SEO (search engine optimization) is an unknown for many, and for others a gold mine. Likewise, some use dedicated plugins in WordPress, while others do a few things on top of that and understand that the platform doesn’t optimize a site directly. Do you also have a WordPress site and want to do SEO well? Here are some tips and tricks.

1. WordPress ≠ SEO

Many use the WordPress platform because it is easy to use, mobile-friendly, has numerous themes to choose from, and the plugins available make everyone’s life easier. Although everything looks rosy, there are a few things that the platform does not do well: (1) permalinks – these are the links that are created automatically, but these, in most cases, need to be redone to be more search friendly and short; (2) external links in the text open them in the same window, this automatically results in the loss of readers and potential customers; (3) the platform doesn’t automatically generate the XML sitemap, which is a vital thing for SEO optimization.

2. The theme used must be SEO friendly

I know that many themes are free and promise to be done in an ideal way, but a non-connoisseur doesn’t really know what to look for, so you can end up with a theme that you haven’t paid anything for, but has a lot of problems. What should you look after? (1) Loading speed – this is a feature that should not be overlooked. The harder a site loads, the faster customers will close the window. (2) Code – a code must be well written, orderly and simplified. It does not mean that if a code has many lines and functions strung together it is a good one. (3) HTML5 – a code written in HTML5 is the best option for an optimized site. (4) Responsive – given that users use the internet from many devices, the site must be built in such a way that it fits all devices. A good theme must be made for phones, laptops, and tablets.

3. SEO plugins don’t do all the work

There are numerous plugins for the WordPress platform that are only good for SEO optimization. But not all of them are good and they don’t do all the work. In addition to the metas that need to be declared, there are many things to look out for: site architecture, permalinks, keywords, inside links, relevant and unique content, photos, the number of characters in the title, keyword density, word count, and much, much more.

4. Content, content, and one more thing

Content has not been overlooked for a long time. There is a lot of emphasis on content being useful, relevant and unique. It’s useless to fill thousands of pages with text if it doesn’t help the user or copy it from somewhere. Invest in quality content, hire some good people who know what they’re doing, and use social media. On top of that, don’t forget to constantly learn SEO, try to understand what it’s all about, and lastly, don’t install too many plugins.

It’s not hard, you just need to understand the field and how search engines work.