The 6 greatest WordPress search engine optimisation plugins in 2025

One of many first plugins I heard about after I began utilizing WordPress was Yoast search engine optimisation. The identify caught—it rhymes with toast. I had no concept what search engine optimisation stood for, not to mention why I wanted an search engine optimisation plugin for WordPress. Since then, I’ve realized the worth of search engine optimisation, and I’ve used each Yoast search engine optimisation or Rank Math on my WordPress websites. However they are not the one WordPress search engine optimisation plugins on the market.

For those who’re on the lookout for a WordPress search engine optimisation plugin to enhance your possibilities of rating greater within the search outcomes, you have come to the precise place. I thought-about and researched dozens of plugins and did in-depth testing on the highest contenders to slim it down to those six search engine optimisation plugins for WordPress.

The most effective WordPress search engine optimisation plugins

What makes the very best WordPress search engine optimisation plugin?

There are many lists of the very best WordPress search engine optimisation plugins, so what makes this one completely different? I did not simply learn these apps’ advertising supplies and buyer opinions. I spent dozens of hours researching and testing the very best WordPress search engine optimisation plugins. I put in and activated each in flip, adopted the setup wizard directions, and examined the search engine optimisation performance. 

Right here, I’ve targeted on the very best free and premium search engine optimisation plugins for WordPress. Not like different WordPress plugins I’ve examined, the free variations of those plugins have sufficient performance to cowl the search engine optimisation necessities and extra. You solely have to put money into the premium variations for specialised options, akin to superior schemas or hyperlink administration. 

The underside line is that these WordPress search engine optimisation plugins all do a lot the identical to various levels. However as I used to be testing the plugins, this is what I used to be on the lookout for:

• Setup. Until you are a seasoned skilled, the world of search engine optimisation can seem daunting with its raft of technical jargon and acronyms. Every of those plugins comes with a setup wizard, minimal config, and generally, the choice emigrate settings from different search engine optimisation plugins.

• Ease of use. Having put in and arrange a plugin, you need one thing logical and never too overwhelming. Any plugins that weren’t intuitive, had a ton of settings to plow by means of, or used an excessive amount of technical jargon had been eradicated.    

• Technical search engine optimisation. Earlier than creating any content material, you may need a strong website construction. These plugins allow you to implement sitewide technical search engine optimisation settings, like producing and including an XML sitemap and working primary website audits to establish any issues.    

• On-page search engine optimisation. You may additionally need a plugin that helps optimize your content material. These plugins verify for on-page search engine optimisation elements like meta tags, schema markup, key phrase density, and readability to make sure your content material is in fine condition. 

• Further options. The most effective search engine optimisation plugin for WordPress will provide help to transcend the fundamentals. For instance, you may need to deal with different areas like eCommerce or native search engine optimisation. So, I checked for integrations and automations with different plugins and apps to see how you may lengthen the performance. 

Total, I whittled the listing all the way down to the six greatest search engine optimisation plugins for WordPress.

The most effective plugins for WordPress search engine optimisation at a look

Finest WordPress search engine optimisation plugin for content material evaluation and steering

Yoast search engine optimisation

Yoast search engine optimisation execs:

Yoast search engine optimisation cons:

Yoast search engine optimisation is a agency favourite with the WordPress neighborhood, and it is the primary search engine optimisation plugin I used over a decade in the past. You at all times really feel such as you’re in protected fingers with Yoast search engine optimisation, as it is a tried-and-tested resolution. It is a trusted supply for search engine optimisation usually, and Yoast search engine optimisation Academy provides you entry to worthwhile programs like search engine optimisation for Learners, Yoast search engine optimisation for WordPress (block editor), and Structured Information for Learners.

The setup wizard has a pleasant, straightforward circulate and guides you thru all of the important search engine optimisation settings to your website in just a few steps. For those who’ve beforehand used different search engine optimisation plugins—like AIOSEO, TSF, or WPMeta—you’ll be able to import the info settings and, distinctive to Yoast search engine optimisation, clear up the previous plugin knowledge afterward.

Yoast search engine optimisation’s content material evaluation and site visitors mild system ensures your posts or pages are shipshape, with an inventory of enhancements you may make, like guaranteeing the meta description is underneath 156 characters, utilizing your keyphrase within the introduction, and enhancing the (Flesch) readability rating. You’ll be able to see the site visitors mild scores for search engine optimisation and readability at a look within the posts and pages dashboards, and inside every particular person put up/web page.

