{"id":15655,"date":"2010-10-09T12:55:59","date_gmt":"2010-10-09T07:25:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=15655"},"modified":"2026-10-12T11:09:06","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T05:39:06","slug":"little-known-wordpress-seo-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Little-Known WordPress SEO Tips That Still Work (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>So you&#8217;ve installed WordPress, added an SEO plugin and published keyword-rich posts. What next? The gains now come from the settings most people never touch: thin archive pages, attachment pages, titles and internal links. Some advice from the original 2010 version of this post, such as nofollowing your own category links, is now outdated. Here are 10 little-known <strong>WordPress SEO tips<\/strong> that still make a difference in 2026, updated from Jonathan Brealey&#8217;s guest post.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-64237\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips-1024x538.webp\" alt=\"Little-known WordPress SEO tips\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips-768x403.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> Noindex thin date, author and tag archives, keep attachment pages switched off, write a unique SEO title and meta description for every post, use clean permalinks, keep tags few and meaningful, link related posts together, add schema and an XML sitemap through Rank Math or Yoast, compress images with alt text, speed up the site with caching, and update or prune weak old posts.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af2dab0d203c\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af2dab0d203c\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips\/#10_little-known_WordPress_SEO_tips\" >10 little-known WordPress SEO tips<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips\/#1_Noindex_date_archives\" >1. Noindex date archives<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips\/#2_Keep_attachment_pages_off\" >2. Keep attachment pages off<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips\/#3_Write_unique_SEO_titles_and_descriptions\" >3. Write unique SEO titles and descriptions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips\/#4_Use_clean_permalinks\" >4. Use clean permalinks<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips\/#5_Keep_tags_few_and_useful\" >5. Keep tags few and useful<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips\/#6_Link_related_posts_together\" >6. Link related posts together<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips\/#7_Add_schema_and_a_sitemap\" >7. Add schema and a sitemap<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips\/#8_Optimise_images\" >8. Optimise images<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips\/#9_Make_WordPress_fast\" >9. Make WordPress fast<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips\/#10_Refresh_or_prune_old_posts\" >10. Refresh or prune old posts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips\/#What_about_dates_in_your_content\" >What about dates in your content?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips\/#Which_is_the_best_SEO_plugin_for_WordPress\" >Which is the best SEO plugin for WordPress?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips\/#Should_I_noindex_category_pages\" >Should I noindex category pages?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/little-known-wordpress-seo-tips\/#Do_WordPress_tags_help_SEO\" >Do WordPress tags help SEO?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_little-known_WordPress_SEO_tips\"><\/span>10 little-known WordPress SEO tips<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Noindex_date_archives\"><\/span>1. Noindex date archives<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Date archives (like \/2010\/04\/) repeat your posts and add nothing new. Set them to noindex or disable them in your SEO plugin. The same goes for author archives on single-author blogs.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Keep_attachment_pages_off\"><\/span>2. Keep attachment pages off<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Every uploaded image used to get its own thin &#8220;attachment page&#8221;. Since WordPress 6.4, new sites have them disabled; check that older sites redirect attachment URLs to the file or parent post (Rank Math and Yoast both have this setting).<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Write_unique_SEO_titles_and_descriptions\"><\/span>3. Write unique SEO titles and descriptions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Don&#8217;t rely on the default &#8220;Post Title &#8211; Site Name&#8221;. Write a unique title of about 60 characters with your main keyword near the start, and a meta description of up to about 155 characters. Search Console flags duplicates.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Use_clean_permalinks\"><\/span>4. Use clean permalinks<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Short, descriptive slugs work best. Never change the URLs of posts that already rank without a 301 redirect. Here&#8217;s how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/07\/verify-301-redirects\/\">verify 301 redirects<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Keep_tags_few_and_useful\"><\/span>5. Keep tags few and useful<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Hundreds of one-post tags create thin pages. Use a small set of categories, a handful of meaningful tags, and avoid near-duplicates like &#8220;blog&#8221; and &#8220;blogs&#8221;. You can also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2020\/03\/convert-category-to-tags-wordpress\/\">convert categories to tags<\/a> or the reverse when restructuring. QuickOnlineTips cut hundreds of tags down to a select few.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Link_related_posts_together\"><\/span>6. Link related posts together<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Internal links with descriptive anchor text help readers and search engines find your best content. Don&#8217;t nofollow internal links, as the original post suggested; it just wastes link value.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Add_schema_and_a_sitemap\"><\/span>7. Add schema and a sitemap<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>SEO plugins add Article, Breadcrumb and FAQ schema and an XML sitemap automatically. Submit the sitemap in Search Console. See how to add <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/02\/wordpress-seo-breadcrumbs\/\">WordPress SEO breadcrumbs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_Optimise_images\"><\/span>8. Optimise images<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Compress images, use WebP, and write descriptive file names and alt text. Our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/optimizing-images\/\">optimizing images<\/a> covers it.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_Make_WordPress_fast\"><\/span>9. Make WordPress fast<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Use a caching plugin, a CDN, a lightweight theme and few plugins. Here&#8217;s how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/03\/make-wordpress-faster-safer\/\">make WordPress faster and safer<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_Refresh_or_prune_old_posts\"><\/span>10. Refresh or prune old posts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Outdated, thin posts can drag down the whole site. Update posts that still get impressions, merge overlapping ones with 301 redirects, and remove the rest. It&#8217;s exactly what we are doing across QuickOnlineTips in 2026.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_about_dates_in_your_content\"><\/span>What about dates in your content?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The original post worried about months showing up as &#8220;keywords&#8221; in Webmaster Tools. That report no longer exists and dates don&#8217;t hurt rankings. Showing a clear &#8220;last updated&#8221; date actually helps readers trust that a tutorial is current.<\/p>\n<p>For the full basics, use our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/11\/seo-checklist\/\">SEO checklist<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_is_the_best_SEO_plugin_for_WordPress\"><\/span>Which is the best SEO plugin for WordPress?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Rank Math and Yoast SEO are the most popular; both handle titles, sitemaps, schema and redirects well. Use only one.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_I_noindex_category_pages\"><\/span>Should I noindex category pages?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Usually not. Well-organised category pages with a short introduction can rank. Noindex thin tag and date archives instead.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_WordPress_tags_help_SEO\"><\/span>Do WordPress tags help SEO?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Only if they group several related posts. One-post tags create thin pages.<\/p>\n<p><em>Originally written by guest author Jonathan Brealey, co-founder of UK web host Heart Internet. Updated for 2026 by QuickOnlineTips.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>So you&#8217;ve installed WordPress, added an SEO plugin and published keyword-rich posts. What next? The gains now come from the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":64237,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6,41],"tags":[44,52,17],"class_list":["post-15655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blogging","category-search-engine-optimization","tag-guest-posts","tag-popular","tag-wordpress"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15655"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15655\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64238,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15655\/revisions\/64238"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}