10 SEO tips for WordPress websites

Search Engine Optimization

What sense does it make to have a beautiful theme and a killer portfolio that isn’t search engine optimized?  Google, Bing, and Yahoo could care less about your pretty photos and web design.  They care about things like alt tags, file names, keywords, and hundreds of other really, really boring tech things.  Understanding those “boring tech things” might bring you new success.  Misunderstanding them could help to put you out of business.

What is Search engine optimization (SEO)?

SEO is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to your website from search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo etc. via “natural” or un-paid (“organic” or “algorithmic”) search results in search engines. The theory is that the earlier (or higher) a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine. SEO may target different kinds of search, including image search, local search, video search and so on.

The following ten tips are those that we think are either often overlooked or common mistakes.  This is not a top ten list.

10 simple tips to get noticed by the world wide web:

  • Content is the best optimization. Any type of optimization is effective only in combination with high quality and unique content. Ideally, the text contains keywords that highlights the overall theme of the post.  The content should be understandable and readable. Use your keywords wisely. Text should be written primarily for visitors, not for search engines.
  • Exchange backlinks with other relevant websites relating to your topics and with high authority websites (websites with high page ranking). Also link between pages within your website, but do this with caution and only if it’s relevant.  Don’t link every page to each other.
  • Think of a good name for your image files. Google also draws images in the calculation of the ranking. Google displays both text and images on it’s search results page, drawing on relevant images contained in the post itself, which are linked to the corresponding page. Implement keywords of a specific subject in your file name, instead of DSC93948.jpg use Tennis-Andre-Agassi-New-York.jpg if you have a picture of Andre Agassi in New York for example. Don’t forget to use the alt tag and title tag for your images, which also provide better usability and optimization for your search ranking.
  • Use short permalinks, including keywords. Use an understandable permalink.  Instead of http://yourwebsite.com/page-id?495/ use http://yourwebsite.com/andre-agassi-new-york/. Please note that only the first four words in a permalink are relevant.  Google doesn’t care about any succeeding words in your permalinks.
  • Use search engine optimized themes. Some themes use a lot code to create the layout and design. Google will wade through the source code to find the relevant content. The more code you have, the less content and keyword density. Fast performing themes are good for your Google ranking, since the performance of a website is one of two hundred criteria that determine your ranking.
  • Create a sitemap in XML format. With WordPress and plugins like Google XML Sitemaps it is a very easy task.  Google has a variety of other useful tools, too, such as Website Optimizer and Webmaster Central.
  • Highlight informative content or keywords on your website. Use h1-h6 to highlight headings or subtitles of an article or important sentences. Use the strong tag, too. But please don’t overdo it!
  • Add your posts to social networks. But please don’t only promote yourself.  Promote other posts and websites you like.  People will honor your kindness and link back to you.
  • Don’t use black hat techniques or mirror html sites. If you try to trick Google, they will find out.  Promise.  Recently, some pretty high-profile portfolio sites were recently punished by Google for such practices.  Being sneaky will do more harm than good.
  • Don’t use flash. Flash is virtually invisible to search engines.  Use WordPress.  Period.

One of the quickest and easiest way to optimize your page ranking is to download and install an SEO plugin, like the WordPress SEO plugin by Yoast.

This list can go on and on. As mentioned above, there are over 200 criteria, Google is using to determine your ranking including lesser-known criteria such as age of domain, duplicate content, meta description and tags, how active the website is and many more criteria.

Last but not least, don’t try too hard!  Concentrate on publishing unique, relevant and quality content. If you do that, everything else will be a cake walk.

66 responses to “10 SEO tips for WordPress websites”

  1. led signs Avatar

    What a useful article ,Thanks for sharing .i can use it for my website .Content is King

  2. Joseph Ku Avatar

    Nice article, although we know the basics, but this article strings them together, as a check list to see what we have missed. Cheers!

  3. Gabriele Franceschi Avatar

    Your themes is very nice. Very good job. I’ve add your link in my blog http://www.gabrielefranceschi.it/blog

  4. Amy Sanders Avatar

    Thanks for the tip on highlighting. I haven’t been doing that with my blog, http://newmothertips.info , but I will give it a try. I have however been using a plugin that creates links within my site to new posts. That’s helped me with internal linking.

  5. Alla Avatar
    Alla

    Thank you for this blog post. The commenter, then, becomes the critic who shapes the writer’s next content. So I want to encourage you to keep on blogging in the same style as your writing style is really perfect.

    _________________________
    SEO Armenia

  6. Suzanne Silk Avatar

    Thanks for info…succinct + understandable. I’ve researched WordPress since it appeared on my radar screen…about 2 years now + am ready to make the switch to Graph Paper Press. Looking forward to making the transition.

  7. Suzanne Silk Avatar

    Re-posting as Silkfineart: Thanks for info…succinct + understandable. I’ve researched WordPress since it appeared on my radar screen…about 2 years now + am ready to make the switch to Graph Paper Press. Looking forward to a smooth transition.

