SEO Checklist

WordPress SEO plugins help optimize your content and website structure for better visibility on search engines like Google and Bing. This guide will walk you through installing and configuring a powerful SEO plugin like Yoast SEO or Rank Math.

1. Choosing the Right SEO Plugin

There are several popular SEO plugins for WordPress, but the most widely used are:

• Yoast SEO – most beginner-friendly.


• Rank Math – highly advanced and feature-rich.


• SEOPress – lightweight and privacy-focused.

2. How to Install an SEO Plugin

Step 1: Log in to WordPress Admin

Go to https://yourdomain.com/wp-admin and log in.

Step 2: Navigate to Plugins > Add New

From your dashboard, go to Plugins → Add New.

Step 3: Search and Install

Type "Yoast SEO" or "Rank Math" in the search bar. Click Install Now and then Activate.

3. Initial Configuration Wizard

Yoast SEO:

1. Go to SEO → General.


2. Click the Configuration Wizard.


3. Follow the steps: website type, organization, social profiles, search engine visibility, etc.

Rank Math:

1. Click the Setup Wizard after activation.


2. Connect your Rank Math account.


3. Import data from other SEO plugins if needed.


4. Configure site type, owner, sitemap settings, etc.

4. Configure General SEO Settings

Site Title and Meta Description

Set a default template for your homepage, posts, and pages. Use variables like:

%%title%% | %%sitename%%

Social Media Profiles

Go to SEO → Social (Yoast) or General Settings → Social (Rank Math) and add all major social links: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn.

Content Types

Enable SEO titles + meta descriptions for:

• Posts


• Pages


• Custom Post Types (optional)

Media Redirect

Ensure media attachments redirect to their parent post. In Yoast, this is under SEO → Media.

5. Create and Submit Your XML Sitemap

Both Yoast and Rank Math generate XML sitemaps automatically:

• https://yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml (Yoast)


• https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml (Rank Math)

Submit this sitemap to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools for indexing.

6. Enable Schema Markup (Structured Data)

Structured data helps search engines understand your content. Rank Math supports detailed schema types like:

• Article


• Product


• Recipe


• Event

Configure default schema for each post type under Titles & Meta → Posts in Rank Math.

7. On-Page SEO Optimization

Focus Keyword

For each page or post, add a target keyword in the SEO box. You’ll get suggestions to improve:

• Meta Title


• Meta Description


• Keyword Density


• Internal Links

Readability Analysis (Yoast)

Yoast offers a readability score with suggestions to simplify sentences, use active voice, and add subheadings.

8. Advanced Settings

Breadcrumbs

Enable breadcrumbs for better navigation and search appearance. You may need to add the following PHP code to your theme:

','

'); } ?>

Noindex Settings

Prevent indexing of unwanted pages (e.g., tags, author archives, search pages).

404 Monitor & Redirection (Rank Math)

Track broken links and set up 301 redirects to preserve SEO value.

9. Plugin Integration

• WooCommerce SEO: Optimize product titles and descriptions.


• Local SEO: Add business location, opening hours (Yoast Local SEO or Rank Math Local).


• Image SEO: Auto-add alt tags and file name optimization.

10. Conclusion

Installing and configuring an SEO plugin is a vital step in optimizing your WordPress website for search engines. Whether you're a beginner using Yoast or an advanced user preferring Rank Math, ensure your settings are complete, and use the built-in tools to grow your site traffic organically.