Jan 10 2024
Why you only need one H1 heading per post or page

The title of your post or page usually gets the H1 heading tag. It’s only logical to give your post one title, right? Having more than one H1 is like saying: “Hey, this text is about two topics of equal importance.” Yoast SEO warns you with a red traffic light if you use more than one H1 heading. Here, we’ll explain why your post or page only needs one H1 heading.

Table of contents

Did you get a red traffic light in Yoast SEO for using more than one H1 heading? Read more about what the single title check does and how you can fix the red or orange light.

Heading structure and SEO

In many CMSs like WordPress or Shopify, headings are ordered in ranks (or levels). The highest rank is H1, the title of your post or page. In the rest of the text, you use H2 – H6 headings. With them, you indicate the importance of each section and how it relates to the rest of the text. So, when a reader lands on your page, the headings help them make sense of the content. It helps readers to scan the text and learn how it fits together.

Search engines also “read” headings and try to understand the structure of your text. Instead of the regular text you and I read, they go to the HTML version of your site and read the HTML heading tags. The headings help them comprehend the relative importance of your text’s (sub)topic.

One or multiple H1s?

As mentioned above, the H1 is the title of your post (not to be confused with the SEO title). We would suggest using the H1 heading only once. We believe that’s the best choice because:

  • Headings help readers and Google understand your text. If there are multiple H1 headings, your readers and Google might get confused. People might get confused, distracted, or even frustrated when there’s no clear distinction between main and subtopics. As a result, they may leave your site.
  • Proper use of headings makes your text more accessible. Think of visually impaired people who use screen readers. These devices can use headings to navigate through your text. More than one H1 in one article complicates this, and without visual cues, it might confuse people even more.

Of course, using the other headings as much as you need is perfectly acceptable. Still, you should keep in mind that headings are hierarchical. For example, you should use H2 before you use H3 within a particular topic. Check out this extensive guide on headings and SEO if you want to use them optimally.

What does the single H1 heading check in Yoast SEO do?

The single H1 assessment of Yoast SEO (both in our WordPress SEO plugin and Shopify SEO app) checks whether the body of your text contains an H1 heading at any position other than the very beginning. If Yoast SEO detects an H1 heading in the body of your text, it gives you a red bullet in the feedback. Luckily, solving this issue is straightforward.

Yoast SEO lets you know when you’ve used multiple H1s in your text

Finding and changing your H1 headings

To ensure your post doesn’t have double titles, you’ll need to find all H1s in your text and change them to a lower heading level.

Changing an H1 heading in the classic editor in WordPress

If you click one of your headings in the classic editor, the clickable drop-down menu in the upper left corner will show the heading level you’ve selected. You can change it to another level by opening the drop-down menu and selecting another level. If the Yoast SEO feedback indicates that your text contains more than one H1 heading, check all your headings by clicking them. Then, select another level to change your H1 into H2 or another appropriate heading.

Turning selected text into a heading in WordPress classic editor

Changing an H1 heading in the block editor in WordPress

In the block editor, Yoast SEO helps you find the H1s quickly. Click the eye icon next to the assessment and see the H1 titles highlighted in the editor. If you want to change the level of your headings, click them. The menu bar above the block shows you the level of the heading. Then, select another level to change your H1 into H2 or another appropriate heading.

Change the header format by clicking on it

Changing an H1 heading in Shopify

When you go to one of your products or blog posts in the backend of Shopify, you’ll notice the ‘Title’ field at the top. This is where you fill in your title (which is automatically your H1 on that page).

In the description field below, you can write your product description or blog post and add headings by clicking the ‘Paragraph’ button above the content field. This dropdown allows you to add headings of different levels. If you get a red traffic light for your H1 assessment in Yoast SEO, find the wrong headings by clicking the eye icon. When you’ve found the H1 in your content, change it into H2 or another appropriate heading.

Click the eye icon to find the redundant H1s

Conclusion

Using headings in the right way helps your SEO. What you learned from this post is quite simple. An H1 heading is the title of your post. You don’t want double or triple titles, so use the H1 heading only once. If you need to remember, Yoast is here to help you!

If you’re on Shopify, the Yoast SEO app can help keep an eye on your headings and other important SEO elements. In addition, it gives you access to all of our SEO courses to master the art of SEO! When you’re on WordPress and ready to take your SEO to the next level, go Premium to get access to all the features in Yoast SEO and all of our SEO courses. This will help you further optimize your site for visitors and search engines.

Go Premium and get free access to our SEO courses!

Learn how to write great content for SEO and unlock lots of features with Yoast SEO Premium:

Read more: Complete beginner’s guide to SEO »



Edwin Toonen

Edwin is a strategic content specialist. Before joining Yoast, he spent years honing his skill at The Netherlands’ leading web design magazine.

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Jan 9 2024
Yoast SEO 21.8: Seamless highlighting in Elementor

We’re excited to roll out Yoast SEO 21.8. This release is about refining your experience and enhancing your website’s performance. We’ve zapped some bugs for our users, making your SEO journey smoother and more reliable. But the real headline here is for our Yoast SEO Premium users – a feature we know you’ve been asking for: functional highlighting within Elementor!

