Best WordPress Theme for SEO purposes

Alex Barboza

13 years ago

Catalyst | Premium WordPress Theme

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KHahn

13 years ago

The theme doesn't really matter when it comes to SEO. Some themes do have "footprints" but I personally just use "all in one SEO" plugin and it allows you to customize your meta keywords, meta titles, meta descriptions for each post and page, as well as the main site.

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VegasGreg

13 years ago

Yea,, it's not the Theme you have to worry about (most of the time), but how you set it up and use it. And having the right plugins will help a LOT regardless of the theme.

Now the themes that are bad for SEO would be those that have links embedded throughout especially if they link to bad neighborhoods. So be sure to use themes made/provided by respectable companies.

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Donald Truehart

13 years ago

Please don't say its not the theme. I figured I'd get responses like that. I'm aware that just about any theme CAN be optimised and that Off-page factors probably have more impact to a site's ranking, BUT there are some themes out there that have more in-built SEO features (built in-plugins) that make doing the onpage SEO stuff much easier.

Time is Money and I'm just just trying to save a little.

Any other suggestion will be appreciated...

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RichKent

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Donald Truehart

Please don't say its not the theme. I figured I'd get responses like that. I'm aware that just about any theme CAN be optimised and that Off-page factors probably have more impact to a site's ranking, BUT there are some themes out there that have more in-built SEO features (built in-plugins) that make doing the onpage SEO stuff much easier.

Time is Money and I'm just just trying to save a little.

Any other suggestion will be appreciated...

Hi Donald - I ran into this a year ago too. Ultimately I decided to build my own theme for niche sites as I couldn't find a site that did what I wanted out of the box.

For example, most themes don't prioritize the post titles vs. the blog name. In other words, on the homepage it's fine to have the site title an <h1> tag, but on other posts the title should drop to an <h3> at most, and put an <h1> around the post title.

Most themes don't do this - and a lot will have <h1> tags around both, which is less than ideal. You can do this with conditional tags.

Another thing is most themes you buy have way too much junk in them. Junk in the design, clutter in the files, unnecessary html and css that make them load slowly. I cut it all out and made a very clean, fast-loading theme.

I know that doesn't exactly help you, but I guess the moral of the story is if you can afford it have a good designer build you your own clean and SEO optimized theme!

Regarding title tags and what not, I prefer Joost's new SEO plugin over all-in-one seo, but either works well. Using a plugin is fine for the title and description tags - there's no need to have it 'built in' to the theme.

Good luck!

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WillR

13 years ago

Originally Posted by RichKent

For example, most themes don't prioritize the post titles vs. the blog name. In other words, on the homepage it's fine to have the site title an <h1> tag, but on other posts the title should drop to an <h3> at most, and put an <h1> around the post title.

Most themes don't do this - and a lot will have <h1> tags around both, which is less than ideal. You can do this with conditional tags.

Another thing is most themes you buy have way too much junk in them. Junk in the design, clutter in the files, unnecessary html and css that make them load slowly. I cut it all out and made a very clean, fast-loading theme.

Exactly, and this is why I use the standard Twenty-Ten theme for a lot of my quick niche blogs. They have all the heading tags set up to work correctly and you also know that the theme won't get broken as it is written by Wordpress. Then I just use a simple SEO plugin such as 'Platinum SEO' to make the blog SEO friendly. It's not complicated.

For a paid theme you can't really go past the Thesis theme: DIYthemes

This has long been a favorite of Wordpress users because of it's ease of customization and it's built in SEO features - and it's heavily supported.

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jazbo

13 years ago

Its NOT the theme. but hey, as you already know the answer you are looking for, go spend a ton of cash on Thesis or something.

Originally Posted by Donald Truehart

Please don't say its not the theme. I figured I'd get responses like that. I'm aware that just about any theme CAN be optimised and that Off-page factors probably have more impact to a site's ranking, BUT there are some themes out there that have more in-built SEO features (built in-plugins) that make doing the onpage SEO stuff much easier.

Time is Money and I'm just just trying to save a little.

Any other suggestion will be appreciated...

Thanks

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christopher jon

13 years ago

So what you're looking for is something similar to the all-in-one seo plugin but lighter, more efficient and built into the theme?

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MrDay

13 years ago

I use Headway and they have these type of SEO features built-in.

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garben2011

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Donald Truehart

Hi,

What are a few Wordpress themes that can be recommended that are good for SEO purposes?

