configuring the yoast wordpress seo plugin
DESCRIPTION
This is my Pubcon Las Vegas 2014 slide deck for configuring the Yoast WordPress SEO plugin...TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Yoast’s WordPress SEO Plugin
October 9, 2014
Scott Hendison
![Page 2: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Scott Hendison
• Started selling software online in 1997.
• Went to my first Pubcon in 2004.
• Started Using WordPress in 2005. • Started Using WordPress in 2005.
• Used All in One SEO & Headspace
• 400th user of YWPSEO, and haven‘t looked back
![Page 3: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
![Page 4: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Defaults Are Terrible
![Page 5: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Activation
![Page 6: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Dashboard
![Page 7: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Dashboard
• Not much to change there
• Default settings are fine
• You can reset all defaults after config
• Decide if editors and authors should have • Decide if editors and authors should have access to the advanced plugin features for their content
• I wish we could input Google Analytics
![Page 8: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Dashboard
![Page 9: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Dashboard
![Page 10: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Titles and Metas
![Page 11: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Titles and Metas
• This is the meat of the plugin
• Set global preferences
• Not bad out of the box
• I prefer a lot of changes
• Different sites have different needs
![Page 12: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
![Page 13: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
![Page 14: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
• Really Simple Discovery • Really Simple Discovery
• Windows Live Writer
• Shortlink for posts are pointless
• Hide RSS only if you have no blog
![Page 15: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
![Page 16: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Variables
![Page 17: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Variables
• Define sectional page characteristics • Different criteria / different sections• Different criteria / different sections• Mix and Match - Be creative• No definitive ‘right‘ or ‘wrong‘• The goal is to be 100% unique sitewide
![Page 18: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Variables Are Listed in Help
![Page 19: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Variables Are Listed in Help
![Page 20: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
![Page 21: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Default
![Page 22: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
![Page 23: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
![Page 24: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
• Enter variables for every different type of content. (Varies by site)
• Use ‘noindex, follow‘ for pages you • Use ‘noindex, follow‘ for pages you don‘t want to be indexed, but still want to get the benefit of any inbound links.
![Page 25: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
![Page 26: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
• Taxonomies are for sectional structure
• Categories, tags, format (?)
• Use %%page%% to uniquify • Use %%page%% to uniquify
• Fill out all sections completely
• Use noindex, follow where applicable
• There‘s no absolute right or wrong
![Page 27: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
![Page 28: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
![Page 29: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
SocialSocial
![Page 30: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
Social
![Page 31: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
Social
![Page 32: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
Social
![Page 33: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
XML Sitemaps
![Page 34: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/34.jpg)
• Oddly named sitemap_index.xml
• Creates multiple xml sitemaps
• Delete your old sitemap.xml file
Submit sitemap_index.xml to GWMT• Submit sitemap_index.xml to GWMT
• Disable author map for single authors
• No need to submit the others
![Page 35: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/35.jpg)
![Page 36: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/36.jpg)
![Page 37: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/37.jpg)
![Page 38: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/38.jpg)
PermalinksPermalinks
![Page 39: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/39.jpg)
• Permalinks are still set normally
• Plugin supplements WP settings
• Most sites best served by %postname%• Most sites best served by %postname%
• News sites need dates for Google news
• Don‘t choose to redirect ugly URLs
![Page 40: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/40.jpg)
![Page 41: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/41.jpg)
![Page 42: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/42.jpg)
Internal LinksInternal Links
![Page 43: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/43.jpg)
• Breadcrumbs are good for users
• Breacrumbs are good for crawlers
• They usually go above the content• They usually go above the content
• Won‘t work w/o a theme edit
• Default settings are usually fine
• LOOK to ensure they make sense
![Page 44: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/44.jpg)
![Page 45: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/45.jpg)
![Page 46: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/46.jpg)
RSSRSS
![Page 47: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/47.jpg)
RSS
• Scrapers will steal your content
• Cane from his old plugin ‘RSS footer‘
• Allows you to prepend or append posts• Allows you to prepend or append posts
• Sites that scrape you, then give you links
• Might not be a good thing anymore?
![Page 48: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/48.jpg)
![Page 49: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/49.jpg)
Import / Export
![Page 50: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/50.jpg)
• Time this saves is astounding
• Imports info from other SEO plugins
• Export settings for use elsewhere• Export settings for use elsewhere
• Include or exclude taxonomy data
• Check your settings after an import!
![Page 51: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/51.jpg)
![Page 52: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/52.jpg)
![Page 53: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/53.jpg)
Bulk Editor
![Page 54: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/54.jpg)
• Change titles
• Change descriptions
• Does not pull in defaults ;(
• Still semi useful for title tags• Still semi useful for title tags
• Better off doing them at page level
![Page 55: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/55.jpg)
![Page 56: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/56.jpg)
![Page 57: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/57.jpg)
Edit Files
![Page 58: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/58.jpg)
• An often used feature
• Another huge time saver
• Edit the robots.txt file
• Edit the .htaccess file • Edit the .htaccess file
• Be careful / make a backup - one misplaced .htaccess character can kill your site ;(
![Page 59: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/59.jpg)
• An often used feature
• Another huge time saver
• Edit the robots.txt file
• Edit the .htaccess file • Edit the .htaccess file
• Be careful / make a backup - one misplaced .htaccess character can kill your site ;(
![Page 60: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/60.jpg)
![Page 61: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/61.jpg)
Extensions
![Page 62: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/62.jpg)
Extensions
![Page 63: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/63.jpg)
Granular On Page SEO
![Page 64: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/64.jpg)
• Scroll beneath any content
• Box should be visible for admins
• Four tabs of info and tools• Four tabs of info and tools
• Can‘t see it? Check your screen options
• Page Analysis requires a ‘focus keyword‘
• Use it to improve the on page SEO, & more.
![Page 65: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/65.jpg)
Every Page / Post Offers More:
![Page 66: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/66.jpg)
General Tab
![Page 67: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/67.jpg)
Type in a Focus KW to see the magic
![Page 68: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/68.jpg)
Page Analysis Tab
![Page 69: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/69.jpg)
Page Analysis Tab
![Page 70: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/70.jpg)
Advanced Tab
![Page 71: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/71.jpg)
Advanced Tab
![Page 72: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/72.jpg)
Social Tab Options
![Page 73: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/73.jpg)
Other “Yoast Enhanced“ Areas
![Page 74: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/74.jpg)
Media Files
![Page 75: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/75.jpg)
Individual Categories
![Page 76: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/76.jpg)
Individual Author Profiles
![Page 77: Configuring the Yoast Wordpress SEO Plugin](https://reader034.vdocuments.site/reader034/viewer/2022052321/547e8b29b4af9fda158b564b/html5/thumbnails/77.jpg)
Take Aways
• Out of the box configuration needs tweaking
• Use %%page%% to uniquify everything
• Noindex, but ‘follow‘ where appropriate• Noindex, but ‘follow‘ where appropriate
• Export your settings for easy use elsewhere
• Import my config file at SearchCommander.com