The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best WordPress SEO Plugin

Have you ever wondered, what is the best WordPress SEO plugin?

Do you feel frustrated trying to make sense of the different search engine optimization plugins for WordPress that are out there?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then take heart because you’re not alone! Over the years of my working as an SEO content strategist, I've heard these and many similar questions asked again and again. For example, “Which plugin do you recommend as the best for SEO on WordPress?”  “What are the top 10 SEO plugins for WordPress?” “Which do you think is the best free SEO plugin for WordPress?”

So, why these many questions?

Well, the answer is simple: WordPress SEO plugins are essential if you want to optimize your WordPress blog or site!

You see, WordPress is indeed the most popular content management system (CMS) right now. It's easy to use, customizable, and, best of all, it's free! Unfortunately, by default WordPress is not a powerful tool when it comes to search engine optimization. But what good is a great CMS if you are able to build a great website or blog and create killer content but nobody can find you on the search engine result pages (SERPs)?

That's where WordPress SEO plugins come into play!

With SEO plugins you can optimize your website or blog so that it can rank high on Google and the other search engines. This will lead to more visibility, more traffic, and ultimately more revenue.

Unfortunately, because of the plethora of options available, choosing the best WordPress SEO plugin can be a daunting task. For example, a simple search on the official WordPress plugin directory for “SEO plugins”, will return a result of over 1000. This is not counting the hundreds of premium SEO plugins hosted by independent companies!

The problem is, trying to load your site with every piece of SEO plugin that is out there, can actually do your website or blog more harm than good. In fact, it is advisable not to use more than one WordPress SEO plugin on your site at the same time. This is to avoid plugin conflict.

In this post, I’ve decided to give a simple process that will help you choose the best WordPress SEO plugin for your website or blog. To make it easier for you to make a choice, I’ll briefly mention the top 5 SEO plugins for WordPress that I think you should consider and which of these plugins I think is best for SEO on WordPress, and why.

So, if you’re ready for the ride, let’s get started!

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a long blog post. If you’re in a hurry and would rather that I give you my top recommended WordPress SEO plugin, then I’m pleased to let you know that, after over 10 years as an SEO Content Strategist and after trying several WordPress SEO plugins during this time, I highly recommend Rank Math SEO for anyone who is serious about optimizing their WordPress sites for ranking and traffic. Click here to check out Rank Math SEO.

Rather read the long post? Fine by me, let’s dive right in!

DISCLOSURE: Some links on this post may be affiliate links. This means I'll receive a small commission if you buy anything using such links. There's, however, no extra cost to you. Please do your own research before making any online purchases. Learn more here.

What Are SEO Plugins?

Alright, let’s begin this with some basic definitions,

What are WordPress SEO plugins and what do they do?

WordPress SEO plugins are tools that help website owners optimize their WordPress website for search engines. They provide a wide range of features and functionalities that can help improve a website's search engine visibility, increase organic traffic, and ultimately drive more business, without requiring any technical expertise.

For example, these plugins can help website owners optimize their website content, meta descriptions, and images, which are all important factors for improving a website's search engine ranking. They can also provide features such as XML sitemap generation, schema markup, and social media integration, which can help search engines better understand the content and structure of a website.

WordPress SEO plugins also help with on-page optimization, such as optimizing page titles, headings, and internal linking. They can also help with off-page optimization, such as link building and backlinking, which are important factors for improving a website's search engine ranking.

In addition to these features, some WordPress SEO plugins offer advanced functionalities, such as content analysis, keyword research, and competitor analysis, which can help website owners identify areas for improvement and create a more effective SEO strategy. One SEO plugin that does this very well is Rank Math SEO.

What Makes a WordPress SEO Plugin the BEST?

Now, while the term “best WordPress SEO plugin” is subjective, in my opinion, for a WordPress SEO plugin to be considered the best that SEO plugin should have the following characteristics:

1. Ease of use: The plugin should be easy to install and use, even for beginners who may not have much technical knowledge. This is important for several reasons:

• It saves time and frustration when setting up and using the plugin.
• It allows beginners who may not have much technical knowledge to optimize their site for search engines.
• It enables users to focus on their content and site development rather than struggling with complicated technical settings.

