Why and How to Install the Yoast SEO for WordPress Plugin

While WordPress itself is already one of the best tools you could be using to improve your site’s SEO, optimization is a large, ongoing task that should be fully integrated into your marketing and PR strategy. Without thoughtful consideration, your site could easily become invisible to the people who need your content the most. Luckily, Yoast makes a great plugin to help you stay on top of SEO.

The aptly named Yoast SEO for WordPress has quickly become the go-to SEO solution for most WordPress developers. Our favorite features include:

  • The snippet editor which gives you the ability to edit your meta description. This means you can control exactly how your post will appear in Google. It’s a great opportunity to work in some of your keywords and make sure you’re going to quickly hook any potential visitors.
  • Automatic content analysis which checks the “Readability” of your post. This will help you make sure your sentences aren’t too long, and that you’re using enough transition words and sub-headings.
  • The ability to select a ‘focus keyword’ for each post or page. Once you select one, the plugin will review your content and give you suggestions for how you can improve your content to rank higher for that keyword. It’s a valuable part of the writing process that will help you remember to prioritize SEO every time you click “Publish”.

If you think your site could benefit from a little extra optimization help, here’s how to install the Yoast SEO for WordPress Plugin:

  1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
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  2. Select “Plugins > Add New” from the left side-bar menu.
  3. Type “Yoast” in the search box under “Add Plugins”, then click enter.
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  4. In the search results, find the “Yoast SEO” plugin by “Team Yoast”, then click “Install Now”.
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  5. Click “Activate Plugin”.
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  6. That’s it! Check to make sure it appears in your list of active plugins, as well as in your left side-bar menu and header menu.
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July 15, 2016 5:21 pm

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