If you’re wondering how to write an SEO article on WordPress, you should know that the whole process is no longer limited to writing text that is pleasant to read.
From now on, two requirements overlap: appealing to traditional search engines (Google first and foremost) and being understood, cited, or even recommended by AI-based answer engines, such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, or summaries generated by Google itself.
We therefore refer to SEO for the first objective, and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) for the second.
Good news: WordPress remains one of the most suitable environments for carrying out this in-depth work, provided you know the right settings and the best editorial practices for SEO writing on WordPress.
That is the purpose of this article: to prepare, structure, and write content that ticks all these boxes, then configure it practically in your WordPress back office.
Ready to learn everything about the topic? We explain it all step by step in the following lines.
What is WordPress SEO writing today?
Before getting into the practical details, it is useful to clarify two concepts that are still too often confused: traditional SEO and GEO.
They are not opposed, but they do not follow exactly the same rules.
Classic SEO: still the foundation
Search engine optimization (SEO) refers to all the techniques that allow a page to rank well in the organic results of a search engine such as Google: content relevance, heading structure, quality of internal linking, site popularity, user experience (UX).
These fundamentals have not disappeared. They still form the foundation on which a WordPress site’s visibility depends, and remain the main entry point for organic traffic.
GEO: optimizing for AI answer engines
GEO, on the other hand, has a different goal: no longer simply to be clicked on, but to be cited or reformulated by a generative artificial intelligence (ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, Perplexity, etc.) when an internet user asks it a question.
In concrete terms, when a user asks ChatGPT “how to secure a WordPress site”, the AI draws on the sources it considers reliable and clear to build its answer.
Your article can be one of those sources, provided it is written in a way that makes this information extraction easier.
Note that GEO does not replace SEO: it is added to it, as a new layer of visibility complementary to traditional search results.
Why do the two approaches complement each other?
Well-structured, precise, and well-sourced content naturally serves both goals. A clear article that meets the reader’s expectations appeals just as much to a traditional search algorithm as to a language model seeking to synthesize a reliable answer.
That’s why we recommend considering SEO and GEO not as two separate strategies, but as two facets of the same requirement: clarity.
On this point, Google is very clear on the subject, in its official documentation. According to it, traditional SEO is still suited to generative AI search “because our generative AI features in Google Search rely on our core Search ranking and quality systems.”
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WordPress SEO writing: properly prepare your article before writing
A good WordPress article rarely starts in front of a blank page. Upstream preparation determines a large part of your content’s success, both for SEO and for reader satisfaction.
Choose the right primary keyword
Choosing the primary keyword is undoubtedly the most decisive step when you are wondering how to write an SEO-optimized blog post. A relevant keyword has several qualities:
- Sufficient search volume;
- A clear search intent (informational, transactional or commercial);
- A level of difficulty consistent with your site’s current authority;
- And above all, genuine relevance for your audience.
Tools like the Google Keyword Planner (free), Ubersuggest (freemium), or the keyword generator from Semrush (paid) can be used to estimate this search volume.
Don’t limit yourself to raw volume: a keyword with 200 monthly searches but strong purchase intent can be more profitable than a very general keyword with 5,000 searches.
Identify secondary keywords and the semantic field
Once the main keyword has been chosen, you should establish the list of secondary keywords and the associated lexical field.
For an article on SEO writing on WordPress, this semantic field includes, for example: organic search engine optimization, optimized content, search intent, meta tags, internal linking, user experience, or even structured data.
This semantic work is not just a technical exercise: it also helps the reader better understand your topic, by naturally enriching the vocabulary used throughout the article.
A premium tool like YourTextGuru can provide you with a detailed brief containing semantic terms related to your main keyword to include in your content.
Build a detailed outline before writing
Writing without an outline is like building a house without an architect’s plans: the result may stand, but it will lack coherence.
We recommend establishing a heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3) before writing even a single sentence, along with an indicative distribution of the word count by section, to make sure nothing important has been forgotten.
To put your outline together, use a standard word processing tool. Google Docs, for example, is very practical because it offers collaborative editing features. An essential aspect if you work as a team and/or with your clients.
Draw inspiration from competitors without copying them
Reviewing articles that already rank well for your keyword is a healthy practice, provided you use them as a reference point and not as a model to reproduce.
The goal is to identify the angles already covered, but also and above all the questions left unanswered.
It is precisely on these missing angles that your content can stand out, both in the eyes of Google and generative AI, which value original information.
To spy on what the competition is doing, type your keyword into the Google search bar and review the top three search results in detail.
Take a look at the length of the content, the HN headings used (and how many there are), as well as the visual elements present (images, videos, tables, infographics, etc.).
If you detect a pattern that repeats across each piece of content, it means Google likes the way they handle the information.
Replicate this in your article, while adding your personal touch and doing better in terms of freshness and quality of information.
How to write an SEO article: the fundamentals of well-structured content for SEO
Once the preparatory work is complete, it is time for SEO writing on WordPress. Certain structuring rules remain essential, regardless of the topic covered.
