As a webmaster with over 15 years of experience in the industry, I‘ve worked with all kinds of SEO software and seen the field evolve significantly over time. This gives me a unique perspective on the rise of Yoast SEO and why so many users are now seeking alternatives to move their websites forward.
Contents
The History of Yoast SEO
To understand this shift, it helps to know the background. Yoast SEO first launched in 2008 and quickly became one of the most popular SEO plugins for WordPress.
At the time, it met a real need for site owners looking to improve on-page optimization in a WordPress landscape with few options. Joost de Valk, Yoast‘s founder, did an excellent job of making SEO accessible.
Yoast has retained a dominant position, now being used on over 5 million websites. As of 2022, it had over 13 million active installs and over 300,000 5-star reviews, so there‘s no doubt the plugin provides value.
However, after using Yoast extensively myself in the past and now relying on alternative SEO solutions for the sites I manage, I‘ve come to understand its limitations first-hand.
Why Website Owners Are Seeking Yoast Alternatives
While Yoast SEO laid the groundwork, the SEO landscape has substantially evolved and continues accelerating faster than this legacy plugin.
In my experience managing both personal sites and client properties over the past 5+ years, there are a few key reasons site owners move on from Yoast SEO:
Cost
To unlock Yoast‘s full suite of features, site owners must pay for multiple add-ons:
- Local SEO ($19 per year)
- Video SEO ($19 per year)
- News SEO ($29 per year)
- WooCommerce SEO ($29 per year)
This nickel-and-diming adds up quickly, especially for site owners with multiple WordPress installs. Even with just 2-3 add-ons, costs can balloon to over $100 per year.
As per BuiltWith data from Q1 2022, Yoast only has a 14% market share of SEO plugins on the top 10,000 sites. Yet it made up 43% of SEO plugin revenues.
This indicates Yoast SEO likely generates higher revenues per user compared to alternatives, largely through pushing paid addons.
Many site owners are now turning to solutions like AIOSEO and SEOPress that offer equivalent functionality out of the box at more competitive price points.
Limited features
While Yoast SEO covers on-page optimization basics adequately, I‘ve found it lacks some of the advanced capabilities offered by competitors.
For example, there is no automated internal linking, content analysis, rank tracking, or integration with Google Search Console and Google Analytics.
Site owners must patch together multiple addons and tools to achieve robust SEO capabilities and data offered standard in many modern solutions.
Compatibility issues
In my experience, Yoast SEO can conflict with other plugins, especially page builders like Elementor, Divi, and Beaver Builder. For example, its meta box may fail to load properly.
These conflicts add development and maintenance overhead. Alternative SEO plugins generally play nicer with a wider array of solutions.
Slow innovation
Finally, Yoast SEO development and release cycles feel stale compared to the rapid pace of innovation seen in competitors like AIOSEO, RankMath, and SEOPress.
As Google‘s algorithms and best practices change, I‘ve observed alternatives rolling out new features and updates much quicker than Yoast.
For site owners keen to stay on the cutting edge of SEO, this slow pace of evolution prompts many to look elsewhere.
7 Top Yoast SEO Alternatives
To help those looking to move to a new SEO solution, I‘ve compiled the top 7 Yoast alternatives based on my hands-on experience with each plugin managing both personal sites and client properties:
1. AIOSEO
Without question, AIOSEO remains my plugin of choice after testing it extensively against other options. I actively use it to power SEO for all the sites under my management.
It offers the perfect blend of ease-of-use and advanced functionality that simply outpaces Yoast SEO. I‘m able to get sites fully optimized faster than ever before.
AIOSEO shines with features like:
- Automatic XML sitemaps (Dynamically generated)
- Deep social media optimization
- News SEO, local SEO, and WooCommerce SEO built-in
- Powerful schema markup
- Content analyzers and SEO scores
- Full SEO audits and asset optimization
- Detailed SEO checklists and scoring for pages/posts
It also integrates tightly with Google Analytics, Search Console, and other reporting tools to provide robust performance data.
The developers move fast, rolling out major updates on a monthly basis. I‘m constantly impressed with new capabilities like the Link Assistant and content gap finder.
For site owners with multiple WordPress installs, AIOSEO is also far more affordable than Yoast SEO. It‘s absolutely my top recommendation as the complete package.
2. SEOPress
If AIOSEO feels too robust, SEOPress is an outstanding lightweight alternative to Yoast. I often recommend it for site owners with simpler needs.
The free version nails all the SEO basics like meta optimization, XML sitemaps, redirects, etc. The paid version then adds advanced functionality without the bloat.
