A WordPress site without an SEO plugin is missing the basics — XML sitemaps, structured data, meta titles and descriptions, social-media preview tags. There are five plugins worth comparing. They all do the basics. The differences come in the polish, the upsell pressure, the impact on site speed, and whether the free version is actually usable. Here's the honest version.
Yoast SEO
The original. Used on more WordPress sites than any other SEO plugin.
Free version covers: XML sitemaps, meta titles and descriptions, readability analysis, focus keyword analysis, schema markup, social previews, .htaccess editor.
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Contact HereStrengths: beginner-friendly, well-documented, traffic-light readability scoring teaches good habits, large support community.
Weaknesses: the free version constantly nags you to upgrade, the dashboard nudges feel intrusive, performance impact is heavier than competitors, the readability traffic-lights can lead writers astray (good prose sometimes gets red flags).
Verdict: safe choice if you're new to WordPress. Many small business owners outgrow it.
Rank Math
The challenger. Has steadily taken share from Yoast over the last few years.
Free version covers: more than Yoast's free tier — keyword tracking, advanced schema, redirect manager, 404 monitoring, Google Search Console integration, image SEO suggestions, multiple focus keywords per page.
Strengths: generous free tier, lighter performance footprint, modern interface, built-in features that are paid upgrades on Yoast.
Weaknesses: the wizard pushes account creation, occasional bloat with features most users don't need, the upsell to Pro is now more aggressive than it was.
Verdict: strong default for users comfortable in WordPress.
All In One SEO Pack
The veteran. Predates Yoast.
Free version covers: XML sitemaps, meta tags, social media integration, basic schema, simple setup wizard.
Strengths: minimal configuration needed — turn it on and the basics happen, light footprint, reliable for years.
Weaknesses: less feature-rich than Rank Math or even Yoast free, content analysis is rudimentary, looks dated.
Verdict: fine for a basic brochure site where SEO is not a primary growth driver.
SEOPress
What we install on most client sites.
Free version covers: XML sitemaps, meta tags, content analysis, structured data, breadcrumbs, Google Analytics integration, redirect manager, image SEO, Open Graph and Twitter card support.
Strengths: clean interface with no upsell nags in the free version, lightweight, the paid Pro tier is reasonable (£39/year for one site), pairs well with Divi 5, French-developed and supported.
Weaknesses: smaller community than Yoast or Rank Math so fewer YouTube tutorials, content analysis is solid but less hand-holding than Yoast.
Verdict: our go-to for client sites. The free version is actually usable as a free version, which sets it apart.
Squirrly SEO
The AI-flavoured option.
Free version covers: AI-driven content suggestions, keyword research, focus keyword tracking, basic on-page SEO.
Strengths: real-time content optimisation suggestions are useful for non-SEO writers, the AI assistant is genuinely useful for small businesses without a copywriter.
Weaknesses: free tier is heavily limited (12 keywords/week analysed), upsell pressure is significant, performance impact is real.
Verdict: worth trying if you're a one-person business doing all the writing yourself and want extra hand-holding. Most others outgrow the free tier quickly.
What we use for Devon clients
We install SEOPress on most builds because the free version is properly usable, the performance impact is light, and clients aren't constantly being nagged to upgrade. For clients on the £300/month retainer we usually upgrade them to SEOPress Pro for the extra schema and Google Search Console reporting features — at £39/year per site it's a rounding error.
For clients who specifically prefer Rank Math or Yoast, we install those instead. The plugin is rarely the bottleneck — the bottleneck is usually whether anyone is actually writing the content the plugin is helping you optimise.
Don't run more than one
Critical: never have two SEO plugins active at once. They overwrite each other's settings, duplicate the meta tags, break the sitemaps, and cause indexing problems. Pick one, deactivate any others, and stick with it.
If you'd rather have it set up properly from day one, that's part of every Shout Websites build (£250 starter). Call or WhatsApp 07887 988780.