Build a logical heading hierarchy
A well-structured article has only one H1 heading, which includes your main keyword. The sub-sections are then organized as H2s, then H3s if necessary, like a table of contents.
H2 headings that follow one another without logic, or several H1 headings on the same page, disrupt both readability and search engines’ understanding of the content.
Place your keywords wisely and work on the semantic field
Your main keyword should appear in the first paragraph. It should then be incorporated naturally into the body of the text, and again at the end of the article.
To find out whether you have included it enough times in your content, rely on the guidance provided by your SEO plugin.
For example, a red light in Yoast SEO may mean that your keyword is not used enough in relation to the length of the article. A green light for the “keyphrase density” analysis result, and you’re good to go:
At the same time, use the secondary keywords identified beforehand to enrich your text, provided you do so naturally.
Repeating a keyword artificially, solely to “please” the algorithm, harms both readability and your SEO.
Google, like generative AI tools, penalizes this type of practice, which reveals content designed for machines rather than for readers.
As Google points out, its “automated ranking systems are designed to prioritize helpful, reliable information created to benefit people, not content created to manipulate search engine rankings”.
Integrate relevant calls to action into the text
An informational article is not meant to look like a sales page, but it can guide the reader toward an additional action, as long as that action remains consistent with the topic being addressed.
The key is to place these calls to action contextually, rather than concentrating them only at the end of the article.
A well-placed CTA reads like a logical continuation of the discussion, never like a commercial interruption, take a look:
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How to write a blog post optimized for GEO: techniques specific to generative AI
GEO requires a few adjustments compared with “traditional” SEO writing. The goal remains the same: to be useful to the reader. But the way information is presented evolves slightly.
Structure information so it can be extracted
Generative AIs work by extraction: they identify the passages that answer a question most directly, then reformulate them.
Content organized into clear blocks, with one idea per paragraph, is therefore easier to use than dense text where several ideas are intertwined.
On this subject, Google specifies the following, which you should apply on your own site: “Users generally appreciate it when web pages are organized into paragraphs and sections, with headings that provide a clear structure for browsing the content.”
Answer questions clearly before expanding on them
A good practice is to start each section with a direct and concise answer to the question asked by the title (without making it a hard-and-fast rule at all costs either), then expand on the explanation in the following sentences.
This “answer first, context afterward” structure makes both quick reading and AI extraction easier.
Let’s take a concrete example. If your title is “How long does it take to rank a WordPress site?”, start with a numerical answer (“generally allow between three and six months”), before explaining the factors that can affect this timeframe.
Cite reliable data, figures, and sources
Language models place particular importance on factual content supported by verifiable data.
According to the Google guidelines on creating helpful and reliable content, the perceived quality of a page largely depends on its originality and its ability to demonstrate genuine expertise.
Citing a statistic or a recognized source therefore strengthens your credibility, both for a human reader and for an AI looking for reliable sources.
Use lists, tables, and structured definitions
Structured formats (bullet lists, numbered steps, short definitions) are particularly valued by AI answer engines, as they make it easier to extract precise information.
Among the formats to prioritize, we could mention:
- Bullet lists to list criteria, benefits, or steps
- Short definitions at the beginning of a section to clearly introduce a concept
- Questions and answers, particularly in an FAQ, which correspond exactly to how conversational assistants work
Content that is too dense, with no breathing room or visual structure, is rarely reused by these tools, even if it is relevant in substance.
Provide a unique point of view when writing SEO content on WordPress
As part of its aim to highlight non-generic content that is “helpful, reliable, and people-first”, Google also indicates that it can be “helpful to offer a point of view that stands out”.
Rather than rephrasing information that has already been seen and reviewed elsewhere, don’t hesitate to put your own stamp on it, for example with a personal opinion based on your experience.
How can you optimize the writing of your SEO article directly in WordPress?
Writing is not enough: you still need to configure your article correctly in WordPress to get the full SEO and GEO potential from it. Discover, step by step, the settings you should not overlook.
Write an effective SEO title and meta description
The SEO title (title tag) and meta description are the first elements an internet user sees in search results, even before clicking:
To write them, use a dedicated SEO plugin such as SEOPress (the one we use at Maintenance WP), Rank Math or Yoast SEO.
Each one gives you access to dedicated fields below the article editor or in a sidebar.
We recommend including your main keyword as early as possible in your title tag. For your meta description, offer a clear promise of what the reader will find in the article, such as what you see below:
Optimizing permalinks when writing SEO content on WordPress
WordPress creates default permalinks that include the day and the article name in the URL.
It is recommended to set new ones, because search engines favor permalinks that contain the article’s main keyword.
The simplest option is to use the post title as the permalink. To do this:
- Go to the Settings > Permalinks menu in the WordPress dashboard;
- Select “Post name”;
- Click “Save Changes.”
