Which SEO Plugin is Best For WordPress? A Review of 17 Plugin Options to Help You Meet Your SEO Goals
It’s no secret that Search Engine Optimization is the best way to boost your blog or website.
But not everyone is an SEO expert.
Using a plugin is a great option for those trying to improve their site’s SEO and increase traffic. Knowing which one to pick can be confusing, and with so many options available, overwhelming.
We’ve compiled a list, in no particular order, to help you figure out what is the best SEO plugin for WordPress based on your specific needs.
This guide will help you compare plugins and let you pick the one that is right for you.
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Contents
What is an SEO Plugin?
There is add-on software that you can add to WordPress that will improve your site’s SEO.
These programs are called plugins and they work with the existing program to give you additional features.
If you use WordPress, you have several hundred options for SEO plugins that can offer you tools and guidance to drive more traffic to your site and improve the overall function.
Many offer free options, with additional features available as premium content at a charge.
Choosing the best SEO plugin for WordPress depends on your level of expertise and your needs.
If you are tired of searching through the hundreds of plugins available, or just don’t have time to learn a new program, Portland SEO Growth can help.
What Are the Benefits of Using An SEO Plugin for WordPress?
If you have a website, you want people to visit it.
Whether you have a blog, an e-commerce site, or you just want to give people information about a topic, you need people to be able to find you.
This is where SEO comes in.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.
When you use an SEO plugin for WordPress, you can improve your site in ways that will make it more likely to come up in a Google search.
Some plugins offer all-in-one capabilities. Other plugins have specific uses or target specialized areas to optimize online visibility.
Using an SEO plugin is a great idea and can help your site be more successful.
You can also use free tools, like our Keyword Checker, to find out how you can improve your SEO.
The 8 Best SEO Plugins for WordPress
There are a lot of SEO plugins that you can download right through WordPress.
But which one is the best?
Finding the best SEO plugin for your website will depend on a few things:
- What are your needs?
- How familiar are you with SEO and content marketing?
- Have you used SEO plugins in the past?
- What features are most important to you?
- Do you plan to do your own coding?
Some SEO plugins are all-in-one tools while other plugins have very niche uses.
Your specific needs will determine the best SEO plugin WordPress can offer for you.
Here is our list, in no particular order.
#1: Yoast SEO
Yoast is one of the most well-known SEO plugins for WordPress.
They offer an all-in-one product with great features in both the free and premium versions.
In the free version, which works with every WordPress editor, Yoast optimizes your site for keywords, phrases, and synonyms, as well as their variations.
Yoast SEO Free also provides:
- A readability check that analyzes your content and gives it a Flesch Reading Ease score.
- Total control over your breadcrumbs and can set the primary category for your post.
- A duplicate content checker that sets canonical URLs to prevent duplicate content from hurting your site’s search engine performance.
Yoast also offers a premium version that :
- Comes with 24/7 support and is ad-free.
- Offers additional keyword analysis and suggestions.
- Makes internal linking recommendations.
- Gives you content insights and helps you reach a wider audience.
Yoast is a great all-in-one option with excellent reviews and years of experience to back it up.
This is a great option if you are looking for a plug-in for most of your SEO needs.
#2: All in One SEO Pack
Another well-known SEO plugin for WordPress is All in One SEO Pack.
This popular add-on offers exactly what the name says: all-in-one SEO support.
Whether you are a beginner or expert, All in One SEO Pack gives you the tools you need to improve the SEO of your site.
The plugin gives you easy-to-use features with a one-page dashboard that reduces the number of steps you take to complete tasks.
The free version offers advanced features, such as:
- XML Sitemap support
- Google Analytics support
- Google AMP support
- Advanced canonical URL
- SEO integration for e-commerce sites (only program to offer this in the free version)
- Automatically generated META tags
All in One SEO Pack offers several premium package options in an ad-free format that offer additional features, like:
- Advanced controls for more experienced SEO users
- Advanced support for WooCommerce
- Advanced Google Analytics tracking
- Support for Google Tag Manager
- Access to video screencasts and SEO video modules
- 24/7 support
If you’re looking for a plugin that does it all in one smart package at a lower price than Yoast, you may find All in One SEO Pack meets your needs.
#3: SEOPress
Your experience with SEO will likely determine which tools you use for your site.
SEOPress offers an easy set-up for beginners. This plugin gives you all of the basic SEO tools you would need to use to get started.
There are also more advanced controls, ideal for more experienced users who are looking for additional features.
