{"id":137418,"date":"2021-12-16T12:42:07","date_gmt":"2021-12-16T17:42:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=137418"},"modified":"2025-12-18T08:48:40","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T13:48:40","slug":"wordpress-seo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wordpress-seo\/","title":{"rendered":"WordPress SEO: 20 Tips and Best Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"intro-txt\">Most people choose WordPress as their website\u2019s CMS because it\u2019s easy to use and SEO friendly out of the&nbsp;box.&nbsp;<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Both of these things are true, but it\u2019s important to remember that WordPress is just a content management system (CMS). So the mere fact that you\u2019re using WordPress isn\u2019t enough to rank on search engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Luckily, WordPress makes it super easy to implement many <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-best-practices\/\">SEO best practices<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this guide, we\u2019ll cover 20 WordPress SEO optimization best practices, share tips to help you rank higher, and explain how to implement them on your WordPress website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>20 WordPress SEO Best Practices<\/h2>\n<p>Here\u2019s how to improve SEO on WordPress by using the following best practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#check-search-engine-visibility-settings\">Check search engine visibility settings<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#set-preferred-domain\">Set preferred domain<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#set-permalinks\">Set up permalinks<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#require-blog-comment-approval\">Require manual approval for blog comments<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#install-seo-friendly-theme\">Install an SEO-friendly theme<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#install-seo-plugin\">Install an all-in-one SEO plugin<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#generate-sitemap\">Make sure to generate a sitemap<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#exclude-low-value-content-from-indexing\">Exclude low-value content from indexing<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#install-ahrefs-seo-plugin\">Install Ahrefs\u2019 SEO plugin<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#write-clickworthy-title\">Write a \u201cclickworthy\u201d title<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#set-seo-friendly-slug\">Set an SEO-friendly URL&nbsp;slug<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#use-headers\">Use headers to create hierarchy<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#add-internal-links\">Internally link to relevant content<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#add-alt-text\">Add alt text to images<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#write-compelling-title-tag\">Write a compelling title&nbsp;tag<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#write-compelling-meta-description\">Write a compelling meta description<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#nest-pages-in-subfolders\">Nest pages in subfolders<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#install-wp-rocket\">Install WP Rocket<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#minify-code\">Minify code<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#install-shortpixel\">Install ShortPixel<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"1. Check your search engine visibility settings\" data-section=\"check-search-engine-visibility-settings\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Check your search engine visibility settings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a checkbox in WordPress that, if checked, is effectively an SEO death sentence for your website because it prevents Google from indexing your pages. And if Google can\u2019t index your pages, they can\u2019t&nbsp;rank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll find this under <em>Settings &gt; Reading &gt; Search engine visibility<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/1-search-engine-visibility-settings.png\" alt=\"WordPress SEO 101, ensure search engine visibility is unticked.\" width=\"1530\" height=\"388\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Make sure this is unchecked if you want to stand any chance of ranking whatsoever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"2. Set preferred domain\" data-section=\"set-preferred-domain\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Set preferred domain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Google looks at <em>domain.com<\/em> and <em>www.domain.com <\/em>separately, so it\u2019s important to choose a preferred version for your site. You can do this under <em>Settings &gt; General<\/em>. Just set the WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) to your preferred version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/2-preferred-domain.png\" alt=\"Preferred domain in WordPress\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For a new website, it doesn\u2019t really matter which version you choose. But if your pages are accessible at both URL versions, your best bet is to use the version with the most backlinks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To see which version this is, plug them both into Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/batch-analysis\">Batch Analysis tool<\/a> and check their referring domains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For us, it\u2019s clearly the non-www version:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/3-www-vs-non-www.jpg\" alt=\"Referring domains to preferred domain in Ahrefs' Site Explorer\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The beauty of WordPress is it automatically redirects the other version to the preferred version so that <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/alternative-search-engines\/\">search engines<\/a> and visitors can only access your site at the preferred domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">WARNING<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n\n\n\n<p>Changing the preferred version can cause technical issues if your site has already been up and running for a while. If you\u2019ve any concerns, it\u2019s worth enlisting the help of a developer to make sure everything goes smoothly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"3. Set up permalinks\" data-section=\"set-permalinks\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Set up permalinks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Permalinks are basically the URL format for your posts and pages, and the \u201cpost name\u201d option tends to be the most SEO-friendly because it&nbsp;helps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Make it immediately obvious what the page is&nbsp;about.