Recently, Google announced an update on how it uses business details in search. To help you make the most of that, we are happy to announce Yoast SEO 22.0, which expands support for Organization structured data. Here, you’ll find how we help Google understand everything about your company.
Expanded support for Organization schema
Yoast SEO has always been at the forefront of supporting structured data for our users — we have the most robust framework out there. We’ve also made it easy for you to make the most of it. For instance, you can add details about yourself and your site via our settings. Yoast SEO will add these details to our full-fledged graph if you do so. Today, we’re going to do even more.
Yoast SEO Premium and its Local SEO add-on offer expanded support for Organization schema, keeping your website at the forefront of (local) SEO. With this update, you can seamlessly incorporate detailed information about your organization, including its name, address, contact information, and various business identifiers. New in this release, among other things, are founding dates, number of employees, Tax/VAT IDs, ISO numbers, and more! And, of course, Yoast SEO will add all the structured data for these fields — you just have to fill them in.
You can fill in a long list of details about your organization in Yoast SEO Premium
But what is Organization schema?
Organization schema is structured data that provides search engines with detailed information about your organization. It includes essential details such as the organization’s name, address, contact information, and business identifiers. By implementing the Organization structured data, you can enhance your website’s visibility. It improves its chances of appearing in knowledge panels and other rich search results.
Google recently announced an expansion of its use of Organization structured data, so it’s vital that your site also provides as many details as possible. Check out the official announcement from Google.
Leveraging Organization schema for Local SEO
Local SEO is crucial for businesses targeting specific geographic areas. By combining the power of Organization and LocalBusiness schema with local SEO strategies, you can significantly improve your website’s visibility to local customers actively searching for your products or services. So start filling in those details!
The importance of structured data in the age of AI
Local SEO is not the only reason to use structured data. The use of artificial intelligence in search makes it essential that search engines accurately understand and interpret your website’s content. By providing context through structured data, you can help AI algorithms find and figure out the entities on your site so users get the relevant search results they need.
Stay ahead with Yoast SEO 22.0
Upgrade to Yoast SEO 22.0 and Local SEO 15.3 and use the expanded support for Organization schema. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to optimize your website for search engines further. Download Yoast SEO today and unlock the full potential of structured data!
Yoast SEO checks for the keyphrase density or keyword density of your text. But what is keyphrase density exactly? And why is it important for your SEO? In this article, we answer these questions. On top of that, we’ll discuss what you can do to improve the keyword density of your content so you score a green bullet on the plugin’s keyphrase density check. Let’s dive in!
Keyphrase density is the number of times your focus keyphrase occurs in your copy, compared to the total text of that page. So if you have a text that is 100 words and 5 of those are your focus keyphrase, your keyphrase density is 5%. We used to call it keyword density, but nowadays it’s more common to focus on a search term that consists of more than one word. That’s why we rather call it keyphrase density in Yoast SEO.
Why is it important for SEO?
Your keyphrase density is important for SEO because Google tries to match a user’s search query to the best-fitting page out there. To match your pages with a certain query, Google needs to understand what the page is about. That’s why you need to use your keyphrase, the phrase you’d like to rank for, in your copy. Luckily, this often comes naturally. If you want to rank for, for instance [bake vegan pancakes] you probably use this phrase or variations of it throughout your text.
However, if you repeat your keyphrase too often in your copy it becomes unpleasant to read. That’s something you should avoid at all times. After all, you want users to enjoy and understand your copy well. A high keyphrase density is also a signal to Google that you might be stuffing your text with keywords – also known as over-optimizing. As Google likes to show the best result to users, both in relevance and readability, this can negatively affect your rankings.
What does the keyphrase density check do?
The keyphrase density check in Yoast SEO assesses whether you’ve used the word(s) from your focus keyphrase often enough in your copy. It also checks if you didn’t go overboard and use the keyphrase too often. It’s good to know that the length of your keyphrase plays a factor in how your score is calculated. If you choose a longer phrase, it might be much more difficult to use it a certain number of times in your text, than if you’re using a shorter keyphrase. The check takes this into consideration to preserve the readability of your text.
We’ve included the length of your keyphrase as a weighting factor when calculating keyphrase density. That means that you will need to use your longer keyphrase less often in the text than your shorter keyphrase, to get a green traffic light. Not only do we tell you how many times you already used your keyphrase in the text, we also give you an idea about how many times you should use it.
An example of the keyphrase density assessment feedback in Yoast SEO
In the free version of Yoast SEO for WordPress, you’ll get a green traffic light if your keyphrase density lies between 0.5 and 3%. For a match to be counted, all words should occur in one sentence, but the order of the words may differ.
You won’t see the percentage mentioned in your feedback. Instead, we mention the exact number of times you used your keyphrase throughout your text and compare this to the number we advise. We feel that absolute numbers make it easier to work on improving your text.
Premium and Shopify: Word form recognition and related keyphrases
In certain languages, Yoast SEO Premium and Yoast SEO for Shopify recognize various word forms of your keyphrase. For instance, [train], [trained] or [training]. This means that Yoast SEO picks up on these variations and sees them as forms of your chosen keyphrase. Making it easier for you to naturally write about your topic and be less concerned about using your keyphrase often enough.
Let’s say you’d like to rank for [bake vegan pancakes]. If you write, “Here, you’ll learn how to bake the best vegan pancakes” this will be counted as an occurrence of the keyphrase. Also, if you’d write “baking a vegan pancake is easy as pie”, Yoast SEO Premium and our Shopify app recognize that as the focus keyphrase as well. That’s why the upper boundary in these tools is a bit higher: 3.5% instead of 3%.
