20 Best WordPress SEO Plugins in 2024 (Free & Paid)

As one of the best SEO agencies in Bangladesh, we use many WordPress SEO plugins as part of our job. Since we have a lot of experience with these plugins, we are often asked to make a list of the best plugins that can actually help you rank.

So, we have compiled a list of the best WordPress SEO plugins for improving your search engine optimization.

Now, let’s see how these plugins can improve your WordPress SEO.

01. Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO is considered the “ultimate” SEO plugin for WordPress because it’s probably the most widely used WordPress SEO plugin in the world (10 million+ active installations).

What makes Yoast SEO the most popular WordPress SEO plugin is that it’s free and super it’s easy to use. You only have to install and activate the plugin and Yoast will guide you through the rest.

With Yoast SEO, you get on-page SEO recommendations, which will help you follow the best SEO practices.     

For instance, it offers basic features like editing your meta tags and URL slug and setting a different meta for social media to more advanced options like uploading XML sitemaps and setting canonical URLs. 

In short, Yoast SEO covers all of your on-page SEO needs. 

Yoast SEO: Premium vs Free

You can cover 70% of your basic SEO needs with the free Yoast SEO version. For more advanced features like premium SEO analysis, internal linking suggestions, redirect manager, etc. 

Also, the premium plugin allows you to add niche-specific extensions, like Yoast Local SEO, Yoast Video SEO, and more, for an extra price. 

In summary, if you need basic SEO suggestions to improve your content, the free version of Yoast SEO is fine. But for more advanced suggestions, you can get the premium version. 

02. Rank Math SEO

Rank Math SEO is another on-page optimization SEO tool for WordPress that is gaining momentum as an alternative to Yoast SEO. It has gained 2 million+ active installations in a comparatively shorter time than other SEO plugins. 

Its rise in the WordPress SEO community is due to its being just as easy to use as Yoast SEO and offering more features on the free version.

With the free Yoast SEO plugin, you can only check your content for one focus keyword. However, with Rank Math SEO, you can add multiple focus keywords. 

Also, Rank Math gives content a score out of 100 to show how optimized it is, which makes the optimization process easier.

Other than these, the Rank Math free version offers tons of other options, which are premium in Yoast. For example, redirection, link counter, local SEO, etc. To add to it, you can integrate your Rank Math SEO plugin with Google Search Console to see important data in your Rank Math dashboard. 

Rank Math SEO: Free vs Paid

With Yoast SEO, you can complete 70% of your on-page SEO, whereas with Rank Math, you get 85-90%.

So, unless you have a specific need for their pro features (schema generation, news sitemap, video sitemap, etc.), you can stick to the Rank Math SEO free version.  

03. All in One SEO

If you need your on-page SEO tasks spelled out for you, then you get the All-In-One SEO plugin. It’s even easier to use than Yoast and Rank Math, which is why it has 3 million+ active installations.

In terms of features offered, AIOSEO is more like Yoast SEO. The free version version doesn’t have that many features.  

But in terms of user interface and experience, it looks more like Rank Math.

However, AIOSEO has two extra features that set itself apart: a broken link checker and a headliner analyzer. 

The headliner analyzer will inform you about everything there is to know about your page title. Before we used AIOSEO, we didn’t even know that you have to consider so many things while writing a heading.

AIOSEO: Free vs Paid

If you like how easy the All In One SEO plugin is to use, invest in its pro version. The free version lacks most of its advanced features, like redirect manager, link assistant, and more. 

If you want to use the plugin for content optimization, then the free version is enough.

04. SEOPress

SEOPress is excellent if you don’t like the other three SEO WordPress plugins we just mentioned.

The main difference is in their interface. While the rest of the plugins show their suggestions on the right side, SEOPress does it on the bottom. This seems weird because we are used to seeing the bar on the right.

However, what’s better in SEOPress is that they break the positives and the negatives down in detail. For example, instead of showing “You have 3 errors in Basic SEO,” they point the way.