What I specifically looking for is any themes that allow you to easily insert the meta tag keywords, title, Htags, etc. from the backend so that you can just enter the keyword and it will populate it in the necessary places for onpage SEO?

Thanks in advance.

Keep in mind that you should also be able to have someone easily update any theme to give you SEO abilities. I customize my WP themes as needed to allow me to add the title and description. I don't use the keywords meta tag anymore but this could easily be done.

I update the themes I use to grab the post title and use it for the Title meta tag and I use what I write in the Post excerpt box for the Description meta tag.

Just wanted to throw this out there as something to keep in mind. There are custom fields available for each of your posts in WP. A programmer can also make it so those fields are used for your SEO meta tags.

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christopher jon

13 years ago

For example, most themes don't prioritize the post titles vs. the blog name. In other words, on the homepage it's fine to have the site title an <h1> tag, but on other posts the title should drop to an <h3> at most, and put an <h1> around the post title.

I haven't split tested this but with all of my themes for the blog name I use H1 for the index and drop it down to P on inner pages. Not sure if using P instead of H3 is better, worse or makes no difference. I'll have to google this. And yeah, on the inner pages the post title, category or whatever is bumped up to an H1.

A lot of themes are a complete fail when it comes to this kind of stuff.

Another thing is most themes you buy have way too much junk in them. Junk in the design, clutter in the files, unnecessary html and css that make them load slowly. I cut it all out and made a very clean, fast-loading theme.

Very true.

A lot of great web designers are not marketers or even know much about SEO. They are concerned about the visual appearance first and often throw in way too much junk that nobody wants or is going to use. Some of the premium theme sites are packed with themes that look amazing but when it comes to actual use for internet marketing they are worthless.

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John Williamson

13 years ago

Check out Clickbump Engine from Scott Blanchard.

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asher_gben

13 years ago

just google it and you will find some idea

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Oranges

13 years ago

Even the default wordpress theme will do with some SEO plugin.

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SwayamDas

13 years ago

I suggest you use Thesis Wordpress Template. Its great!

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clickbump

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Donald Truehart

Hi,

What are a few Wordpress themes that can be recommended that are good for SEO purposes?

What I specifically looking for is any themes that allow you to easily insert the meta tag keywords, title, Htags, etc. from the backend so that you can just enter the keyword and it will populate it in the necessary places for onpage SEO?

Thanks in advance.

Hi Donald, hit me a PM if you have specific questions, but if your serious about your site reaching its full potential you owe it to yourself to take a strong look at my software. I don't just have a theme, I have a solution.

There is definitely a limit to what the theme can do. For example, you still have to write the content and market the site effectively; but all due respect to others opinions here, the theme has a significant supporting role to play in enhancing your ability to rank your site's pages for your their target keywords.

Order matters. Semantic structure and content-to-markup ratios matter. Google is a blind user. So your code better hold up when the curtains are pulled back and G bot has to feel its way through the minefield of markup that many WordPress themes are laden with.

In contrast to that, If you take a look at one of my customer's sites (or even my own sales page which is running my theme), and right-click to view the source markup, you'll know instantly the difference.

And trust me on this: many people who use my theme couldn't tell you the difference between PHP and CSS and they don't care; Nor do they need to.

Unlike other theme frameworks like Thesis or Genesis that require PHP/CSS skills to customize the layout & design, I've built the core CE4 theme and templates in such a way that give you point and click customization of almost every aspect of the layout, design, font colors, background colors, menus, etc

I've got testimonials from soccer moms, retirees and even grandmothers who routinely kick major butt and trounce over competing sites in their niche.

This, despite having no age, no PR and no authority. If you can write *that* good, more power to you.

If you want to think the theme has nothing to do with that, better hope that you don't run up against one of my grannies!

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Michael Ten

13 years ago

so which ones are the best FREE themes for SEO???

Thanks.

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warrior rakib

13 years ago

I recommend genesis theme. Its rock for seo and some biggest blogger are using it

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theseowork

13 years ago

use the All in seo tools plugin for increase your website..
or u use the seo theme also then that for this...

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Donald Truehart

13 years ago

I hear some recommendations for Genesis and Thesis but from what I've read they both require php and css coding knowledge and those aren't my strong suits.

Are there any good ones that aren't cluttered and great for SEO that don't require php/css skills?