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It has been one of the most popular plugins when it comes to WordPress SEO for a while now. But let’s be honest here – they are getting left behind!
That’s why I’m going to introduce you to some fantastic Yoast SEO alternatives that are better than you expect in most cases.
So let’s get started and uncover the gems that could take your WordPress SEO game to new heights.
- What Is The Yoast SEO Plugin?
- Why Do You Need To Find An Alternative To Yoast SEO?
- Rank Math SEO
- Other Yoast SEO Alternatives
- Which Plugin Is The Right Fit For You?
- Final Thoughts On Yoast SEO Alternatives
Don’t like reading long-form content? You may also watch the video below from my YouTube channel:
Don’t like watching videos? No worries.
Feel free to keep reading. I have made sure to make it as digestible as possible. Or I should rather say, it’s skimmable.
What Is The Yoast SEO Plugin?
Now before we jump into the topic, if you’re randomly here and don’t know anything about it, let me introduce you to Yoast SEO.
A few years back, if you asked anyone about optimizing WordPress SEO, Yoast SEO was always the default answer.
It has helped many website owners and bloggers when it comes to improving their online presence including me.
To keep it short, Yoast SEO is a powerful WordPress SEO plugin designed to boost your search engine ranking.
It has one of the most user-friendly interfaces and many features that help you optimize your content, meta tags, website structure, and a lot more.
All to improve your website’s search engine rankings.
Why Do You Need To Find An Alternative To Yoast SEO?
Even the most popular brands or products don’t last long in the same position unless you keep innovating and evolving with time. Consider Yoast SEO, for instance.
While it gained a lot of popularity for a long time and almost had a monopoly type of situation when it came to a good WordPress SEO plugin.
It was very limited and you had to purchase their premium version to access even some of the essential features that you’d need.
The free version was and still is a very limited version of the Yoast SEO and nobody in the right mind would recommend it now.
At the same time, the premium version of Yoast SEO was the best option available until the arrival of some of its top competitors.
Even the free version of the plugins was offering more than what the premium version of Yoast SEO had to offer. So naturally, it’s not the number one choice or recommendation anymore.
To keep it short and simple, here are a couple of reasons why you should look out for a Yoast SEO alternative for your website:
So there it is. Are you ready for it? Let’s jump right in.
Rank Math SEO
Rank Math SEO is by far the best WordPress SEO plugin that I have used. It’s the heavyweight contender that just stole the show as the best alternative to Yoast SEO in every aspect.
Spoiler alert!
It’s my top choice and the first recommendation when it comes to an excellent WordPress SEO plugin.
I already have an in-depth Rank Math SEO review that you can read to learn more about it in detail or keep reading for a piece of summarized information down below.
If you’re on the hunt for an SEO companion that’s not only powerful but also highly user-friendly, Rank Math could be your perfect match.
It’s a dynamic and feature-rich Yoast SEO alternative that’s been causing waves in the world of search engine optimization for WordPress websites.
It offers everything that you would need and some more features on top of it to make your content marketing game plan run smoother and more efficiently.
Even the free version of the Rank Math SEO plugin outweighs the premium versions of many other SEO plugins including Yoast SEO.
Curious to dive deeper? Get an in-depth feel for Rank Math’s capabilities and what it can do for you in this detailed Rank Math Review.
It’s a comprehensive resource that breaks down Rank Math’s features, strengths, and even some of my personal user experiences with it.
All in all, I can confidently say that this is one of the best Yoast SEO alternatives out there and you should definitely try it out today!
Why Is Rank Math SEO An Excellent Alternative To Yoast SEO?
Not convinced yet? Let me give you a brief explanation of why Rank Math SEO is an exceptional alternative to Yoast SEO.
While there are a lot of things such as features and benefits that you get with the help of Rank Math SEO, here are some of its highlights in my opinion that you should know:
Easy-To-Use & User-Friendly Interface
No matter how good the SEO plugin is, if it’s not easy to use then I don’t think it’s worth it.
Thankfully, Rank Math has one of the best and most user-friendly interfaces.
As it is packed with tons of features and tools within it, it can jarring or overwhelming for some people out there. However, they’ve made it as easy to use as possible in my opinion.
Even if you have limited technical expertise, you won’t have any trouble navigating through Rank Math SEO settings and dashboard.