SEOPress: Free vs Paid

Even though the free SEOPress is cool, the paid version is obviously cooler. It features ChatGPT-4 integration, niche-based SEO integration like local and WooCommerce SEO, news and video sitemaps, etc. 

05. The SEO Framework

The first time we got around to using the SEO framework, we were shocked. Because you could only optimize the meta tags, URL, and social media snippets. 

But then we found out that you need to add extensions to increase its functionality. It offers 11 extensions, five of which are free. 

Each of the extensions adds different functionality. For example, the focus extension gives you suggestions for optimizing your content better based on your keyword.

Also, there are a lot of other settings in their dashboard.

But what we really like about this plugin is that it provides a lot of information on your posts page. These are information about your post’s title, meta description, indexing, following, direction, and more.

Overall, we think the SEO framework is great and has many options, but it’s not for beginners.

The SEO Framework: Free vs Paid

We think the free version of the SEO framework is lacking compared to other top WordPress SEO plugins like Rank Math or AIOSEO. So, if you really like it, you should get all the premium extensions.

06. Squirrly SEO

Rather than a WordPress SEO plugin, Squirrly SEO claims to be your private AI SEO consultant. Once we started to use it, we could see why.

Unlike other SEO plugins, you must create an account with your email. Once you do, it will run a sitewide scan and then lead you to the dashboard.

Squirrly SEO is pretty awesome as an SEO plugin because it offers a lot. Like other SEO plugins, it has all the basic features. 

But what’s more in Squirrly SEO is that it allows you to do a complete SEO audit in your WordPress backend, conduct keyword research, rank tracker, and more.

So, in a sense, Squirrly SEO is an SEO tool like SEMRush or Ahrefs.

However, because of its many features, it may be overwhelming for a beginner to use it. Mastering its proper use could involve a learning curve.

Squirrly SEO: Free vs Paid

Squirrly SEO offers most of its features in its free version but with limits. 

The free version lets you manage one website, choose one focus page, limitations in some keyword research, and get one weekly SEO audit for that page. 

In the pro version, you get increased limits with additional features. 

07. Site Kit

The Site Kit by Google is one of those WordPress SEO plugins that you have to use for the most accurate analytical data from Google Analytics and Google Search Console directly on your WordPress dashboard.

However, unlike the other plugins, you need to go through an elaborate setup process to install and activate it. 

Once you set it up, your dashboard will contain all kinds of data about your website. You will see the key metrics of website traffic and performance, like the number of visitors, their location, devices, etc.

Other than that, you also get to see your website’s performance fro mobile and desktop devices. 

Overall, the Google Site Kit is a plugin that every website owner must have because the data it provides is invaluable. 

08. IndexNow SEO

IndexNow SEO is a really simple SEO plugin that only focuses on getting your posts indexed as soon as you post them.

Usually, to get one of your posts indexed, the Google bot must visit that post and crawl through it. However, this usually takes a couple of days after publishing an article.  

However, if you have the IndexNow plugin, you can simply select what types of posts you want to notify the search engine for and you’re done.

IndexNow is so popular that popular SEO plugins like Yoast and Rank Math also include it in their plugin. So, if you use an SEO plugin that includes IndexNow, you don’t need to use it separately. 

09. Smush

Smush is the most popular WordPress plugin for image optimization. With this plugin, you can resize, compress and convert your images in the WordPress media library.

Once you install and activate the plugin, you will be asked to begin the setup, where you can turn on several settings. 

For example, enabling auto-optimize new uploads, super smush (multi-pass lossy compression), stripping off metadata, and lazy loading are good options to start with.

Once you finish the setup and go to the dashboard, you will see that it has already started optimizing the existing images in your WordPress media gallery. 

However, with the free version, you can only optimize 50 images in bulk at a time. To remove this limiter, you have to upgrade to Pro.

It also offers the directory Smush, where you can optimize images that are not in your WordPress media gallery but in the directory.

Overall, Smush is a great plugin and we highly recommend it for optimizing images.