In Premium and our Shopify app, you can also enter related keyphrases. These are words and phrases that are connected to your focus keyphrase, but not synonyms. Any related keyphrases you add have a keyphrase density check of their own. So if the density of your focus keyphrase is too high, have a look at any related keyphrases and see if those are more suitable to use instead.
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:
How to improve your keyphrase density
If your keyphrase density score is too low, that means that it’s not clear enough that your text is about that specific topic. In that case, you should use the keyphrase (or variations of it) more often. Check your copy and make sure you make clear what you’re writing about. Stay on topic! If the keyphrase density is too high, you’re using your keyphrase too often. Your text will probably come across as quite spammy, to both your website visitors and Google.
Using synonyms is a great way to avoid repetitiveness. Synonyms do not count towards your keyphrase density score, as that exclusively looks at the use of your actual focus keyphrase. If you’ve used synonyms and are worried it might be too much, here’s a tip! Have a look at the keyphrase distribution check in Yoast SEO. That highlights your focus keywords and its synonyms throughout the text. If you’ve entered synonyms that is. By looking at the highlighted phrases you can determine whether your keyphrase (in any form) is mentioned often enough throughout the text. A good check to see whether you stay on topic until the end!
Why do I have a red score on the keyphrase density check?
If you get a red traffic light for using your focus keyphrase too often or not enough and you’re not sure why, here are some things to look out for.
An example of a red feedback traffic light for the keyphrase density check
First off, make sure your full focus keyphrase is within one sentence to make sure it’s being counted.
Check your spelling. If you use [pancake] in your text, but wrote [pencake] in the focus keyphrase field, the plugin will not recognize it. Using capital letters, like in [Pancake] or even [PANCAKE] will not impact recognition though.
If your keyphrase density is too high, make better use of synonyms. Synonyms of your focus keyphrase will not count towards your total score, but they’ll probably make your text more pleasant to read.
Some page builders in WordPress conflict with our plugin. If our plugin is not able to find your content or your keyphrase due to a page builder, the results will be distorted. The fastest way to rule out conflicts is to perform a conflict check.
Some non-latin, non-ideograph based languages may not calculate accurately. Please submit a bug to notify us of that, it’s much appreciated.
I don’t get feedback on my keyphrase density. Why is that?
If you don’t get feedback on your keyphrase density, there are a couple of things you should check:
Did you enter your focus keyphrase in the focus keyphrase field? Because that’s a basic requirement for the plugin to run the check.
If you don’t enter a focus keyphrase in this field, the plugin is not able to perform all checks.
The keyphrase density check is only performed when your content consists of at least 100 words.
Sometimes our plugin conflicts with another plugin, a feature within your theme or, in rare cases, something on your server. For example, there has been a recent increase in users with a plugin or theme that provides a visual page or content builder. This may not be compatible with our page analysis.
Conclusion
Make sure you use your focus keyphrase enough throughout the whole text. But at the same time, don’t overdo it. You don’t want Google to think you’re stuffing your text with keywords. It’s doesn’t make for great user experience and will hurt your rankings.
If your keyphrase density is too low: add your focus keyphrase into your text more often. Also, check if your text stays on topic, because it should be quite easy to mention your keyphrase enough. If your score is too high, reassess your text first. See if there are places where you can replace your keyphrase with a synonym. With these tips, you should be able to score that green traffic light for keyphrase density!
As a site owner, you understand the significance of SEO in driving organic traffic and increasing visibility. Keeping your SEO efforts up to date is essential to stay ahead of the competition. The same goes for developing an SEO plugin — to keep you at the top of your game, we need to be at the top of our game. That’s why maintenance releases like Yoast SEO 21.9 are so important.
The importance of maintenance
Regular maintenance is essential to ensure optimal performance of Yoast SEO. Our latest release introduces various enhancements, optimizing the plugin for an improved user and search engine experience.
Through ongoing maintenance, we address specific bugs and issues within the plugin, enhancing its stability and reliability. Keeping your plugins updated allows you to enjoy a seamless and error-free experience.
Improvements in Yoast SEO 21.9
One of our improvements in Yoast SEO 21.9 is an 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.
Sitemap image filters
Yoast SEO 21.9 introduces a new option based on user feedback. With this release, we have enabled filtering images for taxonomies and the homepage in the sitemap. This user-requested option allows website owners more control over the images in their sitemap, even when using plugins to add images to taxonomies.
Previously, filtering URL images was limited to posts and pages, but we have expanded this functionality to include taxonomies and the homepage. This enhancement provides greater flexibility and empowers developers to optimize their sitemaps easily.
Smaller file size for Yoast SEO Premium
Installing our Premium SEO plugin is now a breeze. We’ve made it even easier by reducing the zip size and removing the free version from the file. Yoast SEO Premium is now around 3MB lighter. This improvement eliminates potential installation issues, ensuring a seamless experience for all.
Update to Yoast SEO 21.9
Maintenance is a crucial aspect of optimizing your website for search engines. It’s also a crucial aspect of developing Yoast SEO. By ensuring improved performance, stability, compatibility, and ongoing support, Yoast SEO helps you stay ahead. Don’t miss out on the benefits of our latest release. Update your Yoast SEO plugin today and advance your SEO efforts.
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.
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.
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:
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