The plugin integrates with different search engine optimisation apps like Semrush and Wincher, so you’ll be able to carry out key phrase analysis and monitor keyphrase rating positions with out leaving WordPress. Plus, it integrates with different WordPress plugins like WooCommerce and Elementor, amongst others.

With Yoast Premium, you get entry to extra academy programs and extra options, together with automated redirects to deal with URL modifications and deletions, inside hyperlink recommendations as you write, and two AI choices:

• Yoast AI Generate helps create optimized titles and meta descriptions to your content material so it appeals to audiences and serps. 

• Yoast AI Optimize suggests edits to your posts and pages, like together with extra phrases out of your keyphrase within the introduction, which you’ll be able to dismiss or apply.

For content material groups utilizing writers who would not essentially entry the WordPress website, the Google Docs Add-on lets them optimize their draft content material instantly in Google Docs to the Yoast search engine optimisation requirements and save editors additional work.

Yoast search engine optimisation additionally presents 4 specialist area of interest add-ons that present extra performance:

Total, Yoast search engine optimisation is a strong all-around instrument. The free model covers all of the necessities and will get you properly in your approach to optimizing your website and content material for serps. Then you’ll be able to take your search engine optimisation recreation greater with the improved premium options and additional performance of the area of interest add-ons.

Yoast search engine optimisation pricing: Free model obtainable; premium model $99/yr and area of interest add-ons $79/yr.

Finest WordPress search engine optimisation plugin with in depth free options and reasonably priced scalability

Rank Math

Rank Math execs:

Rank Math cons:

Rank Math has essentially the most in depth free function set of the WordPress search engine optimisation plugins, together with 750 AI credit month-to-month for all times. It additionally makes it reasonably priced to scale while you transfer to the premium model—beginning at $59/yr for a number of websites.

The setup wizard enables you to select between straightforward or superior mode. Straightforward is nice for web sites the place you solely need to change the fundamentals and let Rank Math do a lot of the heavy lifting. With Superior, you’ll management each search engine optimisation side. However you’ll be able to simply change between them. For instance, when you change from Straightforward to Superior, you’ll be able to activate picture search engine optimisation so as to add picture alt tags and title tags on the fly.

As you’re employed by means of the setup, you’ll be able to join with Google Search Console and Analytics to get a whole search engine optimisation image of your website. You too can import settings from beforehand used search engine optimisation plugins like Yoast search engine optimisation, AIOSEO, or SEOPress. I discovered it to be the very best importer—most different plugins missed a few of the settings on import.

As soon as you have configured the fundamental website settings, like XML sitemaps, you’ll be able to transfer on to the on-page search engine optimisation editor to edit the meta title, description, social sharing, and schema. The search engine optimisation evaluation highlights areas for enchancment and reveals you repair errors. Of notice: the readability evaluation wasn’t as detailed or clear to know as Yoast search engine optimisation, in my view.

Rank Math works seamlessly with the Elementor and Divi web page builders in addition to the WordPress Gutenberg and Traditional editors. It additionally integrates with different web page builders like Oxygen and Beaver Builder, so you’ll be able to handle all of your search engine optimisation settings in a single place.

And out of the field, Rank Math presents many options totally free that almost all different plugins cost for, like:

Even with considerably extra options than different plugins, Rank Math hundreds rapidly and retains your web site working quick.

With Rank Math premium, you get entry to a complicated schema generator, superior search engine optimisation analytics, key phrase rank tracker and place historical past, plus superior content material search engine optimisation overview. You even have the choice of buying Content material AI credit to leverage 40+ AI instruments that may assist generate concepts, intros, conclusions, titles, descriptions, and extra to optimize your content material.

Rank Math pricing: Free model obtainable; then extraordinarily reasonably priced premium plans ranging from $95/yr ($59 for the primary yr) for a number of private, enterprise, and shopper websites.

