How To Add An SEO-Friendly Table Of Contents on Your WordPress Website using an SEO plugin
Adding an SEO-friendly table of contents to your WordPress website can improve your site’s user experience and help your content rank higher in search engine results. A plugin designed for this purpose can make the process easy and efficient. In this article, we’ll show you how to add an SEO-friendly table of contents to your WordPress website using an SEO plugin.
Why Use an SEO Plugin for Adding a Table of Contents?
An SEO plugin can help ensure your table of contents is optimized for search engines. Using structured data markup can tell search engines that your table of contents is a key element of your page, which can improve your chances of ranking higher in search results. An SEO plugin can also help you customize the appearance of your table of contents and provide additional features like the automatic numbering of headings.
Step 1: Install an SEO Plugin
The first step is to install an SEO plugin that includes a table of contents feature. Yoast SEO and Rank Math are two popular plugins that offer this functionality. Once you have chosen and installed your preferred plugin, activate it on your WordPress website.
Step 2: Configure the Table of Contents Settings
After activating your SEO plugin, you will need to configure the table of contents settings. Go to the plugin’s settings page and look for the table of contents option. You can customize the heading levels to include, the appearance of the table of contents, and other options depending on the plugin you are using. Make sure to save your changes.
Step 3: Add the Table of Contents to Your Pages
Once you have configured the settings, you can add the table of contents to your pages or posts. The process may differ depending on the SEO plugin you are using. In Yoast SEO, for example, you can add the table of contents by selecting the “Content types” tab in the plugin’s settings and toggling the “Table of contents” option to “Enabled”. You can then select the heading levels to include and the position of the table of contents.
In Rank Math, you can add the table of contents by going to the “Content Analysis” tab in the post editor and selecting “Add Table of Contents”. You can then customize the appearance and behavior of the table of contents.
Step 4: Preview and Publish Your Pages
After adding the table of contents, you can preview your pages to see how the table of contents appears. Make sure that the headings are correctly numbered and that the table of contents is easy to navigate. Once you are satisfied, publish your pages or posts, and the table of contents will be visible to your visitors.
Best Practices for Adding an SEO-Friendly Table of Contents
To make sure that your table of contents is optimized for search engines and user-friendly, consider the following best practices:
- Use descriptive and concise headings that accurately reflect the content of each section
- Include only the most important headings in your table of contents to avoid overwhelming your visitors
- Place the table of contents at the top of your page or post to make it easy to find
- Use structured data markup to tell search engines that the table of contents is a key element of your page
- Test the table of contents on different devices and browsers to ensure that it is easily accessible and legible
Conclusion
Adding an SEO-friendly table of contents to your WordPress website can help improve your site’s user experience and search engine ranking. By using an SEO plugin and following best practices, you can create a table of contents that is both optimized for search engines and user-friendly.