2. Comprehensive: The plugin should offer a wide range of SEO features that makes it easy for you to optimize your site for search engines in all areas, including:

• On-page optimization such as title tags, meta descriptions, and header tags
• Technical optimization such as site speed, mobile optimization, and schema markup
• Off-page optimization such as backlinks, social media integration, and local SEO

3. Customizable: The plugin should allow you to customize your SEO settings to fit the unique needs of your site. A customizable plugin should offer the following features:

• Flexible settings that allow you to adjust the plugin to your site's specific requirements
• The ability to exclude specific pages or posts from SEO optimization
• Advanced options for experienced users who want more control over their SEO settings

4. Compatible with WordPress updates: The plugin should be regularly updated to stay compatible with the latest version of WordPress. A plugin that is regularly updated and compatible with the latest version of WordPress is important for several reasons:

• It ensures that the plugin will continue to work correctly and efficiently as WordPress updates its platform.
• It prevents compatibility issues and potential security vulnerabilities.
• It shows that the plugin is actively maintained and supported, giving you confidence in its reliability and usefulness.

5. Good support: The plugin should have reliable support in case you encounter any issues or have questions. A plugin with reliable support channels, such as email support, online forums, or even live chat, is vital for several reasons:

• It helps you to resolve issues and problems quickly, preventing unnecessary downtime or lost traffic.
• It ensures that you can get the most out of your plugin and use it to its full potential.
• It provides confidence that you can rely on the plugin in the long term and that it will continue to provide good results.

Ultimately, the best WordPress SEO plugin for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences. However, any SEO plugin for WordPress with the above characteristics is definitely the BEST!

Recommended: 15 Proven SEO Tools for Small Businesses That Will Help You Stay Ahead Of the Competition!

How to Choose the Best WordPress SEO Plugin in 7 Easy Steps

As I have mentioned already, there are thousands of SEO plugins out there. If you are going to pick the best from these different options, you will need to carefully scrutinize them.

Over the years I have used the following process in deciding on what plugins I can use for optimizing my blogs for the search engines:

Step 1: Determine Your SEO Goals

Before choosing an SEO plugin, you need to determine your SEO goals. Are you looking for a plugin that can optimize your content, improve your site speed, or help you with keyword research? Once you have determined your SEO goals, you can select an SEO plugin that best suits your needs.

Step 2: Consider the Features of the SEO Plugin

As already mentioned, different SEO plugins offer different features. Some of the essential features to look for in an SEO plugin include:

• On-page optimization: The plugin should allow you to optimize your content for search engines by adding meta tags, optimizing your title tags, and adding alt tags to your images.
• XML sitemap generation: The plugin should generate an XML sitemap of your website, making it easy for search engines to crawl and index your pages.
• Site speed optimization: The plugin should help you optimize your site speed by compressing images, minifying CSS and JavaScript, and caching your pages.
• Social media integration: The plugin should allow you to add social media metadata to your site, making it easy for your content to be shared on social media platforms.

You need to choose an SEO plugin that offers the features you need to achieve your SEO goals.

Step 3: Check the User Reviews and Ratings

One of the best ways to determine the effectiveness of an SEO plugin is to check its user reviews and ratings. User reviews can give you valuable insights into the plugin's performance, reliability, and ease of use.  

One of the ways you can do this to check the ratings of the plugin on the official WordPress plugin directory, if it is a free plugin. However, if it is a premium plugin, you should carry out a thorough background check on the developers to ensure its credibility and safety of use.

Step 4: Make Sure It Is Compatible With Your Theme and Other Plugins

Compatibility is a crucial factor when choosing an SEO plugin. Some SEO plugins may not be compatible with your WordPress theme or other plugins you are using on your website. You need to make sure that the SEO plugin you choose is compatible with your website's theme and other plugins to avoid any conflicts.

Step 5: Evaluate the Price

Most SEO plugins offer both free and premium versions. While the free version may offer basic features, the premium version may offer advanced features and better support. You need to evaluate the price of the premium version and determine whether it's worth the investment.

Step 6: Check for Regular Updates

WordPress is an ever-changing platform, and its developers are consistently rolling out both major and minor updates. Regular updates are crucial for ensuring that your plugin works with the latest version of WordPress. It also ensures that any security vulnerabilities are fixed promptly. Before you install an SEO plugin, you should check for regular updates.

Step 7: Check for Support

Finally, you should check for support options available for the plugin. A good plugin should have a support team that is readily available to help you with any issues that you may encounter. You can check the plugin's support options on the WordPress plugin directory or the plugin's website.

