WordPress SEO determines whether your site ranks page one or page ten. Google considers hundreds of ranking factors, but specific optimizations deliver consistent results. This comprehensive checklist provides 40 actionable WordPress SEO steps covering technical optimization, content strategy, and user experience for higher Google rankings.
Technical SEO Fundamentals
1. Install Yoast SEO or Rank Math: Essential for meta descriptions, XML sitemaps, and schema markup.
2. Enable Permalink Structure: Settings → Permalinks → Post name. Use /%postname%/ for SEO-friendly URLs.
3. Create XML Sitemap: Auto-generated by Yoast/Rank Math. Submit to Google Search Console.
4. Submit to Google Search Console: Verify site ownership, submit sitemap, monitor indexing.
5. Configure robots.txt: Allow search engines while blocking admin areas.
User-agent: *
Disallow: /wp-admin/
Disallow: /wp-includes/
Allow: /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php
Sitemap: https://yoursite.com/sitemap_index.xml6. Implement SSL Certificate: HTTPS is ranking factor. Use Let’s Encrypt or hosting SSL.
7. Enable Breadcrumbs: Improves navigation and appears in search results.
8. Optimize Site Speed: Core Web Vitals impact rankings. Target <3 second load times.
9. Mobile Optimization: Ensure responsive design. Google uses mobile-first indexing.
10. Fix Broken Links: Use Broken Link Checker plugin monthly.
Content Optimization
11. Keyword Research: Use Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush for target keywords.
12. Title Tag Optimization: Include target keyword within first 60 characters.
13. Meta Description: Compelling 155-160 character descriptions with keywords.
14. H1 Tag: One H1 per page containing primary keyword.
15. Header Hierarchy: Use H2-H6 logically with keyword variations.
16. Keyword Density: Natural 1-2% keyword density. Avoid stuffing.
17. LSI Keywords: Include related terms and synonyms throughout content.
18. Content Length: 1500+ words for competitive keywords. Quality over quantity.
19. Featured Images: Optimize alt text with descriptive keywords.
20. Image Optimization: Compress images, use WebP, include alt attributes.
On-Page SEO
21. Internal Linking: Link 3-5 related posts per article using descriptive anchor text.
22. External Links: Link to authoritative sources (2-3 per post).
23. URL Structure: Short, keyword-rich URLs. Remove stop words.
24. Focus Keyword: One primary keyword per post. Avoid cannibalization.
25. Schema Markup: Implement Article schema, FAQ schema, Review schema as appropriate.
26. Table of Contents: Improves user experience and generates jump links.
27. Readability: Short paragraphs, bullet points, clear subheadings. Flesch score 60+.
28. Multimedia: Include videos, infographics, images for engagement.
29. Update Old Content: Refresh outdated posts with current information.
30. Categories and Tags: Logical taxonomy. 3-5 categories, relevant tags.
Technical Performance
31. Enable Caching: Page caching dramatically improves load times.
32. CDN Integration: Serve static assets from geographically distributed servers.
33. Database Optimization: Clean post revisions, spam, transients monthly.
34. Lazy Load Images: Defer offscreen images for faster initial load.
35. Minify CSS/JS: Remove whitespace and comments from code files.
36. Reduce HTTP Requests: Combine files where possible.
37. Enable Gzip Compression: Reduce transfer sizes by 70%+.
38. Optimize Core Web Vitals: LCP <2.5s, FID <100ms, CLS <0.1.
39. Fix Crawl Errors: Monitor Google Search Console for crawl issues.
40. Monitor Search Analytics: Track rankings, clicks, impressions weekly.
Content Strategy
Create content clusters around topic themes. Hub-and-spoke model with pillar pages linking to related content establishes topical authority.
Content Quality Factors:
- Original research and unique insights
- Comprehensive coverage of topics
- Regular updates maintaining freshness
- Engaging writing reducing bounce rate
- Actionable takeaways providing value
Link Building
Internal Links: Strategic internal linking distributes page authority. Link from high-authority pages to newer content.
Backlink Acquisition:
- Guest posting on relevant blogs
- Resource link building
- Broken link replacement
- Digital PR and outreach
- Create linkable assets (tools, research, infographics)
Local SEO
Google Business Profile: Claim and optimize listing with accurate NAP (Name, Address, Phone).
Local Keywords: Target “city + keyword” combinations.
Local Schema: Implement LocalBusiness schema markup.
Reviews: Encourage customer reviews on Google Business Profile.
Monitoring and Maintenance
Weekly Tasks:
- Review Google Search Console for errors
- Check site speed with PageSpeed Insights
- Monitor ranking changes
Monthly Tasks:
- Update outdated content
- Fix broken links
- Audit and improve low-performing pages
- Build new backlinks
Quarterly Tasks:
- Comprehensive SEO audit
- Competitor analysis
- Content gap identification
- Technical SEO review
Common SEO Mistakes
Keyword Stuffing: Overusing keywords harms rankings.
Duplicate Content: Canonical tags prevent indexing duplicates.
Neglecting Mobile: Mobile-first indexing makes mobile optimization critical.
Ignoring Analytics: Data-driven decisions outperform guesswork.
Thin Content: Low-quality, short posts don’t rank.
Conclusion
WordPress SEO success requires systematic optimization across technical setup, content quality, and user experience. Implement these 40 steps progressively: start with technical fundamentals, optimize content systematically, build quality backlinks, and monitor performance continuously. SEO is marathon, not sprint—consistent effort over months delivers sustainable rankings.
External Links
- Google Search Console
- Yoast SEO Plugin
- Google PageSpeed Insights
- Ahrefs SEO Tools
- Schema.org Documentation
Call to Action
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