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!
