SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic to a website or a web page from search engines1. SEO targets unpaid traffic (known as “natural” or “organic” results) rather than direct traffic or paid traffic2.
There are three main categories of SEO: on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and technical SEO3. On-page SEO refers to the practice of optimizing individual web pages in order to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. Off-page SEO refers to actions taken outside of your own website to impact your rankings within search engine results pages (SERPs). Technical SEO refers to the process of optimizing your website for the crawling and indexing phase. With technical SEO, you can help search engines access, crawl, interpret and index your website without any problems.
Some methods of SEO include discovering untapped keywords on Reddit, optimizing your site for Google RankBrain, updating, upgrading and republishing old blog posts, and many more4. It is important to note that SEO is an ongoing process and requires continuous effort to maintain high rankings in search engine results
Off-page SEO refers to actions taken outside of your own website to impact your rankings within search engine results pages (SERPs). Some common off-page SEO methods include building backlinks, encouraging branded searches, and increasing engagement and shares on social media12.
On the other hand, on-page SEO (also known as “on-site SEO”) is the practice of optimizing web page content for search engines and users. Common on-page SEO practices include optimizing title tags, content, internal links and URLs3. This is different from off-page SEO, which is optimizing for signals that happen off of your website (for example, backlinks)3.
On-page SEO tools for WordPress
On-page SEO refers to the practice of optimizing individual web pages in order to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. Here are some popular on-page SEO tools for WordPress:
- Yoast SEO1: Yoast SEO is a popular WordPress plugin that helps you optimize your content for search engines. It provides guidance on how to improve your content, so it’s more search-engine friendly.
- Rank Math2: Rank Math is another popular WordPress plugin that helps you optimize your content for search engines. It provides a variety of on-page and technical WordPress SEO features.
- WP Rocket2: WP Rocket is a plugin that helps you improve technical SEO details such as page load speed and file management.
- Smush WP2: Smush WP is another plugin that helps you optimize images in WordPress for SEO.
Off-page SEO tools for WordPress
Off-page SEO refers to actions taken outside of your own website to impact your rankings within search engine results pages (SERPs). Here are some popular off-page SEO tools for WordPress:
- Ahrefs1: Ahrefs is an all-in-one SEO tool that provides invaluable keyword research for on-page SEO and monitors overall website performance.
- Semrush1: Semrush is another all-in-one SEO tool that provides invaluable keyword research for on-page SEO and monitors overall website performance.
- Google My Business3: Creating a Google My Business account can help you improve your local SEO.
- Influencer Marketing3: Building relationships with influencers and industry figures can help you earn valuable external links and raise your profile online.