If you've read my blog for any length of time, you probably know my stance on SEO: I pay attention to SEO and incorporate SEO-boosting tasks into my blogging, but I don't spend gobs of time or money making sure I dot every SEO i and cross every SEO t. But now I found an SEO plugin that helps!
Here are some of the SEO posts I've written already if you need to catch up:
- How to Use Anchor Text to Boost SEO
- What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Why Does It Matter?
- One Excellent SEO Gimme
- Do You Start Your Posts Well?
- What Could Be Better Than SEO? This.
- SEO Tool: Free, Printable Beginner's Guide to SEO
- The Difference Between Categories and Tags
- How to Submit Your Site to Google
- How to Maximize Your Sitemap
Found: The WordPress SEO Plugin by Yoast
I recently installed the WordPress SEO plugin by Yoast and it is lovely. It's lovely because it gives you immediate feedback regarding your SEO. That's so much nicer than just hoping your SEO is good, right?
Check it out below. The sounds is a bit loud (sorry about that!) so you might want to turn down the volume a bit.
Can't see the video? Watch it here.
Video Notes:
- To install the plugin, go to Dashboard –> Plugins –> Add New –> search for WordPress SEO. Click Install and then Activate the plugin.
- Once the plugin is installed and activated, configure your settings from your Dashboard –> SEO (down at the bottom of the left column).
- After writing your post in your post editing window, you'll get a box ("WordPress SEO by Yoast") underneath your text where all the fun happens. See all the features of the plugin here.
- I wrote about the TentBlogger plugin which allows you to insert information at the end of your feed, but if want to eliminate a plugin, you can do the very same thing with this plugin by Yoast. Configure what goes into your feed by going to Dashboard –> SEO –> RSS.
Can I add this to blogger? or is it only for wordpress? Thanks
Hi Robin. Unfortunately Blogger doesn't allow for plugins.
Hi Amy,
I just installed the plugin but not sure which things to check under all the items. Which ones do you think? I am just starting to focus on learning the hows to blogging…seo etc….instead of hobby blogging! Thanks so much for all of your help. Have a great day!
I use this plugin and love it, Amy. However, I had installed the TentBlogger RSS plugin on your suggestion not knowing that this would do that too. I always learn something from you – thanks!
This plugin looks AWESOME! I can't wait to try it out. I always love getting plugin suggestions from people that I trust who have already tested them out! Thanks
Hi Amy,
I use the All-In-One SEO plugin. My posts are listed in the search engines, so I guess it works. Do you have any insight as to which is better, All-In-One or Yoast? Also, if I install Yoast, should the All-In-One be deactivated, or can both plugin operate concurrently?
Thanks.
I'm wondering the same thing.
I'm not sure about any negative results of using both but I think Yoast's is sufficient.
I'm pretty sure the plugins would conflict in some areas, so I'd definitely recommend just using Yoast's instead of All-in-One and any other sitemap plugin you may have installed. Yoast's SEO plugin also eliminates any need for a Facebook thumbnail plugin.
Yes, you're totally right, Gretchen. After doing more research, I've learned the same. Thanks for jumpin' in!
I've used both and I prefer the Yoast plugin. Less bloat, but more control.
I use this and LOVE it!
I have been using the plugin for a while and it is a big help for me. It gives me pointers on good keywords and provides a good SEO check for my posts.
I have tried a few other ones so far, but this had the best usability of them all, and the best results.
It gets better once you learn how to work with it.
Would it interfere with the genesis built in seo? I don't want to lose all the SEO I have done through genesis.
Good question. Not sure on that, but I doubt it. You might ask in the Genesis support forum though. (If you get a good answer, let me know!)
I read somewhere on the Genesis site that their SEO section is "polite" and automatically deactivates itself if it detects a SEO plugin active, and I've found that to be the case–Genesis' SEO plugins are hidden with Yoast's plugin active.
This is the reply I got.
You can't use both. If you activate Yoast's plugin, Genesis SEO will be deactivated. You only need 1 thing (Yoast's plugin or Genesis) taking care of your SEO settings.
You can use the SEO Data Transporter plugin to move your settings between the two.
Thanks so much, Nolie!
Thanks so much, Amy! Just installed it!
I have a question–do you have any good recommendations for Spam filters/Plug-ins? I have been getting TONS of Spam comments lately!
I like G.A.S.P. along with Akismet…the two together seem to stop most of my spam.
"Growmap Anti Spambot Plugin" seem s to work well for me also!
I have both of these (including the GASP) and I still get TONS of Spam comments…sometimes up to 30 a day!
