Wordpress SEO Themes?

I've read all the threads I can find here via search on the subject of "wordpress seo optimized themes".

I've looked online at the new yoast themes built on the genesis framework. It all seems promising but I've not found anybody reviewing them that have actually ordered one and used it to build a site with.

I do like Yoasts SEO plugin, but admittedly have only used it on one site. The site map function included was never indexed beyond three pages of the 11 pages that the site has. Turned off the site map function of the plugin last night and loaded up Arne Brachholds sitemap plugin which I never had a problem with in the past. I'll see how it goes.


I've looked at David Laws stallion theme. The examples I've found are very tacky looking and look pre 1995 for the most part but he touts it as the best theme for wordpress SEO and I take it that his plugin is built in. He has a monetary challenge listed on his site that offers a reward for anybody that can find a wordpress theme more suited to seo than his. But like I said the sites I seen built with it are pretty much all thin affiliate marketing sites and pig ugly.

I need a go to theme with one plugin for seo that combined will make the best of wordpress.

My focus has been on building geo specific small to medium sized business websites that are city specific with a population of bout half a million. Competition for most key phrases I would rate at moderate.

Currently I'm using expand2webs small business themes, but find them somewhat limiting and it hijacks certain functions that I don't want hijacked. I have been ranking sites with it so I'm certainly not going to complain. It has a lot of good points and very few bad points.

It's critical for me to rank my sites in the top 3 organic first page of google for their key terms. I build them, rank them, then lease them to customers. It's just been my experience that if you're not there in the top 3 organic, you're not in the money. The difference in organic #4 spot under the local 7 pack and being in the top 3 above it is profound.

Any recommendations? Do you have a go to theme that fits this bill?

I'm leaning toward trying the yoast themes. Anybody have any experience with them yet? If you do I would love to hear about it.