Basic SEO in WordPress

WordPress is the most flexible content management system on the internet today. The best feature that WordPress has to offer is of course its SEO properties, and ease of use in this area. It used to be that only developers and programmers could put Meta tags and descriptions into a website’s pages, but nowadays, there are plugins and standard features which allow even the most novice webmaster create stunning looking websites with the basic of SEO installed. SEO in WordPress is as simple as you want to make it, and can be as detailed and technical as you wish also. It is always recommended to get an SEO specialist to fully optimise your website, but you really can do the basics yourself.

It is recommended that you add tags to every one of your posts and pages, and this can be done by completing the Tags form field in the admin of the site itself. You will also need to ensure you are using your keywords in the title of the post or page, and maybe also check that the name of your site and description also contain your keyword or at the very least, a detailed description of your site’s content.

On the subject of content, it is always recommended that you use the proper hierarchy to a block of text. For example, the title of the post is a H1 tag, normally, and if you wish to use larger headers in the content, use the Header 2 (H2) tags which are available in the text formatting area of the post’s control panel.

These are just simple steps, but important nevertheless. Google relies heavily on certain make-up of a page, and if the overall optimisation is too spammy, incorrectly spelled, or formatted without care – the search engine may rank you lower than a page that adheres to all of the above.

SEOverload… Calm down and get an SEO proposal

It can be very daunting the first time you contemplate SEO on your website. It is very much a case of information overload. After considering the most popular forms of SEO, such as buying an SEO keyword research tool, link building, content building, social media, and so forth, it can be tempting to just put it to one side until you have time to fit it all in. But do you ever manage to find that time?

The best thing to do with search engine optimisation is to understand what result you would like to get out of it, and whereabouts you are at already with your online presence. For example, there is literally no point in doing any backlinking or link building if you are not going to create any unique content for your website. So, if you are going to start with content writing, your blog or website should have the proper SEO tools attached to it, which make it visible to the search engines. What if you don’t even have a site? Well, then you should go right to the very beginning and maybe choose a simple to use content management system, that you can add content to yourself. If you know where you are starting from… then you know where you want to be.

So, once you have your site built, you’re ready to take the first step in SEO for it. But what is the first step?! It is not backlinks, or content building. It is to ask advice. A quick phone call to an SEO professional will set your mind at ease, and give you some direction with your site. Professionals who offer no obligation, SEO proposals for your website are the best to approach. The first thing they will ask you is – what exactly are you trying to achieve. At this point – you should be able to answer them.