<\/li>\n<li>Keep URLs short, which can prevent them from truncating in the search results.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>However, if you\u2019re already using a different permalink structure, then changing it can lead to broken pages. So if you make a change, you\u2019ll want to crawl your website with a tool like Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-audit\">Site Audit<\/a> after the fact to check for 4XX errors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/4-permalinks-404.png\" alt=\"4XX errors in Ahrefs' Site Audit\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If there are any, you\u2019ll want to use a WordPress plugin like <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/redirection\/\">Redirection<\/a> to redirect the old URLs to the new&nbsp;ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"4. Require manual approval for blog comments\" data-section=\"require-blog-comment-approval\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Require manual approval for blog comments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Spammy blog comments are unlikely to cause penalties or any drastic SEO issues because they\u2019re pretty much always nofollowed. But according to Google, they can still cause some SEO issues for <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/advanced\/guidelines\/prevent-comment-spam\">a few reasons<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Luckily, WordPress makes it really easy to solve this issue once and for all by offering users the option to set all blog comments to require manual approval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can do this in <em>Settings &gt; Discussion &gt; Comment must be manually approved<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/5-manual-comment-approval.png\" alt=\"Blog comment approval in WordPress\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"5. Install an SEO-friendly theme\" data-section=\"install-seo-friendly-theme\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Install an SEO-friendly theme<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty much all WordPress themes are responsive and mobile-friendly these days, so there\u2019s not much to worry about there. What you really need to check when choosing a theme is its performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If the theme is bloated with unnecessary code and features, it\u2019ll slow your website down. And that\u2019s not good, given that <a href=\"https:\/\/webmasters.googleblog.com\/2010\/04\/using-site-speed-in-web-search-ranking.html\">page speed has been a Google ranking factor for over a decade<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So when choosing a theme, it\u2019s worth reading through the description to see what\u2019s included. If there\u2019s a bunch of features you won\u2019t use, it may not be the best choice for&nbsp;you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also run the theme demo through <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/pagespeed-insights\/\">PageSpeed Insights<\/a> for a better sense of its performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/6-seo-friendly-theme.png\" alt=\"WordPress theme in PageSpeed Insights\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you already have a theme and its performance isn\u2019t great, give tips #18\u201320 a shot and hire a developer to optimize it if it\u2019s still&nbsp;slow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"6. Install an all-in-one SEO plugin\" data-section=\"install-seo-plugin\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Install an all-in-one WordPress SEO plugin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Extend the SEO functionality of WordPress and make it easier to optimize aspects of your site with an all-in-one SEO plugin. We use Yoast SEO, but there are plenty of <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/best-seo-plugins-for-wordpress\/\">other alternatives<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To install it, go to <em>Plugins &gt; Add New &gt; Search for \u201cYoast SEO\u201d &gt; Click Activate &gt; Click Install<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/7-seo-plugin.jpg\" alt=\"Installing Yoast SEO for WordPress\" width=\"1600\" height=\"850\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of the settings will be good out of the box, but we\u2019ll adjust a few of them as we&nbsp;go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"7. Make sure to generate a sitemap\" data-section=\"generate-sitemap\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Make sure to generate a sitemap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Sitemaps list the important posts and pages on your site to help search engines discover them. Yoast SEO creates a sitemap for you, but you need to make sure the option is turned on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To do that, go to <em>SEO &gt; General &gt; Features &gt; Toggle \u201cXML sitemaps\u201d on<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/8-sitemaps-on.png\" alt=\"XML sitemaps toggle in Yoast's WordPress SEO plugin\" width=\"449\" height=\"80\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"8. Exclude low-value content from indexing\" data-section=\"exclude-low-value-content-from-indexing\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Exclude low-value content from indexing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>You should only allow Google to index pages that offer value to searchers. Tag pages and format-based archives rarely fall into this category, so it\u2019s generally best practice to exclude them from indexing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To do that, go to <em>SEO &gt; Search Appearance &gt; Taxonomies &gt; Toggle \u201cShow Tags in search results?\u201d off<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/9-low-value-tags.png\" alt=\"Excluding tag pages from indexing in WordPress using Yoast SEO\" width=\"458\" height=\"143\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Do the same for format-based archives too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"9. Install Ahrefs' SEO plugin\" data-section=\"install-ahrefs-seo-plugin\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9. Install Ahrefs\u2019 WordPress SEO plugin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/wordpress-seo-plugin\">free WordPress SEO plugin<\/a> audits and monitors content performance and gives recommendations on how to improve it. It also adds SEo keywords to WordPress so you can monitor everything about your content performance in one&nbsp;place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if the plugin spots that one of your pages is no longer ranking in the top three for its target keyword, it\u2019ll tag it as \u201cNo longer well-performing\u201d and give a personalized recommendation on how to improve based on your settings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/10-ahrefs-seo-plugin-content-audit.png\" alt=\"Using Ahrefs' free WordPress SEO Plugin to monitor SEO performance in WordPress.