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What WordPress SEO Audit Checklist Do You Need To Increase Your Rankings?

A properly performed SEO audit on a WordPress website is the key to increasing the visibility of your website in search results. Below I present an SEO audit checklist for WordPress that will help you improve the process of optimizing your website for search engines.

1. Choosing the right keywords

The first step in SEO optimization is selecting the right keywords. Tools such as Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush can help you find phrases that are worth investing in. It's important to understand the intentions of users searching for these keywords and tailor your content to them.

2. Checking the URL structure

URL structure is very important for SEO. It is best when it is simple, understandable and contains keywords. This can be configured in WordPress in the Settings -> Permanent Links section.

// example setting of permanent links update_option( 'permalink_structure', '/%postname%/' );

3. Optimization of titles and descriptions

Page titles and meta descriptions are the first elements that users see in search results. Therefore, they should be attractive and contain appropriate keywords. The Yoast SEO plugin allows you to manage them easily.

4. Optimization of H1-H6 headings

Headers are another element worth paying attention to when optimizing SEO. H1 should appear only once on the page and contain the main keyword. The rest of the headings (H2-H6) should create a logical structure of the page and contain other, related keywords.

5. Optimization of content and internal links

The content on the website should be unique, valuable to users and contain appropriate keywords. Internal linking helps build the structure of the page and highlights its most important elements.

6. Image optimization

Images can affect page loading speed, so they should be properly optimized. The Smush plugin allows you to compress images without losing quality. It is also important to add alt descriptions for all images.

7. Improving page loading speed

Page loading time is one of the factors that Google takes into account when ranking pages. Plugins like WP Rocket or Autoptimize can help you optimize your speed.

8. Installing the SEO plugin

Plug Yoast SEO if Rank Math helps you manage many aspects of SEO on your WordPress site. This includes creating an XML sitemap, managing the robots.txt file, and optimizing your content for SEO.

9. HTTPS setting

Google prefers sites that use HTTPS encryption. This can be configured in your hosting settings or using a plugin like Really Simple SSL.

// force HTTPS in .htaccess file RewriteEngine On RewriteCond %{SERVER_PORT} 80 RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://www.yourwebsite.com/$1 [R,L]

10. Preparing the website for mobile traffic

Google is paying more and more attention to the appearance and functioning of websites on mobile devices. Therefore, it is worth checking whether our website is well adapted to be displayed on phones and tablets.

To sum up, an SEO audit is a complex process that requires taking into account many aspects. The above checklist is a good starting point, but remember that SEO optimization is a continuous process that requires regular monitoring and adaptation to changing search engine algorithms.

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