The setup process is also very intuitive, allowing you to quickly configure your SEO preferences and strategies without a steep learning curve with the use of simple language and different levels of complexity.
Depending on the type of user you are, you can choose whatever you want to control or go berserk like me and customize everything yourself. It’s made for everybody.
Comprehensive Set Of Features
Rank Math SEO has a comprehensive set of features designed to improve various aspects of your website’s search engine performance.
It has everything that you’ll ever need on your WordPress website for a better and more efficient search engine optimization process.
From conducting in-depth on-page SEO analysis, suggesting optimal content parameters, keywords, etc. to providing advanced analytics and whatnot.
This means you won’t need to juggle multiple tools and services to deliver SEO-optimized content. It has all the tools that you’d need within a single plugin. Try it now!
Content AI & Other AI-Powered Features
As far as I know, Rank Math SEO was the first plugin to include advanced SEO features directly in the WordPress dashboard such as Content AI.
Now it also includes many other AI Tools and features that take it further to help you write and optimize your website content for the best result possible.
For example, now you can write your entire content with the help of AI directly in your WordPress editor. These new AI features are of course powered by Open AI‘s powerful GPT technology.
However, my favorite is still the Content AI feature that introduced SuferSEO-level capabilities within my WordPress editor to optimize my content in the best way possible.
It’s excellent, don’t ignore this one at any cost. Give it a try!
All-in-One Solution Approach
Rank Math also focuses on an all-in-one solution approach to serve you for various SEO needs.
Most of the WordPress SEO plugins out there only consist of essential SEO features and neglect other useful stuff that might be handy.
By the way, it also doesn’t mean that the Rank Math SEO plugin is bloated with a lot of additional features that you don’t really need.
You can simply enable or disable these tools as per your needs and keep your SEO plugin as lightweight as possible.
For example, I was using a separate plugin to manage my redirections but I don’t have to now, because it’s available directly through Rank Math SEO with a click of a button.
Another example in my case would be the 404 Monitor which replaced the Broken Link Checker plugin.
You can enable the extra tools that your website requires or disable the things that you don’t want, which makes it an even more compelling option compared to others.
Advanced Analytics For Your Content
Rank Math goes beyond basic content analysis and also provides advanced-level analytics to improve your content marketing game.
This feature helps you to identify the content that needs your attention and the ones that are doing very well so that you can level it up.
By using this unique feature in the Rank Math SEO plugin you get ahead of your competitors by planning and understanding things in a better way.
By the way, it pulls the data from your Google Search Console and Google Analytics account so it’s the most accurate data you can have to rely on.
If you like to look at data and graphs, you’d love this. Give it a try today!
Simple Yet Powerful Rank Tracker
One of the most important tools that we all need for our content marketing strategy is the Rank Tracker. However, if you’ve been using it then you know that it costs a lot and not everybody can afford it.
Gone are the days when we simply needed to rely on traffic data and analytics to figure out what’s going on our website as individual content creators or small business owners.
Rank Math has a built-in tool that tracks your ranking position and keeps a history about it so that you can track your progress without spending anything extra on those expensive rank-tracking tools.
I must also disclose the fact that it’s not as accurate as the dedicated SEO tools such as Semrush but it’s way better than having nothing at all.
It’s definitely a plus point and one more reason to switch to Rank Math SEO today!
Rank Math SEO Audit Tool
Rank Math also comes with a built-in SEO Audit Tool that helps you audit your web pages and rectify any mistakes that may be responsible for lower search engine rankings.
And obviously as a result you also improve the user experience which is without a doubt a plus point.
To make things easier, it not only analyzes your title, meta description, headings, etc. but also suggests what you should be doing to improve your search engine performance.
The detailed reports you get are beautifully organized in helpful sections such as technical SEO, on-page SEO, etc. to make things simpler for you.
Just look at the actionable tips provided by the Rank Math SEO Audit Tool and act on them for a better search engine ranking. See it for yourself…
Powerful Free Version
Unlike Yoast SEO or any other Yoast SEO alternatives mentioned on this page, Rank Math offers a free version of the plugin that comes with a substantial set of features and does not hold back.
Even the free version is extremely powerful and suitable for various needs and requirements.
