How To Install, Activate and Setup Yoast SEO for WordPress

For those using WordPress, one of the must-have WordPress plugins is Yoast SEO. With an active installation that has surpassed over 5+ million, this SEO plugin is a comprehensive tool that helps you to manage your site’s SEO.

You can download this plugin for free (that’s right!), while for more features and functionality, you can opt for the premium version. Yoast SEO is a beginner-friendly SEO plugin that is simple to use. To get you started, here is a complete Yoast SEO for WordPress guide that explains how to install, activate and set-up various functionalities.

A. How to Install and Activate Yoast SEO on WordPress?

You can install and activate the Yoast SEO on your WordPress site in under 5 minutes. Here’s how:

• • Step 1 – Log in to your WordPress site. In your ‘Dashboard’ admin area, on the left-hand side, you will see the menu. From there, click on Plugins » Add New.

• • Step 2 – Search for ‘Yoast SEO’ and once the screen displays it, click on ‘Install Now.’

• Step 3 – Once the installation has finished, click on the ‘Activate’ button and you are done!

B. Setting-up Yoast SEO

Before you install the SEO Yoast plugin, if you were using another SEO plugin, then you can simply import those settings. If not, skip this step.

Note: Only paid users or those using the premium plugin can access the import function.

• • To import; go to SEO » Tools » Import and Export

• • Next, select Import from other SEO plugins.

Check the box for the SEO tool you want to import from and click on ‘Import.’ Yoast SEO will then import all your settings automatically. This includes the default XML sitemap settings or title template.

1. General Settings

i) Features: In the Features section of General Yoast SEO, you can turn the required features on and off and click on ‘Save changes.’

Note: By default, all features are turned on.

Some of the features include:

• SEO Analysis: This feature provides the SEO score and analysis of your content.
• Readability Analysis: This feature provides the readability analysis and score of your content.
• Cornerstone Content: This feature enables you to mark and filter cornerstone content.
• Text Link Counter: This feature provides an overview of different internal text links to and from your article.
• XML Sitemaps: This feature enables you to create XML sitemaps for your site.
• Admin Bar Menu: This feature allows you to see the Yoast SEO menu in the WordPress admin toolbar.
• Security – no advanced settings for authors: This feature enables you to hide advanced SEO settings from authors to improve security.

ii) Integrations: SEO plugin by Yoast also allows you to integrate third-party products, which you can enable or disable as required.

iii) Webmaster Tools: With the WordPress SEO by Yoast plugin, you can easily verify your website with top search engines. Just sign up for the webmaster tools program (for each website). Next, add the meta code you received from the search engines in the respective fields to verify your site’s ownership.

2. Search Console – Yoast SEO

The Search Appearance in Yoast SEO lets you control how your website will appear in the search result.

i) General

• • Title Separator: While the default option is a dash, you can select the symbol you want to use as a separator between titles.

• • Homepage: Here you can add your website’s Homepage SEO title and meta description.

• • Knowledge Graph & Schema: Select whether your website represents an organisation or an individual. Add organisation name and logo (or avatar/profile picture for an individual).

ii) Content Types: This feature allows you to automate the SEO title and description for each post or page. Yoast SEO will use these default settings in case you forget to add them manually.

iii) Media: WordPress creates a new page for each image you attach to your post/page. This can affect your SEO as these attachment pages provide no value and are considered low-quality content by search engines. With the Yoast WordPress plugin, you can easily redirect users to the attachment file instead of the attachment page.

This option is set to ‘Yes’ by default, so don’t change it.

iv) Taxonomies: This feature helps you to configure titles and meta description for tags, categories, custom taxonomies, product categories, etc. Here, the default template will work for most sites.

v) Archives: This feature enables you to control search appearance options for miscellaneous archive pages on your site such as 404 pages, author, date, search, etc. While the default template will work for most sites; for a single author blog, disable the author archive pages from search engines.

vi) Breadcrumbs: Apart from helping you with internal linking, breadcrumbs also appear in the search result which gives your site an extra boost. Click ‘Enabled’ to view more options. Also, while the default template for this setting will work for most websites, you can change it if need be.

vii) RSS: With the Yoast WordPress SEO plugin, you can add a backlink (of your site) to each post in your RSS feed. This will ensure that if the content scrapers copy the content from your site, you will get a backlink from their site and Google will know you are the original source.

3. Social

Yoast for WordPress also lets you integrate your site with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and more.

• • Accounts: Enter all your social profile URLs and username here. This will provide Google with an overview of all your social profiles. Click on ‘Save Changes.’

• • Facebook: To add Facebook open graph metadata in your website’s head section, ensure that the option is enabled under the Facebook tab. Also, upload an image, which will be used as a default thumbnail if your article doesn’t have a thumbnail or any other image. Click on ‘Save Changes.’

• • Twitter: For Twitter, you can add Twitter cards by enabling the option. You can also choose the card type. Click on ‘Save Changes.’

Further reading: How to Manage Twitter More Effectively

• • Pinterest: Just like under the Facebook tab, Pinterest uses Open Graph metadata. Ensure that the open graph metadata box under Facebook settings is enabled. Next, enter the site verification code provided by Pinterest. Click on ‘Save Changes.’

Further reading: How to use Pinterest for Marketing Your Business

C. Advanced SEO Settings

WordPress Yoast SEO plugin also offers you built-in tools that help with advanced SEO settings. You can find these under the tab ‘Tools,’ which includes:

• Import and Export: You can use this option to import SEO data from other SEO plugins on your website or to export Yoast SEO plugin’s settings and use it on another WordPress website.
• • File Editor: Over time you may need to add some code to your website’s .htaccess file or robots.txt file and this is where the ‘File Editor’ option will come in handy. With this, you can edit both files right from your WordPress admin area.
  • Bulk Editor: If you want to add SEO title and description for all your blog posts and pages at once, then use this feature. Click on ‘Save Link’ to save the changes.

  #Premium Yoast SEO Extensions

  

  • Redirect Manager: One of the features that you get with the premium Yoast SEO plugin is the redirect manager. This feature allows you to set-up redirects on your WordPress site, thereby helping you to easily fix 404 errors and redirect users from an old article to a new one. However, it is better to use a dedicated WordPress redirection plugin, so that even if you stop using Yoast SEO, your redirects will still be working.
  • Social Preview: With the premium plugin, you also get to preview your social media posts before you share them on social networks such as Facebook or Twitter.
  • Readability Analysis: This feature helps you to analyse the content you have written thoroughly to ensure that it contains the best SEO practices, which will help boost visibility.
  • Premium Support: By switching to the premium Yoast SEO WordPress plugin, you’ll have access to 24/7 world-class support.

  For any further queries, get in touch with a WordPress development agency now!