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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