SEOPress boasts over a dozen free features, including:
- An installation wizard that makes setting up your site a breeze.
- Meta descriptions with dynamic variables.
- Open graph support.
- Custom XML sitemap to help you organize and find content.
- Image SEO support.
- Content analysis for optimized content.
There is also a premium version that gives you even more optimization tools, such as:
- Video XML Sitemap to improve rankings.
- Google Suggestions as part of content analysis.
- Automatic schemas, including advanced conditions.
- Optimized and customizable breadcrumbs
- Dublin Core meta tags
With many of the same features as Yoast, at a lower price, SEOPress is in contention for the best premium SEO plugin for WordPress.
#4: Rank Math
The self-proclaimed ‘Swiss Army Knife of SEO’, Rank Math is a free plugin that overachieves.
Rank Math gives you many of the features that other programs make you pay for.
Reasons to consider Rank Math:
- Intuitive, easy-to-use format
- Manages all of your on-page SEO needs
- Integrated with Google search console
- Meta tag management for nofollow, noindex, and noarchive
- Identifies errors found by Google
- Site info appears right on your WordPress dashboard
With so many features available for free and for every type of content, using Rank Math certainly adds up.
#5: WP Meta SEO
If saving time appeals to you, check out WP Meta SEO.
This plugin gives you the capabilities to edit all of the website meta on a single view—no more editing each page individually.
Some features you can enjoy by using WP Meta SEO:
- Live SEO analysis
- HTML image sizing fixes right in content
- Broken link checker
- Canonical URL management
- Breadcrumb generator
- Live Google Snippet preview
WP Meta SEO even automatically generates the XML sitemap for Google console.
With this free SEO WordPress plugin, you can have the tools available to boost your site rankings and increase traffic without a hefty price tag.
#6: The SEO Framework
The SEO Framework is a more advanced program that follows white-hat guidelines.
This is a highly intelligent, full-featured plugin that encourages developers to add to the program and encourages crowd-sourcing.
The SEO Framework is completely free. Considering how much value they offer, this is an incredible deal.
Some of the benefits of using The SEO Framework include:
- In-house support- if you have an issue, you’ll have expert knowledge available to you
- Seamless integration
- Generates meta tags in any language
- Rational optimization
- Extensions available to help you with a variety of SEO tasks
- Security and privacy
The SEO Framework is the fastest full-featured SEO plugin, according to the developers.
It even pre-fills meta tags for you, saving you time and improving the quality of search results.
With all of these features and support, it is easy to see why many consider The SEO Framework one of the best SEO plugins for WordPress.
#7: All in One Schema Rich Snippets
Not everyone wants or needs an all-in-one SEO plugin.
If you feel confident about your content but want to improve the appearance of your search results, consider Schema- All in One Schema Rich Snippets.
This plugin promises to give your results a stunning look that captures the eye.
Schema Rich Snippets provide additional information in your search results, showing searchers:
- Images
- Ratings/Reviews
- Price
- Author
- Distance from location
- And more
Giving rich, interactive details about your website can entice searchers to visit your site and improve your rankings.
#8: SEMrush SEO Writing Assistant
Many site owners and content managers are familiar with SEMrush and the SEO tools it offers to help you optimize your site.
You can use your SEMrush account to put the well-known SEO brand to work on your WordPress site.
This plugin gives you writing suggestions to boost your rankings by producing optimized content.
SEMrush Writing Assistant has features like:
- Flesch-Kincaid reading-ease score
- Content check for readability, target keywords, and text length
- Recommended keywords to improve your ranking
- Plagiarism check
- Link checker
You need an account with SEMrush to use this plugin, but if you already like and use their products, you’ll likely find the plugin extremely helpful.
Are Your Options For the Best SEO Plugin for WordPress Making you Feel Overwhelmed? Portland SEO Growth Can Help
Let’s be honest: SEO is not everyone’s cup of tea.
If you are running a site and want r better SEO results but don’t want to struggle with figuring out plugins or forming an optimization strategy, all of these plugins may seem overwhelming.
You don’t have to figure this out on your own.
You can use our free SEO audit to see where you’re at and where you can improve.
Then let our team go to work for you.
It can be hard to know who you can trust with your business.
That is why we pride ourselves on our ethical business practices that put you first.
We won’t take your money if we aren’t completely confident that we can add value to your content and your site.
You can trust us to give you the same care and attention that we would give ourselves.
You are important to us.
LIndsey Jacobs
Writer
