We started with one assumption when compiling this list of SEO strategies: you’re busy. So these are techniques that you can use right now (long-term commitment not required).

There are many other techniques, but this is a good place to start. Remember, you don’t have to use all of these (though you certainly can) — even a few should help your WordPress site rank higher in search results.

In addition, we’ll concentrate on Google-specific advice because it is by far the most popular search engine and releases the most information about its algorithms. However, many of these strategies should help you on other sites as well, such as Yahoo Search or Bing.

1. Choose Your Hosting Provider With Caution

This isn’t just because we’re a hosting company. We say it because it is true: the hosting provider you choose is critical for SEO.

Because Google considers site speed when ranking sites, a good host can help you reach the top of the SERPs. Your host also has an impact on the amount of downtime your site experiences, as well as the physical distance between servers and visitors, both of which are ranking factors.

• Finally, because Google gives HTTPS sites a small boost, you’ll want that as well. It’s included with all of our plans at DreamHost.
• If you haven’t yet created your website, you’ll want to select a host that is dependable and has a reputation for high performance.
• Even if you already have a site, you should think about switching hosts if your current provider does not meet these requirements.

A WordPress-specific hosting plan is a wise choice. Our fully-managed WordPress plans deliver fast speeds with little to no downtime.

2. Choose a Search Engine Optimized Theme.

One of the most important decisions you’ll make for your WordPress site is the theme. It determines the appearance and layout of your site, can add new functionality, and also plays a role in its SEO. For example, your theme can have an impact on your site’s speed, which is important (as we’ve already discussed).

• The way a theme was created is also important because clean code gives your site the best chance in SERPs.

As a result, when selecting a theme, choose one that was designed with SEO in mind. These themes are frequently referred to as ‘SEO-friendly.’ You may also want to look for a theme that includes SEO-specific features, such as new heading tag options.

3. Make Use of a Dedicated SEO Plugin

If you’re new to WordPress, you might not be aware of plugins. These are small pieces of add-on software that you can install on your site to add new features and functionality. There’s a plugin for almost everything, including helping your site rank higher in search engines.

There are numerous plugins available that are specifically designed to improve the SEO of your website.

These plugins can provide small, targeted features like creating a sitemap (more on that later). For even better results, use a comprehensive SEO plugin like Yoast SEO, which will add a slew of optimization-focused features to your site.

4. Modify the ‘Permalink’ Structure

Permalinks are the permanent URLs that point to individual posts, pages, and other content on your website. They are what people will use to refer to and link back to your website, so their appearance is important. Clear, descriptive links that describe their content are easier for search engines to understand and tend to improve their ranking.

WordPress provides several automatic permalink options:

A few are based on numbers (for example, the Plain and Numeric options), which isn’t ideal because they provide little useful information to search engines. Instead, the Post Name structure is preferable because it communicates clearly what the linked content is about.

By visiting your site’s back end and navigating to Settings > Permalink, you can easily change your permalink structure (or create a custom one).

5. Make a Sitemap

A sitemap is a list of all of your website’s pages and other content, usually organized in a hierarchy. It allows you to quickly see how your site is laid out and what it includes.

• While these sitemaps were originally intended to assist users in navigating websites, their primary function now is to communicate information to search engine bots (also known as crawlers).
• While adding a sitemap to your website does not directly improve its search engine rankings, it is still an important SEO tool. It allows crawlers to see all of your site’s pages and understand how they relate to one another.
  
• This helps search engines index your site and present relevant content in user searches. Adding a sitemap to WordPress is simple; you can do so using a specific plugin like Google XML Sitemaps or a comprehensive SEO tool like Yoast SEO.

6. Throughout Your Content, Use Heading Tags

While a sitemap can assist search engine crawlers in understanding how your site is organized, it cannot assist them in making sense of individual content. You’ll need to use heading tags for this. These are formatting options for section headings on pages and posts.

These options are listed as Heading 1, Heading 2, and so on in your WordPress editor.

7. Create Content Based on Keywords

You’ve probably heard of the term “keywords” before. These are short phrases that describe the topic of your content.

• For example, for a blog post about simple recipe options for beginners, you could use the keyword “easy recipes.” You’re predicting that many people will type the phrase into a search engine when looking for this type of post by doing so.

Choosing a keyword for each post or page and using it in multiple places — such as the title, headings, and content — is a common way to communicate your topic to search engine crawlers and increase the likelihood of your content appearing in relevant searches.

8. Include Relevant Internal and External Links

Google and other search engines do not look at your website in isolation. Instead, they examine how well it is linked, both internally and to other sites. Including numerous links throughout your posts and pages informs crawlers about how they relate to similar content.

It also encourages others to link back to your site, which tells search engines that your content is valuable!

As with keywords, this is a strategy to be used with caution. If you stuff too many links into your content or use too many links that point to irrelevant pages or exist solely to promote products, your search engine rankings will suffer.

Instead, look for ways to incorporate links where possible.

9. Make Use of Responsive Design on Your Website

Mobile devices are being used by more people than ever before to access the internet. This means that your site should look and perform well on any device a visitor may be using.

• You can achieve this by employing the responsive design strategy, which entails designing your site in such a way that it reacts and adapts to each user’s device.
• Google considers responsive design to be so important that it uses it as a ranking factor. Your site’s chances of ranking high on SERPs will improve if it is responsive.
• The best way for WordPress users to get started with responsive design is to use a theme that supports it (which many, if not most, now do). Just remember to look into each theme’s other SEO features as well!

10. Improve Your Image Quality

Images are essential for almost any website. They add visual appeal and context to the text, as well as help break it up and make it more readable.

• As you might expect, they can also have an impact on your SEO.
• For one thing, the quality and size of your images can affect the loading speed of your pages, which is a ranking factor.

Crawlers will also look at information attached to images, such as filenames and ‘alt text,’ when attempting to index and understand your site.