An SEO dashboard serves as your personal command center, offering a comprehensive overview of your website’s SEO performance. We utilize it daily to monitor our SEO progress, pinpoint areas for enhancement, and increase organic traffic to our sites.
At CanadaCreate, our mission is to simplify search engine optimization for everyone. We’ve discovered an excellent method to integrate a robust SEO dashboard into WordPress in just a few minutes.
In this article, we will guide you through the process of adding the ultimate SEO dashboard to your WordPress website.
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Why Should You Add an SEO Dashboard to Your WordPress Website?
If you manage a WordPress website, adding an SEO dashboard directly to your admin area can be beneficial. Based on our experience, it eliminates the hassle of switching between various platforms to assess your SEO performance.
An SEO dashboard offers essential insights into your website’s health. It enables you to understand how your website ranks in search engine results pages (SERPs), allowing you to identify areas for improvement and enhance your visibility.
For online stores, an SEO dashboard is essential for identifying which product pages are performing well and which ones require improvement. You can monitor keyword rankings for your key products and enhance content to attract more potential customers.
In the case of lead generation, an SEO dashboard provides insights into how effectively your landing pages are optimized for their target keywords. This ensures they are SEO-friendly, maximizing their potential to generate qualified leads.
Now, let’s explore how to set up an SEO dashboard in WordPress.
Steps to Create a WordPress SEO Dashboard Using All in One SEO
We have tested various WordPress SEO plugins, including the well-known Yoast SEO and Rank Math. However, for the best SEO dashboard experience, our top recommendation is All in One SEO (AIOSEO).
There are two primary reasons for this recommendation. First, AIOSEO is extremely user-friendly, making it easy to navigate its features, even for those who are new to WordPress SEO.
Secondly, this SEO plugin for WordPress offers extensive dashboards. You won’t just receive a single overview of your website’s health; instead, you’ll get a detailed analysis of your links, the ability to track your keyword rankings, and even the option to monitor your SEO adjustments.
Additionally, AIOSEO provides a range of essential SEO features, such as customizable XML sitemaps, support for schema markup, the ability to set up 301 redirects, and much more.
Important Note: In this guide, we will be using the premium version of AIOSEO, which offers all the necessary dashboard features. However, you can start with the free version to familiarize yourself with its functionalities before deciding to upgrade.
To install AIOSEO, download the plugin from your AIOSEO account page and install it on your WordPress dashboard. For detailed instructions, refer to our step-by-step guide on installing a WordPress plugin.
Next, follow the setup wizard. At the end of the process, you will need to activate your license key, which you should receive upon purchasing a premium plan.
For a comprehensive installation guide, check out our tutorial on setting up AIOSEO for WordPress.
Once AIOSEO is set up, you can proceed to the next section and discover the features of the SEO dashboard. Use the quick links below to jump to your desired topic:
- Evaluate Your TruSEO and Overall SEO Scores
- Review Your Website’s Ranking Statistics
- Identify On-Page SEO Audit Opportunities
- Track Your Internal and External Links
- Pro Tip: Integrate a Google Analytics Dashboard into WordPress
Evaluate Your TruSEO and Overall SEO Site Scores
You can find the primary AIOSEO dashboard at All in One SEO » Dashboard. Here, you will get a comprehensive summary of your SEO performance.
This dashboard includes two essential widgets: ‘AIOSEO Overview’ and ‘SEO Site Score.’
The AIOSEO Overview displays your TruSEO scores for all your published posts and pages. TruSEO offers tailored suggestions to improve your content’s on-page SEO.
These suggestions cover aspects such as the presence and length of meta SEO titles and descriptions, content readability, and the utilization of a focus keyphrase.
TruSEO scores are categorized into five levels: Needs Improvement, Okay, Good, and Lacking a Focus Keyphrase.
Ideally, you should aim for most of your posts, pages, and custom post types to achieve a ‘Good’ score. You can view the score for each post type by selecting from the ‘Choose a Post Type’ dropdown menu.
Next, the SEO Site Score offers a more comprehensive view of your website’s overall performance, beyond just individual pages and posts.
This score considers various technical factors, such as site speed, sitemaps, and the implementation of HTTPS. AIOSEO suggests striving for a score of 70 or higher.
The widget categorizes the scoring into three sections: Critical Issues (urgent problems needing immediate attention), Suggested Improvements (areas that can be enhanced), and Positive Outcomes (areas that are performing well).
Clicking on ‘Complete Site Audit Checklist’ provides a more detailed analysis, which we will discuss in a later section.
Monitor Your Website’s Ranking Statistics
Keeping track of your website’s rankings in search engines is crucial for any effective SEO strategy. Knowing how your content ranks in search results can help you identify areas for improvement in your keyword strategy and increase organic traffic.
AIOSEO offers a simple method to check your website’s ranking statistics directly from your WordPress dashboard. Just navigate to All in One SEO » Search Statistics in your admin sidebar.
In this section, we will concentrate on the ‘Dashboard’ tab. To view data here, you must connect your website to Google Search Console.
