This is the slide deck used for the WordPress SEO class I teach at NCSU Professional Development. It is published here for student reference. To get the most from this slide deck, you will need to participate in the class discussions and activities.

1. Test Site Setup
1. Please create a WordPress site to use for this class, or I can create one for you
2. Install ScreamingFrog on your computer

2. WordPress SEO
Implement Search Engine Optimization
on WordPress

3. Frank Jones
Frank@OptSus.com
About me…
● I have been building websites,
professionally, since 1999
● Organize the Raleigh SEO Meetup
● Host the WordPress Help Desk
events in RTP
● Organize the Raleigh SEO Conference
● Speak at digital marketing
conferences across the country
● Manage WordPress websites through
OptSus.com

4. Topics
1. Keywords - very simple ways to identify keywords and how to use them
2. URL Structure - options for a new site and how to work with an existing site, avoiding migration
problems
3. Categories & Tags - how and when to use them, managing migration to improve an existing site
4. Site Speed, Mobile Friendliness, & User Experience - the core goals of the search engine, impact
on the future of SEO
5. SEO Plugins - most popular plugins to help with on-page SEO
6. Data Collection - most popular tools for measuring results and developing marketing audiences
7. Database Optimization, Backups, & Updates - making the business look professional online

5. Key Concepts
● SEO Subjects
○ On Page SEO
○ On Site SEO
○ Technical SEO
● Ranking Factors
○ Site Speed
○ Mobile Responsive
○ User Experience
● The Basic SEO Tools
○ Keyword Research Basics
○ Google Analytics Basics
○ Search Console Basics
○ Tag Manager Basics
● Links
○ External Links
■ New Rel Tags
● nofollow
● ugc
● sponsored
○ Internal Links
○ URLs & Migrations
■ Deleting Content

6. Tasks
● Plugins & Themes
○ New website
○ Create a blog post
■ Use rel tags
○ Select a theme
○ Yoast in 5 Minutes
○ Speed Optimization
■ Install optimization plugins (caching & image compression)
○ Delete a page & redirect
● Crawl a site with Screaming Frog
○ Understand some of this data, covered more fully in the extended SEO class
● Check redirected page URL

7. Plugins & Themes

8. New Website
● Permalinks
○ Plain
○ Day & name (default)
○ Month & name
○ Numeric
○ Post name
○ Custom structure
● Discussion (comments)

9. Create A Blog Post
● Be sure to use rel tags in at least one link on this post
● What is nofollow?
● When do you use the new rel tags (ugc and sponsored)?

10. Select A Theme
● What is a theme?
● What is a child theme?
● What makes a good theme?
● How can you identify a bad theme?
● Create a child theme, the easy way

11. Questions?
Keywords, URLs, Categories, &
Tags

12. Site Speed, Mobile Friendliness, &
User Experience

13. Measure Site Speed
● What is the goal?
● Which tools are available?
● How to get started?
● When is this work done?

14. Speed Optimization
● Use a plugin to help with speed optimization, caching, and image compression
● What is a good plugin for this?
● How do you identify a bad plugin?
● Which plugin did you select, why?

15. Let’s Race!
Take the next 20 minutes and work to optimize your site.
I’m available to help each of you, so it’s not cheating to ask me any questions you have during this process.
We’re going to compare your pages to find the winner of this race.

16. Questions?
Site Speed, Mobile Friendliness, &
User Experience

17. SEO Plugins & Data Collection

18. Yoast in 5 Minutes
● Create another post
● If all the lights are green, do you have good SEO?

19. Delete A Page/Post
● Note the URL before you delete it, actually write this down
● Don’t forget to redirect this page, 301 or 302?
● What are other HTTP status codes?
● What is a 418 code?

20. Google.com/teapot

21. Site Crawl

22. Install Screaming Frog
● Crawl your site and let’s discuss what you see
● After we review that info, you can crawl another site of your choice

23. Check Redirect

24. Using Screaming Frog
● Check your redirect
● If it’s not working, let’s fix it

25. Questions?
SEO Plugins & Data Collection

26. Database Optimization, Backups,
& Updates

27. Backup Requirements
1. Ability to restore from backup
a. Can you, or someone on your team, restore the site? How long does that take?
2. Redundancy
a. What happens if your laptop is destroyed? What if there is a fire at your office?
3. Frequency
a. Daily, weekly, monthly? Every hour?

28. Update Considerations
● Running the latest software helps to keep the website secure
● New software comes with new bugs
● What’s the right balance of up-to-date and bug-free?

29. Database Optimization
● Delete unneeded post revisions
● Delete all auto draft posts
● Delete trash posts
● Delete spam comments
● Delete pending comments
● Delete trash comments
● Delete tags with 0 posts associated
● Delete categories with 0 posts associated
● Optimize database tables
WP Optimize

30. Questions?
Database Optimization, Backups,
& Updates

31. Key Concepts
● SEO Subjects
○ On Page SEO
○ On Site SEO
○ Technical SEO
● Ranking Factors
○ Site Speed
○ Mobile Responsive
○ User Experience
● The Basic SEO Tools
○ Keyword Research Basics
○ Google Analytics Basics
○ Search Console Basics
○ Tag Manager Basics
● Links
○ External Links
■ New Rel Tags
● nofollow
● ugc
● sponsored
○ Internal Links
○ URLs & Migrations
■ Deleting Content

32. Topics
1. Keywords - very simple ways to identify keywords and how to use them
2. URL Structure - options for a new site and how to work with an existing site, avoiding migration
problems
3. Categories & Tags - how and when to use them, managing migration to improve an existing site
4. Site Speed, Mobile Friendliness, & User Experience - the core goals of the search engine, impact
on the future of SEO
5. SEO Plugins - most popular plugins to help with on-page SEO
6. Data Collection - most popular tools for measuring results and developing marketing audiences
7. Database Optimization, Backups, & Updates - making the business look professional online

33. Bonus & Resources
● Group for Marketing Class Alumni
● Raleigh SEO Meetup (free event)
● WordPress Help Desk (free event)
Contact Me
Frank Jones - Frank@OptSus.com