Elementor users rejoice!

Many of you use Elementor to design and manage your WordPress sites. That’s why we’ve gone the extra mile to ensure this release makes your editing and optimizing process ten times better.

What’s new for Yoast SEO Premium users?

A seamless experience is what we are going for. Here’s what changed in Yoast SEO 21.8:

  • Elementor in-editor highlights for the SEO, readability, and inclusive language analyses: Watch as our plugin intuitively highlights feedback from the various analyses right where you’re working – inside the Elementor editor.
  • User experience upgrade: No need to disrupt your creative flow by manually searching for where to make edits. Now, you have the power of immediate SEO insights as you edit.
  • Targeted improvements: This enhancement is designed explicitly for the huge Elementor community within our user base, showing our dedication to catering to your needs.

We’re passionate about making SEO accessible and efficient for all our users. Our latest update is a testament to that commitment, bringing you closer to highly optimized websites.

Ready to revolutionize your SEO workflow?

If you’re already enjoying the benefits of Yoast SEO Premium, this update is ready and waiting to take your Elementor experience to new heights. Update your plugin to the latest version, and you’re all set!

Haven’t upgraded yet? There’s no better time to get Yoast SEO Premium. Unlock the full suite of features and join the community of SEO pros who maximize their online potential with our plugin.

Other improvements and fixes

One of our improvements in Yoast SEO 21.8 is the enhanced sitemap rewrite rules mechanism, ensuring smoother functionality and improved performance. In addition, we’ve made significant optimizations to the update process. From now on, rewrite rules will no longer be cleared for every option update, eliminating unnecessary operations. Instead, the rewrite rules will only be cleared when changes are made to the ‘strip category base’ option.

We’ve also fixed several issues related to a recent release of the Gutenberg plugin. The first one was an issue where the highlighter for the keyphrase density assessment would not work when using the latest version of the Gutenberg plugin. In Yoast SEO Premium, we’ve fixed a bug where our Table of Contents block would prevent editing a post in Gutenberg.

Update now to Yoast SEO 21.8

Upgrade to Yoast SEO 21.8 today and experience the ultimate convenience and efficiency. We can’t wait to hear how this update helps you thrive online. Here’s to your success – optimized and amplified!



Edwin Toonen

Edwin is a strategic content specialist. Before joining Yoast, he spent years honing his skill at The Netherlands’ leading web design magazine.

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Jan 3 2024
How to use the readability analysis in Yoast SEO

If you’re a user of Yoast SEO for WordPress or Shopify, then you’re probably familiar with the traffic lights in our plugin. Three parts of Yoast SEO use this system: the content analysis, the readability analysis, and the inclusive language analysis. The first checks whether your post or product pages are SEO-proof, while the latter checks if they’re readable for a general audience. The third checks if your content has language that might exclude people. Of course, these are interconnected, as readable content is crucial if you want your site to do well in the search results. Here, we’ll show you how to use the readability analysis.

What does the readability analysis in Yoast SEO do?

The readability analysis in Yoast SEO uses an algorithm to determine how readable your text is. We’ve crafted this algorithm to make it as accurate as possible without being too strict. It features several checks that will give you advice when you write your page. In other words, following this advice makes your text easier to read and understand.

It has been said that Yoast SEO suggests dumbing down your writing. Of course, that’s not the case. We merely want to help people write content that’s easy to understand. Just consider the following quote by content design hero Sarah Richards about making your content as readable for humans as possible:

“You’re not dumbing down, you’re opening up.”

By simplifying content, you’re automatically growing your audience as more people grasp the message of your content. Also, you’re not writing your content just for people anymore. Because virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri must also be able to work with it. Even Google increasingly uses well-written content for rich results like featured snippets, not to mention all the AI tools that love good content.

That being said, while the advice in the readability section is not the be-all and end-all advice, it does give you important clues to the perceived difficulty of your text. Writing with readability in mind is crucial, as readability ranks!

Current readability checks in Yoast SEO

The current readability checks are available in Yoast SEO:

