Best Wordpress Themes or Theme Creators for Best SEO Results
-
Hi, I just recently joined SEOMOZ and am excited to be apart of the community. I am launching a blog to educate mu readers on a variety of topics. Is there any specific themes or theme creators that do a great job at structuring their themes from a technical perspective for the best SEO results? Thanks!
-
Always glad to be useful to the community.
Regards.
Sergio
-
Sergio mentioned Child Themes. Personally I would recommend the use of frameworks that support child themes, easier to upgrade, easier to make changes. In the long run just easier.
Also Sergio thanks for the PageNavi suggestion.
-
Thesis, Genesis, ect. Doesn't matter you can install Yoast like Andy said.
-
I agree with William. You must choose your theme based on your goals. Once you have your prefered theme, you have a huge list of plugins out there that can help you in your SEO tasks, but let me give you my favorites:
-WordPress SEO by Yoast (Andy and William are correct, it's the best): it lets you do a great on-page optimization, e.g. titles, meta descriptions, rel canonical, robots, etc.
-XML-Sitemaps: although Yoast plugin gives you the possibility of auto-generating a sitemap of your website, lately presented some operational problems. So, the best option is XML-Sitemap, where you can generate and send to search engines both sitemaps and compressed sitemaps.
-W3 Total Cache: SEO is not just about on-page optimization and linkbuilding, but website performance too. You need to pay attention to how your site appears to users: load speed, browser cache, javascript and css minifying, etc. This plugin lets you control all these variables (Warning: be careful, you must know what you do).
-PageNavi: this fantastic plugin helps you with the pagination of your website, one task that sometimes can harm your SEO efforts.
Apart from these plugins, there are themes that come pre-configured to support the optimization of your website. You need to use these frameworks and work with child themes:
-Thematic: made by Automattic, the WordPress Team.
-Genesis: by StudioPress.
-Canvas: by Woothemes; is not a framework itself, but comes with a bunch of SEO features; recently announced that the SEO features would be replaced by Yoast plugin.
Hope to be helpful.
Sergio.
-
The theme would really depend on the goals of your website.
I'm a big fan of U-Design by Andon. Andy is 100% correct. The Yoast SEO plugin is an automatic for all of my wordpress sites.
-
Dont know about theme but you NEED the Yoast SEO plugin for wordpress - it really is awesome.
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Best Practices-Optimize Theme Before Coding or After Coding?
We purchased a Wordpress Real estate theme called wpcasa. My developer started coding it. We hired a new SEO. The SEO looked at a simple page (About Us) and saw about 70 Java scripts and 11 templates and was very dissatisfied with the coding and heavy source code contained in the theme. My SEO claims the optimizing this theme (removing the unnecessary Java Scripts and combining the templates is way too much work and that it would be better to start from scratch and purchase a theme like https://my.studiopress.com/themes/agentpress/ with more compact, efficient and streamlined code. Problem is we need to throw out 2 months and thousands of dollars worth of code. My SEO says that in the day of Google's "mobile first" streamlined code is particularly important. My developer has taken the position that the code can be cleaned up after the design. Where it seems my SEO wants clean code to stat with. I don't know who to is right. Any ideas? Am I better of starting from scratch with a new more efficient theme, or cleaning up the code on the wpcasa theme? The code for the test page is below. Thanks! | |
Web Design | | Kingalan1
| | lang="en-US" prefix="og: http://ogp.me/ns#"> |
| | |
| | charset="UTF-8"> |
| | http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge"> |
| | name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> |
| | rel="profile" href="http://gmpg.org/xfn/11"> |
| | rel="pingback" href="http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/xmlrpc.php"> |
| | |
| | <title></span>About Metro Manhattan - Metro Manhattan Office Space<span class="html-tag"></title> |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | name="description" content="New York City real estate brokerage service helps business tenants acquire office, commercial loft, retail or showroom space anywhere in Manhattan."/> |
| | name="robots" content="noindex,follow"/> |
| | property="og:locale" content="en_US" /> |
| | property="og:type" content="article" /> |
| | property="og:title" content="About Metro Manhattan - Metro Manhattan Office Space" /> |
| | property="og:description" content="New York City real estate brokerage service helps business tenants acquire office, commercial loft, retail or showroom space anywhere in Manhattan." /> |
| | property="og:url" content="http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/about-us/" /> |
| | property="og:site_name" content="Metro Manhattan Office Space" /> |
| | name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /> |
| | name="twitter:description" content="New York City real estate brokerage service helps business tenants acquire office, commercial loft, retail or showroom space anywhere in Manhattan." /> |
| | name="twitter:title" content="About Metro Manhattan - Metro Manhattan Office Space" /> |
| | name="twitter:image" content="http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/process-01.png" /> |
| | |
| | |
