How to Set Up and Use a Basic SEO Plugin (Like Yoast)

Having a website that people can find is very important. A basic SEO Plugin helps your site appear in search engines like Google.

Google now looks for sites that are easy to read, fast to load, and work well on phones. This new ranking system makes it easier for people to find what they need.

Did you know Google is the biggest search engine in the world, holding 91.54% of the global market? 

This shows how important it is to have good SEO.

In this article, we will show you how to set up and use a basic SEO Plugin in your WordPress dashboard. 

Let’s start by making your website easy for people and search engines to enjoy!

What is SEO?

SEO means Search Engine Optimization. It is a way to help search engines like Google find and show your website. When you have good SEO, your website may appear on the first page of a search result. 

This means more people will click on your website and read your posts.

An SEO plugin helps you with SEO. It tells you if your words are clear, you have used the right words, and your title and meta description are good. 

It even gives you a score with colors. Red means you need to work on it, orange means you are close, and green means you are doing great!

What is a Basic SEO?

Basic SEO makes it easier for search engines to know what your site is about. Yoast SEO is one of the most popular Basic SEO Plugins. The free version of Yoast gives you many simple tools to improve your website.

When you use an SEO plugin, you can set a focus keyword. This word or phrase tells your readers and search engines what your post is about. The plugin checks your post for this keyword and gives you hints to improve your writing.

How to Set Up and Use the Basic SEO in WordPress

We’ll learn how to do it using the Yoast SEO plugin. Let us begin by installing it. The Yoast SEO plugin is free and very popular. It’s our chosen basic SEO Plugin for this guide.

Follow these simple steps:

Start by logging in to your WordPress dashboard. Then, on the left side of the dashboard, look for Plugins>Add New Plugins; in the search bar, type Yoast SEO. Next to the Yoast SEO plugin, click the Install Now button.

After installation, click on Activate.

Now your basic SEO Plugin is active on your website. You can now use it to make your site better for search engines.

Understanding the Yoast SEO Dashboard

After you install and activate your Basic SEO Plugin, you will see many icons and colors on your post/page editor. These colors are red, orange, and green. 

They tell you how good your post is:

• Red: You need to work on your post.
• Orange: You are almost there.
• Green: Your post is good to go!

Pay close attention to these colors. They help you know when your post is ready for your readers.

Configuring Yoast SEO Plugin

After you install and activate the plugin, it is time to set it up. Follow these easy steps:

Look for the Yoast SEO menu on the left side of your WordPress dashboard. In the submenu, click on General. 

You will see a tab called First-time configuration. Click on it, and the wizard will help guide you through the setup process.

You’ll have these options to configure:

• SEO Data Optimization
• Site Representation
• Social Profiles
• Personal Preferences

After going through all these settings, you’re all ready to go!

Use clear and simple words for each answer. The wizard is made for beginners!

First, start by running the SEO data optimization. Yoast will scan your site and create a database with optimized SEO data. It won’t change any content or settings on your site, and you don’t need to do anything; just hit start!

Note: If you have a lot of content, this optimization could take a moment. 

Next, the wizard will ask you to set up your site title and tagline. Follow each step carefully and click Continue when you are ready.

This part of the process makes sure your website is ready to be found by search engines.

Following that, the wizard will ask you to connect to your social profiles, such as Facebook and X, or add any other if you have them. Add your organization’s social media accounts, and Yoast will fine-tune the metadata for these platforms.

Now, your basic SEO plugin is ready to use!

Using the Basic SEO Plugin in Your Posts

Once the plugin is set up, you can write posts. 

In your WordPress dashboard, click on Posts>Add New.

Write a post about something you like. Keep your words simple.

Now, in the post editor, you will see a box for Yoast SEO. Look for the field labeled Focus keyphrase. Type in your keyword in that field.

The focus keyword tells the plugin what your post is about. This is a crucial step. Once you add the focus keyword, the Yoast plugin will give you hints.

It might tell you if your focus keyword is not used enough and suggest that you add it to your title, meta description, or content. Follow the hints to improve your post.

The Yoast SEO box will show you a Readability score. This helps make your post easy to read.

It tells you about:

• Transition Words
• Passive Voice
• Consecutive Sentences
• Subheading Distribution
• Paragraph Length
• Sentence Length

Also, go through your SEO analysis result. 

It tells you about:

• Internal Link
• External Link
• Keyphrase in Images
• Number of Images in the Post
• Keyphrase Density, and more.

There is another tab called Schema, where you can choose the type of page or content you create. 

You can choose the Page Type and Article Type for your content there. 

Once you’ve done everything right, you’ll see green dots in the Yoast SEO icon. 

After you have made all the changes and followed the hints, click Save Draft or Publish.

Your post is now live with the help of your Yoast SEO Plugin!

Tips for Using a Basic SEO Plugin

Here are some simple tips to help you use your basic SEO Plugin even better:

• Use one focus keyword per post to keep your focus clear. This makes it easier for the plugin to check your post.
• Always write short and simple sentences. This helps both your readers and search engines understand your post. 
• The plugin tells you where to add more words, where to change your title, and how to improve the readability of your content.
• This plugin lets you change your title and meta description. Make sure they are clear and include your focus keyword.

Even after you publish your post, you can come back later to check if it can be improved. Use your SEO plugin to check and update old posts with new hints and better words.

Conclusion

Setting up Yoast SEO is one of the best ways to use a basic SEO strategy on WordPress.

Installing the plugin, configuring settings, and optimizing content can boost website rankings and increase traffic.

Start using Yoast SEO today and make your website search engine-friendly with just a few clicks!