How do I optimize my WordPress site for SEO?

WordPress powers 40% of the web—here's how to make yours stand out from millions of competitors.

Essential WordPress SEO Setup:

1. Choose the Right Foundation:

• Fast, reliable hosting (not the cheapest) • SEO-friendly theme (GeneratePress, Astra) • SSL certificate (HTTPS is mandatory) • Clean permalink structure (/post-name/)

1. Must-Have SEO Plugins:

• Yoast SEO or Rank Math (not both) • WP Rocket for speed • Imagify for image optimization • Schema Pro for structured data • Redirection for managing 301s

1. Content Optimization:

• One focus keyword per page • Optimize titles and meta descriptions • Use heading tags properly (H1, H2, H3) • Internal linking between related posts • Add alt text to all images

1. Speed Optimization:

• Limit plugins (under 20 ideally) • Use caching plugin • Optimize database regularly • Lazy load images • Minify CSS and JavaScript

1. WordPress-Specific Issues:

• Disable attachment page indexing • Set up XML sitemaps • Fix category/tag duplication • Remove unnecessary feed pages • Optimize robots.txt

The AI Advantage for WordPress: Add an llms.txt file to help AI engines understand your content structure and expertise.

Common WordPress SEO Mistakes:

• Using too many plugins (slows everything)
• Not updating regularly (security risk)
• Ignoring Core Web Vitals
• Multiple H1 tags per page

Master WordPress SEO with AI optimization strategies for better rankings in 2025.