When launching a blog, the first step is to choose a theme that looks great and satisfies your needs. However, many people make the mistake of picking a theme based solely on its appearance, without considering its impact on SEO. WordPress themes play a crucial role in determining the success of your website’s SEO, as they affect user experience (UX) signals such as responsiveness, loading speed, and interface optimization. In this article, we will discuss the importance of choosing an SEO-optimized theme and provide tips for selecting the right one.
Why Your Theme is an Important Part of SEO
Although installing a theme cannot directly affect your website’s rankings, it can indirectly impact your SEO success. UX signals are becoming increasingly important in determining SEO rankings, and themes contribute significantly to UX. From loading transitions to content structure, themes affect UX signals such as responsiveness, fast-loading, and optimized interface. As Google’s Core Web Vitals update approaches, it’s essential to choose a theme that meets these criteria.
Here are some things to consider when selecting an SEO-optimized theme for your website:
1. Well-Coded
Themes that look great are often strings of code in the backend. As a website owner, you should ensure that your theme is well-coded to be SEO-friendly, safe, and fast. However, if you’re a beginner who doesn’t know coding languages, it can be challenging to evaluate the quality of a theme’s code. A good rule of thumb is to choose a popular theme that offers frequent updates and has an experienced developer company. Reading reviews from other developers can also provide valuable insights.
2. Fast Loading
Slow loading times can significantly impact UX and increase bounce rates. Themes are often the culprit behind slow loading times, so it’s crucial to choose a fast-loading theme. You can use tools like GTMetrix or PageSpeed Insights to evaluate your current theme’s performance and identify any issues causing slow load times. If your theme takes more than three seconds to load, it’s time to consider switching to a faster one.
3. Responsive
A responsive theme adjusts its layout to different screen sizes and resolutions, making it more user-friendly on smaller screens and mobile devices. Mobile-friendly pages rank higher on Google, so choosing a responsive theme can improve your SEO. In 2021, mobile-friendliness is a must, as mobile users make up more than 80% of internet users. Choose a theme with a responsive design that fits different screen sizes without compromising the layout’s appearance.
4. Regular Updates
Themes that offer frequent updates are essential for maintaining a safe and secure website. Outdated software is a common cause of CMS hacks, with 39% of hacked websites using outdated software in 2018. Choose a theme that offers regular updates and security improvements to keep your site healthy and secure.
5. SEO Plugin Compatibility
Not all themes are compatible with every SEO plugin, and some themes may have an inbuilt SEO tool that conflicts with other plugins. Using an SEO plugin like Yoast can ensure that you have the best setup for your website’s SEO, as theme developers may not understand SEO as well as specialized SEO plugin developers. Check if the theme allows SEO plugins before selecting one.
6. Cross Browser Tested
Ensure that your theme is cross-browser tested to ensure that your site loads correctly on all browsers across different operating systems, devices, and screen sizes. A good theme should work in modern browsers like Firefox, Safari, Opera, Chrome, and Edge.
What is an Example of an SEO-Friendly Theme?
The Total theme by WPExplorer is an excellent example of an SEO-optimized theme. It’s a drag-and-drop theme with 40+ premade demos and 500+ styling options, making it easy to create a unique website without any hassle. The Total theme is well-coded, fast-loading, responsive, and offers regular updates. It’s also compatible with SEO plugins like Yoast and has been cross-browser tested. With over 47,000 satisfied customers, the Total theme is an excellent choice for an SEO-optimized theme.
Wrapping Up
Choosing an SEO-optimized theme is crucial for your website’s success. A clean, responsive, quick, secure, and compatible theme like the Total WordPress theme by WPExplorer can significantly impact your website’s UX signals and improve your SEO rankings. Remember that SEO is about creating content for users rather than search engines, so prioritize user experience when selecting a theme. By following the tips in this article, you can choose an SEO-optimized theme that will help you achieve your website’s goals.
