How to Get Started with SEO for WordPress

SEO is still one of the – if not THE – best ways to market your site. Setting up a WordPress site and choosing the right theme for the site are just the beginning. You need to optimise the site for SEO in order to start appearing in search results and getting search engine traffic. Getting started with SEO is actually very easy to do when you’re using WordPress to power your site. Here are some of the steps you must do to begin.

SEO-Optimized Theme or Plugin

Most themes you see on this site are already optimised for SEO. You can expect the theme to handle adding tags and keywords for you. However, you may want to consider getting an SEO plugin if you want a more advanced set of features.

Before you download and install a plugin, check if your theme is compatible with the SEO plugin of your choice. Most plugins such as Yoast SEO and All-in-One SEO can override the theme’s SEO functionalities entirely, which means you can then manage everything SEO related using the plugin alone.

Other themes are quite persistent with their tags and SEO-related scripts. If you’re using this type of theme, the best way to go is to combine the built-in SEO functionalities of the theme with added features from the plugin.

Set Your Course

Similar to other internet marketing campaigns, you need to know what you’re trying to achieve when starting an SEO campaign. Now that you have the right tools for the job, it is time to do research on suitable keywords, understand the target visitors and formulate the right SEO plan to reach them.

Not all visitors use the same keywords to search for things. You can get more insight on the market segment you are after with the help of web applications and tools. The Google Keyword Research Tool, for instance, is a very good place to start. You can monitor keywords that are related to your main topics or industry using this research tool.

You also need to set long-term goals for the campaign. What are you trying to achieve with SEO? Do you want a sustainable growth in traffic? Are you looking for visitors you can convert into customers? Depending on the goals you want to achieve, you can formulate an SEO campaign that attracts the right type of visitors.

Start Optimizing

Start with the little things. Make sure images have ALT tags to allow crawlers to pick them up. Check your content for readability and make sure you don’t spam your visitors with keywords and ads.

If you’re not sure about what to do in order to boost your site’s SEO performance from the start, working with qualified SEO experts can help too. Top service providers such as Gareth SEO consultant are offering their services at incredibly reasonable prices, so you can always find help regardless of your internet marketing budget.

Don’t wait. Other sites you are competing with may have already have an SEO strategy in place. Start with yours today, use the right tools and start improving your site’s SEO performance from the start.