  8. George Brown Avatar

    Great resource of information here, lots of interesting and informative posts. Thanks a lot for all your efforts!

  9. Baby Things Avatar

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  10. Baby Things Avatar

    Great post…

  11. Corey Washington Avatar

    Thank you so much. Great article. Love our theme! http://lifestyle.urbanflrt.com

  12. workers comp Avatar

    I found your website perfect for my needs. It contains wonderful and helpful posts. I have read most of them and learned a lot from them. You are doing some great work. Thank you for making such a nice website.
     

  13. Caty Avatar

    Great post thanks for sharing this! I enjoyed reading

  14. famous psychics Avatar

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  15. Organic direct Avatar

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  16. Organic direct Avatar

    I concur with your conclusions and will thirstily look forward to your future updates. Saying thanks will not just be sufficient, for the fantasti c lucidity in your writing. I will instantly grab your rss feed to stay privy of any updates. Solid work and much success in your business enterprize!

  17. organic delivery service Avatar

    I concur with your conclusions and will thirstily look forward to your future updates. Saying thanks will not just be sufficient, for the fantasti c lucidity in your writing. I will instantly grab your rss feed to stay privy of any updates. Solid work and much success in your business enterprize!

  18. Ilham Abbas Avatar

     Excellent job! Thanks for the great posting and your all efforts. I think the above article is valuable for all concerned people. At least, if was very useful for me. I’ve bookmarked this page for future reference, thank you again.

  19. Card Printer Guy Avatar

    at the risk of necro’ing and old thread I’ve just finished an SEO course that claimed links were really king, if content was above a reasonable level. so much conjecture about this across the web.  Nice article! its good to read some authoritative advice on SEO. Thanks oOn the advice of the same SEO ive migrated my website from html to wordpress, and I must say I’m loving the change, and ease of maintenance you can find it here, hoping it doesn’t look too wordpressy. http:\www.ppc.com.au

  20. Search Engine Optimization Avatar

    Excellent article post here and As seo perspective that every one should follow each and every tips to maximize traffic on website as well as it is right direction to attract with genuine user..Thanks for sharing.

     

  21. Zee Avatar

    Awesome tips for SEO here! I learned a few things while reading through your post especially about black hat techniques which I had no idea about. Thx!

  22. Electric Blanket Avatar

    I have been using wp for about a year or so to create some of my sites. I love it and it is always great
    to learn something new and white hat that can help my rank my sites better. I am fortunate that I follow
    most of your suggestions anyway but hearing/reading it from someone else just reassures me that my efforts
    are in the right direction. Great tips.

  23. Josefiina Anderson Avatar

    WordPress is a site what we call SEO friendly,well those tips for me are really amazing even though i don’t know some of them .Keep Posting like this really helpful.

  24. Seowriter Avatar

    Great tips for SEO WordPress websites. This website truly has all of the information I needed about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.

  25. Keyword Search Tool Avatar

    Just found your site! Very helpful and informative!

  26. ambreen11 Avatar

    Thanks for sharing the post as it is more informative to know the basics
    for beginners. A great learning experience and Hopefully more people can
    learn from this post what I have.

  27. Faysal Shahi Avatar

    Just awesome, thanks for tips.

  28. jakeryan4788 Avatar

    Nice blog, thanks for sharing the information.

  29. ambreen11 Avatar

    Hello there! I just want to offer you a huge thumbs up for your
    excellent info you have right here on this post. I will be returning to
    your website for more soon.

  30. Vino Avatar
    Vino

    Cool tips about wordpress seo blog. I have recently started my blog and hoping to get more traffic.Will implement all the tips you said.Thanks for sharing

  31. dailynewscompany.com Avatar

    use WordPress SEO by Yoast plugin

  32. Pramod Avatar

    A helpful article for a beginner blogger like to get started. I would implement the tricks in my blog: http://codeholic.in/

    Thanks Tad

  33. M Tariq Avatar
    M Tariq

    Nice Blog, And information ! my blog http://tariqmcom.com/

  34. Agrimat Magsingal Avatar
    Agrimat Magsingal

    thanks for the tips! have created a new blog site for my town .. from the philippines
    http://agrimatmagsingal.wordpress.com #AgrimatMagsingal

  35. Shahan Born Calicut Avatar
    Shahan Born Calicut

    My SEO portfolio was created with the following points:

    View the SEO Work Portfolio of Improving the Website Visitors for a web design company.

    Find the results of reports of SEO(Search Engine Optimization), Improving the Website Visitors and SEO Based Website Redesign.

    View Keyword Improvements Results for a graphic design agency in India.

    View how strategies are applied to the travel and tour website promotions.

    You also find the weekly keyword improvement results as the screenshots at this SEO Portfolio.

    We must ask for SEO Results and Reports, the essential checklist to look before you hire SEO Manager.

  36. Aan Asyhadi Avatar

    Yes i’m agree with no back hat techniques.