  • Transition words: Do you use transition words like ‘most importantly’, ‘because’, ‘therefore’, or ‘besides that’ to tie your text together? Using these words improves the flow of your article as they provide hints to the reader about what is coming next.
  • Sentence beginnings: Do any of your consecutive sentences start with the same word? This might feel repetitive to your reader, and that can be annoying. Always keep your sentences varied, so your article is readable and free of obstacles. Unless you want to prove something or use it as a writing style, of course.
  • Word complexity: It would be a shame if you write something and your readers can’t fully grasp it, right? The more uncommon and complicated words you use, the harder it might be for your visitors to understand your writing.  Thanks to the feedback from this assessment, you can easily identify complex words and change them accordingly. We’ll highlight them for you so you don’t have to spend time looking.
  • Paragraph length: Some people tend to use extremely long paragraphs. Doing so makes your text look daunting as it becomes just one big blob of text. Break it up, use shorter paragraphs and don’t forget to give your core sentences some thought.
  • Subheading distribution: Similarly to long paragraphs, texts without subheadings are difficult to scan, which makes them rather daunting. So, we check if you use enough subheadings to guide your readers through the text and help them find what they’re looking for.
  • Sentence length: Sentence length is one of the core aspects that can make a text hard to read. If most of your sentences are too long – over 20 words – people lose track of your point. Readers often have to jump back a few words to find out what you mean. This is very tiring and inefficient. Try to keep the number of words in a sentence in check. Shorten your sentences. Aim for easy understanding, not a complex literary masterpiece.
  • Passive voice: Using a lot of passive voice in your text makes it appear distant, and your message will be less clear. Your sentences become wordy and difficult because the sentence structure is harder to understand. Whenever you use the passive voice, always consider whether a better, active alternative is available.
  • Transition words: Do you use transition words like ‘most importantly’, ‘because’, ‘therefore’, or ‘besides that’ to tie your text together? Using these words improves the flow of your article as they provide hints to the reader about what is coming next.
  • Sentence beginnings (doesn’t apply for Product pages): Do any of your consecutive sentences start with the same word? This might feel repetitive to your reader, and that can be annoying. Always keep your sentences varied, so your article is readable and free of obstacles. Unless you want to prove something or use it as a writing style, of course.
  • Paragraph length: Some people tend to use extremely long paragraphs. Doing so makes your text look daunting as it becomes just one big blob of text. Break it up, use shorter paragraphs and don’t forget to give your core sentences some thought.
  • Subheading distribution: Similarly to long paragraphs, texts without subheadings are difficult to scan, which makes them rather daunting. So, we check if you use enough subheadings to guide your readers through the text and help them find what they’re looking for.
  • Sentence length: Sentence length is one of the core aspects that can make a text hard to read. If most of your sentences are too long – over 20 words – people lose track of your point. Readers often have to jump back a few words to find out what you mean. This is very tiring and inefficient. Try to keep the number of words in a sentence in check. Shorten your sentences. Aim for easy understanding, not a complex literary masterpiece.
  • Passive voice: Using a lot of passive voice in your text makes it appear distant, and your message will be less clear. Your sentences become wordy and difficult because the sentence structure is harder to understand. Whenever you use the passive voice, always consider whether a better, active alternative is available.
  • Lists (Product pages only): Using lists in your product pages enable your customers to scan the content on the page, and help highlight the benefits and features of your product. Try to include at least one list (ordered or unordered) in your product description.

Supported languages

The readability analysis is available in many languages. Check out the languages Yoast SEO supports for an overview. We’re continually working on adding new languages.

How to use the readability analysis in Yoast SEO

The readability analysis

You can find the readability analysis in your Yoast sidebar in WordPress and Shopify. In WordPress, you can also find the readability checks in the Yoast SEO meta box underneath the post or page you edit.

It’s very easy to use the analysis to improve your content. You can start writing the article you want to write. The readability score is calculated in real-time, so you can look at it while you write. However, if you want to stay focused, you can also choose not to look at the score while writing your first draft. That way, you can write without being distracted and make the final tweaks afterward.

The readability score helps you by giving you a green, orange, or red traffic light per check. If you get orange or red traffic lights, click on the eye icon to determine where improvements can be made. Easy peasy!

Everyone has their own writing and editing process, and this way isn’t necessarily how you should use it. You have to find out what works for you gradually. Practice makes perfect!

It’s good to note that the word complexity assessment is a Premium feature. If you’re using the free version of Yoast SEO, you’ll see this feature being greyed out. Upgrade to Yoast SEO Premium now to unlock this feature!

The readability analysis in the Yoast SEO for WordPress metabox

Should all traffic lights be green?

We often get this question: no, not every traffic light has to be green. What you should aim for, though, is a green, happy traffic light overall — the one in the tab that reads “Readability”. An orange traffic light for one of the checks, like in the screenshot above, is fine. Your article will still be able to rank even if it doesn’t pass all of the tests. This is merely an indication, not a necessity.

We want everyone to be able to read and understand content, but we also know that there are industries where the language used is different from what most people would use. That’s perfectly fine. Find out what works for you. Need help? Please read our ultimate guide to SEO copywriting.

Try it out!

The readability analysis and content analysis of Yoast SEO help you write excellent, SEO-proof articles and product pages that are easy for anyone to grasp. In doing so, you ensure that every piece of content you write is ready to start ranking in search engines while staying enjoyable for readers. Don’t have Yoast SEO yet? Do you want to use our Premium plugins’ excellent additional features? Find out about all the benefits of Yoast SEO for WordPress and Yoast SEO for Shopify!

Read more: How to use Yoast SEO’s content analysis tool »



Edwin Toonen

Edwin is a strategic content specialist. Before joining Yoast, he spent years honing his skill at The Netherlands’ leading web design magazine.

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Dec 14 2023
Yoast SEO helps you navigate all Google Schema updates

Google has announced a couple of updates to its Schema structured data support. These enhancements will improve discussion forums, profile pages, and organizations’ appearance in search engine results pages. Let’s review these changes. You’ll see how the Yoast SEO Schema framework can help you leverage them to their fullest potential.

About the discussion and profile markup

For Google, 2023 was a year of Schema updates. Google issued fifteen structured data updates this year, with eleven alterations occurring in the final quarter. The latest ones we’ll describe in this article. Structured data is a focal point for Google.

