Translated from our Japanese archive. Dates, product names and examples reflect the original article; this is not an updated product or service recommendation.
The original article describes WordPress as a powerful tool for SEO, noting praise from a Google development lead. But, like an ingredient, what you make of it depends on the developer and the person managing the site. Usability should come first.
Usability
A website that is difficult to use risks losing visitors unless it offers something exceptionally valuable. Think of a restaurant with unfriendly service, an unreadable menu or a dirty bathroom. A poor experience wastes the effort put into the site and can damage trust. The article also connects this to how search engines view the site.
Improving usability through links
There are many ways to improve usability. Here, we focus on link structure: well-planned links help visitors move around a site smoothly and can support SEO.
Show recent posts on the homepage
A list of recent posts gives returning visitors something to click and can help new visitors too. A category list can make the site easier to explore. The original article presents this as an important SEO measure.
Place related articles below each post
Related links encourage readers to explore pages they might otherwise miss. You can start by showing other posts in the same category.
The original article introduces YARPP as a plugin for displaying related posts.
Use plugins with an understanding of the basics
WordPress has many SEO plugins, but installing one is not enough on its own. Understanding the basics helps you use it effectively.
All in One SEO Pack is the example in the original article. It describes settings for page titles, descriptions and meta keywords, including keywords for individual dynamic pages.
Plan permalinks early
Permalinks are the URLs generated by WordPress. You can change them under Settings → Permalinks in the dashboard.
The original article recommends using %postname% in a custom structure and setting a slug for Japanese post titles. It also warns, from experience, that repeatedly changing the structure can create unexpected 404 errors. Define the structure at the start of development.
