The majority of your SEO efforts will be to create engaging content for real people.

Whether that’s
through text, videos, or images, your job as a blogger is to spark a relationship with your readers.

And, what better way is there than through relatable and informative conversation?

You can get started by downloading a plugin called Yoast SEO.

Hover over the plugins menu on the side and click “Add New.”

add yoast to your blog

Search for “Yoast SEO” in the search bar and it will be the first result that comes up.

Click the “Install Now” button. Then, hit the “Activate” button once the installation is complete.

install yoast on blog

You can access the plugin’s settings from the new SEO menu in the sidebar or by clicking the icon at the
top.

access yoast on your blog

From the dashboard, go to “Your Info” and set the foundations for your blog.

use yoast on your blog

Make sure that your website name and tagline are correct. Then, identify yourself as a company or
person.

Click the “Save Changes” button and we’ll move on to the next step.

set up yoast on your blog screenshot

Next, go to the “Webmaster Tools” tab and click “Google Search Console.” Google Search Console is a
webmaster tool that allows you to submit your site to their search index and optimize visibility.
add google search console to your blog

Sign into your Google account, whether that’s your Gmail or Drive account.

add google to your blog

Once you’ve logged in, click the “Alternate methods” tab and select “HTML tag.”

blog webmaster central

A new drop-down will appear with your search console meta code. Copy the alphanumeric string
without the quotation marks.

add Google HTML tag to your website

Next, paste your meta code into the Google Search Console text box and click “Save Changes.”

blog webmaster tools verification screenshot

Finally, click the “Verify” button.

add html tag for Google to your blog

As you tinker around in Webmaster Central, you’ll gain a wealth of data-driven insight, such as keyword
phrases you rank for, errors on your blog, and the ability to give Google a nudge when you publish a new
post.

Next, go to the “General” tab and start the installation wizard.

yoast install for your blog

Yoast will take you through a series of 10 quick steps to optimize your WordPress blog.

The first step is a welcome screen that you can skip.