SEO optimisation for WordPress, step by step
WordPress is a good platform for SEO with a few defaults that quietly work against you. Most WordPress SEO is finding and fixing those.
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Quick answer
SEO optimisation on WordPress means checking a handful of core settings (search engine visibility, permalinks and the sitemap), deciding which archive pages should be indexed, using an SEO plugin to set titles and meta descriptions, and keeping plugins and page builders from slowing the site down. Start with the visibility setting: if it's ticked, WordPress asks search engines not to index the whole site.
Key takeaways
- Check Settings, Reading first: one checkbox can ask search engines not to index the site.
- Choose post-name permalinks and don't change them later without redirects.
- Find out which sitemap is live: WordPress's own, or your SEO plugin's.
- Don't block pages in robots.txt that you want noindexed, or Google never sees the noindex.
What SEO on WordPress involves
WordPress handles the basics: clean HTML, editable titles and headings, and a built-in sitemap. The work is in core settings, archive pages, on-page details in the editor, and keeping the site fast as plugins accumulate.
Check search engine visibility first
Under Settings, Reading, the option "Discourage search engines from indexing this site" is often left ticked after a site launches. WordPress's documentation says that since version 5.3 it adds a noindex, nofollow robots meta tag to every page, and that it's up to search engines to honour the request. It also switches off WordPress's built-in sitemaps.
If your new site isn't appearing in Google at all, check this box before anything else.
Set permalinks and keep them
Permalinks set the URL format for posts. WordPress's permalinks screen offers plain, day and name, month and name, numeric, post name and custom structures.
| Option | Example | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Plain | /?p=123 | Avoid: says nothing about the page |
| Day and name / Month and name | /2026/10/post-name/ | Avoid for evergreen content: dates make it look old |
| Numeric | /archives/123 | Avoid |
| Post name | /post-name/ | Use for most sites |
Changing permalinks on an established site changes every URL. If you must, redirect each old URL to its new one with a permanent redirect.
Pick one site address
Your site should load on one version: https, and either with or without www. The others should redirect to it. Type each variant into a browser and check you end up at the same address.
Find out which XML sitemap is live
Since WordPress 5.5, core generates a sitemap index at /wp-sitemap.xml. Most SEO plugins replace it with their own, often at /sitemap_index.xml. Open both addresses: submit the one that works in Search Console, and make sure it lists only pages you want indexed.
Decide which archives should exist
WordPress creates archive pages for categories, tags, authors and dates. On most business sites, tag, date and single-author archives repeat content found elsewhere and are better kept out of the index with noindex. Category archives can be worth keeping if they're useful pages with an introduction.
Don't also block those archives in robots.txt. Google says a noindex rule only works if the page isn't blocked by robots.txt, because Google has to crawl the page to see it.
On-page SEO in the WordPress editor
- One H1 per page: usually the post or page title.
- A title tag and meta description written in your SEO plugin's fields.
- A short, readable slug.
- Headings in order, H2 then H3.
- Alt text on every meaningful image.
- Links to related pages and to the page that sells.
Local SEO on a WordPress site
- A page for each service, and a page for each real location if you have more than one.
- The same business name, address and phone number on the site as on your Google Business Profile.
- Local business structured data that matches what the page shows; most SEO plugins can add it.
- A link to your Google Business Profile, and your profile linking back to the right page.
The map side of local SEO happens in your Google Business Profile, not in WordPress. See what local SEO is.
Plugins and page builders
Every plugin can add scripts and styles to every page. Remove plugins you no longer use, run one SEO plugin rather than two, and be wary of page builders that output heavy markup. If speed matters, test a key page before and after each new plugin. Core Web Vitals explained covers what to measure, and the WordPress SEO plugins guide compares the main options.
WordPress SEO audit checklist
| Check | Where | Correct state |
|---|---|---|
| Search engine visibility | Settings, Reading | Unticked on the live site |
| Permalinks | Settings, Permalinks | Post name, unchanged since launch |
| Site address | Settings, General, and a browser test | One https address; the others redirect |
| Sitemap | /wp-sitemap.xml or the plugin's sitemap | One live sitemap, submitted in Search Console |
| Archives | SEO plugin settings | Tag, date and author archives noindexed unless useful |
| Robots.txt | /robots.txt | Not blocking pages you've noindexed, or CSS and JavaScript |
| SEO plugins | Plugins | Exactly one |
Common questions
Does WordPress have built-in SEO, or do I need a plugin?
WordPress covers the basics, including a sitemap since version 5.5. A plugin adds control over titles, meta descriptions, archives and structured data, which most sites need.
What does "Discourage search engines from indexing this site" do?
Since WordPress 5.3 it adds a noindex, nofollow tag to every page and turns off the built-in sitemaps. Search engines usually honour it, so a live site should have it unticked.
Which permalink structure is best for SEO?
Post name suits most sites. Choose it at launch; changing it later changes every URL and needs redirects.
Where is my WordPress sitemap?
WordPress's own is at /wp-sitemap.xml. If an SEO plugin is installed, it usually replaces it with its own, often at /sitemap_index.xml.
Should I noindex category and tag pages?
Tag, date and author archives usually, on a business site. Keep category archives indexable if they're genuinely useful pages.
Do I need Yoast or Rank Math?
You need one SEO plugin, and it doesn't have to be either. The WordPress SEO plugins guide compares them.
Where to next
If you would rather have someone do this than read about it, the commercial page for this work is WordPress SEO services.