WordPress and SEO

I start with the basics that many people skip. First, I go to Settings > Reading and make sure the 'Discourage search engines from indexing this site' checkbox is unchecked. I've seen live sites miss indexing for months because of this one box. Then I set the permalink structure to Post name. It's clean, readable, and includes the keyword. I avoid date or numeric structures; they waste characters and look less professional.

Next, I install a single SEO plugin. I use Yoast, but Rank Math is a solid alternative. I configure it immediately: set the homepage title, enable XML sitemaps, and enable breadcrumbs if the theme supports them. I then create a [sitemap](/sitemap/) and submit it to Google Search Console.

On the content side, I ensure each page has a clear heading hierarchy. The H1 contains the main keyword and appears only once. I use H2 for subheadings and H3 for details. The main keyword appears in the first paragraph, ideally within the first 100 words. I write a unique title tag for each page, placing the keyword near the beginning and keeping it under 60 characters to avoid truncation. I also craft a meta description of 150–160 characters that summarises the page and encourages clicks.

I pay attention to [website structure](/website-structure/). I limit categories to a handful and use tags sparingly, only when they add value. I ensure each page has at least 2–3 internal links to other relevant pages. This distributes authority and helps crawlers discover content.

I also check technical aspects. I verify that each page uses a [canonical tag](/canonical-tag/) to prevent duplicate content, especially on paginated archives. I run a [technical SEO](/technical-seo/) crawl to find broken links and redirect chains. I optimise for [Core Web Vitals](/core-web-vitals/) by minimising plugins, using a lightweight theme, and compressing images. I aim for a server response time under 200ms.

Finally, I monitor performance in Search Console. I look at indexing coverage, search queries, and click-through rates. I adjust titles and descriptions based on data. I also keep an eye on [duplicate content](/duplicate-content/) issues flagged by the plugin. This path works for any WordPress site, from blogs to e-commerce.

The biggest trap is the 'Discourage search engines' checkbox. I've audited sites that were live for months but not indexed because someone checked it during setup. It's a simple fix but easy to miss.

Another common mistake is overloading the site with plugins. An SEO plugin is necessary, but adding too many others—social sharing, caching, analytics—can bloat the site. I once worked on a site with 40 plugins; after trimming to 15, the page load time dropped from 4 seconds to 1.8 seconds, and rankings improved. Each plugin adds JavaScript and CSS that slows down the page.

Permalink changes after launch are dangerous. If you change the URL structure, you must create 301 redirects from old URLs to new ones. Otherwise, you'll lose traffic and authority. I always decide the permalink structure before publishing any content.

Poor heading hierarchy is another issue. Some themes use multiple H1 tags per page, or use H2 for the main title. This confuses users and search engines. I manually check that each page has exactly one H1 and that the heading order is logical.

Canonical tags are often ignored. Without them, category and tag archives can create hundreds of near-duplicate pages. I set the canonical URL to the most authoritative version, usually the main post page.

Image optimisation is frequently overlooked. Large images slow down the site. I always compress images before uploading and use modern formats like WebP. I also add descriptive alt text, which helps with image search and accessibility.

Finally, watch out for the Search Appearance settings in the SEO plugin. By default, some plugins may generate title tags that include the site name after a separator. I customise these to avoid keyword stuffing or truncation. Catching these early saves time later.

I used to believe that meta descriptions were a direct ranking factor. I spent hours crafting unique descriptions for every page, thinking they would boost my rankings. After analysing data from several sites, I saw no correlation between description quality and position. What I learned is that meta descriptions influence click-through rate, not ranking. Google often rewrites them anyway. Now I write clear descriptions that summarise the page, but I don't obsess over them.

Another mistake was ignoring the 'noindex' settings for archive pages. I wanted all pages indexed, but category and tag archives were creating massive duplicate content. Eventually, Google indexed thousands of low-value pages, wasting crawl budget. I had to use the SEO plugin to set archives to 'noindex' and consolidate canonical URLs. This fixed the issue.

I also used to install multiple SEO plugins 'just in case.' I had Yoast for titles, another for sitemaps, and another for schema. This caused conflicts and slowed the site. Now I stick to one comprehensive plugin.

I undervalued internal linking. I used to write content and leave it isolated. After I started linking related posts, I saw a 20% increase in page views per session and better indexing of deeper pages.

Finally, I focused too much on the homepage meta description, thinking it was critical. But the homepage often ranks for brand terms, and the description rarely gets displayed. I now spend my time on the pages that get the most search traffic.