Recommended: How to Build High Authority Backlinks for SEO and Traffic with HARO

Top 5 WordPress SEO Plugins for Optimizing Your Website (An Overview)

As I’ve already mentioned, there are thousands of WordPress SEO plugins in the market right now. So, picking the top 5 is not an easy task. However, instead of giving you a list of 20, 40 or, even 101 ultimate list of WordPress SEO plugins, I think drilling it down to just 5 will make it easier for you. There’s no need adding to your confusion and overwhelm!

Why I do not consider myself as having some special qualifications regarding this list, the following list is from the different options I have tried over the years. Besides, when I searched for “SEO plugins” on the official WordPress plugin directory, these five came top on the list. So, I think WordPress.org agrees with this list also, or don’t you think so!

Again I made sure that the SEO plugins that made this list are “all-in-one plugins” that is, they offer a wide range of features to improve your website's SEO rankings.

Having said that, here’s my top 5 SEO plugins for WordPress:

Rank Math, though one of the newest kid in the SEO block, having been founded in 2018, is a powerful and rapidly growing SEO plugin for WordPress. It offers an extensive range of features, possibly more than any of the other SEO plugins out there. Because of its range of features and versatility in optimizing your website it has been nicknamed the “Swiss Army knife of WordPress SEO!”

In the recent past, many bloggers and marketers have switched from Yoast SEO, one of the most popular SEO plugins, to Rank Math. This is because Rank Math combines the power of multiple plugins into one easy-to-manage tool while remaining lightweight. This is really great as you can now handle all your SEO tasks, without loading your site with different plugins!

Apart from the above, Rank Matt also offers a free version that has features that are found only on the paid version of many of the other SEO plugins.

Some of Rank Math’s standout features include Google Schema Markup (which helps your website rank higher in search engine results pages by providing structured data to search engines), Integrated LSI Keyword Tool (which assists you in finding relevant keywords to use in your content), 404 Monitor (This ensures that any broken links on your website are detected and resolved in a timely manner), Role Manager (with this you can easily control who has access to Rank Math's features on your website), and Google Search Console Integration (this is a valuable tool for tracking your website's performance in search results).

Rank Math also makes it easy to transfer your data from other plugins using its setup wizard. This is great because you can get started with the plugin right away.

Rank Math is a great choice for businesses looking for an all-in-one SEO solution that's easy to use and affordable. Its Pricing starts at $59 per year for the pro version but you can always start with the free version.

Visit the Rank Math website to learn more about its features.

Over the years Yoast SEO has been a dominant player in the SEO plugin market. It was launched in 2010 by Joost de Valk who combined several other smaller SEO plugins into one plugin. Yoast SEO offers both free and premium versions with features that will help you optimize your website for the search engines.

Yoast SEO comes with a wide range of features such as keyword optimization, meta descriptions, and XML sitemap generation. It also offers content analysis, which helps you optimize your content for search engines.

The plugin can be installed directly from the WordPress dashboard. The setup wizard guides new users through an eight-step process. Unfortunately, this is one of its cons as the setup can be overwhelming because of the many steps involved.

Yoast SEO is available in both free and premium versions with prices starting at $89 per year. However, the paid version can be quite expensive as there are several add-on options for purchase, which can add up.

If you are using the free version and have a lot of questions, you can only use their FAQs, whereas the Pro version gives you one year of 24/7 support. Besides, with Yoast, you'll need another SEO tool since Yoast cannot perform keyword research or competitor research.

Recommended: Rank Math: The Best Yoast Alternative for SEO?

All in One SEO Pack is among the earliest WordPress SEO plugins to hit the market. It was launched in 2007 and over this time, it has garnered a loyal following of over 3 million active users. The plugin offers a wide range of features to improve your website's SEO rankings.

Some of the impressive features offered by AIOSEO include an SEO audit checklist that helps you thoroughly examine your entire WordPress website to identify errors and provide actionable recommendations to enhance your SEO and increase traffic.

Besides, AIOSEO enables you to automatically generate and submit sitemaps to major search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, and more. This feature enhances your online presence, ensuring that your website is easily discoverable by search engines. In addition to this, the plugin comes equipped with other essential features such as schema, knowledge graph, AMP, and local SEO to provide a holistic SEO solution for your website.

