More likely than not, more transactions and interactions with your website come from organic searches than from any other source. Optimizing your WordPress site for search engine results is a must for building your brand and getting that coveted search traffic to your blog or business website—and WordPress has the tools to make any site as visible as possible, with SEO-friendly themes that work on multiple levels.
The best search engine optimization theme for your WordPress site is fast, responsive, and well organized with user-friendly features that also appeal to constantly changing search engine algorithms. The free Hestia theme (with a premium option) and the premium Divi theme top the list of WordPress SEO themes that provide a range of search engine optimization features for both new and experienced WordPress users.
Why Choose an SEO WordPress Theme?
WordPress offers ways to optimize sites of all kinds for searchability in all three of its core components: the source code, plugins, and themes. WordPress SEO settings are easy to use and can significantly help drive traffic to your website. It is possible to optimize just about any theme for better search visibility by using plugins, such as the Yoast SEO plugin that add features including image optimization, keyword checking, and sitemaps to any compatible WordPress theme. But a theme for WordPress that’s designed with SEO in mind will include essential features for optimizing the site right in the theme itself, with tools that can be used right from your WordPress dashboard. If the theme you choose for your business doesn’t offer some specialized SEO features you need, you can also install SEO WordPress plugins to extend the functions of the theme.
Relevant keywords for your business are at the core of any SEO strategy, but the algorithms used by today’s leading search engines also factor in a number of other features affecting a site’s search rankings. These include your site’s authority, which is largely determined by the quality of the content and links to other sites—but other factors include the quality of your site’s user experience, as defined by features such as loading speed and site navigation. That is why it’s important to optimize your website’s images for fast loading and eliminate redundant or “splashy” features that slow the site down, interfering with a user’s access to the site’s content.
The best WordPress SEO themes include features that address all these issues. SEO friendly themes are typically clean and minimal, with essential searchability features that may include:
Image optimization to compress large images for faster loading time and add keyword-rich alt text.
Custom permalink settings for creating keyword-rich links across the entire site.
Mobile responsiveness for full functionality and easy reading across devices of all kinds.
Tools for adding keywords on every level.
Site map functionality for search engine crawlers.
Depending on your site’s niche and goals, other factors might be relevant. An eCommerce site might need optimization for product pages and special sales events, while creative professionals, such as photographers and designers, might need ways to optimize the contents of online portfolios and service pages. In any case, the best SEO WordPress themes are designed to provide features for optimizing your site on every level, including well-organized code and integration with other WordPress tools to meet the specific needs of your site.
Choosing a WordPress SEO Theme
Both free and premium WordPress themes offer a range of user-friendly SEO features. Hundreds of SEO themes that have specific features and compatibility with SEO related plugins are available from the WordPress Theme Directory. Many of these also include Pro versions with more functions and user support so you can have a highly SEO optimized site.
Free and premium SEO themes are also available from developers and designers from around the world. Free themes provide essential features, but unless you’re careful about the source, they can also contain compromised code and rarely offer ongoing support and updates. Premium themes from reputable designers offer a full suite of features along with technical support and access to all future updates—an important feature to consider when choosing a WordPress theme. Whether you find the perfect theme in the WordPress Theme Directory or from an outside source, your theme can be easily installed on your site and customized to suit your needs.
Hestia: The Best Free WordPress SEO Theme
With a full-featured free version along with a premium option, Hestia tops many “Best of” lists for quality SEO-friendly WordPress themes. Available from ThemeIsle and also from the WordPress Theme Directory, Hestia is a versatile, multipurpose theme that can be used for sites ranging from personal blogs to portfolio and corporate websites. Both free and premium versions of Hestia come with an SEO-friendly structure that includes fast loading times and responsive design. Technical support and updates are available for both free and PRO versions, but the premium option offers faster service.
Divi: The Best Premium WordPress SEO Theme
Designed for users of all skill levels, Divi has features that appeal to developers and new users alike. Divi is built around a full-featured page builder that includes elements for adding functions of all kinds to fully customize any site. Divi includes more than 20 premade layouts and also works with layouts and templates from other sources. Divi’s SEO-friendly features include clean, organized code, lightning-fast loading speed, and a long list of customizable elements for enhancing user experience on the site.
Search engine rankings are essential for building your brand and your website’s authority, and setting up your site with an SEO-friendly theme can help. Fast, responsive, and budget-friendly, the Hestia and Divi themes have the SEO features you want and the support you need to optimize your WordPress site on every level.
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