Are you having trouble getting your WordPress website to rank on search engine results pages (SERPs)? Have you tried everything but still can’t seem to obtain the traffic you want?
If this is the case, you are not alone. Many WordPress website owners struggle to optimize their sites for search engines. But don’t worry, you can take your WordPress SEO to the next level with the correct SEO checklist.
Here are ten SEO checklists that we believe will help you streamline your WordPress SEO.
To streamline WordPress SEO & achieve most out of your website we recommend you to use the Rank Math SEO plugin. You may want to read our detailed guide on integrating Rank Math SEO on WordPress.
SEO Checklist 2024
1. Install an SEO Plugin
Using an SEO plugin is the first step to optimizing your WordPress site.
Plugins like Yoast SEO and Rank Math provide essential tools for managing your site’s SEO. They help you create XML sitemaps, optimize meta tags, and analyze content for SEO best practices. These plugins are beginner-friendly, offering step-by-step guidance on improving your site’s SEO. They also provide content analysis, highlighting keyword density, readability, and more, making it easier to optimize your posts without technical knowledge.
Read our detailed guide on setting up Rank Math SEO for your website.
2. Choose a Responsive and Fast Theme
Your theme plays a significant role in your website’s SEO. A responsive theme ensures your site looks good on all devices, which is crucial since Google prioritizes mobile-first indexing.
Additionally, your theme should be lightweight and fast like GeneratePress. Slow websites result in poor user experience and lower search engine rankings. Ensure the theme is cleanly coded, adheres to SEO best practices, and doesn’t load unnecessary scripts or styles.
3. Keyword Optimization
Keywords are words or phrases that potential readers will search on search engines like Google and Bing. So, we as website owners might want to integrate those keywords strategically on our blog posts/ pages.
Conduct keyword research to identify the best keywords for your website and blog posts. Make sure to use them strategically in your content, including titles, headings, body text, URL slugs and meta descriptions. You can read our detailed guide on adding keywords on WordPress using Rank Math SEO.
4. URL Structure
Permalinks are the URLs used for your pages and posts. Optimizing them makes your URLs SEO-friendly. By default, WordPress uses a non-SEO-friendly structure, like yourdomain.com/?p=123. Change this to include the post name, like yourdomain.com/post-title.
This makes URLs more readable for users and search engines. You can adjust this in Settings > Permalinks. Including keywords in your permalinks is essential for ranking, so keep them short, descriptive, and free from stop words (e.g., “and,” “but,” “or”).
https://wptracer.com/2023/10/25/p-125 (Bad)
https://wptracer.com/what-is-a-wordpress-explained-easily (Good)
https://wptracer.com/what-is-wordpress (Better)
5. Optimize Meta Titles and Meta Descriptions
Meta titles and descriptions are critical for on-page SEO. The meta title is the first thing users see in search results, so it should be compelling and include your primary keyword.
The meta description should summarize the page’s content and encourage clicks. Both should be within the character limits (around 60 characters for titles and 160 for descriptions).
SEO plugins can help you preview and edit these tags for each page and post. Optimized meta tags improve your click-through rates and rankings.
Use keywords where possible, and ensure that each meta description is unique. You may want to read our detailed guide on adding meta descriptions in WordPress.
6. Create an XML Sitemap
An XML sitemap helps search engines understand the structure of your website, making it easier to crawl and index your content. Most SEO plugins, like Yoast SEO and Rank Math, can automatically generate an XML sitemap.
Submit a sitemap of your website to search engines, such as Google, to ensure that all pages are indexed and crawled properly.
You can check our detailed guide on creating and adding sitemap to Google Search Console.
7. Breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs are a navigational aid that shows the path to the current page. They improve user experience by helping visitors understand where they are on your site.
Breadcrumbs are also useful for SEO, as they enhance internal linking and provide additional context to search engines about your site’s structure. You can enable breadcrumbs using an SEO plugin or manually add them to your theme. Ensure they are visible and correctly structured with Schema markup to improve your rankings.