\" width=\"1600\" height=\"423\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Here, it recommends that we update a post that no longer ranks. If we hit the suggestion caret, it gives advice on how to do&nbsp;that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/11-ahrefs-seo-plugin-suggestions.png\" alt=\"Content recommendations in Ahrefs' SEO WordPress plugin\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">Recommendation<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n\n\n\n<p>The next eight tips are content-related. Keep them in mind when adding posts and pages to your WordPress website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-section=\"write-clickworthy-title\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">10. Write a \u201cclickworthy\u201d SEO&nbsp;title<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Every page and post in WordPress needs a title, which you set&nbsp;here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/12-clickworthy-title.png\" alt=\"Clickworthy title in WordPress\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This title usually gets shown elsewhere on your WordPress website. For example, the title for this post shows up on our blog archive page:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/13-title-archive-page.png\" alt=\"Example of a blog post title\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For that reason, it\u2019s important that your title entices visitors to click through to your page while accurately describing what the page is about. In other words, the title should be clickworthy but not clickbait. It should also feature your main keyword so it\u2019s a well-optimized SEO&nbsp;title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re struggling to write something that fits the bill, take inspiration from the SERP titles of the top-ranking pages for your target keyword, as these are often the same or similar to the page title. You can do that in Google, but it\u2019s better to use <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/serp-checker\">our free SERP checker<\/a> for more accurate, non-personalized results:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/14-ahrefs-free-serp-checker.jpg\" alt=\"Ahrefs' free SERP checker\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, you can see above that many of the pages ranking for \u201cSEO tips\u201d talk about boosting traffic or rankings in their SERP titles. So this is probably a good angle for a clickworthy title for this&nbsp;topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"11. Set an SEO-friendly URL slug\" data-section=\"set-seo-friendly-slug\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">11. Set an SEO-friendly URL&nbsp;slug<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>By default, WordPress sets the URL to the full title of the post or page. This is rarely ideal because it\u2019s usually long, and long URLs tend to get truncated in the search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a more SEO-friendly URL, click \u201cEdit,\u201d enter your primary keyword (or a close variation), and replace the spaces with dashes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/15-seo-friendly-url-slug.gif\" alt=\"URL slug in WordPress\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"12. Use headers to create hierarchy\" data-section=\"use-headers\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">12. Use headers to create hierarchy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Headers create structure and help visitors and search engines to better understand the hierarchy of your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In WordPress, you can use the WYSIWYG editor to quickly and easily add relevant headers. Just hit the \u201cParagraph\u201d dropdown, and you\u2019ll see six header options:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/16-wysiwyg-headings.png\" alt=\"Heading tags in WordPress\" width=\"555\" height=\"480\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"sidenote\"><div class=\"sidenote-title\">Sidenote.<\/div> If you\u2019re using WordPress\u2019 block editor, things will look slightly different. You\u2019ll need to click to add a \u201cHeading\u201d block instead.&nbsp;<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As most WordPress themes use the post title as the first header (<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/h1-tag\/\">H1<\/a>), it\u2019s best practice to use H2-H6 in the content itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"13. Internally link to relevant content\" data-section=\"add-internal-links\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">13. Internally link to relevant content<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/internal-links-for-seo\/\">Internal links<\/a> point to other pages and posts on your website. They\u2019re important for SEO because they&nbsp;help:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Keep visitors on your&nbsp;site.<\/li>\n<li>Boost the \u201cauthority\u201d of your other content and rank the content higher.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>You can add internal links to posts and pages in WordPress using the WYSIWYG editor. Just highlight the text you want to use as the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/anchor-text\/\">anchor<\/a>, hit the \u201cInsert\/edit link\u201d button, and paste in the URL of another page or post on your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/17-internal-links.gif\" alt=\"Adding internal links to improve WordPress SEO optimization\" width=\"473\" height=\"169\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"sidenote\"><div class=\"sidenote-title\">Sidenote.<\/div> Again, things may look a bit different if you\u2019re using the block editor, but the process is pretty much the&nbsp;same.&nbsp;<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re not sure if and where to add internal links, sign up for a free <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/webmaster-tools\">Ahrefs Webmaster Tools<\/a> (AWT) account, run a crawl in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-audit\">Site Audit<\/a>, then go to the <strong>Link opportunities<\/strong> report to see relevant internal link suggestions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/18-link-opportunities-report-ahrefs.png\" alt=\"Internal link suggestions in Ahrefs' Site Audit\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, you can see above that it recommends we internally link the phrase \u201clink building tactics\u201d in our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/bad-links\/\">guide to bad links<\/a> to our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/link-building-strategies\/\">list of link building strategies<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"14. Add alt text to images\" data-section=\"add-alt-text\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">14. Add alt text to images<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/alt-text\/\">Alt text<\/a> is important because it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Tells Google what images are about, which may help them rank higher on Google Images.