While I’m currently using Rank Math Pro (the paid version), if I couldn’t afford it, I’m sure I wouldn’t regret using Rank Math SEO even a little bit.
On the other hand, I cannot say the same for any other WordPress SEO Plugins out there.
The paid version unlocks even more advanced features such as Content AI, Custom Schema Builder, etc. along with VIP support options.
This flexibility helps anyone with the need for an SEO plugin, from individual bloggers to businesses with more complex SEO requirements, Rank Math has everyone covered.
If you can afford it then definitely go for the paid version for the extra set of benefits but don’t be disappointed if you cannot. The free version is more than enough for a lot of people out there, maybe even you.
But that’s not all, as I said earlier, this is just a glimpse of what you get with the help of Rank Math SEO. There are so many things that I had to let go of to keep it short and simple.
You should read my in-depth Rank Math Review for more information.
Just in case you don’t want to read the review but understand SEO-related terms, here are some more bullet points to consider:
Interesting, isn’t it? When I said it’s the best choice for you at the moment, I meant it. Rank Math SEO is the undisputed winner at the moment and you won’t regret switching over the same.
Rank Math SEO Pricing
Rank Math SEO offers a pricing structure that caters to various needs and budgets. It provides three distinct plans to choose from apart from the free version. Here’s how it goes:
Free Version
Rank Math’s free version comes with essential SEO features that are a great starting point for individuals and small websites. It’s an excellent way to get started with Rank Math without any cost. And to be honest, it’s more than enough for a lot of people.
Pro Plan ($59/year)
When you’re ready to take the next step, you should get the pro version of it. The Rank Math Pro takes things up a notch by offering advanced SEO features and other capabilities for unlimited websites.
For a reasonable annual fee, you can gain access to a broader range of optimization tools that can help enhance your website’s search engine visibility. For example, the Content AI features.
Business Plan ($199/year)
As the name suggests, this plan is targeted towards business owners. The business plan includes all the premium features along with some added benefits.
This plan is particularly suitable for those who manage multiple websites or require advanced functionalities such as managing client websites. It also includes more Content AI Credits and tracked keyword count.
Agency Plan ($499/year)
Guess what? They also have an option for agencies that want to use Rank Math SEO on a large number of websites and control them from a central dashboard.
This plan includes even more websites and a lot more Content AI Credits and tacked keywords.
With these pricing options, Rank Math SEO makes it easy to choose a plan that aligns with your specific needs and budget.
If you’re an individual, go with the pro plan and the other two plans are self-explanatory. I’m currently using the Rank Math Pro on most of my website and I’m pretty satisfied with everything it has to offer.
Keep in mind that the pricing and features may be subject to change, please click here to check the latest pricing.
Other Yoast SEO Alternatives
While my recommendation for you would be to use the Rank Math SEO plugin, I understand that you might want some more options to choose from.
So, here are some other honorable mentions that you might want to check out before making a decision:
AIOSEO (All-In-One SEO)
Another Yoast SEO alternative that will give you a fair fight would be the AIOSEO plugin. Depending on your taste and needs, you may find it very interesting and useful.
Just like its name suggests, AIOSEO aims to be an all-in-one SEO solution for your website.
It covers various aspects of SEO, including content optimization, meta tag management, XML sitemaps, and more. This means you won’t need to rely on multiple plugins to handle different SEO components – AIOSEO brings everything under one roof.
The biggest standout feature of AIOSEO is its focus on simplicity and user-friendliness.
The interface is intuitive and probably the most beautiful one compared to everyone else on this list.
It is accessible to both beginners and experienced users.
AIOSEO also boasts advanced functionalities like schema markup options, social media integration, and WooCommerce compatibility, catering to different website types and goals.
Whether you’re a business owner, blogger, or content creator, AIOSEO offers a robust alternative that can help you enhance your website’s visibility in search engine results.
All-in-One SEO pricing
AIOSEO offers four different pricing plans designed to accommodate different needs and budgets. Here’s a glimpse of it and what you can expect:
Basic Plan ($124/year)
The Basic plan is priced at $49.60 per year for the first purchase and then it will cost you $124 per year afterward. This plan allows you to use AIOSEO on one of your websites and as the name suggests, you only get the basic features with it.
The features provided would be enough for most of the people but it’s very restrictive, isn’t it?
