How to configure and optimize your WordPress website for SEO using plugins, tools, and other tips that will help the crawl-ability and performance of your site.

1. SEO & WORDPRESSHOW TO CONFIGURE WORDPESS FOR SEO
@BobbyKircher
@PapayaInternet

2. WELCOME!
@BobbyKircher

3. WHAT IS SEO?
FIRST QUESTION!
@BobbyKircher

4. WHAT IS SEO?
Search Engine Optimization:
The process of getting
traffic from the search
results on search engines:
“free”, “natural”, “organic”
@BobbyKircher

5. WHY IS SEO
IMPORTANT?
SEO helps search engines
bots & people find your
website.
@BobbyKircher

6. = 🙂
@BobbyKircher

7. +
SEO TWEAKS = 😆
@BobbyKircher

8. TODAY!
Configuring Wordpress
SEO Plugins
Other Tools
Q&A
@BobbyKircher

9. CONFIGURING
WORDPRESS
@BobbyKircher

10. PERMALINKS &
SLUGS
@BobbyKircher

11. ?p=x
@BobbyKircher

12. 🚫
?p=x
@BobbyKircher

13. SEO PLUGINS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY
PERMALINKS
@BobbyKircher

14. SEO PLUGINS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY
SLUGS
@BobbyKircher

15. SEO PLUGINS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY
SLUGS
▸ Use keywords
▸ DON’T OVERDO IT
▸ Don’t change your slugs if
you can help it
▸ Use 301 Redirects if you do
@BobbyKircher

16. CATEGORIES VS.
TAGS
@BobbyKircher

17. SEO PLUGINS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY
CATEGORIES
▸ Think of it as a Pyramid
▸ Organizational structure
for your content
▸ Create landing pages for
your categories
@BobbyKircher

18. SEO PLUGINS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY
TAGS
▸ Specific details of you
content
▸ Try not to compete with
your categories
▸ Noindex your tags if it’s
become unwieldy
@BobbyKircher

19. SITE
SPEED
@BobbyKircher

20. SEO PLUGINS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY
IMPROVING SITE SPEED
▸ Site Caching Plugins: W3 Total
Cache or WP Super Cache
▸ Lossless image compression
▸ Using a CDN for image hosting
▸ Minifying HTML, CSS, & JS
▸ Test speed GTMetrix
▸ Using a Wordpress hosting solution
▸ Better coded themes
@BobbyKircher

21. SEO PLUGINS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY
OPTIMIZING IMAGES
▸ ALT tags for identifying images.
Used by screen readers for visually
impaired people and Image Search
▸ Lossless Compression for improved
page speed:
EWWW Image Optimizer Plugin
▸ Image Title tag is used for “tool tip”
window in some browsers, but not
necessary.
▸ Using a CDN for image hosting to
help website performance.
@BobbyKircher

22. SEO PLUGINS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY
THEMES
▸ Is your theme responsive?
▸ How clean is its code?
▸ Does it have its own SEO
tools?
▸ Page Builders vs. No Page
Builders: Doesn’t matter
@BobbyKircher

23. SEO PLUGINS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY
ACCELERATED MOBILE PAGES PROJECT
▸ Open source initiative for
faster mobile content
▸ Spearheaded by Google
▸ Wordpress Plugin by
Automattic
▸ Rather new - beta-ish
▸ AMPProject.org
@BobbyKircher

24. 301
REDIRECTS
@BobbyKircher

25. SEO PLUGINS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY
301 REDIRECTS
▸ Tells search engines your
content has moved
▸ Reduces 404 errors
▸ Helps with usability
▸ Redirection Plugin
@BobbyKircher

26. WHICH SEO PLUGINS ARE YOU
USING?
QUESTION!
@BobbyKircher

27. SEO PLUGINS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY
POPULAR SEO PLUGINS
@BobbyKircher

28. SEO PLUGINS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY
POPULAR SEO PLUGINS
@BobbyKircher

29. SEO PLUGINS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY
YOAST SEO PLUGIN
▸ Title & Meta Descriptions
▸ Content readability analysis
▸ Meta Robots directives
▸ XML Sitemaps & Customizations
▸ Permalink Customizations
▸ Social: Open graph customizations
▸ Robots.txt & .htaccess editor
▸ Bulk Title editor
▸ Shows server errors from Google Search
Console
@BobbyKircher

30. ARE YOU USING
GOOGLE SEARCH CONSOLE?
QUESTION!
@BobbyKircher

31. SEO PLUGINS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY
GOOGLE SEARCH CONSOLE
▸ Submit your Sitemap
▸ 404 Error reports & fixes
▸ Site issue notifications
▸ Notify Google of URL changes
▸ Re-inclusion requests
▸ Reports Mobile Issues
▸ Great information on how Google sees
your website
▸ https://www.google.com/webmasters/
@BobbyKircher

32. ARE YOU USING
GOOGLE ANALYTICS?
QUESTION!
@BobbyKircher

33. SEO PLUGINS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY
GOOGLE ANALYTICS
▸ Measure Site Traffic
▸ Analyze Traffic Sources
▸ Sync with Google Search
Console Data
@BobbyKircher

34. SEO PLUGINS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY
NEGATIVE FACTORS AFFECTING SEO
▸ Robots.txt blocking all bots
▸ Bad redirects in the .htaccess file
▸ Changed settings in WP to
excluded bots
▸ Has your site been hacked?
▸ Is your site’s IP blacklisted?
▸ Have you participated in link
spam?
▸ Do you have duplicate content?
@BobbyKircher

35. SEO PLUGINS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY
OTHER THINGS TO DO:
▸ Create unique, compelling
content people will link to and
share.
▸ Local Citations for small
businesses.
▸ Share content through social
media
▸ Participate in forums, write articles
for other websites and blogs
▸ SSL Certificate for your site
@BobbyKircher

36. KEY TAKEAWAYS!
‣ Configure Wordpress for optimal SEO
‣ Use an SEO Plugin like Yoast
‣ Improve your website’s performance
‣ Create amazing content and products
‣ Use Google Search Console
‣ Monitor & Measure!
@BobbyKircher

37. QUESTIONS?
QUESTION!
@BobbyKircher

38. THANK YOU!
@BobbyKircher
Bobby Kircher
bobby@papayainternet.com
PapayaInternet.com
@PapayaInternet