WordPress SEO: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

WordPress is one of the most widely used platforms for Swiss SME websites. The good news: the most important SEO basics can be set up in under 30 minutes, no coding required.

1. Install an SEO plugin

Yoast SEO and Rank Math are the two standard options - both free in their base version. They add title and meta description fields directly in every page's editor.

2. Set title and meta description per page

Without manual input, WordPress often generates generic or empty values. Every important page deserves its own specific title and description (120-160 characters).

3. Enable the XML sitemap

Yoast and Rank Math automatically create a sitemap at /sitemap_index.xml or /sitemap.xml. Submit that URL in Google Search Console afterwards.

4. Check your permalink structure

Under Settings → Permalinks, "Post name" should be selected - this produces readable URLs like /services instead of /?p=123.

Careful with existing sites

Changing permalinks on an already-live website changes all URLs - this absolutely requires 301 redirects from the old addresses to the new ones.

5. Add alt text to all images

Open each image in the media library and fill in the alt text field - short and descriptive, no keyword stuffing.

6. Improve load time with a caching plugin

WP Rocket or the free W3 Total Cache noticeably reduce load time, especially on image-heavy pages.