Finest WordPress search engine optimisation plugin protecting the complete search engine optimisation lifecycle

Squirrly search engine optimisation

Squirrly execs:

• Covers the complete search engine optimisation lifecycle, from key phrase analysis to rank monitoring

• Gamifies the search engine optimisation studying expertise

Squirrly cons:

Squirrly search engine optimisation is an AI-powered WordPress plugin and SaaS combo. It integrates with Google Search Console and Analytics to work alongside its proprietary know-how and algorithms and ship outcomes inside WordPress—no want for switching instruments. It additionally works with well-liked caching plugins like WP Tremendous Cache and WP Rocket to make sure website velocity is unaffected.

Squirrly search engine optimisation presents two modes—newbie or knowledgeable—which you select throughout the preliminary setup, making it appropriate for everybody from small enterprise homeowners and bloggers to advertising groups and companies. In newbie mode, you let the “AI advisor” choose the very best settings to your web site. In knowledgeable mode, you configure and tweak settings based mostly in your search engine optimisation expertise. And when you’ve beforehand used different search engine optimisation plugins—together with Rank Math, Yoast search engine optimisation, and The search engine optimisation Framework—you’ll be able to import these settings, too.

Like different search engine optimisation plugins, Squirrly search engine optimisation consists of settings for every web page/put up protecting meta tags, wealthy snippets (schema), open graph (social sharing), and visibility (indexing and redirects). However its search engine optimisation Reside Assistant provides you real-time search engine optimisation suggestions in your content material as you sort within the WordPress editor, whether or not that is the Traditional Editor, Gutenberg Editor, or different web page builders like Elementor, Oxygen, and Divi.

One of many differentiators with Squirrly search engine optimisation is that it covers the complete search engine optimisation lifecycle, from key phrase analysis and content material optimization to technical audits and rank monitoring. It additionally consists of gamification and coaching courses like Each day search engine optimisation Targets, 14 Days Journey to Higher Rating, and The Race to the TOP, so even when you’re an search engine optimisation novice, you’ll be able to study on the job and rank your content material.

Squirrly pricing: Free model obtainable for 1 website—restricted by volume-based utilization, not options—then premium plans from $9.99/month.

Finest WordPress search engine optimisation plugin for balancing options with simplicity

SmartCrawl

SmartCrawl execs:

SmartCrawl cons:

SmartCrawl is a type of search engine optimisation plugins that slips underneath the radar. You’ll be able to’t get enthusiastic about it, but it surely does a strong job with out being flashy. 

Each time you add new content material to your website, SmartCrawl will let Google know it is time to re-crawl your website—therefore its identify, SmartCrawl. That is one thing I did not see on provide on the opposite apps I examined.

There is a one-click setup wizard to get you began, after which additional menu choices to configure sitewide meta, schema, social, and XML sitemap settings. However other than that, working within the clear, uncluttered interface and admin panel is great.

From the SmartCrawl dashboard, you’ll be able to monitor your general search engine optimisation settings and run search engine optimisation audits (powered by Google Lighthouse) to get suggestions for enhancing search engine optimisation. One limitation: the actions they suggest you’re taking appear restricted to the homepage, not the entire website (different search engine optimisation actions are sitewide).

Beneath every web page and put up, there is a SmartCrawl part with 4 tabs: 

• search engine optimisation: To edit the meta title and outline output on search pages and motion optimization recommendations to your content material

• Readability: Indicating how tough your content material is to learn based mostly on the Flesch-Kincaid Check

• Social media: To customise the title, description, and featured picture for social sharing

• Superior: To configure indexing, canonical URLs, and redirects for the web page

The premium model lets you schedule search engine optimisation audits and white-label stories, automate linking for particular key phrases, and verify for damaged URLs, 404s, and a number of redirections.

SmartCrawl pricing: Free model obtainable; then $180/yr ($18 within the first yr) for the WPMU DEV bundle of premium plugins.

Finest WordPress search engine optimisation plugin for velocity and automation

The search engine optimisation Framework

The search engine optimisation Framework execs:

The search engine optimisation Framework cons:

The search engine optimisation Framework (TSF) is the quickest full-featured search engine optimisation plugin. It is also free, with the choice so as to add some free and premium extensions.

Whenever you first activate the plugin, it makes use of AI to learn your WordPress atmosphere and configure the settings routinely to what it thinks is greatest. You’ll be able to go in and edit the settings as you need, however you may discover the panel lengthy to navigate. You too can migrate earlier search engine optimisation settings from plugins like Yoast search engine optimisation, Rank Math, or SEOPress.