On November 27, 2023, Google enriched the search experience by introducing structured data types for discussion forums (DiscussionForumPosting) and profile pages (ProfilePage). This update is a nice improvement for online communities and social platforms. The new Schema types allow for a detailed representation of user interactions and forum activities, such as the number of posts or replies. These can be displayed directly in search results through rich snippets.

The InteractionCounter property is an essential addition, enabling forums to highlight the vibrancy of their community interactions. Profile pages can now benefit from enhanced visibility, with the ability to showcase individual contributions and reputations within a community. This level of detail not only aids user discovery but also fosters a sense of authority and trustworthiness for the profiles.

Understanding the organization markup

After the DiscussionForumPosting and ProfilePage markup announcement, Google expanded the Organization structured data type. This update allows businesses to provide more granular information about themselves. Google can use this to populate Knowledge Panels and other visual elements in search results. The markup covers various aspects of an organization, from official logos and contact information to social media profiles and founding dates.

This structured data type helps organizations stand out in SERPs. It offers a more comprehensive and visually appealing presentation of its brand and identity. The implications for brand recognition and user trust are substantial. This information can directly influence a user’s perception and interaction with a business.

Yoast SEO Schema framework is ready to build upon

The Yoast SEO structured data implementation is ready for these updates. Even before the upcoming additions, Yoast SEO is already properly set up as Google validates all Organization and ProfilePage markup. We’ve designed our framework to be flexible and future-proof. Our framework dynamically generates Schema markup meticulously aligned with Google’s recommendations and standards. From the outset, we’ve embraced a holistic approach to structured data, ensuring that our users’ websites can quickly adapt to changes and continue to communicate effectively with search engines.

Our Schema framework outputs the most structured data correctly and has done so for ages. We will also incorporate the new properties and types that Google recognizes. We’re working hard to get these to you as soon as possible.

After we’ve included this, companies can enrich their online presence with minimal additional effort. They’ll have new opportunities to showcase their brand information more prominently. Plus, forums and social platforms can easily integrate these newly structured data types for discussion and profile markup.

The Yoast SEO Schema framework simplifies the process. It removes the complexity of manual markup and automatically enhances their content’s visibility in SERPs.

Embracing the future with Yoast SEO

We invite developers and companies to make the most of Yoast SEO’s Schema framework as a foundation for their SEO strategies. Utilizing our comprehensive tools keeps you aligned with the latest SEO practices and enhances your website’s readiness for future updates.

Please read our developer documentation to understand how you can easily build an integration with the Yoast SEO structured data.

Getting visibility is paramount, so staying ahead of the curve is essential. With Yoast SEO, you have the tools and support to use structured data properly. This way, your website stands out and effectively reaches its target audience — even when Google announced more schema updates.



Edwin Toonen

Edwin is a strategic content specialist. Before joining Yoast, he spent years honing his skill at The Netherlands’ leading web design magazine.

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Dec 12 2023
Yoast SEO 21.7: Global identifiers in WooCommerce SEO

Ready to elevate your website’s SEO to new heights? Yoast SEO 21.7 has plenty of enhancements designed to give you the edge you need to thrive online. We’re also launching a new version of WooCommerce SEO, with an option to import and export global identifiers for your online store! Find out more about these great releases.

What’s new in Yoast SEO 21.7?

As we near the end of the year, we keep releasing updates and improvements to our products steadily. So, what can you expect from Yoast SEO 21.7?

  • Simplified setup: Get started faster than ever with an improved first-time configuration experience. We’ve refined the setup process, making it more intuitive, streamlined, and user-friendly. You’ll be up and running quickly with the proper settings.
  • Language analysis improvements: Not everyone writes in English, so our language analysis tools are available in many languages. In this release, we’ve improved the accuracy of the word complexity assessment in French. Whether targeting specific regions or a diverse international audience, our tools ensure your message hits home.
  • AI-powered titles & meta descriptions: Get potential visitors to spot you in search results. Don’t forget to tap into our cutting-edge AI features for crafting compelling titles and meta descriptions. We’ve added that feature to our WooCommerce SEO plugin for generating product titles and metas. These intelligent tools analyze your content and suggest titles and meta descriptions that captivate potential customers, boost click-through rates, and keep your listings competitive.

Easy management of Global Identifiers in WooCommerce SEO

Listening to you, our valued users, is at the core of what we do. You asked for a more efficient way to handle global identifiers in WooCommerce, and we’ve delivered. With the latest Yoast WooCommerce SEO release, we’re announcing an awesome feature streamlining the management of GTINs and other global identifiers directly within your online store.

One of our customers highlighted a common challenge faced by many:

“I have already set GTINs on hundreds of products by hand. I don’t want to type them all in, so can you tell me how I can set them in bulk?”

We understand the importance of these identifiers for your Google Shopping feeds and other marketplaces. That’s why we’ve prioritized simplifying this process so that working with our plugin is smooth and hassle-free.

Bulk management and seamless imports/exports

No more manual entry. No more database headaches. With the introduction of our enhanced import/export functionality, updating your products with global identifiers is now as simple as editing a CSV file. We’ve integrated our solution directly with the WooCommerce Product Importer/Exporter, so you can easily incorporate fields for GTINs, UPCs, EANs, and more within your standard product data workflow.

