Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO is a WordPress plugin that helps you optimise each post and page for search while you write. It scores the page against a focus keyphrase, checks readability, and takes care of technical basics such as XML sitemaps, structured data and breadcrumbs. The core plugin is free. Yoast SEO Premium cost $118.80 per year per site, excluding VAT, on 1 November 2026.

WordPress.org lists more than 10 million active installations, which makes it one of the most widely used SEO plugins for WordPress.

Who is Yoast SEO for?

It suits anyone who publishes on WordPress and wants guidance on on-page SEO without learning every rule first: bloggers, small businesses, content teams and affiliate site owners. Because the checks run inside the WordPress editor, writers see what to fix before they hit publish. Shopify store owners can use a separate Yoast SEO app.

What does Yoast SEO do?

SEO and readability analysis

You set a focus keyphrase for each page, and Yoast checks the title, text, headings and meta description against it, with a green, orange or red light for each point. A readability check flags long sentences, passive voice and missing subheadings, and an inclusive language check suggests alternative wording. Premium lets you add up to five keyphrases per page.

Technical SEO

The free plugin creates an XML sitemap that updates itself and leaves out noindexed content. It adds Schema.org structured data so search engines understand what a page is about, offers breadcrumb control, and can generate an llms.txt file that lists the pages you want AI tools to read. It also connects to Semrush and Wincher for keyword data.

Premium tools

Premium adds a redirect manager with bulk and CSV options, which prompts you when you move or delete a page. It suggests internal links as you write and finds orphaned content. AI features draft SEO titles and meta descriptions in bulk for you to review, and a bot blocker controls which AI crawlers may use your content for training. The Local, Video and News SEO plugins, once sold separately, are included.

How much does Yoast SEO cost?

Prices checked on 1 November 2026, in US dollars:

• Yoast SEO: free.
• Yoast SEO Premium: $118.80 per year, excluding VAT. One subscription covers one site.
• Yoast WooCommerce SEO: $178.80 per year, excluding VAT, for online shops on WooCommerce.
• Yoast SEO for Shopify: $19 USD per 30 days, excluding VAT, with a 14-day free trial.

There is no free trial of Premium for WordPress, but Yoast's refund policy offers a full refund within 30 days of an initial purchase. Renewals are not covered by that refund.

What do users say about Yoast SEO?

On WordPress.org, Yoast SEO holds 4.8 out of 5 from about 27,800 ratings, and more than 25,000 of those are five stars. On G2 it is rated about 4.5 out of 5 from around 200 reviews.

G2 reviewers most often praise its SEO guidance and ease of use, especially the concrete suggestions in the editor. The common complaints are that many useful features sit behind Premium and that the cost adds up, because each site needs its own subscription. Some reviewers also say a green score does not guarantee rankings, since the checks are based on the page itself rather than on competition in search results.

When should you choose something else?

• You need keyword or competitor data. Yoast checks your page but does not tell you what to target. Pair it with a research tool such as Semrush, Ahrefs or Ubersuggest, and use Google Search Console to see what you already rank for.
• You manage affiliate links. Yoast does not cloak, track or auto-insert affiliate links. Use a link management plugin alongside it.
• You want to compare WordPress SEO plugins. G2 publishes side-by-side comparisons of Yoast with Rank Math and All in One SEO, so check their free versions before you pay for Premium.
• Your site is not on WordPress or Shopify. The Yoast plugin and app only work on those two platforms.

Read our guide to keyword research for SEO to choose the keyphrases Yoast should check against.