Today I want to introduce our first guest blogger to ScrappyMarketing. Ben Herman is the founder of Madfish SEO, an interactive search engine marketing and web development agency based in Portland, Oregon. I consider Ben to be one of the top five SEO experts around, who I and my clients have engaged for a number of high-profile SEO projects. Today Ben is going to teach us how to optimize your Wordpress site for search engines.
SEO 101 for your WordPress site - In 7 easy steps
I've heard it said that with the introduction of WordPress, and several of its SEO-focused plugins, SEO companies may soon be out of a job. While a great CMS (content management system) with well-supported plugins will not destroy an industry, there is some truth to the power of the DIY capabilities that WordPress and its community have provided to the average webmaster.
One of my favorite aspects of WordPress is that it's useable by anyone interested in giving it a shot. Beginning programmers can easily harness its potential, and there's always something new to learn even for the most advanced programmer.
I consider my skill level with WordPress to be somewhere between upper intermediate and low-level expert. With WordPress, I'm able to crank out a site for almost any need, whether a basic informational site to a dynamic, multimedia portal. I can fully customize the site template and design, as well as needed modules, and I can change several programming features to create the site I need with a solid SEO foundation. That's not to say I haven't found myself stumped and cursing at my computer screen on multiple occasions.
But getting back to the point, WordPress is a powerful tool that can be utilized by just about anyone. If you already have a WordPress site or you are thinking of learning how to build one, here are seven easy steps I recommend you take to solidify your on-page SEO to ensure your scrappy marketing campaign gets off on the right foot.
1. First, activate the "Akismet" plugin. The Akismet plugin is your best friend and should be setup before any other plugin is setup. This plugin actually comes included with every WordPress install, and GREATLY combats the comment spam that every trafficked website receives. Akismet requires you have an API key. You'll need to go to WordPress.com and setup an account to get the API key needed to finalize the plugin.
2. Download, install and activate the "WordPress All in One" plugin. Go to Settings à All in One SEO and add your Home Title, Description, and keyword tags. These will only be viewed on your home page, so don't over do it with your keywords and description tags. This is a great, simple plug-in that will help you formulate strong on-page coding.
**Tip... Limit your title tags to no more than 70 characters, your description should not be more than 150 characters, and use no more than 11 meta keywords. For all three the tags, keep the info related to your site, incorporate words that appear on the home page, and resist all temptations to stuff repetitious keywords.
3. Download, install and activate the "FeedBurner" feedsmith plugin. I recommend following the install instructions from Google.
This plugin allows you to gather valuable subscription info about your RSS feed subscribers. It provides you a search engine friendly URL for your RSS feed.
4. Download, install and activate the "Evermore" WordPress plugin. This will limit the entry size of each post that is shown on your home page thus reducing potential duplicate content issues that can mess-up an SEO campaign.
*Note you can also accomplish this by inserting the <!--more--> tag after a paragraph or two in each post. I prefer using the plugin, that way my writers can focus on their writing and not worry about adding code to a post.
5. Download, install and activate the "Social Bookmarking Reloaded" plugin. You'll want to configure this plugin at: Settings à Social Bookmarking Reloaded. This plugin allows your users to syndicate your content more broadly. My advice is to deselect most of the social bookmarking sites. I would keep the selected sites to a maximum of 10 and a minimum of three. Also, note the text fields at the top of the page. Be sure to change these text fields to English.
6. Download, install and activate "XML-Sitemap". Navigate to Settings à XML Sitemap, and generate a new sitemap. Once your sitemap has been generated, you will want to submit the sitemap to your Google Webmaster Sitemaps account. If you do not have a GWS account, then take the next 30 seconds and set one up.
7. Edit your permalink structure. This isn't necessarily a plugin but it is essential to have this set optimally from the start of your site's life. A strong permalink structure makes it easier for both search engines, and users to understand the pages they are reading. Navigate to Settings à Permalinks. Click the radio button for "Custom Structure" and in the text field next to it, paste /%postname%/. Then save your changes.
For most of the WordPress plugins mentioned above, there are other variations that serve similar functions. The above are all tools that I have used and continue to use. If you find something similar but better, please post a comment here so we can all grow together.
That's it! Your WordPress site now has some essential basics in place that will help get your online marketing campaign up and running with a solid SEO foundation. Good luck with your new or existing web venture and remember to always look for ways to make your marketing scrappy.
Ben Herman is the founder of Mad Fish SEO, an interactive search engine marketing and web development agency based in Portland, Oregon. Mad Fish SEO believes that clients set marketing expectations, but it's Mad Fish's job to exceed them.
[ratings]
Ben, thanks for writing this. Super helpful. I should have talked to you before setting up the permalink url structure stuff?
Two quick questions.
1. Is there an easy way to change the url structure retroactively?
2. What do you think of the "SEO Smart Links" plugin?
Hi Mario,
Changing the URL structure retroactively can be done. The complexity of the change will depend on how the permalink structure was previously setup. If you've never before set the permalink structure and your URLs look something like : http://www.example.com/?p=18, you can switch your structure, and WordPress will automatically redirect from the old links to the new links. If you already have a custom structure setup, you would need to use a 301 redirect in your htaccess that contained wildcards so anyone going to an old links would be redirected to the new link. By using wildcards, you will only need one or two lines added to your htaccess. Without wildcards, you would need to have a line that redirected each old link in your website. In some cases there could be hundreds or thousands of old links.
I really like SEO Smart Links. I would definitely recommend it to anyone is above a first time user. If you do use it, make sure you understand when to "nofollow" a link and when not to.
BTW, Here's a link to an example of using wildcards in the htaccess file: http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum92/544.htm
It's alot to wrap your head around, but can be a powerful tool in your marketing toolbox.
awesome information for someone like myself just getting into affiliate marketing. thanks.
Great List of 7! I haven't tried the social bookmarking reloaded so I'm looking forward to putting that on my blog.
Great Post!
Good article.
However, if you're using Thesis 1.4+ you no longer need the All In One SEO pack. Chris did an excellent job of updating it.
good list !......what about submitting sitemaps to Google,yahoo and Msn ? should add that too.....anyways good article !
@ Amit Banerjee,
The XML Sitemap Plugin automatically refreshes/submits your Sitemap to Google, Yahoo, etc.
More on its Settings Page!
Great Post and Great Information, Thank you for your effort.
Nice internet site,, I will definitely come back again=D
Hi,
I am so new at this so please excuse my newbieness. I read this in your info: Click the radio button for “Custom Structure” and in the text field next to it, paste /%postname%/. Then save your changes.
I am just in the process of starting my blog. I haven't even entered my first post!
I want to make sure I have everything just right
What I am confused about is where do I find the Permalink Settings? Do I need to do this everytime I make a post? Let me make sure I get this, so if my post name is for example, "budget tips" is this exactly how I would paste it: /%budgettips%/ (without a space between budget and tips) Also, should I be careful on the post names I use? Do they matter with SEO?
Thank you so much!