| | rel='dns-prefetch' href='//maps.googleapis.com' /> |
| | rel='dns-prefetch' href='//maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com' /> |
| | rel='dns-prefetch' href='//fonts.googleapis.com' /> |
| | rel='dns-prefetch' href='//s.w.org' /> |
| | rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Metro Manhattan Office Space » Feed" href="http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/feed/" /> |
| | rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Metro Manhattan Office Space » Comments Feed" href="http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/comments/feed/" /> |
| | rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Metro Manhattan Office Space » About Metro Manhattan Comments Feed" href="http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/about-us/feed/" /> |
| | |
| | |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='font-awesome-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/plugins/menu-icons/vendor/kucrut/icon-picker/css/types/font-awesome.min.css?ver=4.7.0' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='menu-icons-extra-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/plugins/menu-icons/css/extra.min.css?ver=0.11.2' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='contact-form-7-bootstrap-style-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/plugins/bootstrap-for-contact-form-7/assets/dist/css/style.min.css?ver=4.9.5' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='wpsight-favorites-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/plugins/wpcasa-favorites/assets/css/wpsight-favorites.min.css?ver=4.9.5' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='wpsight-listing-labels-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/plugins/wpcasa-listing-labels/assets/css/wpsight-listing-labels.min.css?ver=4.9.5' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='wpsight-listings-map-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/plugins/wpcasa-listings-map/assets/css/wpsight-listings-map.min.css?ver=4.9.5' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='wpfront-notification-bar-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/plugins/wpfront-notification-bar/css/wpfront-notification-bar.css?ver=1.7' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='wpfront-scroll-top-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/plugins/wpfront-scroll-top/css/wpfront-scroll-top.min.css?ver=2.0.1' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='chld_thm_cfg_parent-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/themes/wpcasa-london/style.css?ver=4.9.5' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='fontawesome.min.css-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/themes/wpcasa-london-child/assets/css/fontawesome.min.css?ver=4.9.5' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='load-fa-css' href='https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/font-awesome/4.1.0/css/font-awesome.min.css?ver=4.9.5' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='wpcasa-london-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/themes/wpcasa-london-child/style.css?ver=4.9.5' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='bootstrap-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/themes/wpcasa-london/vendor/twbs/bootstrap/css/bootstrap.css?ver=3.3.6' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='bootstrap-dropdownhover-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/themes/wpcasa-london/vendor/kybarg/bootstrap-dropdown-hover/css/bootstrap-dropdownhover.min.css?ver=1.0.0' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='bootstrap-select-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/themes/wpcasa-london/vendor/silviomoreto/bootstrap-select/css/bootstrap-select.min.css?ver=1.10.0' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='awesome-bootstrap-checkbox-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/themes/wpcasa-london/vendor/flatlogic/awesome-bootstrap-checkbox/awesome-bootstrap-checkbox.min.css?ver=0.3.7' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='pushy-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/themes/wpcasa-london/assets/css/pushy.css?ver=1.2.1' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='lightslider-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/themes/wpcasa-london/vendor/sachinchoolur/lightslider/css/lightslider.min.css?ver=1.1.5' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='lightgallery-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/themes/wpcasa-london/vendor/sachinchoolur/lightgallery/css/lightgallery.min.css?ver=1.2.15' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='animate-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/themes/wpcasa-london/assets/css/animate.min.css?ver=1.2.1' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='dashicons-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-includes/css/dashicons.min.css?ver=4.9.5' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='google-fonts-css' href='//fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Lato:700,400|Raleway:400,300&subset=latin' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='wpmtst-custom-style-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/plugins/strong-testimonials/public/css/custom.css?ver=4.9.5' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='zcffront-jquery-ui-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/plugins/zoho-crm-forms/assets/css/jquery-ui.css?ver=4.9.5' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | rel='stylesheet' id='zcffront-end-styles-css' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/plugins/zoho-crm-forms/assets/css/frontendstyles.css?ver=4.9.5' type='text/css' media='all' /> |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | rel='https://api.w.org/' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-json/' /> |
| | rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" title="RSD" href="http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/xmlrpc.php?rsd" /> |
| | rel="wlwmanifest" type="application/wlwmanifest+xml" href="http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-includes/wlwmanifest.xml" /> |
| | name="generator" content="WordPress 4.9.5" /> |
| | rel='shortlink' href='http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/?p=3800' /> |
| | rel="alternate" type="application/json+oembed" href="http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-json/oembed/1.0/embed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fdev.metro-manhattan.com%2Fabout-us%2F" /> |
| | rel="alternate" type="text/xml+oembed" href="http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-json/oembed/1.0/embed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fdev.metro-manhattan.com%2Fabout-us%2F&format=xml" /> |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | rel="icon" href="http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/metromanhattan_icon-75x75.png" sizes="32x32" /> |
| | rel="icon" href="http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/metromanhattan_icon.png" sizes="192x192" /> |
| | rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" href="http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/metromanhattan_icon.png" /> |
| | name="msapplication-TileImage" content="http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/metromanhattan_icon.png" /> |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | class="page-template page-template-page-tpl-about page-template-page-tpl-about-php page page-id-3800 page-parent custom-background wpsight-london" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/WebPage"> |
| | |
| | |
| | id="top" class="site-wrapper"> |
| | |
| | |
| | class="header-widgets"> |
| | |
| | class="header-full-width"> |
| | id="section-wpsight_london_listings_search-2" class="widget-section section-widget_listings_search">id="wpsight_london_listings_search-2" class="widget widget_listings_search"> <form <span="" class="html-attribute-name">method="get" action="http://dev.metro-manhattan.com/search/" class="wpsight-listings-search horizontal"></form> |
| | |
| | class="listings-search-default"> |
| | class="row gutter-30"> |
| | class="listings-search-field listings-search-field-text listings-search-field-keyword col-xs-12 col-sm-9"> |
| | class="listing-search-keyword text form-control" title="Keyword or Listing ID…" name=" |0 -
Migrating login page from website: SEO impact
Our current login page looks like www.website.com/log-in/. We are planning to migrate it to a sub directory login.website.com. For years, our login page is the top landing with highest visits after homepage. If we migrate this now, are we going to loose traffic and drop in rankings? Thanks
Web Design | | vtmoz0 -
Prismic.io CMS and SEO?
Looking for community feedback: Some of our In house developers want to use Prismic.io over Wordpress for it's alleged ease of organizing and "deploying" content. It's essentially a repository for content from which you make API calls to. It's a rather new platform. There a few posts in Quora around SEO but looking to see if anyone has had experience with platform. My concern is around page load times, excessive server requests, and content viewed as code. Any thoughts/ experiences would be much appreciated!
Web Design | | ArcherMalmo0 -
Too Many Outbound Links on the Home Page - Bad for SEO?
Hello Again Moz community, This is my last Q of the day: I have a LOT of outbound links on the home page of www.web3.ca Some are to clients projects, most are to other pages on the website. Can reducing this to the core pages have a positive impact on SEO? Thanks, Anton
Web Design | | Web3Marketing870 -
Does anyone know if the YOAST SEO plugin works 100% on a responsive wordpress template?
Hi, Does anyone know if the YOAST SEO plugin works 100% on responsive wordpress template? In other words, when you configure the custom title and metadescription is it also configured for the tablet and cellphone views as well? Thanks Carla
Web Design | | Carla_Dawson0 -
On site SEO opinions
Hi all, I have been testing different configurations for my on-site SEO for a while now and I think I am pretty much there. However it is always nice to know what other SEO's think about my keyword density and usage. My site is http://www.tomlondonmagic.com I am curious as to what you think regarding landing page content, whether you need lots or text or little text? I have just removed links in the text as I feel I want to keep as much juice on my landing page as possible. Thanks all!
Web Design | | TomLondon0 -
What is the best tool to view your page as Googlebot?
Our site was done with asp.net and a lot of scripting. I want to see what Google can see and what it can't. What is the best tool that duplicates Googlebot? I have found several but they seem old or inaccurate.
Web Design | | EcommerceSite0 -
Wordpress drop down menu issue...
While I am tweaking my current site with getting rid of my footer links, my site will not allow a drop down menu for my service area parent page. It will do a drop down menu for any other tab. Could not find anything in a google search besides just link to parent for drop down... Any ideas?
Web Design | | greenjoe0