Whether you’re migrating 300 or 3,000 products, our plugin now supports the inclusion of global identifiers every step of the way. This integration means that bulk updates are now just a matter of a few clicks, saving you valuable time and effort.

Here’s what you can now look forward to in Yoast WooCommerce SEO 16.0:

  • Direct integration: Seamlessly synchronize your global identifiers within the WooCommerce Product Importer/Exporter.
  • Bulk handling: Manage GTINs and other identifiers in bulk, ensuring a quick update to your entire product catalog.
  • Streamlined processes: No need to tackle complex database manipulations — we’ve simplified the process, making it accessible to everyone, regardless of technical expertise.
  • Consistency and compatibility: Maintain the integrity and consistency of your product data across all channels, bringing structure to your online business.

Upgrade now to WooCommerce SEO 16.0

Transform how you manage your online products with WooCommerce. Keep your focus on growing your business, and let our plugin handle the complexities of SEO and product identification.

Upgrade to Yoast WooCommerce SEO 16.0 today. Get ready for improved visibility, enhanced customer trust, and the kind of product management that sets you apart from the competition.

SEO success without the stress

Our mission is SEO for everyone. We ensure that SEO is accessible and effective for everyone – from SEO novices to seasoned professionals. So, whether launching your first site or perfecting your thriving online store, Yoast SEO and WooCommerce SEO are your go-to solutions for achieving top search engine rankings, attracting more traffic, and converting visitors into loyal customers.

Make sure your website is seen, heard, and loved by the audiences that matter most. Upgrade to our newest releases and start optimizing!



Edwin Toonen

Edwin is a strategic content specialist. Before joining Yoast, he spent years honing his skill at The Netherlands’ leading web design magazine.

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Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Nov 28 2023
Yoast SEO 21.6: Generative AI now available for WooCommerce SEO

Yoast SEO 21.6 helps you rethink how you approach search engine optimization. With the power of generative AI integrated into our SEO tools, crafting compelling titles and meta descriptions was never faster or more effective. We added generative AI to Yoast SEO a while back, but now you can also improve your products in WooCommerce SEO.

Here’s how Yoast SEO helps you

Whether you’re a blogger, a digital marketer, an online store manager, or a business owner striving to climb the search engine ranks, we designed Yoast SEO 21.6 to enhance your workflow like never before:

  • Generative AI capabilities: Leveraging cutting-edge AI technology, the tool assists you in generating unique, relevant, and attractive titles and meta descriptions that help increase your click-through rates — for posts and WooCommerce products.
  • Efficiency at scale: Say goodbye to the days of laboring over the perfect wording. Our generative AI tools let you produce multiple options in seconds, allowing you to choose the best fit for your content.
  • Optimized for SEO: Our AI doesn’t just produce creative copy; we’ve trained it to align with SEO best practices. This ensures that the output resonates with your audience and aligns with what search engines love to see.

Online store owners: WooCommerce SEO just got smarter

Expanding the power of AI to ecommerce, the Yoast WooCommerce SEO add-on now comes with the same generative AI capabilities. You need Yoast SEO Premium to run this add-on. Then, online store owners can enjoy an array of benefits:

  • Product titles and meta description magic: Generate AI-driven product titles and SEO-friendly meta descriptions. It helps you stand out in the search results. It enables you to convert and sell more.
  • Save time and resources: Investing time in producing great product titles and meta descriptions can be exhausting. With our AI assistance, create compelling copy within seconds and focus your efforts on other aspects of your business.
  • Customized for WooCommerce: This feature is seamlessly integrated with WooCommerce, meaning you can boost your store’s SEO directly from your product editor.
An example of generative AI in WooCommerce SEO

Easy to use, hard to beat

Getting started with the AI feature in Yoast SEO is easy. First, upgrade to Yoast SEO Premium to unlock this invaluable tool. Once set, navigate to the ‘Use AI’ button in the search appearance section in the post editor. A simple click reveals a user agreement; review and accept the terms to proceed.

Instantly, the AI works, crafting multiple titles and meta descriptions tailored to your content. Take a moment to review the generated options. If they’re not quite what you were looking for, no worries! With the push of a button, prompt the AI to generate additional choices until you find the perfect match for your SEO needs.

Yoast SEO supercharged

We’re committed to providing you with the most advanced tools to help you reach SEO success. This update empowers you with smarter, faster, and more effective SEO solutions.

Join us on this exciting journey and take your SEO to the next level. Try our generative AI features in Yoast SEO Premium and WooCommerce SEO today and witness the impact on your site’s performance.

Try it now!



Edwin Toonen

Edwin is a strategic content specialist. Before joining Yoast, he spent years honing his skill at The Netherlands’ leading web design magazine.

Avatar of Edwin Toonen

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Ecommerce MGMT 0 Comments
Oct 31 2023
Yoast SEO 21.5: Helping you block AI bots in Premium

We are pleased to announce Yoast SEO 21.5, packed with valuable features to elevate your optimization efforts. This release introduces a highly requested option allowing you to block AI web crawlers. Now, you can effortlessly control access to your content and ensure it remains where you want it to be.

