configuring the yoast wordpress seo plugin

Yoast’s WordPress SEO Plugin

October 9, 2014

Scott Hendison

Scott Hendison

• Started selling software online in 1997.

• Went to my first Pubcon in 2004.

• Started Using WordPress in 2005. • Started Using WordPress in 2005.

• Used All in One SEO & Headspace

• 400th user of YWPSEO, and haven‘t looked back

Defaults Are Terrible

Activation

Dashboard

Dashboard

• Not much to change there

• Default settings are fine

• You can reset all defaults after config

• Decide if editors and authors should have • Decide if editors and authors should have access to the advanced plugin features for their content

• I wish we could input Google Analytics

Dashboard

Dashboard

Titles and Metas

Titles and Metas

• This is the meat of the plugin

• Set global preferences

• Not bad out of the box

• I prefer a lot of changes

• Different sites have different needs

• Really Simple Discovery • Really Simple Discovery

• Windows Live Writer

• Shortlink for posts are pointless

• Hide RSS only if you have no blog

Variables

Variables

• Define sectional page characteristics • Different criteria / different sections• Different criteria / different sections• Mix and Match - Be creative• No definitive ‘right‘ or ‘wrong‘• The goal is to be 100% unique sitewide

Variables Are Listed in Help

Variables Are Listed in Help

Default

• Enter variables for every different type of content. (Varies by site)

• Use ‘noindex, follow‘ for pages you • Use ‘noindex, follow‘ for pages you don‘t want to be indexed, but still want to get the benefit of any inbound links.

• Taxonomies are for sectional structure

• Categories, tags, format (?)

• Use %%page%% to uniquify • Use %%page%% to uniquify

• Fill out all sections completely

• Use noindex, follow where applicable

• There‘s no absolute right or wrong

SocialSocial

Social

Social

Social

XML Sitemaps

• Oddly named sitemap_index.xml

• Creates multiple xml sitemaps

• Delete your old sitemap.xml file

Submit sitemap_index.xml to GWMT• Submit sitemap_index.xml to GWMT

• Disable author map for single authors

• No need to submit the others

PermalinksPermalinks

• Permalinks are still set normally

• Plugin supplements WP settings

• Most sites best served by %postname%• Most sites best served by %postname%

• News sites need dates for Google news

• Don‘t choose to redirect ugly URLs

Internal LinksInternal Links

• Breadcrumbs are good for users

• Breacrumbs are good for crawlers

• They usually go above the content• They usually go above the content

• Won‘t work w/o a theme edit

• Default settings are usually fine

• LOOK to ensure they make sense

RSSRSS

RSS

• Scrapers will steal your content

• Cane from his old plugin ‘RSS footer‘

• Allows you to prepend or append posts• Allows you to prepend or append posts

• Sites that scrape you, then give you links

• Might not be a good thing anymore?

Import / Export

• Time this saves is astounding

• Imports info from other SEO plugins

• Export settings for use elsewhere• Export settings for use elsewhere

• Include or exclude taxonomy data

• Check your settings after an import!

Bulk Editor

• Change titles

• Change descriptions

• Does not pull in defaults ;(

• Still semi useful for title tags• Still semi useful for title tags

• Better off doing them at page level

Edit Files

• An often used feature

• Another huge time saver

• Edit the robots.txt file

• Edit the .htaccess file • Edit the .htaccess file

• Be careful / make a backup - one misplaced .htaccess character can kill your site ;(

• An often used feature

• Another huge time saver

• Edit the robots.txt file

• Edit the .htaccess file • Edit the .htaccess file

• Be careful / make a backup - one misplaced .htaccess character can kill your site ;(

Extensions

Extensions

Granular On Page SEO

• Scroll beneath any content

• Box should be visible for admins

• Four tabs of info and tools• Four tabs of info and tools

• Can‘t see it? Check your screen options

• Page Analysis requires a ‘focus keyword‘

• Use it to improve the on page SEO, & more.

Every Page / Post Offers More:

General Tab

Type in a Focus KW to see the magic

Page Analysis Tab

Page Analysis Tab

Advanced Tab

Advanced Tab

Social Tab Options

Other “Yoast Enhanced“ Areas

Media Files

Individual Categories

Individual Author Profiles

Take Aways

• Out of the box configuration needs tweaking

• Use %%page%% to uniquify everything

• Noindex, but ‘follow‘ where appropriate• Noindex, but ‘follow‘ where appropriate

• Export your settings for easy use elsewhere

• Import my config file at SearchCommander.com

Scott Hendison

Thank You

Scott Hendisonscott@SearchCommander.com