Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO is a search engine optimization (SEO) plug-in for WordPress. This plugin has over 5 million active installations and has been downloaded more than 350 million times with over 25,000 five star reviews on Wordpress.org.[3][4]

Yoast
Developer(s)Yoast BV
Initial release2007 (2007)[1]
Stable release
21.4[2] / 17 October 2023 (2023-10-17)
Repository
PlatformWordPress
TypeSearch-engine optimization
LicenseProprietary, Free (gratis) and Premium versions
Websiteyoast.com

History

Yoast SEO created its first WordPress SEO plugin in 2007 - originally named WordPress SEO: it was developed as a WordPress plugin by SEO consultant Joost de Valk.[1] In 2012, the plug-in was renamed Yoast SEO. In 2015, Yoast hosted the first YoastCon conference, which was hosted at the Lindenberg Nijmegen Culture House in Nijmegen, Netherlands. In 2015 a flaw was discovered in version 1.7.3.3 and earlier versions. The flaw could have left users of Yoast SEO open to hackers and was discovered by a security consultant.[5]

Company

Yoast SEO can trace its origins to 2005 when Joost de Valk launched a website named "joostdevalk.nl".[6] After moving to and eventually selling the domain "css3.info", de Valk created the Yoast platform in 2009, launched the first version of WordPress SEO in 2010 and founded the company Yoast BV in 2010.[7][8]

Initially, Yoast focused on SEO consultancy[9] and developed both the Yoast SEO plugin and a Google Analytics plugin, both for WordPress. In 2012, a premium version of the plug-in was launched. In April 2016, Yoast BV sold the Google Analytics for WordPress plugin.[10]

In 2018, Yoast had a total turnover of €10 million.[11] According to Yoast, as of September 2018, they had almost 100 employees, of which 85 are based in their HQ in Wijchen, Netherlands.[12]

In June 2020, Yoast acquired the Duplicate Post plugin, which had over 3 million users. Also, the original developer of Duplicate Post, Enrico Battocchi, joined Yoast as a senior developer and remains one of the leading developers on the plugin.[13][14]

Yoast was acquired by Newfold Digital (the company that owns the hosting provider Bluehost) in August 2021.[15]

Reception

The software runs on more than 12 million sites and on 16.2% of the top 1 million sites in the world.[16] On WordPress alone, it has amassed over five million downloads. Michael David, the author of WordPress Search Engine Optimization (2015) book, referred to it as "the granddaddy of all SEO plugins".[17] Brian Santo, editor of EE Times, uses Yoast for estimating the ranking of articles on Google by using analysis results (e.g. keyphrase, keyword density, links, readability), but criticizes the negative effects SEO has had on journalism and suggest Google use more human or artificial intelligence to improve search.[18]

Sponsorship

In September 2020, Yoast announced it became the main sponsor of a professional basketball club Yoast United, which plays in the BNXT League.[19]

See also

References
  1. "Yoast SEO And All in One SEO Pack — What to Choose?". PC Tech Group Ltd. June 26, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  2. "Yoast SEO - WordPress plugin". Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  3. Lotze, Kristen (October 9, 2018). "The best WordPress plugins: A guide for businesses". TechRepublic. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  4. WordPress Plugin advanced view
  5. Constantin, Lucian (March 12, 2015). "Over a million WordPress websites at risk because of flaw in popular SEO plug-in". IDG Communications, Inc. PC World. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  6. Dunlop, Michael. "How Joost de Valk became a successful internet entrepreneur". incomediary.com. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  7. "Joost de Valk, founder of Yoast, shares his success story". First Web Designer. March 15, 2016. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  8. Eisenberg, Bryan (October 7, 2014). "37 SEO Experts Those in the Know Follow". ClickZ. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  9. "History of Yoast".
  10. Chandler, Jeff (April 14, 2016). "Syed Balkhi Acquires Google Analytics by Yoast, Renames to MonsterInsights". WP Tavern.
  11. "Deze Nederlandse Google-specialist zet met zijn internetbedrijf €10 miljoen per jaar om en zit bewust niet in de Randstad – dit is de reden". Business Insider (in Dutch). June 1, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
  12. "Internetbedrijf Yoast neemt Wijchens plein over". September 2018.
  13. Joost de Valk. "Announcement: Duplicate Post joins Yoast". Yoast.com. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  14. Tadlock, Justin. "Yoast Acquires Duplicate Post, Brings on Creator Enrico Battocchi as a Senior Developer". WP Tavern. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  15. Marieke van de Rakt. "Exciting news: Yoast joins Newfold Digital". Yoast.com. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  16. "Yoast WordPress SEO Plugin Usage Statistics". BuiltWith. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  17. David, Michael (2015). WordPress Search Engine Optimization. Packt Publishing Ltd. p. 264. ISBN 978-1-78588-764-2 – via Google Books.
  18. Santo, Brian (July 14, 2020). "Google is Stupid". EE Times.
  19. "Profbasketballers in Bemmel gaan Yoast United heten". De Gelderlander. September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.

Further reading
  • Aull, Jacob (2014). WordPress SEO Success. United Kingdom: QUE. ISBN 9780789752888.
  • Sabin-Wilson, Lisa (2019). WordPress All In One for Dummies 4th Edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons inc. ISBN 978-1119553151.
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