<\/li>\n<li>Improves accessibility for visually impaired visitors using screen readers.<\/li>\n<li>Replaces the broken image on the page if the image breaks.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>To add alt text in WordPress, fill in the \u201calt text\u201d field when uploading an&nbsp;image:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/19-alt-text.jpg\" alt=\"Adding alt text to images in WordPress for SEO\" width=\"1498\" height=\"1206\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"sidenote\"><div class=\"sidenote-title\">Sidenote.<\/div> Once again, things may look slightly different in the block editor, but there\u2019s still an \u201calt text\u201d&nbsp;field.&nbsp;<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Just try to keep it short and sweet while being descriptive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Recommended reading:<\/strong> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/alt-text\/\">Alt Text for SEO: How to Optimize Your Images<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"15. Write a compelling title tag\" data-section=\"write-compelling-title-tag\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">15. Write a compelling title&nbsp;tag<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Google usually uses your <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/title-tag-seo\/\">title tag<\/a> for the snippet in the search results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yoast sets your title tag to your post or page title by default. This is often fine, as you should have already crafted an enticing post title. But sometimes it\u2019s too long, so it\u2019s worth pasting in the full title manually to make sure it\u2019s not likely to truncate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If it gets highlighted green, you\u2019re all set. If it gets highlighted red, it\u2019s too&nbsp;long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/20-compelling-title-tag.png\" alt=\"Adding title tag in WordPress using Yoast SEO\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You can usually solve the issue of a lengthy title tag by removing any superfluous information. Easy ways to do this include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Removing information in brackets.<\/li>\n<li>Removing unnecessary words.<\/li>\n<li>Rephrasing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"16. Write a compelling meta description\" data-section=\"write-compelling-meta-description\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">16. Write a compelling meta description<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Meta descriptions aren\u2019t a direct Google ranking factor, but Google often uses them for the search result snippet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For that reason, it\u2019s important to write a compelling meta description that supports your title and further entices people to&nbsp;click.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few tips for doing&nbsp;that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Double down on <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/search-intent\/\">search intent<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Use an active voice<\/li>\n<li>Keep it under 120 characters<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Recommended reading:<\/strong> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/meta-description\/\">How to Write the Perfect Meta Description<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"17. Nest pages in subfolders\" data-section=\"nest-pages-in-subfolders\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">17. Nest pages in subfolders<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Assuming that you set your permalink structure to post name, your page and post URLs will look like&nbsp;this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>domain.com\/post-name<\/em><br><em>domain.com\/page-name<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But with pages, you can create them with different levels using subfolders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, let\u2019s say you\u2019re a digital marketing agency offering three different services: SEO, PPC, and social media marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the best way to structure that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Create a \u201cServices\u201d landing page that lists the services you provide<\/li>\n<li>Create individual pages for each service you&nbsp;offer<\/li>\n<li>Link to each service page from your \u201cServices\u201d page<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s what your URL structure will look like by default:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>domain.com\/services\/<\/em><br><em>domain.com\/seo\/<\/em><br><em>domain.com\/ppc\/<\/em><br><em>domain.com\/social-media-marketing\/<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That looks OK. But it is better to nest the individual service pages under the \u201c\/services\/\u201d subfolder like&nbsp;this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>domain.com\/<strong>services<\/strong>\/<\/em><br><em>domain.com\/<strong>services<\/strong>\/seo\/<\/em><br><em>domain.com\/<strong>services<\/strong>\/ppc\/<\/em><br><em>domain.com\/<strong>services<\/strong>\/social-media-marketing\/<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s easy to do in WordPress. Just use the \u201cParent\u201d dropdown on the page editor and choose the \u201cServices\u201d page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/21-parent-page-nesting.png\" alt=\"Nesting pages in WordPress\" width=\"275\" height=\"119\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">Recommendation<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n\n\n\n<p>The next three tactics are about page speed. Use these to speed up your website and improve its performance. Note that we haven\u2019t covered every optimization you can make here, as page speed is a complex topic. So if you want to delve deeper into this side of things, read our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/speed-up-wordpress\/\">full guide to speeding up your WordPress website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"18. Install WP Rocket\" data-section=\"install-wp-rocket\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">18. Install WP Rocket<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-rocket.me\/\">WP Rocket<\/a> describes itself as a web performance plugin that boosts your page speed. The beauty of the plugin is that it makes a bunch of useful optimizations out of the box, including browser and server caching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s what caching does in a nutshell:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Browser caching <\/strong>\u2013 Saves common files on visitors\u2019 hard drives so they don\u2019t have to keep re-downloading&nbsp;them on repeat visits.