This is one of the reasons why it’s not my first recommendation.
Plus Plan ($249/year)
The Plus plan for AIOSEO is priced at $99.60 per year for the first purchase and it will cost you $249 per year for renewals. This plan allows you to use it on up to three of your websites.
Everything else is almost the same as the basic plan. You also get some extra features with this plan but that’s suitable for only some specific people so it might not make any sense for you.
Well, at least this plan allows you to use it on more than one website.
Pro Plan ($499/year)
The Pro plan comes in at $199.60 per year for the first purchase and then it will cost you $499 per year for renewals. This plan allows you to use AIOSEO on up to ten of your websites.
It also offers most of the advanced features and functionalities that AIOSEO has to offer which makes it an ideal choice for businesses and agencies with a larger online presence.
Needless to say, it’s too expensive for individuals or small business owners.
Elite Plan ($749/year)
This is their top-tier plan and it will include everything that AIOSEO has to offer for your SEO needs. The Elite plan comes in at $299.60 per year for the first purchase and then it will cost you $749 per year for the renewals.
Super expensive isn’t it? Guess what? Even this plan has limitations. You are allowed to use AIOSEO on up to a hundred websites with this plan and it includes all the bells and whistles that they have to offer.
As you can notice, while AIOSEO is a very capable SEO plugin with tons of features, the restrictions on its pricing plans make it a bad choice over Rank Math SEO.
The pricing is over the top after the first purchase and the more advanced features are kept hostage unless you upgrade to an insanely expensive plan even if you only need one more thing that the lower-tier plan doesn’t have.
It’s a locked system that I dislike and reminds me of a Black Mirror episode from Netflix. However, some people would still like it for some of the reasons and it may include you as well.
Squirrly SEO
Squirrly SEO is slightly different from others if you look at it but essentially it’s all the same. Just the approach and interfaces look different for each plugin in some areas.
This one is far more different than others which may be a good thing for you.
Personally, I find their design a little bit uglier compared to others but in terms of functionality, there is no compromise.
In fact, it’s better in certain scenarios which you’ll find out if you’ll explore it further.
What sets Squirrly SEO apart is its focus on content optimization and keyword research.
The plugin provides real-time guidance as you create content, helping you optimize it for both search engines and human readers.
Squirrly SEO offers a suite of tools to identify relevant keywords, analyze competition, and ensure that your content aligns with SEO best practices.
In addition to content optimization, Squirrly SEO also offers features like site audits, social media monitoring, and advanced analytics which can be very handy for your content marketing needs.
Squirrly SEO pricing
Squirrly SEO offers three different pricing plans that are simpler and cater to different user needs. Here’s a glimpse of what their pricing structure looks like:
Pro Plan ($29.99/month)
The Pro plan is priced at $29.99 per month but you get the first month at $20.99. This plan allows you to use Squirrly SEO on seven of your websites which is considerably more.
Also, one other good thing about this is that, unlike AIOSEO, they don’t lock out many advanced features behind the top-tier plans.
Their pro plan offers almost everything that you’d need from Squirrly SEO. It is suitable for bloggers and small businesses looking to enhance their search engine performance.
Business Plan ($71.99/month)
The Business plan comes in at $71.99 per month and it allows you to use it on up to seven of your websites.
This plan includes all the pro plan features as it should and adds additional functionalities such as white-label reports, advanced analytics, social media monitoring, etc.
This plan as the name suggests is suitable for businesses and it has everything that Squirrly SEO has to offer.
Agency Plan ($75.99/month)
The Agency plan is priced at $75.99 per month and it allows you to use it on up to fifty of your websites.
It covers almost all the features of the Business plan and extends its capabilities to make it suitable for marketing agencies managing multiple clients’ websites.
Surprisingly, some features are not available on this one but I’m guessing that’s because it’s specifically targeted towards agencies only.
As you can see, their plan seems to be simpler and also cheaper in certain cases if you think about it. It’s a very good competitor to both Yoast SEO and AIOSEO.
You should certainly have a look at it before making a decision. Click here to learn more about it.
SEOPress
SEOPress is the newest SEO plugin that I found and it seems very promising.
This WordPress plugin provides a user-friendly interface while delivering advanced functionalities that cater to diverse SEO needs.