Key features:
- News and Video sitemaps
- Redirect manager
- SEO audits
- Google Analytics integration
- WooCommerce product schema
SEOPress also uses AI to generate amazingly accurate default meta titles and descriptions. This powers hands-off optimization when you don‘t need manual control.
For sites that don‘t require the full suite of features offered by AIOSEO, SEOPress hits the sweet spot. It‘s a cost-effective Yoast alternative.
3. Rank Math SEO
With over 2 million active installs, Rank Math stands as one of the most widely adopted replacements for Yoast. Based on my testing, Rank Math deserves its popularity.
It incorporates a phenomenal setup wizard that configures SEO basics in just a few minutes. The content analyzer also provides real-time optimization feedback as you write posts.
Some of the key features include:
- Automated XML sitemaps
- Support for Google Search Console
- Redirect manager
- Focus keyword content analysis
- Schema markup for rich snippets
- Rank tracking
I also appreciate how tightly Rank Math integrates with Google tools, almost rivaling AIOSEO. This provides helpful performance insights.
For site owners willing to invest time customizing settings, Rank Math is a robust pick. It caters to advanced users while also being beginner friendly.
4. Squirrly SEO
Squirrly SEO stands out as one of the most unique Yoast alternatives, providing deep SEO automation powered by AI.
As someone managing multiple sites, I love how Squirrly‘s technology optimizes pages in the background. The assistants act like an extra team member!
Key capabilities:
- AI Assistant generates custom SEO checklists
- Live Assistant provides real-time writing feedback
- Rank tracking shows keyword positions
- SERP previews
- SEO audits
For site owners without the time to manually optimize pages, Squirrly delivers outstanding hands-off SEO. The automation frees you to focus on content while Squirrly handles optimization.
If you find the constant configuration of Yoast SEO tedious, let Squirrly SEO do the work for you instead.
5. Semrush SEO Writing Assistant
Semrush is renowned for its robust SEO analytics and keyword research. The company‘s SEO Writing Assistant neatly integrates these tools into the WordPress editor.
The Writing Assistant analyzes your content in real-time as you write, providing an SEO score and actionable suggestions.
Notable features:
- Focus keyword optimization
- Readability analysis
- Plagiarism checker
- Tone detection
- Google SERP preview
I like how Semrush provides a second set of expert eyes, catching issues I may miss on my own. This helps me further refine content.
For those already paying for Semrush, the Writing Assistant is a no-brainer integration. But it can provide value even as a standalone plugin for optimizing your copy.
6. SEO Framework
Unlike other solutions packed with bells and whistles, SEO Framework takes a streamlined approach. It loads blazing fast without slowing sites down.
I often recommend SEO Framework for site owners less concerned with extensive analytics and more focused on core technical SEO.
Key features:
- Lightweight performance
- Auto-generated meta descriptions
- Search engine preview tool
- Google Site Links structured data
- Social meta tags
- Sitemaps
For site owners who find Yoast SEO overly complex, SEO Framework provides robust core SEO optimizations in a lean, fast package. Sometimes simple is better.
7. SEOPressor
SEOPressor is quickly emerging as a viable contender in the Yoast alternative space. While a relative newcomer, I‘ve been impressed with its feature set in testing.
The installer makes initial setup simple. SEOPressor also incorporates AI for auto-generating titles and descriptions.
The custom 404 monitors broken links automatically, while the traffic analyzer provides key metrics.
Key capabilities:
- AI-powered automatic meta data generation
- Custom 404 monitor
- Site migration tool
- Traffic analyzer
- Video and News sitemaps
For site owners who resent constantly configuring Yoast SEO, SEOPressor automates more right out of the box. This frees you to focus on content.
Key Takeaways – Choosing the Right Alternative
When moving away from Yoast SEO, first carefully assess your needs:
- Do you require advanced SEO functionality like rank tracking and site audits? Or just the basics?
- Is WooCommerce SEO integration important?
- Do you manage multiple sites where pricing matters?
- Do you prefer minimal manual configuration?
I recommend AIOSEO as the best all-around solution for its vast feature set and affordable pricing. SEOPress works well for site owners seeking core SEO capabilities without the complexity.
RankMath and Semrush Writing Assistant offer robust optimization for those willing to invest time in customization.
And SEO Framework nails the basics for those seeking barebones SEO speed and performance.
No matter your specific needs, rest assured viable alternatives to Yoast SEO now exist to take your website‘s visibility to the next level. The plugins highlighted here offer compelling options to consider.