8. Internal Linking
Internal links connect related content within your website, helping search engines understand the structure of your site and the importance of each page.
They also keep users engaged by guiding them to more of your content. Use descriptive anchor text that includes relevant keywords when creating internal links.
However, avoid overloading your content with links; focus on quality rather than quantity. A strong internal linking strategy distributes link equity across your site, improving overall SEO.
9. Image Optimization
Images are essential for a visually appealing website, but they can slow down your site if not optimized.
Optimize your images by compressing them, using descriptive filenames, and using alt tags that include relevant keywords. You may also want to add related and descriptive alt text for your images you upload.
10. Improve Page Load Speed
Page speed is a crucial ranking factor. A slow website frustrates users and leads to higher bounce rates. Optimize your site by compressing images, minifying CSS and JavaScript files, and enabling browser caching.
Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify and fix performance issues. Consider using a caching plugin, like W3 Total Cache or WP Super Cache, to speed up your site. Faster loading times lead to better user experience, higher engagement, and improved rankings.
11. Monitor and Fix Broken Links
Broken links negatively impact user experience and SEO. They lead to 404 errors, which frustrate visitors and can reduce your site’s credibility.
Regularly check for broken links using tools like Google Search Console or a broken link checker plugin. Replace or remove broken links to keep your site healthy. Additionally, create a custom 404 error page using SEO plugin like Rank Math SEO that guides users back to relevant content, reducing bounce rates.
Keeping your site free of broken links improves both user satisfaction and SEO.
12. Content Quality
Content is at the heart of SEO. High-quality, original content that provides value to your audience will naturally attract visitors and backlinks, improving your rankings.
Use keyword research to identify topics relevant to your audience and create comprehensive content that answers their questions. Regularly update and refresh older content to keep it relevant. Avoid keyword stuffing; instead, focus on readability and user experience. Quality content is more likely to be shared and linked, boosting your SEO efforts.
We suggest you to go through our detailed guide on SEO Copywriting for WordPress.
13. Social Media Integration
Integrate social media into your website by including social media sharing buttons and links. This can help increase your website’s visibility and drive traffic. You can do this by using JetPack for WordPress.
You may want to read our detailed guide on configuring JetPack for WordPress.
14. Mobile-Friendliness
With Google’s mobile-first indexing, it’s essential that your website is fully optimized for mobile devices. This means your site should be responsive, meaning it adjusts and looks good on all screen sizes. Use a mobile-friendly theme, optimize images, and ensure that all content is easily accessible on mobile.
Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test can help you identify and fix issues. A mobile-optimized site improves user experience, reduces bounce rates, and boosts your rankings in mobile search results.
We highly suggest you to use the GeneratePress theme for getting a fast and responsive website.
15. Integrate Google Analytics
Set up Google Analytics to track your website’s traffic and performance. This tool provides valuable insights into your website’s audience, traffic sources, and user behavior, allowing you to optimize your content and improve your SEO strategy.
You can add Google Analytics to your website using an official plugin from Google called Google Site Kit.
16. Integrate Google Search Console
Set up Google Search Console and other webmaster platforms to monitor and improve your website’s search engine performance. This tool provides important data on your website’s search rankings, click-through rates, and indexing status, allowing you to identify and fix any issues that may be affecting your SEO. You can add Google Search Console to your website using an official plugin from Google called Google Site Kit.
17. Use HTTPS
Security is a ranking factor, and Google favors websites that use SSL. It ensures data is securely transmitted between the user’s browser and your server.
To move from HTTP to HTTPS, you need an SSL certificate. Many hosting providers offer free SSL certificates that can be installed easily. After installation, redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS and update your site’s URL in the WordPress settings. HTTPS not only boosts your rankings but also builds trust with your visitors.
Wrapping Up
By following these SEO checklists, you can take your WordPress SEO to the next level and start seeing the results you want.
Remember to keep your focus on your audience and create valuable, high-quality content that provides real value. With a little patience and persistence, you’ll soon see your website climbing the search engine rankings.