There is no gainsaying that your WordPress website ranks better with SEO optimization. The challenge for many users, however, is which SEO plugin to use from the catalog of powerful SEO tools available. Luckily, the primary options are reduced to either Yoast SEO or All in One SEO. Nevertheless, it can be confusing to settle for one of these two, especially if you are new to SEO plugins.
This article will compare both plugins and arrive at a verdict that, hopefully, you will find useful. This article is not aimed at bringing down any of the two plugins. Instead, it seeks to highlight the different benefits of using the tools. Also, any technical information regarding the functionality of the plugins has been deliberately sieved out to allow simplicity. The verdict is drawn only from the overall user experience.
Before we begin comparing, here’s a brief overview of what SEO plugins do and the features of our two contesting SEO tools.
SEO plugins simplify the complicated task of ranking your website. Both Yoast and All in One SEO plugins offer great features, such as writing meta descriptions, creating XML sitemaps, updating SEO titles, helping with social integration, and editing robot.txt files.
Now, let us see how these plugins measure again each other in six different areas.
1. Setting up
After installing and activating, most settings in the Yoast plugin are good to go. Users don’t need to worry about changing most settings. For example, each time you edit a page or a post, the Yoast SEO tab shows up automatically. On the other hand, it is usually necessary to go through the settings of All in One plugin to ensure that everything is set up for efficient optimization.
Yoast easily takes the lead when it comes to the initial set up.
2. Ease of Use
A closer look at the user’s overall experience shows the following differences between the two plugins. First, Yoast does not neatly present options on a single screen. Sometimes, users will have to navigate for a bit to access the right setting. However, Yoast has a clean interface that is not intrusive.
On its part, the All in One plugin list all related and significant options on a single tab, making it easier for users to perform tasks. With relevant and related setting all available in one place, users can remember to add items and also perform batch editing.
Regardless of the cleaner appearance of the Yoast interface, the All in One plugin wins when it comes to ease of use.
3. Time
Time is of the essence in any venture. A plugin that doesn’t save you time is not worth integrating into your website. Fortunately, both Yoast and All in One are excellent time savers. All in One saves time with batch editing. Yoast offers the Page Analysis feature, which is an invaluable time-saver.
Since both plugins offer superb time-saving features, there is no clear winner in this area. It all boils down to which is more important to you – page analysis or batch editing.
4. Help with Developing Content
Optimizing your website for SEO is not a one-off event. It is something you do on an ongoing basis. Therefore it is essential to use a plugin that comes with features that can help you each time you add or edit content.
Yoast comes equipped with one of the best content analysis feature any plugin can have. The feature is invaluable to both beginners and veterans alike. When you enter a focus keyword, Yoast automatically analyzes your content for the keyword and offers suggestions on how to improve the SEO score for your content.
The All in One plugin doesn’t have this feature. Clearly, Yoast is the winner if you are looking for an SEO plugin that will help you with developing your content.
5. Social Integration
It is crucial to be able to optimize your website for social integration considering the significant role of social media marketing. Fortunately, both plugins allow for social integration for major social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. On the whole, both plugins function almost in the same way when it comes to social integration. In this regard, it is a tie between both plugins.
6. Support
Also, both plugins are at par when it comes to customer service. Personalized customer support is available for paid plans on both plugins. Free downloads don’t come with personalized customer support on any of the plugins. Getting a license for Yoast SEO is comparatively cheaper as long as it is only for one site. Yoast license becomes more expensive if you add more websites. Conversely, it takes only one license of All in One SEO to give you access to unlimited sites.
The Verdict
Yoast and All in One SEO are excellent plugins since they both offer unique features and efficiencies. Plus, the two plugins serve their intended purpose. However, Yoast SEO has the upper hand primarily because of its well-thought-out range of features. Yoast SEO comes with the content analysis tool, which offers SEO-friendly tweaks that lots of beginners will find useful.
Unfortunately, the All in One plugin lacks that vital feature. Also, Yoast SEO is generally more user-friendly than the All in One SEO Pack. However, All in One SEO also offers some superb settings that are particularly useful for advanced SEO users.
Overall, the Yoast SEO plugin is your best bet if you want a plugin that is suitable for a beginner or one that helps you as you develop your content. As an SEO plugin, Yoast plays more of an advisory role. On the other hand, the All in One SEO plugin will serve you better if you want a plugin that is clear-cut and delivers solutions in an easy-to-access format.
Conclusion
No matter which SEO plugin you eventually settle for, one thing is sure; plugins don’t create content. If your content is poor, even the most technically advanced SEO plugin will not magically improve your content. It is your job to create superb content – focus on that. The plugin you choose will only place your content on a technically sound base.
