing user requirements.

4. What should I consider when choosing a WordPress Hosting Platform?

There are many factors that come into play, including web server management, ease of use and installation and of course cost. Where you have adequate resources (manpower, time, money) to handle upgrades, hosting, data backup and restoration, consider getting a Virtual Private Server which gives you full control.

Conversely, if you take on a managed solution, you’ll be free to handle your core competence, since they’ll be responsible for administration, performance and security among other aspects. The following are the most important aspects to consider:

– Plugin support – certain providers have no support for certain plugins; find out whether your prospective provider allows all of yours.

– Backup and restoration– they should offer a ‘single-click’ solution for site backup and restoration in case of a mishap

– Stage setting – it is better if they provide for a staging environment where you can build and test your site; only going live if everything is okay

– Reputation – research carefully to ensure the provider has a strong reputation for offering good service. It’s even better if you find aWordPress specialist; confirm from review sites about the provider.

– Affiliations – be wary of hosting services which offer commissions for partners who refer new clients. Reviews on such sites are likely partisan and hence more difficult to evaluate.

5. How does using free WordPress Themes affect my site and SEO?

The answer is hardly cut-and dry. WordPress is known for its vast array of free themes, most of which are actually harmless. There are some however which can have an adverse effect on your overall SEO, consider these:

– Spammy links – steer clear of themes offers as part of link networks or SEO tactics. Do not use a template or theme that doesn’t allow you to remove links.

– Update and support– very few open-source theme are regularly updated to cover security susceptibilities or upgraded as the CMS is updated. This could adversely affect your SEO

– Reviews – user feedback on the theme will tell you whether or not you can trust the theme and its developers

– Best practices – the theme should be in line with search engine best practices including: loading times, mobile friendliness, friendly coding etc. mobile friendliness is especially important, as you can be completely deindexed if your site isn’t mobile friendly.

Conclusion

While this list is hardly exhaustive, it provides practical actionable tips that will help you judge your current WordPress SEO position and make steps in the right direction. The most important thing to remember is that SEO has no quick fixes. Therefore, anyone who is promising a quick fix – whether a vendor or SEO consultant – should be given a wide berth. Be prepared to put in the work if you want to see great results.

Author Bio:

John Bell is a highly qualified and experienced SEO NJ practitioner, having worked in the field for over one decade with a number of CMSs and web hosting platforms. In his spare time, he likes to put his experience into words by sharing articles on various topics related to SEO.