Please note, however! If you change the permalink structure after publication, you risk breaking all previous links. Your visitors will then land on a 404 error, which you can fix with a WordPress redirect. To avoid this problem, the safest approach is to optimize your permalinks as soon as you have installed WordPress (therefore before writing your first content).
Then, for each article, you can edit the permalink under the title in the WordPress Editor, as we explain in our dedicated article on WordPress permalinks.
Add relevant internal links
Internal linking consists of connecting your articles to each other with contextual links. It helps your visitors navigate to complementary content and helps search engines understand your site’s architecture.
In the WordPress editor (Gutenberg), select the text you want to turn into a link, click the link icon, then search for the destination page in your content library.
To add an internal link in the WordPress Editor (Gutenberg):
- Select the passage where you want to add a link by highlighting it;
- Click the “insert/edit link” tab located above the text in the WordPress creation page;
- Insert the URL of the page to which you want the link to redirect.
Vary the anchors (the clickable text) rather than always repeating the same wording.
Insert external links to reliable sources
External links, for their part, point to competing sites, or to partner sites, other than your own.
Prioritize external links to sites with strong authority in your field above all
This improves your reader’s experience and increases the relevance of your content.
Moreover, contrary to popular belief, external links do not “drive away” your visitors: they strengthen the credibility of your content, provided they point to recognized sources.
This practice matters all the more for GEO, as generative AIs value content supported by verifiable references.
Optimize images and videos when writing SEO content on WordPress
Images often increase a page’s loading time, a criterion closely monitored by Google through Core Web Vitals (the performance and user experience indicators for a page).
Before importing them into WordPress, resize them to the size actually displayed on the site, then compress them.
Plugins such as Imagify or Smush can be installed from Plugins > Add New Plugin in your WordPress back office, and automatically compress each image imported into your Media Library, with no visible loss of quality.
However, they are limited in their free version, with a monthly quota that must not be exceeded.
If you don’t want to be blocked, you can use an external tool such as Squoosh, for example.
Also remember to systematically fill in the alternative text (the “alt” attribute) for each image: it describes its content for search engines and for visually impaired readers using a screen reader.
Don’t hesitate to enrich the text content of your pages with quality images and videos related to the subject of your SEO-optimized WordPress blog post. This can allow you to appear beyond the links pointing to web pages.
Use categories and tags correctly
Categories organize your content into broad themes (for example: SEO, security, maintenance), while tags define more specific topics that may span several categories. A common mistake is to assign multiple categories to the same post, or to create a different tag for every publication.
We recommend limiting each post to a single main category. As for tags, avoid using them, as they can lead to duplicate content, something Google strongly dislikes.
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How to write an SEO- and GEO-optimized blog post: the importance of E-E-A-T for the credibility of your content
Beyond structure, Google and AI answer engines are paying increasing attention to the perceived reliability of content, a principle that Google summarizes with the acronym E-E-A-T: experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness.
Experience and expertise: demonstrating real know-how
As mentioned above, an article gains credibility when it reflects genuine experience with the topic being discussed, rather than simply compiling information found elsewhere.
Don’t hesitate to illustrate your points with examples from your own practice: cases encountered, proven methods, mistakes observed among your clients, etc.
Authority: citations, high-quality backlinks
Authority is built over time, particularly through links that other sites point to yours (backlinks), but also through the consistency of your editorial line.
A site that covers a topic in depth gains legitimacy in the eyes of search engines.
Reliability: identified author, regular content updates
Clearly indicating the author of an article, with a brief professional biography, strengthens the reader’s trust.
Depending on the theme you use, a box displayed at the end of each article may be offered to you. It is up to you to add a small photo and an introductory text.
If your theme does not have this option, install and activate a dedicated plugin such as Simple Author Box.
Also note that content that is never updated loses credibility over time, both for Google and for generative AI, which prioritize recent information.
Common mistakes to avoid in SEO/GEO writing on WordPress
To conclude this practical overview, discover the most common mistakes observed on the WordPress sites we support:
- Duplicate or overly general content, which does not provide added value compared with what already exists online;
- Poorly structured headings, with several H1s on the same page or H2s that follow no logic;
- The lack of updates to existing content, even though a simple refresh may be enough to regain visibility;
- A neglected mobile experience, even though the majority of searches are now carried out from a smartphone;
- Excessive or irrelevant internal linking, which dilutes the relevance of each link rather than strengthening it.
Beyond that, when it comes to GEO, certain actions are unnecessary. Contrary to some preconceived ideas, and as Google states in its official documentation, you do not need to:
- create AI text files (LLMS.txt type);
- segment your content into small chunks so that AI understands it better;
- focus too much on structured data: no special schema.org markup is required.
Final recap
In conclusion, writing a WordPress article optimized for SEO and GEO ultimately relies on the same fundamentals: thorough preparation, a clear technical structure, and unique, high-quality content.
These two approaches are not opposed; they reinforce each other.
Don’t have the time or desire to manage this aspect in-house? The Maintenance WP team can help you improve your visibility on traditional search engines and AI tools.
