How to Improve Content with Yoast SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a cornerstone of content marketing, and one of the most trusted tools for optimizing content is Yoast SEO. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced content creator, Yoast SEO can help ensure your blog posts rank higher on Google, reach more people, and deliver better user experiences.
In this guide, we’ll break down how to improve your content with Yoast SEO—step by step.
What is Yoast SEO?
Yoast SEO is a powerful WordPress plugin designed to help you optimize your website content for search engines. It provides real-time analysis of your posts, focusing on two key aspects: SEO optimization and readability. With easy-to-follow recommendations, color-coded scores, and practical tips, Yoast makes on-page SEO accessible to everyone.
Why You Should Use Yoast SEO
Before diving into how to use Yoast effectively, let’s understand why it’s valuable:
Improves visibility on search engines
Ensures content is readable for users
Simplifies keyword usage
Helps manage meta tags and snippets
Automates technical SEO tasks like canonical URLs
Step-by-Step: How to Improve Content with Yoast SEO
1. Install and Activate Yoast SEO Plugin
To begin, install the Yoast SEO plugin from your WordPress dashboard:
1. Go to Plugins > Add New
2. Search for “Yoast SEO”
3. Click Install Now, then Activate
Once activated, Yoast will integrate with your post editor.
Conduct Keyword Research
Before writing, identify a primary focus keyword. This is the term you want your content to rank for.
Use tools like:
Google Keyword Planner
Ahrefs
SEMrush
Ubersuggest
Choose a keyword with high relevance, moderate competition, and adequate search volume.
Optimize the Focus Keyphrase in Yoast
Enter your keyword in the Focus Keyphrase field in the Yoast panel. Yoast will then analyze how well your post is optimized for that term.
Checklist for keyphrase optimization:
Appear in the SEO title
Display in the meta description
Appear in the first paragraph
Used in subheadings
Appear in the URL
Included naturally in image alt text
Write an SEO-Friendly Title
Your title is one of the most critical SEO elements. Make it:
Compelling
Keyword-rich
Under 60 characters
Example:
Bad: “Tips for Better SEO”
Good: “How to Improve Content with Yoast SEO: A Complete Guide”
Yoast gives your title a green, orange, or red bullet based on best practices.
Craft an Optimized Meta Description
The meta description appears in search engine results. Yoast will flag if it’s too short, too long, or lacks your focus keyword.
Best practices:
Keep it under 155 characters
Use active voice
Include a call-to-action
Feature your focus keyword
Improve Content Readability
Yoast has a dedicated readability score with metrics like:
Flesch Reading Ease
Passive voice percentage
Sentence length
Paragraph structure
Use of transition words
Aim for a green score in readability. Break long paragraphs, avoid complex sentences, and vary sentence lengths.
Use Proper Heading Structure
Headings help search engines understand the hierarchy of your content. Follow this format:
H1: Only for the title
H2: For main sections
H3: For subsections within H2s
Use your keyword or related phrases in at least one or two H2s, but don’t overdo it.
Add Internal and External Links
Yoast encourages linking to:
Other relevant blog posts on your site (internal links)
Authoritative sources (external links)
This enhances SEO and improves user experience.
Tips:
Anchor text should be descriptive
Link to 2–5 internal and external sources each
Optimize Images and Media
Every image should have:
Descriptive file names
Relevant alt text (preferably with the focus keyword)
Compressed sizes for faster loading
Yoast flags if alt text is missing or irrelevant.
Use the Yoast SEO Snippet Preview
Yoast offers a snippet preview showing how your post will appear on Google. You can edit:
SEO Title
Slug (URL)
Meta Description
Make sure everything fits within recommended character limits.
11. Focus on Content Length and Depth
Yoast recommends a minimum of 300 words, but for better results, aim for 1000+ words.
More importantly:
Answer user intent thoroughly
Provide examples, stats, or visuals
Use structured data (like lists, tables)
Add Schema Markup Automatically
Yoast adds structured data in the background, which helps search engines understand your content. This increases chances of rich snippets in search results.
For example, with FAQ schema, your content can show up with dropdowns directly in Google’s SERP.
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13. Use Cornerstone Content Feature
Yoast allows you to mark certain posts as cornerstone content. These are foundational articles that cover a broad topic in depth and link to related subtopics.
Use this feature to strengthen your site’s internal structure and domain authority.
Fix SEO and Readability Issues
Yoast will list out issues in two separate tabs:
SEO analysis
Readability analysis
Each item is color-coded:
Green: Good
Orange: OK, could be improved
Red: Needs work
Resolve red flags first, then aim to improve orange items.
Leverage Yoast SEO Premium Features
While the free version is powerful, Yoast Premium offers:
Multiple focus keywords
Internal linking suggestions
Redirect manager
Social previews
24/7 support
For content-heavy websites, the premium upgrade is worth considering.
Common Mistakes to Avoid with Yoast SEO
Keyword stuffing: Don’t repeat your focus keyword unnaturally.
Ignoring readability: SEO isn’t just for bots—write for humans too.
Over-optimization: Follow Yoast’s advice, but don’t lose your natural writing style.
Forgetting updates: Keep your plugin updated to benefit from the latest SEO practices.
Conclusion
Yoast SEO is not just a plugin—it’s a full-fledged SEO assistant. When used properly, it can help you create content that both readers and search engines love. Remember, the goal isn’t just to “go green” in Yoast but to create value-driven content that ranks, engages, and converts.