For detailed instructions, refer to our guide on adding your WordPress website to Google Search Console.
The Dashboard tab provides a quick snapshot of your website’s performance in terms of rankings and click-through rates (CTRs).
At the top, you can easily select the time range for the data you wish to view, including options for the Last 7 days, Last 28 days, Last 3 months, or a custom range.
The Dashboard consists of five essential sections.
The first section is SEO Statistics, which features graphs that allow you to visualize your website’s visibility on search engines and the number of visitors who clicked through to your site.
This section includes:
- Search Impressions:The total number of times your website appeared in search engine results during the selected time period.
- Total Clicks:The overall number of clicks your website received from search results in that timeframe.
- Average CTR:The average click-through rate of your content as displayed in search results.
- Average Position:This graph illustrates the average ranking position of your keywords in search results for the chosen time period.
Furthermore, hovering over each graph allows you to view specific data for any date within the selected timeframe.
For instance, in the screenshot below, hovering over the ‘Total Clicks’ graph for May 7, 2024, reveals that our demo website received 1,100 clicks that day.
You can also hover over the numbers indicating an increase or decrease to see more detailed information about the data changes compared to the previous period.
For example:
Click the ‘Open Report’ button to access a comprehensive analysis of this data.
The next section is ‘Keyword Positions.’This part features a line graph that visualizes the fluctuations in your keyword rankings over time, using color coding for clarity.
Here’s how to read the data:
- Blue:Indicates the percentage of your content that ranks in the top 3 positions.
- Green:Represents content that ranks between positions 4 and 10.
- Yellow:Denotes content that ranks between positions 11 and 50.
- Red:Signifies content that ranks between positions 50 and 100.
In the screenshot below, the graph predominantly shows a yellow area.
This suggests that the majority of our content is positioned within the 11-50 keyword ranking range. You can also hover over the graph to view the specific dates when your keyword positions improved or declined.
As you scroll down, you will encounter ‘Keyword Rankings’ and ‘Post Optimizations.’
Similar to the AIOSEO Overview tab in the main dashboard, the ‘Post Optimizations’ section displays your TruSEO scores for all published posts and pages.
Conversely, the ‘Keyword Rankings’ widget reveals the keyphrases your content ranks for and their performance metrics.
This section contains two tabs. The ‘Top Keywords’ tab displays your highest-ranking keywords along with the number of clicks they have generated.
Conversely, the ‘Winning/Losing’ tab showcases keywords that are either gaining or losing their ranking positions.
By hovering over any keyword in this tab, you can view details on how your rankings have changed compared to the previous period.
Lastly, there is the ‘Content Performance’ section.
This area emphasizes which specific posts and pages are performing the best.
Performance is evaluated based on several factors:
- TruSEO score
- Indexed status (indicating whether Google has indexed the page)
- Clicks
- Impressions
- Position
- Changes in ranking over time
There are three tabs available:
- Top Pages:Displays your highest-performing pages.
- Top Losing:Highlights pages that are experiencing a drop in ranking positions.
- Top Winning:Identifies pages that are improving in ranking positions.
Overall, the Search Statistics tab is a powerful feature of AIOSEO. Explore these articles to learn how to maximize its potential:
- How to Monitor Google Algorithm Updates in WordPress
- A Beginner’s Guide to Conducting an SEO Content Gap Analysis
- Understanding Content Decay and How to Address It
Identify Opportunities for On-Page SEO Audits
Next, visitAll in One SEO » SEO Analysisand go to the ‘SEO Audit Checklist’ tab. This section provides a comprehensive overview of your website’s SEO performance.
At the top, you will find your SEO Site Score, similar to what you saw previously.
A good score typically ranges from 50 to 75, but you should strive for a score of 70 or higher. This score is calculated based on various criteria, which will be detailed as you scroll through the ‘Complete SEO Checklist’ section.
The Complete SEO Checklist is organized into four categories: Basic SEO, Advanced SEO, Performance, and Security.
Basic SEO focuses on essential on-page SEO elements and verifies whether they are implemented on your site. This includes SEO page titles, meta descriptions, heading tags, image alt text, and internal links.
If any element is absent, click the arrow button next to it. A button will appear, allowing you to resolve the issue right away.
For instance, if a meta description is missing, click the ‘Edit Meta Description’ button. This will direct you to the block editor for your homepage, where you can add one.
The Advanced SEO report provides an in-depth analysis of technical SEO aspects. AIOSEO evaluates the following:
- Usage of canonical link tags
- Presence of noindex headers or meta tags, which are typically used to instruct Google not to index your website.
- Ensuring that both www and non-www versions of your URL redirect to the same site
- Implementation of Open Graph meta tags
- Configuration of the robots.txt file
- Incorporation of Schema.org structured data
Here’s an example of what it looks like:
Similar to the Basic SEO report, if any element is missing, you can click the arrow next to the issue for additional details.
A button will be available to assist you in resolving the issue.
The ‘Performance’ section focuses on your website’s loading speed. AIOSEO will pinpoint any speed-related issues or highlight areas where your website performs well.
