Building your website on WordPress has a range of advantages. Most businesses find it an affordable way to build a site, as well as being accessible even for those that are not tech-savvy. Plus, there are pre-made themes you can use to build a website quickly and a variety of helpful plugins.
Let’s pause and talk about plugins for a second. The idea of them is to improve functionality on your WordPress site. Indeed, they can allow you to create a website that is helpful for customers and shows your business in the best light.
For example, you are going to find various SEO plugins on WordPress. But, the big question is, are they going to be enough to improve your website’s Google ranking and get you to the first page? Let’s find out.
A Good Starting Point
If you do not know where to begin with SEO, then some of the plugins on WordPress offer a good starting point. This is particularly true when it comes to on-page SEO. The tools can allow you to see changes you can make to your site and certain ways to optimise your content. For example, you can gain help with how many times to use a keyword or whether you have the optimal text length in your content. Many users are tempted to use them because they can be free too.
Note that simply having a plugin is not enough to improve your website’s Google ranking. You have to learn how to use it correctly and still dedicate time to SEO. Yes, it can be helpful. But, it will not do all of the work for you.
Therefore, think about WordPress SEO plugins as a starting point and a way to work on on-page optimisation. They can definitely be if you want to make quick changes to your website once you know how they operate. But, whether they can single-handedly improve your site’s Google ranking is questionable. For example, you have to remember that off-page SEO is important too.
Know When Extensive Knowledge is Necessary
If you already have knowledge of SEO, you might find that using a WordPress plugin is enough. But, if you are a beginner and your website does not enjoy a high Google ranking, know when extensive expertise is necessary. For example, you might benefit from hiring an expert WordPress SEO agency. A team with experience can work on optimising your website and improving its rankings, taking the pressure off your shoulders. They know what works and what search engines want to see, which includes on and off-page SEO efforts. Therefore, if you do not know how plugins work and do not know a lot about optimisation, it is better to hire people that do. This way, you can achieve positive results when it comes to your ranking.
Tips for Choosing WordPress SEO Plugins
If you do want to go ahead and use WordPress SEO plugins, there are a few things you have to consider carefully. This will make sure you have a good experience and that you are able to improve your Google ranking. Here are some useful tips to help you.
Choose One or Two Plugins
When you start to look for SEO plugins, you will soon discover that there are endless options. It can be tempting to select many of them and install them for your website. But this is something you want to avoid. You can end up slowing down your website when you have too many plugins. What’s more, you might find they overlap and give you contrasting information on your content.
Instead, choose one or two plugins. Do some research and find out what other people like and what might suit your needs. This way, you can stick to these plugins alone for help and avoid the problems that come with multiple tools.
Learn About Their Features
If you really want to see results from using SEO plugins, you have to know how to use them properly. Some features will need explanation in order to use them properly. So, learning how to use the plugin from the beginning will be essential. After all, the goal is to optimise your site effectively.
Yes, it can seem boring to learn about a plugin. But, spending time doing this will pay off. You should prioritise learning about the tool once you have selected the right one for your site.
Consider the Premium Version
There are many SEO plugins that are free to use. Indeed, this is great to start with and it can be enticing to select a free one. But, you also have to consider whether this version is going to suit your needs. You might find that it is not sufficient when it comes to features once you start using it.
Therefore, make sure you consider the premium version of the plugin. You might find it useful to invest in it from the beginning. Again, it is all about doing your research and seeing whether the paid version is worth it. You might also find that another free plugin can do the same thing without having to pay.