All in One SEO Pack is a solid choice for businesses of all sizes, but may be particularly useful for those with larger, more complex websites. It is available in both free and premium versions, with prices starting at $57 per month.

SEOPress, like Rank Math, is relatively in the SEO market. It was launched in 2017 and within this time it has gained popularity amongst SEOs with over 150,000 active installations. It is offers a wide range of features for on-page optimization.

One of the significant advantages of SEOPress is that it offers content analysis with an unlimited number of target keywords. In addition to this, it has features for redirection, sitemaps, markup, link building, website analysis, and monitoring. SEOPress contains all the necessary features to maintain your website's SEO and keep it in good shape. However, there is a learning curve and it may take some time to navigate all of the available options.

The plugin is available in both free and premium versions, with the premium version providing additional features like WooCommerce support and priority support.

SEOPress is a great option for businesses looking for a full-featured, affordable SEO plugin. It is available in both free and premium versions, with prices starting at $39 per month.

SEO Squirrly is another WordPress SEO plugin that is great for on-page optimization. It is an innovative WordPress plugin that utilizes cutting-edge data-driven and A.I.-powered technologies to optimize your website's SEO performance.

Squirrly SEO offers a staggering 450 features which includes features for keyword research, content analysis, and XML sitemap generation. It provides real-time SEO suggestions as you write your content and helps you optimize your posts for both search engines and users. It also offers a range of social media features such as social media metadata and social media scheduling.

The primary distinguishing feature between Squirrly and Rank Math Pro is that Squirrly SEO does not provide unlimited website access for its services, whereas Rank Math Pro offers services for an unlimited number of websites.

SEO Squirrly is a great choice for bloggers and small business owners who want an affordable, all-in-one SEO solution. Squirrly SEO is available in both free and premium versions, with prices starting at $20.99 per month.

Why is Rank Math the Best WordPress SEO Plugin?

As I have mentioned earlier, after many years of using different SEO plugins on my sites, I’ve chosen Rank Math as my preferred SEO plugin compared to Yoast, SEOPress, Squirrly, and AIOSEO. This is for a number of reasons which I have listed below.

Please note that your intended use will greatly determine what the best SEO plugin is for you. For me, though all five plugins offer unique features, Rank Math is the best in for the following reasons.

The first reason why I picked Rank Math over Yoast SEO is that though, both Yoast SEO and Rank Math offer free versions, Yoast only offer a decent set of features in its free version while some more advanced features can only be accessed in the premium version. In fact, Rank Math’s free version includes some features that are not available in Yoast's basic paid version. This makes Rank Math a more affordable option compared to Yoast SEO.

Secondly, Rank Math provides a single premium plan with all the features, but Yoast has multiple premium plans. This means, if you want access to come more features, you will need to make multiple purchases, which ends up costing more.

Thirdly, unlike the other SEO plugins on the market, Rank Math's pricing is all-inclusive, meaning that you only pay one price, regardless of the number of sites you manage. But Yoast, for example, does not offer an unlimited license. This means, if you want to manage multiple sites, investing in Yoast SEO will cost more ultimately, compared to Rank Math.

Apart from the above, Rank Math offers a more comprehensive and feature-rich SEO solution for WordPress than the other four, even in the free version. For example, where some of these plugins offer similar features, they are just basic features while Rank Math offer advanced features such as rich snippet support, multiple focus keywords, content analysis, role manager, WooCommerce SEO, Google Search Console integration, and automatic SEO tweaks.

Overall, Rank Math a better choice for website owners who want to take their SEO to the next level. Even the free version is far better than the Yoast SEO Premium, which costs $89 or more per year, because it offers better features. So, why pay $89 a year for Yoast SEO when you can get the more powerful Rank Math for free?

Click here to download Rank Math for free!

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Choosing the best WordPress SEO plugin can be a daunting task, but it's crucial to your success. Using the right SEO plugin on your site can skyrocket your traffic, so choose wisely.

In this post I have shared with you 5 top WordPress SEO plugins. Make your choice depending on your specific needs and goals. If you're looking for a simple, easy-to-use plugin that covers all the basics and comes with some advanced features and customizability, Rank Math SEO is a solid choice.

Ultimately, the best WordPress SEO plugin for your website will depend on your individual needs, preferences, and budget. It's important to do your research, try out a few different options, and choose the one that works best for you.