Blocking bots used to train AI systems (Premium)

Having the option to block an AI from accessing your content with a web crawler is essential. It helps prevent unauthorized scraping, protect your intellectual property, maintain data privacy, and control your valuable content.

Yoast SEO Premium now introduces a user-friendly feature that simplifies the process in response to the increasing demand for controlling AI robots. With a simple toggle switch, you can effortlessly block AI robots like GPTBot, CCBot, and Google-Extended.

This automated functionality seamlessly integrates with the robots.txt file by automatically adding the necessary lines to disallow access for these crawlers. This solution helps you efficiently protect your content from AI bots without the hassle of manual configuration or intricate technical adjustments.

Yoast SEO Premium lets you block AI bots

Think before you do

It is essential to note that blocking or allowing AI bots remains a matter of free choice for each site owner. Every website is unique, with its specific considerations, objectives, and content requirements. Consequently, the decision to block or allow AI bots is one that you must carefully make for your websites.

By providing the flexibility to choose, Yoast SEO lets you personalize your approach and make decisions that align with their needs and preferences. This ensures each site can optimize its content protection and crawler access settings to suit its distinct circumstances.

Please read our article on whether or not to block AI bots from accessing your content.

There’s more

But that’s not all! This update also includes regular enhancements, improvements, and fixes. We have fine-tuned various aspects of our product to provide a smoother, more seamless experience.

Word complexity improvements

We’ve improved various language tools that will assist you in crafting compelling web content. Our enhanced language tools aim to empower you to write better, more engaging content that captivates your readers and strengthens your online presence.

The first one we’ve improved is the word complexity assessment. In this release, we’ve expanded the list of frequently used words in the English language to make the assessment pick up more difficult words.

Inclusive language enhancements

Yoast SEO 21.5 features significant enhancements to the inclusive language analysis. Now, you can ensure your content is optimized for search engines and fosters inclusivity. In this release, we’ve updated the word lists, improved the feedback for specific terms, and fine-tuned the traffic light. Embrace the power of inclusive language and create a more inclusive online space for all.

Changes in handling RSS feeds

We’ve changed how we handle RSS feeds in Yoast SEO 21.5. In the past, we automatically added a nofollow the RSS feeds in WordPress, but we’re changing that today. We have removed the nofollow attribute from RSS feeds.

This change means that search engine crawlers can now freely index and follow the links in your RSS feeds. By removing the nofollow attribute, your content has a higher chance of being discovered by search engines, which might lead to increased visibility.

Updates to attachment page in WordPress 6.4

WordPress 6.4 introduces the wp_attachment_pages_enabled option. You can now control the behavior of attachment pages by enabling or disabling them based on your needs. This offers greater flexibility and allows for a more focused website experience. In Yoast SEO 21.5, we support it, reducing the chances of inconsistencies with our "Enable media pages" setting.

Yoast Local SEO 15.1

We are also updating our Yoast Local SEO plugin to version 15.1! This update includes bug fixes and improvements to enhance your local search optimization experience. Our team has worked hard to address issues and ensure a smooth and efficient user experience. We understand the importance of local SEO for your business, and this update aims to provide a more stable and reliable solution for optimizing your website for local search.

Update now to Yoast SEO 21.5

At Yoast, we are committed to providing you with the best SEO tools and features to help you achieve your goals. Whether you are a seasoned professional or new to the field, we’ve designed our products to cater to your unique needs and help you reach your goals.

Upgrade today to take advantage of the latest features. This includes blocking AI robots, regular updates, and fixes. Plus, you’ll leverage our improved language tools to enhance your content creation process.

Happy optimizing!



Edwin Toonen

Edwin is a strategic content specialist. Before joining Yoast, he spent years honing his skill at The Netherlands’ leading web design magazine.

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Oct 24 2023
Why you should use your focus keyphrase in your introduction

When you write a post or page, we advise you to use your focus keyphrase in your introduction. Why? In short: Mentioning your focus keyphrase in your introduction makes it easier for readers and search engines to find your content. And figure out what it’s about. In this post, we’ll explain in depth why mentioning this is so important. And we’ll also tell you how Yoast SEO, our WordPress plugin as well as our Shopify app, can help you!

Table of contents

Did you get a red or orange light for the keyphrase in the introduction assessment in Yoast SEO? Here, we explain what the check does, and how you can improve your introductions and get a green light.

What is a focus keyphrase?

A focus keyphrase is a phrase that you want your post or page to rank for.

Let’s say you want to write a post about how to make a sourdough starter. To find the optimal keyphrase, you’ll need to do some research and discover what people are looking for and what words they’re using. This will increase your chances of getting found. FInally, you might end up with a keyphrase like “make sourdough starter”. Then, when people search for instructions on how to make it, they might find your post in Google’s search results (very much depending on what the competition does, of course).

Starting off your texts with the focus keyphrase

Writing a good, informative introduction is crucial. With just a few lines, you need to grab the attention of your readers and get them to stay on your page. It is worth remembering that most people scan pages rather than read them with complete attention. So if you include your focus keyphrase right at the start, you’ll make it easier for your readers to understand what your page is about.

