From the guy who doesn’t use SEO plugins…comes a list of his supposedly “best” SEO plugins.

Read this for what it’s worth. Just a mixed bunch of passing first hand experiences, along with second hand engagements on client sites.

I am far from an “expert” SEO plugin user. But you guys keep asking for my opinion so here goes!

1. The SEO Framework

I like their features, UI, and overall vibe the best. Just the right amount of features for devs and none of the newbie stuff for people with crap sites and crap themes.

2. All-in-One SEO

I loved what this plugin used to be…before Syed Balkhi touched it. AIO SEO is now acquired under his umbrella companies and everything he touches loses its soul. I’m sure it’s worth it but no thanks.

3. All the others

Here goes more stuff I don’t use personally, and only deal with occasionally on client sites.

• SEOPress – seems like a nice brand. I haven’t tried it much. I did hear some people complaining about it making a mess out of the database and lots of unnecessary entries in there (even for small sites).
• Slim SEO – super lean one with a good community vibe. But not many users like the others
• RankMath – wildly popular and many people like it. I do like its modular approach, but I feel it’s kinda bloated (high autoloads). Also kind of buggy sometimes or has random issues that break a site.
• YOAST – the biggest SEO plugin out there in terms of user base (resulting from their heavy marketing and backroom partnerships). I think it’s a safe bet if you don’t know what you’re doing. But its vibe feels like a dinosaur to me. They were one of the most hated WP brands in the past many years. Their blogs can be helpful for newbies learning about SEO.

Ultimately…what makes a good SEO plugin for me is that it has only the features you need and nothing else.

• Newbies need more features and handholding descriptions. It’s easier for them to handle all SEO from one plugin.
• Devs need a cleaner/clutter-free SEO plugin that doesn’t conflict with their custom-designed site handling SEO functions in several places (whether in theme or other task-specific plugins).