SEO Review: Is Yoast Premium worth it?
Yoast SEO is one of the most popular WordPress Plugins that offer free and pro On-page optimization features. With over 5 million plus installations in WordPress, the Yoast plugin is making the rounds. Of course, the debate will always surface whether buying some of these Premium SEO tools like Yoast is worth it. So, we will uncover some of the free and pro features, plus the pricing of Yoast SEO premium in this review.
Being an SEO Agency partnering with a couple of clients, we’ve had a chance to work with the premium versions of most of these tools. And we understand how each can support your website’s growth. We recently shared a guide about Rank Math SEO and its pricing; you may want to check it out if you use WordPress.
What is Yoast SEO?
The first thing that comes to mind about WordPress SEO is the “Yoast tool.” All WordPress experts out there can confess. Undoubtedly, Yoast is one of the most popular SEO tools in WordPress. And it has supported many of us in improving site performances, content optimization, Local SEO, etc.
For those that don’t use WordPress, Yoast SEO software is available for other content management systems like Drupal, Shopify, TYPO3, etc. You may want to find out more from the Yoast company page.
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Is there a free version of Yoast SEO?
Yes, definitely! Yoast SEO is available in both free and premium versions. The free version of Yoast SEO offers a range of features that can assist you in website optimization. Here are some of the features you will find in the Yoast free version:
1. Content analysis
This feature helps to analyze the content of your pages and posts, providing suggestions and recommendations to improve their SEO. It checks keyword usage, meta tags, headings, readability, internal and external linking, and much more.
2. Readability analysis
Yoast uses this feature to assess the readability of your content. Then, it will provides suggestions to improve its structure, sentence length, paragraph length, and transition words. As a result, it helps you create content that is not only optimized for search engines but also easy to read and understand by users.
3. XML sitemaps
Yoast SEO automatically generates XML sitemaps for your website, making it easier for search engines to discover and index your pages. The sitemap includes the URLs of your posts, pages, and other content. In the long run, it helps search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your site.
4. Title and meta description
With the free version, you can customize your pages’ titles, meta descriptions, and posts directly within the Yoast SEO settings. As a result, your website gets better search engine visibility and click-through rates.
5. Canonical URLs
This feature will prevent duplicate content issues by automatically adding canonical tags to your pages. Thus, it informs search engines about the preferred version of a page when multiple URLs are pointing to similar or identical content.
6. Basic social media integration
Here, you are able to set custom titles, descriptions, and images for each social media platform. For instance, Facebook and Twitter. This helps optimize how your content appears when shared, increasing its visibility and attractiveness to users.
7. Basic schema markup
Search engines love schema data. And Yoast SEO free version will help you to add basic schema markup to your pages. This helps search engines understand the context and structure of your content. In the long run, it can enhance the appearance of your website in search results, such as ratings, reviews, and event details.
8. Basic breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs shows users the path from the homepage to the current page. Therefore, they improve user experience and navigation while providing additional context to search engines. The good new is that the Yoast free version will add the basic breadcrumb functionality to your website.
What features are in Yoast SEO premium?
Now, the debate arises here. Is Yoast Premium worth it? After all, the free version can do me the trick. While the free version offers many valuable features, the premium version includes additional functionality and support. Here are some of the key features included in the Yoast SEO premium version that make it worth paying for:
1. Advanced keyword optimization
Yoast SEO Premium provides more advanced keyword optimization options than the free version. For instance, it allows you to optimize your content for multiple focus keywords, synonyms, and related keyphrases. Additionally, Yoast premium offers real-time content analysis for these additional keywords, helping to fine-tune your optimization efforts.
2. Content insights
The content insights in Yoast SEO premium version is worth your attention. It includes a content insights feature that provides suggestions to improve your content. These suggestion are usually based on your text’s most common words and phrases. As a result, this can help you create more relevant and comprehensive content.
3. Internal linking suggestions
Yoast SEO Premium suggests internal links that are worth to link to your content. Thus, it helps you to create a well-connected website structure. This will undoubtedly improve user experience and search engine visibility.
4. Redirect manager with support.
The redirect manager in the Yoast premium version works exactly like that in Rank Math SEO. It has support for creating and managing redirects. Hence, it allows you to easily set up redirects and handle any URL changes or broken links on your site.
5. Advanced Social media previews
Yoast SEO Premium provides enhanced social media previews worth any reader’s attention. With this, you can see how your content will appear when shared on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. In addition, you can customize the title, description, and image for each social media platform.
6. 24/7 support
One significant advantage that makes this premium version worth it is access to 24/7 support from the Yoast SEO team. If you have any issues or questions about the plugin, you can receive assistance from their support team.
Yoast SEO Premium Vs. the Free Version
So, let’s summarize the above features from the premium and free versions of Yoast in the table below. With this, you will have a clearer view of whether it is worth getting the Yoast SEO premium version for your website.
| Yoast Features | Free Version | Pro Version |
|---|---|---|
| Content analysis | Yes | Yes |
| Readability analysis | Yes | Yes |
| XML sitemaps | Yes | Yes |
| Title and Meta description | Yes | Yes |
| Canonical URLs | Yes | Yes |
| Breadcrumbs | Yes | Yes |
| Redirect manager | No | Yes |
| Internal link suggestion | No | Yes |
| Advanced keyword optimization | No | Yes |
| Content insights | No | Yes |
| 24/7 support | No | Yes |
| Full access to Yoast SEO academy | No | Yes |
Yoast Pricing
Yoast SEO Premium pricing comes in two packages, each with different features. Choosing your premium package would depend on your needs. Below are Yoast Pricing Packages:
- Yoast SEO Premium plugin: This is the most popular package, which includes full access to the Yoast academy. If your team needs advanced SEO resources, this package is for you.
- Plugin subscription: Where you have access to 5 other powerful Yoast plugins to improve the visibility of your website in Google. You also have access to all online SEO training courses.
| Yoast SEO Packages | Yoast Premium Pricing |
| Yoast SEO Premium plugin | $99 USD Annually |
| Plugin subscription | $229 USD Annually |
Is Yoast SEO Premium worth it?
As an SEO Agency that has used both versions of Yoast SEO, we’re sure the premium version will give you an upper hand in your keyword strategy. However, if you cannot afford the premium version, the free features in Yoast SEO can assist in optimizing your website.
Remember, other options for SEO tools might offer great features in their free versions. For instance, some premium features in Yoast are available in the free version of Rank Math SEO. If you want to take a look, check out our review of Rank Math SEO. It might be what you need.
Final Remarks
We hope this review of Yoast SEO premium features has helped to uncover the essential aspects you need to know. We are sure now you know whether or not Yoast premium is worth a purchase. If you need the Pro version, check it from the Yost pricing page and take your website SEO to another level.