What about search engines?

Readers are not the only ones you need to woo with the introduction. Search engines like to “read” introductions too. So if you include your focus keyphrase at the start of your text, you’re giving search engines clues about the topic of your post. Moreover, Google sometimes uses your first paragraph to create a meta description. So you’ll do yourself a huge favor by including your focus keyphrase at the start.

Sounds easy enough, right? Simply add the focus keyphrase at the start, and you’re done. But wait, there’s more! How you write the rest of the introduction is also vital. So let’s see how Yoast SEO can help you, and what you’ll need to do. 

How does Yoast SEO help you?

Yoast SEO comes with a keyphrase in introduction check. So, how does it work? After you tell Yoast SEO what your focus keyphrase is, this check scans to see if you’ve included it in the introduction of your text.

Preferably, you should use your focus keyphrase in the very first sentence to make your topic clear immediately. But it’s also important that your text has a natural flow, so try not to force anything. Yoast SEO Premium (for WordPress) also allows you to add keyphrase synonyms, and it will take these synonyms into account when analyzing your introduction. 

Where can I find the keyphrase check?

The check is part of the SEO analysis tab in the Yoast SEO sidebar and meta box at the bottom of your post editor.

What if my keyphrase check light is orange or red?

If the check light is red or orange, it may be due to these reasons: 

  • You’ve mentioned your subject, but not your focus keyphrase;
  • You started with an anecdote to attract attention, but the anecdote doesn’t include your focus keyphrase;
  • You’ve mentioned your keyphrase (or its synonyms), but not within the same sentence;
  • You’ve used a synonym for your keyphrase in the introduction, but not told Yoast SEO Premium it is a synonym.

Yoast SEO gives you a green light when it thinks you did a good job with the focus keyphrase in the introduction.

How can you write good introductions that include the focus keyphrase? 

Great question! A good paragraph and introduction start with a core sentence, which is a sentence that includes the most important message of that paragraph. If you can, add your focus keyphrase to that core sentence. Next, use the rest of the paragraph to discuss what readers can expect from the post. You can also mention the post’s purpose, and explain your structure in your introduction.

And don’t forget that your audience doesn’t only consist of returning visitors who are familiar with your stories and products. Always take the perspective of a new visitor. Ask yourself: Does my introduction give new visitors enough clues on what my post is about?

Stay on topic

Another thing to keep in mind: Be concise and precise. Try not to wander or start writing about an irrelevant topic. One way to keep yourself from digressing too much is to use the inverted pyramid writing style. This method encourages you to get to the heart of the matter immediately. Your readers will be thankful for it.

What if you can’t use the keyphrase at the start?

Sometimes, you won’t be able to use the focus keyphrase at the very start. For example, you might want to catch your readers’ attention with an anecdote or a question. In such cases, follow up with your focus keyphrase as soon as you can. This way, you still make it clear what your page or post is about.

Don’t overdo it

Be careful not to overuse your keyphrase, since it can make your text repetitive. Luckily, Yoast SEO Premium can help you avoid this! If you use the feature that allows you to add synonyms and related keyphrases, the plugin will be able to recognize them and include them in the analysis of your introduction. If you see the orange or red light, you might’ve used your keyphrase too much.

Tip: Yoast SEO Premium also gives you access to all of our SEO courses, including the SEO copywriting course. This course can help you write great introductions and texts that include your focus keyphrase.

Go Premium to get access to this feature!

Unlock lots of features and get access to all of our SEO courses with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin:

Save the best for last

Are you still struggling to come up with your introduction? No worries. You don’t have to write the introduction first! It might even be easier to write after you’ve finished the full post. Why? Because you’ll have a better idea of the angle and content of the post, which makes it easier to write a great and enticing introduction that masterfully includes your focus keyphrase.

Need some guidance on writing a good introduction for your post? We’ve also written a super practical post with a recipe for great introductions!

Conclusion

In this post, you learned that it’s a good SEO practice to include your focus keyphrase in your introduction. Of course, just adding the keyphrase won’t do much, unless your whole introduction (and post) is well written. So what does a captivating introduction look like? It’s concise, and it introduces the reader to the topic straight away. Alternatively, it answers a question a reader may have. So, invest some time in writing excellent introductions. For both your audience and Google. It will be worth it.

Read more: The ultimate guide to SEO Copywriting »

Cindy Paul

Cindy is a content manager at Yoast. She writes and optimizes blog posts, and enjoys writing content that will help people create better content for their site and users.

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Oct 18 2023
Yoast SEO 21.4 brings more enhancements

We are excited to announce the latest release of Yoast SEO, helping you optimize your website’s performance in search engine results. This update improves our features and brings enhancements that will take your SEO efforts to the next level. Get ready for Yoast SEO 21.4!

More assessment improvements

At Yoast, we understand the importance of writing content that resonates with your audience and search engines. We help you achieve this delicate balance with our readability tools. Using these with our SEO analysis, you can ensure your content is ready for prime-time.

The readability assessments study the readability of your content and provide insights into how to improve it. We’re constantly refining these features, offering a better view of how your content appears and what you can do to make it more appealing to users.