Oh bummer. OK, I was hoping that'd take care of it. Pat from Smart Passive Income just talked about spam in one of his recent posts. If you scroll down a bit, you can read his experience and see if what he's doing my help. I hope it does!
I always LOVE your suggestions and I've used SO many of them on my blog when I knew very little about WordPress… so thank you! No I'm going to "ditto" a few of the other comments… I installed it, but have no idea how to configure the settings so if you have recommendations, that would be great! Also, I'm already using All-In-One … so should I have both activated?
WP Beginer has a great post on how to configure Yoast's plugin. It's a bit old, but the basic principles still apply: http://www.wpbeginner.com/plugins/how-to-install-and-setup-wordpress-seo-plugin-by-yoast/
You definitely want to deactivate All-in-One.
Thanks, Gretchen! I also found this post at SEOMoz that is helpful and more recent (May 2012).
I too would like some help with the setting. After activating the plugin my post page looks different…it narrowed the Title column on my post page?
Hi Amy,
I found your blog about a month ago and I really have enjoyed your post. You do a great job sharing quality info.. I am building a new blog as we speak, 2 actually… and I am a little over whelmed with trying to pick form your list of "top plugins", they all look like they are important to me! LOL How many is to many? And if you don't mind what are the ones you use. Also, do you use the all in SEO plugin, or is this the only SEO plugin you use?
One other thing I'd like to ask and if you want to send me back a private email that would be fine… How are you monetizing your blogging efforts? Is it just through ebooks you create? Do you consult with business on the side?
Thank you Amy:)
Carrie
One more question Amy- do you see any problems with starting a blog on wordpress that is identical with the one that I have on blogger? same name and such.
Why not just move it over? Did you see my Moving from Blogger to WordPress series?
I just switched over from .com to .org this week so I can finally start learning (finally have to start learning?) about this SEO stuff. Thanks for this post–I've been reading blog tips but can't do so many things because I was on .com so I'm excited to see what I can do now!
Congrats Sara! I think you'll enjoy it once you get settled.
Hey Amy,
This is the same plugin that I'm using on my blog, its awesome and can not live without it. Best plugin you can get for free that does the job and then some.
Well Amy I had a little glitch in my blog and had to have my host remove all of my plugins. So I tried real hard not to panic. So when I could finally get into my admin..oh boy everything is gone..so I thought..Amy..Amy..Amy. I've got to go see Amy! LOL
Then I thought well this is a good time to backup my data and then update my wordpress and then..see Amy for the hottest NEW plugins. Oh boy, I feel like I'm going to have a shiny new Blog. Maybe I'll even get brave enough to update my theme..still on Athualpa
It's safe you know..anyway got to check all your new plugins and add them to mine now…Thanks for being there!!
Blessings!!
You are crackin' me up, Shari Lynne. Way to stick with it and push through. Think of how much you're learning in the process!! That's what I always say. And thank goodness blogging is so forgiving. Really, it's so hard to blow things up completely, never to be (somehow) recovered again. I hope you'll get to the end and be so excited about your fresh start that you'll be GLAD for the glitch. (I bet you will.)
I have installed this plug-in two or three times. The first two times it crashed my blog and I had to re-install the wp-content folder. This time I got it installed without crashing my blog but it has negatively affected my homepage. My homepage features blog post excerpts normally but after installing the plug-in all of my posts on the homepage have disappeared. All you can see is the Featured Content Gallery. It's such a shame because I would really like to use this powerful plug-in.
Your website is awesome, Amy!
Thank you so much for all the user-friendly information you put on here. This SEO plug-in is so cool! I have to stop myself from obsessing over the green "go" dots…
I have a functioning 6-month-old, work-in-progress, blog thanks to all the things I've learned from you on here. Love this site.
You are a blessing!
Hi Amy
Just install Yoast after activating I got this message "You've just installed WordPress SEO by Yoast. Please helps us improve it by allowing us to gather anonymous usage stats so we know which configurations, plugins and themes to test with." Should I click on allow tracking or Do not allow tracking?
Thanks
I trust Yoast. I can't remember whether I allowed or did not allow when I installed it. When in doubt, I would not allow.
I could hug you this morning for this Amy! A friend recommended this and I had no idea where to start… so I still have a lot of work to do but I appreciate you getting me started. Thanks for all you do!
You're welcome, Laurie! Glad you stopped by.
You're hilarious. You sound like you found this 20 minutes ago and the excitement hasn't worn off yet. I'm loving your blog, thanks for all the helpful informaiton!
The wordpress SEO by Yoast is quite a very nice plugin but, it consumes very Large amount of resources on my WordPress VPS on hostgator- http://www.nigerianuniversitynews.com, and as a result, I feel unhappy, and just have to remove it.
Would be glad if there was any solution to that