taking the yoast seo plugin to the next level

WordCamp 2016

Take the Yoast SEO Plugin to the Next Level

@McCormickDavid

David McCormick Senior Marketing Strategist

@McCormickDavid

Yoast SEO Plugin is AWESOME

If you’re not using it,Start Today

Great SEO starting point

Robust

Yoast blog is great resource

Great support

What is SEO?

SEOis

not Voodoo

SEO is not Sorcery

SEO is Based on Data

SEO is Understanding User Demand

Providing The right thing To the right people At the right time In the right way

SEO is

“f-ing kwrd!”

Keyword is not a 4-letter word

Think About, Refer To,

Search For

How users

what you have to offer

Connect with your audience

Google’s Knowledge Graph is amazing

Google’s goal = helping Google

Change comes too quickly SEO must be strategic

2 Greatest Obstacles

Today’s Focus:

Page Titles Meta Descriptions Open Graph Page Copy Headings Multiple Keyword Focus Meta Robots

Page Title: What is it?

Page Title: Yoast SEO

• MUST use focus keyword!

• Put Keyword towards front

• Do not keyword stuff

Page Title: Next Level

The single most important on-page SEO element

• Goal: to get the click. (just like PPC ad)

• Include benefits to the customer

• Communicate your brand

• Be specific, descriptive, and relevant

Write like an ad

Page Title: Results

• Increase search visibility• Increase click through• Decrease bounce rate• Increase conversions/revenue

Meta Desc.: What is it?

Affect click through rates (CTR) from the SERPsCTR directly affects rankings in the long-term

Meta descriptions ARE important to rankings

Meta Desc.: Yoast SEO• 135 - 150 characters

• Write like a miniature ad

• Avoid “we”. Use “you!” (Write for the user)

• Use keywords. Put primary keyword toward the front.

• Goal is not perfect grammar

Meta Desc.: Next Level

WTF!?

Meta Desc.: Next Level

Meta Desc.: Next Level

Put keywords in first sentence of paragraph below the heading

Meta Desc.: Results

• Increase search visibility• Increase click-through• Decrease bounce rate• Increase conversions/revenue

Open Graph: What is it?

og:image

og:title

og:description

IS NOTOrganic Search

Social Sharing

Open Graph: Yoast SEO

• Keyword-rich content

• Title:

• 55-60 characters (at the moment)

• Best when specific

Open Graph: Next Level

• Longer descriptions = more opportunity

• Keep to 250 to be safe

• Minimum image size: 200 x 200 pixels

• Best size is 1200 x 630 pixels

• Use all possible tags

Open Graph: Results• Increase social shares• Increase traffic to site• Increase brand affinity

Page Copy: What is it?Demand-Driven Content

Page Copy: Next LevelEach page should:

• Have unique messaging

• Focus on one keyword theme. (exception is home page)

• Stand by itself without relying on other pages.

Every page is a possible landing page

Page Copy: Next Level

• Get to the point quickly

• Grab user’s attention early

• Make scannable

• Deliver primary message in the first paragraph

• Keep paragraphs short

Write for humans, not search engines.

Page Copy: Results

Better, Stronger, FasterImpact depends on the page’s purpose

<h1>Chocolate Donuts from Mary’s Bakery</h1><p>text</p>

<h2>Types of Chocolate Donuts</h2><p>text</p>

<h3>Chocolaty Frosted Donuts</h3><p>text</p><h3>Chocolate Donuts with Sprinkles</h3><p>text</p>

Headings: What is it?

Headings: Yoast SEO

• One H1 tag per page

• H1 headline is first thing people see

• Include primary keyword

• Do NOT make page titles and H1s the same

Headings: Next Level• Use meaningful headings (not clever ones)

• One clear idea per paragraph

• 7 words or less

• Stay true to page structure hierarchy

• Make it scannable

Headings: Results• Increase search visibility • Improve user experience• Improve page performance

Multiple Keyword Focus

Multiple Keyword FocusYoast SEO

Multiple Keyword FocusYoast SEO

DO NOT stuff keywords

Next LevelMultiple Keyword Focus

Before After

Next LevelMultiple Keyword Focus

Meta Robots: Yoast SEOIndex?Follow?

Categories & Tags

noindex to prevent dilution / confusion

Meta Robots: Yoast SEO

Include:

• Internal search results

• Paginated pages

• Blog archives

• Query parameter-based URLs

• Paid search landing pages

• “Thanks you” pages

Meta Robots: Next Level

• Don’t include files needed for render

• Use “noindex,nofollow” on page before adding to robots.txt file

Meta Robots: Next Level

Robots.txt File

• Clean implementation• Easier site maintenance• Faster crawls of new content

Meta Robots: Results

Page Titles - Write like an ad Meta Descriptions - First sentence under heading Open Graph - Don’t forget audience Page Copy - Start with takeaway Headings - Meaningful, not clever Multi Kywrd Focus - Need hierarchy Meta Robots - Use a robots.txt file

Take the Yoast SEO Plugin to the Next Level

David McCormick Senior Marketing Strategist

@McCormickDavid

Thank you…Questions?

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