In Yoast SEO 21.4, we’ve made various improvements to the assessments. For instance, we’ve improved the keyphrase matching in the keyphrase density assessment. Plus, we’ve made the highlighting for the keyphrase density and single H1 assessments more robust. Keyphrase matching in Japanese is better because we can now match keyphrase occurrences containing upper-case characters.

With these improvements, you will gain deeper insights into the readability of your text and receive actionable recommendations to make your content more accessible to a broader audience. Whether you are a seasoned writer or just starting your SEO journey, the readability analyses will be your trusted guide in creating content that perfectly balances sophistication and clarity.

Update now to Yoast SEO 21.4

Upgrade to the latest version of Yoast SEO and unlock a world of possibilities for your SEO. With improved features, enhancements, and refinements, this release is designed to elevate your SEO efforts to new heights.



Edwin Toonen

Edwin is a strategic content specialist. Before joining Yoast, he spent years honing his skill at The Netherlands’ leading web design magazine.

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Oct 4 2023
How to Yoast your post

Are you aiming for that number 1 position in the search results? And do you madly chase traffic and clicks? It’s not easy to achieve all these things on your own. Luckily, Yoast is here to help. In this post, we’ll talk you through optimizing your post in the best possible way. We’ll explain the five steps on how to Yoast your post.

Writing comes first, Yoast comes second

Optimizing your post is important, but it should never come first. Writing has three phases:

  1. Prepare your content
  2. Write!
  3. Edit your content (and Yoast it!)

It doesn’t matter if you’re writing a blog post, an article, or novel. The steps are all the same.

Preparation is key

Before you start writing an article, you should be able to answer the following questions:

  • What will be the main message of my post?
  • What do I want to tell people?
  • Who are my readers?
  • What search terms do I want to be found for?

In other words, you should take some time to think about what you want to tell your audience and what the structure of your text will look like. You need to know who you’re writing for and what their goal or search intent is. And what keywords does your audience use, so your content can be found in the search engines?

If you do not think about these questions long and hard, you’ll make mistakes like addressing the wrong audience, focusing on the wrong keywords or writing an article that’s badly structured and unfocused.

Write!

After thoroughly preparing your blog post or article, you can start writing. Make sure to start by filling out your focus keyphrases and their synonyms. What are the terms you want to be found for?

Since you’ve thought about what you’ll write in the preparation phase, you should go with the flow when you’re writing. Don’t overthink. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You’ll have the third – and most important phase- to correct and Yoast your post.

Editing: let’s Yoast it!

In the final editing phase, you can Yoast your post. So, let’s look at the five steps you should take to optimize your post to the max.

  1. Make sure your text is readable

    The first step in optimizing your post is checking the readability analysis. If your overall readability score is green, you’re good to go. But that’s not always the case! Perhaps you used too many long sentences. Maybe you’ve used the passive voice too often. Correct those readability issues and make your text nice and easy to read. Check out our article about the readability analysis for more tips!

  2. Check out your snippet preview

    You want people to click on your site in the search result pages. You need to write a kickass meta description to make your result stand out. Because a good meta description lets people know they’ll find what they’re looking for on your site! That’s why you should choose a title and a meta description that stands out. Read our article on how to use Yoast SEO to write an awesome meta description if you want more practical tips.

    If you need more help writing awesome meta descriptions, try the meta description generator. Our AI-powered generator crafts unique descriptions and titles for you! This feature is currently available if you have our premium Yoast SEO plugin.

  3. Check your SEO score

    The third step is to check out the SEO analysis. Which aspects of your SEO need improvement? Perhaps you should use your keyword or its synonym more often. Or maybe you’re overdoing it. And what about headings and images?

    Check out which problems and improvements the Yoast SEO analysis indicates. Usually, you can easily make some tweaks that’ll make your copy better optimized for search engines. But don’t overdo it! You do not need all green traffic lights. You’re good to go if your overall SEO traffic light is green!

  4. Add those internal links

    Another thing you need before your content can rank is links. Google finds your posts and pages best when linked to from somewhere on the web. Internal links also connect your content and give Google an idea of the structure of your website. So, using the right internal linking strategy can boost your SEO!

    Are you linking to your most important articles? Are you linking to articles that are closely related to the article you’re currently writing? Make sure your site structure is tip-top. Read more about the power of internal linking and why you should use Yoast internal linking.

  5. Read and reread!

    Yoast SEO is a tool that aims to help you optimize your content. It gives practical tips on what you can do to improve your content. Think of it as your personal SEO assistant! But that being said, it’s also just a tool. Make sure to re-read your content once you’ve optimized it to make sure you’re happy with the end result!

Yoast your post

Writing is hard. Optimizing your post all by yourself is hard. That’s why Yoast SEO tries to make it easier for you! We’ll check your posts for readability, paragraph length, word complexity, your use of inclusive language, and make suggestions for improvements. We’ll help you to Yoast your post. But in the end, it will also remain some work from your side.

Good luck! Let’s Yoast it!



Edwin Toonen

Edwin is a strategic content specialist. Before joining Yoast, he spent years honing his skill at The Netherlands’ leading web design magazine.

Avatar of Edwin Toonen

Become a Yoast SEO pro series

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