Behind the scenes, TSF routinely creates a sitemap, permits breadcrumbs for Google Search, and generates titles and descriptions (in any language) in keeping with Google’s pointers. Actually, the plugin began out purely as an “auto description” generator. Mainly, it makes use of the start of a put up or web page to routinely generate a perfectly-sized meta description.

Then, for every web page/put up, you even have particular person on-page search engine optimisation settings to set the meta title and outline, social graph, and visibility settings like canonical URL, indexing, and following or not following hyperlinks. The colour-coded pointers offer you a snapshot of what is mistaken, like unbranded titles or blocked indexing.

You’ll be able to lengthen the plugin’s performance through the Extension Supervisor with free and premium extensions, akin to:

• Focus that will help you write content material with focus key phrases and synonyms

• Articles to routinely add structured knowledge to your printed posts

• Native to tell serps of native enterprise info

• Title Repair to make sure you configure your web page title appropriately

Total, when you’re on the lookout for an search engine optimisation plugin to do the grunt work routinely and effectively, then The search engine optimisation Framework is a superb possibility.

The search engine optimisation Framework pricing: Free model obtainable, with the choice so as to add free and premium extensions from $84/yr.

Finest WordPress search engine optimisation plugin for newcomers

Slim search engine optimisation

Slim search engine optimisation execs:

• Computerized configuration

• Easy to make use of

Slim search engine optimisation cons:

Slim search engine optimisation is a super-lightweight however full-featured search engine optimisation plugin that routinely configures your WordPress website. It is ideally suited if you need a hands-off method and do not need to get bamboozled with search engine optimisation terminology.

Merely set up and activate the plugin, after which choose which options you need Slim search engine optimisation to routinely generate and optimize, together with:

• Meta tags

• Picture alt textual content

• XML sitemap

• Breadcrumbs

• Schema (structured knowledge)

• Redirections

For instance, with meta tags enabled, Slim search engine optimisation routinely generates a meta description out of your put up or web page. You’ll be able to at all times add your personal description—simply think about it a failsafe mechanism. The identical precept applies to the picture alt textual content. For those who neglect to enter some alt textual content while you add a picture, then Slim search engine optimisation routinely provides the file identify as alt textual content. That is not sensible, but it surely’s higher than nothing.

You’ll be able to migrate and import search engine optimisation knowledge from different plugins, together with Yoast search engine optimisation, Rank Math, The search engine optimisation Framework, Redirection, and 301 Redirects. And Slim search engine optimisation integrates properly with different plugins, particularly web page builders like Elementor, Beaver Builder, and Divi.

Nevertheless, Slim search engine optimisation would not provide a lot in the way in which of on-page content material optimization. On the finish of every put up/web page, you’ll be able to edit the meta title and outline, specify photographs for sharing on Fb and Twitter, add a canonical URL, and conceal/unhide the web page from serps. However there are not any content material evaluation or readability options like a few of the different plugins.

Total, if you need a WordPress plugin that covers all of the search engine optimisation necessities, then Slim search engine optimisation is a strong selection.

Slim search engine optimisation pricing: Full-featured free model; premium plans—with schema markup and hyperlink administration optimization—begin at $59/yr. Alternatively, you should buy both of the the non-compulsory $39/yr premium add-ons: Slim search engine optimisation Schema so as to add structured knowledge to your WordPress content material and Slim search engine optimisation Hyperlink Supervisor to repair damaged hyperlinks and construct inside hyperlinks in WordPress.

Must you use an search engine optimisation plugin for WordPress?

You do not have to make use of an search engine optimisation plugin since WordPress has the fundamental instruments to create and customise permalinks, meta descriptions, picture alt textual content, and different primary facets of search engine optimisation. However if you wish to take your website to the subsequent degree, an search engine optimisation plugin can get you there.

The great factor right here is that you could accomplish way more with a free search engine optimisation plugin earlier than taking the ultimate step and investing in a premium resolution. All of it comes all the way down to what your necessities are. With these six WordPress plugins, you’ll be able to go from an automatic, hands-off method to a totally managed, hands-on expertise. The selection is yours. 

For now, I am glad to proceed utilizing Yoast or Rank Math for my websites. However which WordPress search engine optimisation plugin will you select?

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This text was initially printed in October 2023. The newest replace was in July 2025.