The Best WordPress Plugins For Your Site & Their Pros and Cons
When it comes to digital marketing, search engine optimization is one of the simplest and most effective methods of gaining traffic to your website. Using these SEO and e-commerce WordPress plugins is a surefire way to achieve the traction you're looking for.
Here at WEB ROI, we want to present you with some of the best options for search engine optimization if you're using WordPress to host your business, portfolio, or blog. As you'll find below, some of these plugins are free, while others come at a premium price, so it's up to you to determine the most effective choice for your particular site. Let's begin by looking at each WordPress plugin and its respective pros and cons.
1. Yoast SEO
Currently, Yoast SEO is the most widely used SEO plug-in for WordPress.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Real-time page analysis helps you optimize your WordPress site | May prioritize only specific keywords |
| Analyzes your site and corrects readability issues | Readability analysis can be overbearing or problematic |
| Can generate URLs automatically | Users frequently mention a desire for further tutorials |
| Creates XML sitemaps | Constant updates interfere with the usability |
| Offers premium version with more features | Can conflict with other plugins |
Get the Yoast SEO plug-in here.
2. Gravity Forms
Gravity Forms is a powerful data capture tool that you'll want to use for professional forms.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Can build complex contact forms quickly | A basic license subscription is $59 a year |
| Little technical knowledge required | While some find the UI user-friendly, others report trouble generating forms |
| Easy-to-use interface and editor | Forms without CSS may not fit the style of your site |
| Can schedule contact forms to appear at different times | Slow customer support when necessary |
| Create order forms with price fields | |
| Provides forms that let users generate WordPress posts on site |
Learn more about Gravity Forms here.
3. Moz
An SEO powerhouse, Moz offers the most popular keyword research and SEO analysis tools available.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Provides insight into user site behaviours | Users claim it could have a friendlier UI |
| Indicates backlink trends and opportunities | Some features are limited to a certain number per month |
| Offers competitor web presence analysis | Keyword research tools can be too broad or too specific |
| Site crawls improve technical issues on your webpages | Learning curve |
| Identifies content that needs to rank better in searches | The standard license is $99 per month |
Check out Moz's free SEO tools and plug-ins here.
4. WooCommerce
WooCommerce is WordPress's own approach to e-commerce platforms.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Powers more than 30% of online stores | Performance can be hindered or conflict with other plugins |
| Calculates cost of shipping and taxes | Certain extensions require payment |
| Accepts major credit cards, bank transfers, PayPal, and cash. | Unfriendly template customization |
| One-page checkout | No easy way to sync with other platforms |
| Handles cart abandonment | Basic reports and searches that require plugins |
| Add-ons and themes that alter functionality to your needs |
Learn more about the open-source platform here.
5. Rank Math
Optimize your pages with Rank Math's robust SEO plug-in.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Quick setup in WordPress | Compatibility issues with other SEO plugins |
| Beginner-friendly UI | Users may be overwhelmed by the number of features |
| Effective customer support | Unnecessary/unused features |
| Yoast and similar SEO plugins can be imported | The free version only allows optimization for up to five keywords |
Read how to download the plug-in here.
Final Thoughts: Why You Should Work With an SEO Expert
With the advantages and disadvantages of each WordPress plugin in mind, we hope that you find the right option for your WordPress site and garner the traction you‘ve been looking for. It might be best to play around with a free version if you’re new to SEO plugins before diving into a feature-heavy premium model. If not, give the team at WEB ROI a call. With our SEO expertise, you’re sure to come out on top (with a lot less effort on your part).