In this instance, AIOSEO found that the page size is optimized for quick loading, generates minimal requests, and has a response time of under 0.2 seconds. However, unminified JavaScript and CSS files are causing delays.
Since AIOSEO is not a dedicated speed optimization plugin, it cannot directly resolve these issues.
However, clicking the arrow next to the problem will offer guidance on how to address it.
For more information, you can also refer to our ultimate guide on enhancing WordPress speed and performance.
Expert Tip:Looking to effortlessly enhance your website’s speed? Our CanadaCreate Pro Services provide a comprehensive site speed optimization solution that handles all the technical aspects for you.
Allow our team of specialists to evaluate and improve your website’s performance, so you can concentrate on expanding your business.
Ensuring WordPress security involves protecting your site and enhancing user experience, including scanning for malware and confirming the use of HTTPS encryption.
To find the most critical issues that need your attention, navigate to the top of the Complete SEO Checklist section and click on ‘Important Issues’.
Conversely, ‘Recommended Improvements’ highlight areas that are less urgent but still worth considering.
After implementing changes to your website, click the ‘Refresh Results’ button to check if AIOSEO recognizes those updates.
Track Your Internal and External Links
Next, we will explore the dashboard located at All in One SEO » Link Assistant. In the ‘Overview’ tab, you can find detailed information about the links present on your site.
Search engines find new content by following links. If links are broken or poorly structured, it can hinder search engine crawlers from effectively indexing your site, negatively impacting your rankings.
Additionally, properly maintained links provide a seamless experience for your visitors. Broken links result in dead ends, frustrating users and potentially harming your website’s reputation.
Let’s explore each section of this dashboard step by step. At the top, you’ll find a bar displaying the counts for Posts Crawled, Orphaned Posts, External Links, Internal Links, and Affiliate Links.
‘Posts Crawled’ shows the total number of posts and pages that Link Assistant has scanned to date.
Depending on the number of links, you might see a percentage indicator in the top right corner that reveals how many links have been scanned.
If all links have been scanned, the percentage indicator will not be visible.
Next is ‘Orphaned Posts,’ which refers to posts or pages that lack internal links from other sections of your website. By identifying and fixing orphaned content, you can assist search engines in discovering and indexing all your pages effectively.
External links are hyperlinks that lead visitors to websites outside of your own. Incorporating external links to credible and relevant sources can boost your content’s authority and enhance the overall user experience.
In contrast, internal links connect various pages and posts within your website. They assist search engines in understanding your site’s structure and facilitate better navigation for users.
Consider using internal linking plugins to optimize your linking strategy effectively.
If you engage in affiliate marketing, the Overview section displays the total number of Affiliate Links present on your website.
Just below this section, you’ll find a graph illustrating the distribution of Internal, External, and Affiliate Links.
This visual aid helps you maintain a balanced mix of link types on your site. Excessive external links may lead visitors away from your content, while insufficient internal links can negatively impact navigation and SEO.
You can view the complete report by clicking the ‘See a Full Links Report’ button.
Additionally, a chart will display your Most Linked to Domains, which is useful for evaluating your outbound linking strategy.
For example, are you linking to relevant and authoritative websites? Are you overly linking to any competitors?
For a comprehensive overview, click the ‘See a Full Domains Report’ button.
Next, you’ll find the Linking Opportunities graph, which includes two tabs: Inbound Suggestions and Outbound Suggestions.
The first tab identifies pages or posts that could benefit from additional internal links, while the second tab highlights pages or posts that should link to other relevant content.
The ‘Count’ column indicates the number of inbound or outbound links you can add.
To view the complete list, click on the ‘See All Linking Opportunities’ button.
For more insights, check out our ultimate guide on internal linking for SEO.
Bonus Tip: Integrate a Google Analytics Dashboard with WordPress.
AIOSEO provides an excellent SEO dashboard within WordPress, but you can enhance it with Google Analytics and MonsterInsights.
MonsterInsights simplifies the process of connecting your WordPress site to Google Analytics in just a few clicks, giving you access to valuable data and metrics about your website, such as visitor counts and popular pages.
Additionally, you can add notes directly to these reports to keep track of any changes made to your website.
For instance, if you revamp your website, you can take notes and track how it influences your visitor count in the upcoming weeks.
Have you ever wondered whether more visitors discover your site via social media, search engines, or advertisements?
The MonsterInsights Traffic reports provide clear insights into the sources of your website traffic. This information helps you determine where to focus your efforts to increase blog traffic.
MonsterInsights also features a Site Speed report. While it doesn’t directly impact visitor numbers, it’s essential for optimizing Core Web Vitals and ensuring a positive experience for your visitors.
Quicker loading times increase the likelihood that visitors will stay and explore your content.
If you want to dive deeper, check out our tutorial on adding a statistics dashboard in WordPress.
We hope this article has guided you in creating the ultimate SEO dashboard in WordPress. You may also want to explore our comprehensive guide to WooCommerce SEO and our top recommendations for the best keyword research tools for SEO.
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