WordPress SEO: how to optimise a WordPress website

WordPress powers a huge share of the web, and it’s genuinely SEO-friendly out of the box — if it’s set up well. Here’s how to get it right.

Check the one setting that breaks SEO

In Settings → Reading, make sure “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” is unchecked. Leaving it ticked after launch is one of the most common reasons a WordPress site never appears on Google.

Use a good SEO plugin

A plugin like Yoast SEO or Rank Math lets you set title tags, meta descriptions, sitemaps and schema without touching code. Set them up properly rather than leaving defaults.

Set clean permalinks

Under Settings → Permalinks, use the “Post name” structure so URLs are readable (/seo-services/ not /?p=123).

Tame speed and bloat

WordPress can get slow under the weight of too many plugins and heavy themes. Keep plugins minimal, choose a lightweight theme, optimise images, and use caching and quality hosting. Speed is a ranking factor — see our page speed guide.

Get on-page right

Each page and post needs a unique title, clear headings, useful content and internal links. WordPress makes this easy — see our on-page checklist.

Keep it secure and updated

Outdated WordPress, themes and plugins are a security and SEO risk. A hacked site can be deindexed fast. Regular updates matter.

We handle WordPress SEO end-to-end

Every SEO client gets free website maintenance — including WordPress updates and speed optimisation — bundled in. See our packages or get a free audit of your WordPress site.