Genesis 2.0 SEO vs. Yoast

[jalodico]

I just upgraded to Genesis 2.0 but have been using the Yoast plugin. The info out on Genesis 2.0 emphasizes SEO capabilities.

Does anyone know if there is a big difference between Yoast and Genesis 2.0 SEO settings? Is it worth going back to Genesis SEO settings on an existing site? If so, doesn't a transfer of some sort need to happen in order to preserve post/page meta?

How about on a new site? I usually build new sites with Yoast plugin installed. Would you stay with 2.0 or go with Yoast on a new site?

Thanks for any input.

[David Chu]

Hi,
SEO is definitely not my main focus, although I always try to keep it in mind as I set up a site, and give suggestions to clients. So an SEO person may have a different opinion.

I find the Genesis SEO settings to be excellent for most of the organic SEO practices. So I tend not to use Yoast, even though it's awesome, unless someone requests it.

If someone has very advanced SEO knowledge (this would exclude most site owner/editors, frankly), then Yoast may be a better choice, as it's deeper, with more features. Yoast also has incompatibilities with some plugins here and there, mostly having to do with permalinks. So it's really for more advanced users, yet people seem to install it almost automagically. 🙂

That's my take. Maybe a serious SEO geek can convince me otherwise. 🙂

Dave

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Dave Chu · Custom WordPress Developer – likes collaborating with Designers

[Gary Jones]

The plugin you're looking for is the SEO Data Transporter - that can shift the meta data between the formats that WPSEO and Genesis need it.

In terms of the differences, they both really just enable different fields, and then do something with whatever SEO values you put into it. I have to admit though, I'm shifting my sites over to using the WP SEO plugin. It's not that I think Genesis SEO is bad, but the plugin offers a little more - preview of the SERP snippet, page analysis, social media tags, and various other bits on the fringes of SEO that wouldn't ever be included within Genesis itself.

In terms of Genesis 2.0, the only additional functionality since Genesis 1.9 is the Custom Post Types Archive feature which adds the usual Genesis SEO fields for CPT archives. There's a few little bits (recognition of SEO Ultimate plugin, use of semantic headings for using multiple h1 elements in HTML5, Scripts field moving out of the SEO box so it isn't hidden when using an SEO plugin, removal of HTML comments so real content isn't pushed further down the source, removal of style attributes for the same reason, and some miscellaneous fixes for SEO-related code), but overall, it's not changed that much.

If you've already got everything in WP SEO, then my personal suggestion would be to keep with it.

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WordPress Engineer, and key contributor the Genesis Framework | @GaryJ

[William]

I am staying with WP SEO. My main reason is because I don't want to transport SEO data or settings when I change the face of my web site. Also, the plugin works very well. Moving to another SEO system isn't going to magically improve your rankings.

An argument for moving away from a plugin is that it's one more thing that has to load and use resources. I don't find that WP SEO puts a significant drain on my sites, though. There is some merit to the mantra of "Omit Needless Plugins."

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–William
http://williambeem.com

[BillyB]

I'm trying to hang in there on this thread but could use some help:

1. Does Yoast SEO = WPSEO? If not, how did we get from the original questions about Yoast to WPSEO?
2. If you switch between the two, you need to use the WP Data Transporter plugin to translate SEO related fields from one to the other. Right?
3. Take away: Yoast / WPSEO offers more features than Genesis 2.0 SEO but requires more skill and burdens load time. Is that an accurate summary?

Thanks for helping me keep up!

[jalodico]

Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to this. I'm not getting email updates to the responses.

I used to do everything in WPSEO (which is the same as "Yoast" Billy) but eventually switched most of the sites I work with to Yoast as it is much more advanced. It sounds like most of the Genesis upgrades are covered in the Yoast plugin.

Of the plugins I've used, Yoast WPSEO doesn't seem to be one that burdens the site and I've spent some time lately looking at site speed.

Thanks all.

[Derek]

Yoast's blog runs off the Genesis Framework so he understands how Genesis work's and with new changes in the latest version. I've been using Yoast for 2 years and I like it better over the default SEO options we get on here.

It took me awhile to figure out all the settings that I wanted on the plugin but this plugin does get updated a lot and that's a plus.

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[Vit Lastovka]

This reply has been marked as private.

[Gary Jones]

1. http://yoast.com/wordpress/video-manual-wordpress-seo/ would be a sensible place. There may be free review / tutorials elsewhere.
2. If you're going to use videos a lot, then yes, it's worth it.

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WordPress Engineer, and key contributor the Genesis Framework | @GaryJ

[badtaco]

Great thread. Thanks for all of the info

[Author]

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