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Server caching <\/strong>\u2013 Saves static versions of your webpages on your server so they\u2019re ready and waiting whenever a visitor requests them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This is not a free plugin but, in my opinion, it\u2019s well worth the $49 price tag if you have the budget. If you\u2019re looking for a free plugin that does something similar in terms of caching, try one of the many other caching plugins available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"19. Minify code\" data-section=\"minify-code\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">19. Minify code<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Minification removes unnecessary white space from your code to reduce file&nbsp;sizes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/22-minify-html.png\" alt=\"Minified vs un-minified code for WordPress SEO best practices\" width=\"900\" height=\"847\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s simple enough to enable minification if you\u2019re using WP Rocket. Just head to the File Optimization settings and check the options to \u201cMinify CSS files\u201d and \u201cMinify JavaScript files.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/23-wp-rocket-site-speed-plugin.png\" alt=\"Minification in WP Rocket\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re not using WP Rocket, give <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/autoptimize\/\">Autoptimize<\/a> a shot (it\u2019s&nbsp;free).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">warning<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n\n\n\n<p>Enabling minification can lead to features breaking in some instances. So it\u2019s always best to test how this affects your website in a staging environment before deploying live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"20. Install ShortPixel\" data-section=\"install-shortpixel\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">20. Install ShortPixel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/shortpixel.com\/\">ShortPixel<\/a> automatically compresses and optimizes the images you upload to WordPress. This makes the image files smaller, reduces strain on your server, and makes things load faster for your visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To get started, install the plugin, activate it, then enter your API key in the settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that ShortPixel is a freemium plugin. So if you\u2019re compressing more than 100 images per month, you\u2019ll need to buy some credits or sign up for a paid plan. This only costs a few dollars and is well worth the money, in my opinion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you do have the budget for a paid plan, it\u2019s also worth hitting the option to bulk optimize the images already uploaded to WordPress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/24-shortpixel.jpg\" alt=\"Resizing images using ShortPixel for image SEO in WordPress\" width=\"934\" height=\"371\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts on these WordPress SEO best practices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress is flexible, easy to use, and provides a good base for SEO. But it can only get you so far because it\u2019s just a CMS. If you\u2019re serious about ranking on Google, there are a few more things you\u2019ll need to&nbsp;do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ready for better rankings?<\/strong> Read our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-rank-higher-on-google\/\">step-by-step guide to ranking high on Google<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Got questions about WordPress SEO?<\/strong> Ping me <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/joshuachardwick?lang=en\">on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Both of these things are true, but it\u2019s important to remember that WordPress is just a content management system (CMS). So the mere fact that you\u2019re using WordPress isn\u2019t enough to rank on search engines. Luckily, WordPress makes it super<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":137420,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[335],"tags":[],"coauthors":[336],"class_list":["post-137418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-seo","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>WordPress SEO: 20 Tips and Best Practices<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"WordPress\u00a0makes it easy to use\u00a0SEO\u00a0best practices. Improve your site&#039;s SEO with the tips in this guide.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wordpress-seo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"WordPress SEO: 20 Tips and Best Practices\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Improve your site&#039;s SEO.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wordpress-seo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-12-16T17:42:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-18T13:48:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/fb_wordpress_seo_navigation.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Joshua Hardwick\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Improve your site&#039;s SEO.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@JoshuaCHardwick\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ahrefs\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wordpress-seo\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wordpress-seo\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Joshua Hardwick\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e6a89cbde8e750d22996aa26e213e712\"},\"headline\":\"WordPress SEO: 20 Tips and Best Practices\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-12-16T17:42:07+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-18T13:48:40+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wordpress-seo\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2871,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wordpress-seo\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/fb_wordpress_seo_navigation.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"General SEO\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wordpress-seo\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wordpress-seo\\\/\",\"name\":\"WordPress SEO: 20 Tips and Best Practices\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wordpress-seo\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wordpress-seo\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/12\\\/fb_wordpress_seo_navigation.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-12-16T17:42:07+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-18T13:48:40+00:00\",\"description\":\"WordPress\u00a0makes it easy to use\u00a0SEO\u00a0best practices. 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