Smush: Free vs Pro

We believe that the free version is enough if you have small needs, as you can optimize all your images in multiple batches. However, the Pro version offers a CDN, ultra smush that offers more compression, and you can compress images up to 256 MB.  

10. Link Whisper

If you forget to use internal links in your content or struggle to implement an internal linking strategy, then the Link Whisper plugin is for you.

This plugin provides a detailed list of the places you can link internally and externally so you can ensure you use all the opportunities for internal linking as you write your content.

It also shows the number of internal and external links in your posts and provides a complete link report. 

Link Whisper is a great plugin because it’s super easy to use and it actually makes internal linking easier.

Link Whisper: Free vs Pro

Link Whisper Pro offers the same features in the free version but with automation and more detailed reporting. 

The free version only suggests linking opportunities, but the Pro version automatically links them once you approve. You also get a link tracker and a broken link checker with additional features.

11. Broken Link Checker

Broken Link Checker is a free SEO tool that scans and checks your site for broken links and notifies you when it finds them. 

When you install and activate this plugin it will automatically start scanning your site for links and check if they are broken or not.

You can also change its settings, instructing it where to look for links, what type of links to look for, how frequently it should check for links, send emails about new-found broken links, and more.

Also, if you have multiple websites, you can use their Cloud Link Checker option for more efficiency. 

12. Really Simple SSL

If you are looking for a lightweight WordPress security plugin, the Really Simple SSL would be a great choice. Because of its lightweight and “really simple” nature, it is very popular among WordPress users, gaining 5 million+ active installations worldwide.

The dashboard is very informative and gives you a list of things you can improve about your site’s health and security. Although the plugin’s name includes only SSL, you also get other security suggestions.

For example, it detects if there are any vulnerabilities in the plugins or the theme you are using and hardens security for your overall website.

As per our experience, we not only find the plugin really simple but really cool too.  

Really Simple SSL: Free vs Pro

To be honest, the Really Simple SSL offers many features for free, which may be enough if you don’t need scalable options. The mixed content fixer, login protection, and security headers are some of the extra features that are worth paying for. 

13. Redirection

If you have issues with using 301 redirects and managing 404 errors, the Redirection plugin will solve your problems. This plugin is free, simple, lightweight, and fast.

When you install and activate the plugin, it gives you a checklist for what you want it to do. 

Once it finishes setting up, the rest of the job is even easier. You set the source URL and the target URL and you are done. You get advanced features like regular expressions, conditional redirects, etc.

Even after being a free plugin, Redirection has no limitations on how many redirections you can manage. You can deal with a few redirects to thousands, all without needing server knowledge.

Except for redirecting your URLs, it also helps you to find and fix broken links within your site. 

14. Ahrefs SEO

You must already be familiar with one of the most popular SEO tools, Ahrefs. Guess what? They have a free WordPress SEO plugin that you can use.

When you install and activate the plugin, you need to connect with Ahrefs by collecting the authorization code and pasting it into the plugin.

Then, you need to connect your Google Search Console and Google Analytics to the plugin. Once you do, you can finally use the plugin. 

The plugin is a great help because it audits all the content on your site, and recommends actionable plans on what to do with them.

The plugin also shows you important metrics for your content, such as organic traffic, backlinks, and more, within your WordPress dashboard. It’s like having a personalized Ahrefs account, but only for your site’s keywords and content and for free.

Oh, it also lets you research keywords, which is super convenient. 

So, considering everything, the Ahrefs SEO WordPress plugin is a must-have for any kind of website.

15. Semrush SEO Writing Assistant

If you have used Semrush for your SEO needs, they have a feature named SEO Writing Assistant. This feature helps you optimize your content for multiple target keywords, judge the tone of voice, and check plagiarism and readability. 

Now, you can use these features directly from your WordPress dashboard using the Semrush SEO Writing Assistant plugin. 

You just have to install and activate the plugin, log into your free Semrush account, and you’re good to go. Their content optimization suggestions are at the bottom of every post. You simply have to put in focus keywords.