  37. quoteocean.com Avatar
    quoteocean.com

    Very useful article. thanks for sharing mate. I am new to wordpress and i found your article extremely hellpful

  38. John Allred Avatar
    John Allred

    On page Optimization means the process of preparing website pages search engine
    friendly. Thanks for sharing such useful on page seo tips.

  39. Customer Care Numbers Avatar
    Customer Care Numbers

    Great tips! Its very helpful and informative post. thanks a lot to share your tips.

  40. Magdalena Spyra Avatar
    Magdalena Spyra

    Great tips, I use content marketing and it brings me benefits. I use wordpress and joomla but definetly preffer WP.

  41. Andy Duff Avatar
    Andy Duff

    Great job, thank you very much.I am working on amazing web also.

  42. ajaniashish Avatar

    Very informative article Thad, like the way you put it together. Thanks for sharing

  43. Anshul Kumar Avatar
    Anshul Kumar

    Very very informative post for the beginners like me. Thanks for that.

  44. Nazmul Hossain Avatar
    Nazmul Hossain

    Your post is really informative.thank you for the post.

  45. Ram Babu SEO Avatar

    I am using WordPress SEO by Yoast for a long time and on all of my blogs without a single problem. I love the way it takes care of everything related to SEO for your blog. And the regular updates that comes with more features is another great thing about the plugin.

  46. BloggingRex Avatar

    Today where social media is so popular email is still here, busy, alive and kicking. No matter what business you’re running, a well thought out email marketing campaign can prove quite beneficial.

    BloggingRex

  47. Open Source technologies Avatar

    Thanks for sharing this post

  48. Teguh IW Avatar

    i love platinum seo pack. simple and powerfull

  49. saeed rehman Avatar
    saeed rehman

    Really helpful tips for everyone who wish to learn. And want to get these tips for my blog.
    Thanks for sharing

  50. kudabesiku.com Avatar

    nice tips, thanks for sharing

  51. Alan Scouser Avatar

    I created a Movie Articles site using WordPress, thinking that it would traffic loads of traffic with it being about movies. Huh, how wrong I was. Despite constant SEO, the site is still only getting around 20 unique visitors a day on average. Where am I going wrong, guys?

    1. Alan Scouser Avatar

      To remedy the depressingly scant traffic, I am now in the throes of converting all my pages to posts. What do you think, guys? Will I start seeing results now? Well, I bloody well hope so!

  52. sunny brown Avatar
    sunny brown

    awesome information.

  53. Faraj Sawani Avatar
    Faraj Sawani

    Thank you for your valuable info

  54. Mustafa Israr Avatar

    These all techniques are useful for a blog or even for a buddypress site but how to SEO a portal?

  55. Florence Bell Avatar
    Florence Bell

    nice blog thad keep posting

  56. Jaintechnosoft Avatar

    WordPress is extremely well-coded which is why many call it SEO-friendly. By using word press it adjust media sizes to the theme and narrow the niche.

  57. indian mesh pvt ltd Avatar

    These are all very interesting blog tips. We already following these tips and really get a positive points. If someone try to start their blogging journey then they should must keep in mind all these tips. Thanks for sharing this great tutorial with US.

  58. Kerri Avatar

    Hi….can anyone help me here. I have pages set up with nothing in them (ie they are just set up so that they can be menu headings in my top nav bar. They all show as having poor SEO because there is no content. How do I fix this? Would appreciate any advice. thanks Kerri

  59. anand masuti Avatar
    anand masuti

    I think most important part in on page seo is to be organic and natural. Over optimization can also harm and site seo. Content structure, Internal linking, header tags, keywords. All should be used organically and naturally. You have shared really good content on On page seo. I found your article helpful for me to know much about on page seo. I am also going to apply on page seo techniques to optimize my post or pages on myinfostake. Thanks for sharing such a valuable post.

  60. Brian Stockett Avatar
    Brian Stockett

    Thank you for your article. Common sense normally prevails when it comes to SEO and Google provides a wealth of free information that novice webmasters can utilize.

  61. kent service center Avatar
    kent service center

    Great list, I have been learning how to optimize my WordPress site to rank higher.

  62. Jasvinder Avatar

    Hello

    Well, Greatly described Points. I agree with most of your points.

    Recently Google become more intelligent with quality update and now, they they know, what content is all about, so they know, exactly, where to rank our article, depending on it’s quality.

    So, Keyword Density is out of the window these days, Instead, we can just use LSI keywords for better ranking.

    Also Meta tags like Meta description is not that important, like it was few years ago, now, Google can pick any word or phrase from article depending on users query.

    But I do agree that, using Headings Tags, Image Alt Tags and internal Linking is very important.

    So, Overall, having a nice URL structure, Authority Outbound Links, proper Title, can do the Job easily.

    Correct me, If I am wrong?

  63. Andy Avatar

    There is nothing over high authority links from high respected sources like Wikipedia.org, one unique value link can beat hundred others..