Like any other plugin in this list, SEOPress also has its comprehensive set of tools, including on-page SEO optimization, XML sitemaps, schema markup, social media integration, and more.
This makes it a well-rounded solution for improving your website’s visibility in search engine results.
The plugin strikes a balance between offering powerful optimization tools and ensuring a straightforward experience for users of varying technical backgrounds and they’ve also introduced some AI-powered Features recently.
Whether you’re a blogger, business owner, or marketer, SEOPress is definitely one of the solutions that you should give a try. Learn more about it over here.
SEOPress pricing
SEOPress offers straightforward and affordable pricing for its plugin, making it an accessible choice for a wide range of users.
It only has one plan for the core plugin and then you can additionally get the SEOPress Insights along with it in a bundle or as a standalone SEO tool.
Here’s a brief of their pricing structure and my take on it:
SEOPress Pro ($49/year)
The SEOPress Pro plan has everything that it promises as the core SEO plugin and you can use it on an unlimited number of websites which is excellent.
The best part is, that you get all the features it has and there’s no hostage situation going on here unlike AIOSEO.
It will cost you $49 per year and there’s no catch or insane renewal prices. It’s the same!
Of course, you can extend its capabilities by paying more but that is an off-site SEO tool that you might want to use along with it but it’s not necessary. This one is suitable for a lot of people out there.
SEOPress Bundle ($148/year)
The SEOPress Bundle plan is priced at $128 per year for the first purchase and then it would cost you $148 per year for the renewals.
This plan includes the SEOPress Pro plugin which you can use on an unlimited number of websites along with SEOPress Insights which you can use for one of your websites.
The SEOPress Insights comes at $99 per year per site if you want it for more websites.
Needless to say, it brings in the off-site SEO features in the game such as Rank Tracker, Competition Monitoring, Backlinks powered by Majestic API, Email Reports, and more.
If you calculate everything then you’ll realize that it’s one of the cheapest option available out there but doesn’t sacrifices a lot of features or capabilities.
So it might be a good pick for a lot of people if you don’t want to go with the Rank Math SEO instead. SEOPress is certainly a good choice to have.
Which Plugin Is The Right Fit For You?
Depending on your requirements and taste, you may choose one over the other.
None of the plugins mentioned here are bad in any way, they are all excellent.
However, If I have to make a short and simple general assessment of each one of them, then it would go like this:
This is the best choice overall for everyone. It has everything that you need and more. Even the free version of Rank Math SEO is excellent and more than enough for a vast majority out there. I see no reason at all to say no to this plugin at all. This is an undisputed winner!
This is the closest competitor to Rank Math SEO along with Squirrly SEO. One thing that I like about AIOSEO is its clean interface. I don’t exactly know why but it looks better than the others in terms of UI. It also has four different paid plans which might make sense for some people out there.
This is again a very close competitor to other alternatives on this page but I do not like its interface. If that does not bother you, then you might want to have a look at it for its different approach or focus. Other than that I don’t have anything else to say about it.
This might be a good fit for you if you’re looking for an upgrade to a free version of the plugin on a budget. It is clean, has all the essential features, has AI-powered tools, and everything that you’ll need to get started. I wouldn’t recommend it over Rank Math SEO but it might make sense to you for some specific reasons.
Now that was just my take on these plugins, if you want to decide for yourself then you have to look at all of them one by one and choose the one that feels right for you.
As I said earlier, none of them are bad per se. If that confuses you, simply go for the Rank Math SEO, I have my full confidence that you’ll like it.
Final Thoughts On Yoast SEO Alternatives
As a blogger and digital marketing enthusiast, I understand the importance of optimizing your website for search engines to increase your organic traffic.
While Yoast SEO has been a popular choice for a long time, it’s important to explore other alternatives that can align with your requirements and serve you better.
You see, I’ve been a long-time Yoast SEO user myself and I’ve switched to other alternatives for many years now.
That’s why I’m uniquely qualified to talk about it and I do think there are better options to choose from.
After careful consideration and based on my experiences, I’m confident to say that my top recommendation for the Yoast SEO alternative is the Rank Math SEO plugin.
Every other suggestions are there for you to judge but none of them have convinced me to say otherwise. So, all I can say is good luck and I hope you’ll also have a great experience with it.