Even though the plugin is free, you can’t use all its features unless you are a paid Semrush user. With a paid account, you get link analysis, a plagiarism checker, and a tone of voice optimizer.  

16. LiteSpeed Cache

LiteSpeed Cache is the best WordPress speed optimization plugin in our opinion. That’s because no other performance optimization plugin gives you this many features and is free.  

To get started with LiteSpeed Cache, you just have to install and activate it, you don’t have to create or log into any account. 

With LiteSpeed Cache, the list of features is endless. You get a CDN, object cache, image optimization, code minification, critical CSS generation, lazy-loading, and a lot more.

As we have been using the LiteSpeed Cache plugin for a long time, we can testify to its performance. Allow us to demonstrate.

Here’s our website performance without LiteSpeed cache:

And here’s the performance immediately after installing the LiteSpeed Cache:

See the difference? You can see an instant improvement in your site’s performance after installing the plugin.

So, no matter what kind of website you run, the LiteSpeed Cache is a must-have. Also, because of its efficiency, most SEO-friendly web hosting companies include this plugin by default with their plans. 

17. XML Sitemap Generator for Google

A sitemap is a must for indexing your posts in search engines, so you need a sitemap generator plugin for your WordPress website. 

Now, when it comes to a sitemap generator plugin, the XML Sitemap Generator for Google is the one we like the most because it’s free, it’s fast, and easy to use.

Once you install and activate the plugin, it will automatically generate a sitemap for your website. Also, it automatically includes the sitemap in your website’s robot.txt file.

All that’s left is just to submit your sitemap to search engines.

However, if you use one of the top SEO WordPress plugins, like Rank Math, they have this feature built within the plugin. So, you don’t have to use it in that case. 

18. Schema – All in One Schema Rich Snippets

If your posts are ranking but don’t get any clicks, you can use the Schema plugin to optimize your CTR. This plugin will summarize the key information of your posts which will be easier for the Google bot to process and this precise summary will get more clicks for you.

After you install and activate this plugin, you can configure the structure of the rich snippets from your dashboard.

Now, when on the posts page, you just have to input the data and you’re good to go.

The final product in the SERP will look like this:

So, obviously, this will get you more clicks and traffic.

Schema: Free vs Pro

The snippets you create with the free plugin will display in your content, while the snippets created with the Pro version will only be visible to search engines. So, the Pro version will not interrupt your webpage design.

Also, with the Pro version, you have access to more advanced schema types, live schema testing, and more.

19. Media File Renamer

One of the best SEO practices is to optimize your images’ title, alt text, description, and title for better visibility and search engine optimization. Your website may have hundreds or thousands of images, and optimizing them will consume too much time and effort.

That’s where the Media File Renamer comes in handy. It automatically assigns important details to your images, such as title, caption, description, alt text, etc with the help of AI.  

This plugin simplifies the process of adding new files or updating a bunch at once. It lets you effortlessly manage your entire library. 

Media File Renamer: Free vs Pro

With the Media File Renamer Pro, AI will help you make SEO-friendly suggestions while deciding on image attributes. You will also get additional methods for automatically renaming your images.

20. Breadcrumb NavXT

If you didn’t know, breadcrumbs in your website can contribute to better user experience and indexability. To make adding breadcrumbs easy for you, you can use the Breadcrumb NavXT plugin.

After installing the plugin, it will automatically create breadcrumbs based on the hierarchy of you. But if your WordPress theme is not compatible with the plugin, you have to paste a code snippet in your header.php file.

Fortunately, most of the popular WordPress themes are compatible with the Breadcrumb NavXT plugin.

FAQs about WordPress SEO Plugin

Don’t Rely Too Much on WordPress SEO Plugins

WordPress SEO plugins are great, but what makes you stand out from your competitors is your strategy and research. 

With a combination of full-proof, data-driven strategy and the right tools, you can outshine your competitors and get the outcome you want.