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What You’ll Learn

  • Installing Yoast SEO on Dashboard and child sites
  • Exporting and importing SEO settings templates
  • Publishing posts and pages with custom SEO settings
  • Managing Yoast SEO across your network
Integration Add-on - This add-on extends MainWP to work with Yoast SEO. Requires Yoast SEO to be installed on your child sites.
The MainWP WordPress SEO Extension simplifies the setup and management process for Yoast SEO across all of your sites. Since the Extension also integrates with the Yoast SEO meta box, you can customize each Post or Page then publish those custom settings to your Child sites. Important Notes: This Extension requires the Yoast SEO plugin to be installed on your Dashboard and Child sites to function properly.

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Install and Set the WordPress SEO Extension

Installation of the MainWP WordPress SEO Extension requires three important steps:
  • Installing the Extension itself on your MainWP Dashboard site
  • Installing the Yoast SEO plugin on your MainWP Dashboard site
  • Installing the Yoast SEO plugin on Child Sites

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Installing the Extension

The MainWP WordPress SEO Extension needs to be installed only on your MainWP Dashboard site. You can install it as any other MainWP Add-on.

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Installing the Plugin on MainWP Dashboard Site

The Yoast SEO plugin needs to be installed on your MainWP Dashboard site. You can install it like any other WordPress plugin. For additional help with installing WordPress plugins, please review this help document.

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Installing the Plugin on Child Sites

For the proper use of the MainWP Yoast SEO Extension, you need to install the Yoast SEO Plugin on your child sites.

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Install from MainWP Dashboard

1

Log in to your MainWP Dashboard

2

Go to the MainWP > Sites > Plugins > Install Plugins page

3

In the Search field, enter the plugin name (Yoast SEO)

4

Press enter on your keyboard

5

After the search results appear, locate the plugin

6

Select the Install this Plugin option

7

Select your child sites

Select your child sites
8

In the Installation Options box, make sure that the Activate after installation option is selected.

In the Installation Options box, make sure that the Activate after installation option is selected.
9

Click Complete Installation

10

Once the installation is complete, Sync your MainWP Dashboard

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Install directly on Child Site

1

Log in to your child site

2

Go to WordPress Admin > Plugins > Add New

3

In the Search field, enter the plugin name (Yoast SEO)

4

After the search results appear, locate the plugin

5

Click the Install button

6

Click the Activate button

For additional help with installing WordPress plugins, please review this help document. Important Notes: After installing the Yoast SEO plugin, it is required to Synchronize your sites so your MainWP Dashboard becomes aware that the plugin has been installed and activated.

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Yoast SEO Dashboard

From the MainWP > Add-ons > Content Operations > WordPress SEO > Yoast SEO Dashboard page, you can monitor all of your child sites where the synced plugin inventory includes the Yoast SEO plugin. In the sites list, you will be notified if the plugin has an update available or if the plugin is deactivated.
  • In case the plugin is not activated, the Activate Plugin action will appear in the corresponding site row.
  • If there is a new version of the plugin, the Update Plugin action will appear in the corresponding site row.

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Available Actions

From the MainWP > Add-ons > Content Operations > WordPress SEO > Yoast SEO Dashboard page, you can open the child site overview, edit the child site, open the child site’s WordPress admin, or open Yoast SEO on the child site. Actions are provided in a Child Site row. Important Notes: If you know that you have the plugin installed on a child site, but the child site doesn’t appear in the list, try to re-sync your sites.

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Manage Yoast SEO Plugin Settings

The MainWP WordPress SEO Extension lets you manage Yoast SEO plugin settings on your child sites. The process of the settings management requires three steps:
  1. Exporting Yoast SEO Settings from one of your Websites
  2. Importing the Settings Template to your Extension
  3. Saving the Template to Child Sites

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Export Yoast SEO Settings

1

Log in to one of your WordPress sites where you have the Yoast SEO plugin configured

Log in to one of your WordPress sites where you have the Yoast SEO plugin configured
2

Follow the Import And Export in Yoast SEO tutorial

Follow the Import And Export in Yoast SEO tutorial

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Import the Yoast SEO Settings Template to the Extension

1

Log in to your MainWP Dashboard

2

Go to the MainWP > Add-ons > Content Operations > WordPress SEO page

3

Go to the Settings Templates tab

4

Click the Import Settings button

5

Complete the Import Template modal

In the Import Template modal:
  1. Set the Template title
  2. Set the Template description
  3. Paste the exported settings into Import Settings
  4. Click the Import Settings button

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Save Yoast SEO Settings to Child Sites

1

Log in to your MainWP Dashboard

2

Go to the MainWP > Add-ons > Content Operations > WordPress SEO page

3

Go to the Settings Templates tab

4

Locate the previously uploaded template

5

Select your Child Sites

Select your Child Sites
6

Click the Apply Template button

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Publishing Posts and Pages with your SEO Settings

Once the WordPress SEO Extension and Yoast SEO plugin are installed on your MainWP Dashboard, the Yoast SEO meta box is available in the Add New Post and Add New Page screens. From there, you can publish your custom SEO settings along with the post content.

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Publish Posts with Custom SEO Settings

1

Log in to your MainWP Dashboard

2

Go to the MainWP > Sites > Content Operations > Manage Posts page

3

Click Add New

4

Set your post content

5

Select your child sites

Select your child sites
6

Set SEO Settings

Set SEO Settings
7

Click the Set SEO Values button

8

Click the Publish button

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Publish Pages with Custom SEO Settings

1

Log in to your MainWP Dashboard

2

Go to the MainWP > Sites > Content Operations > Manage Pages page

3

Click Add New

4

Set your page content

5

Select your child sites

Select your child sites
6

Set SEO Settings

7

Click the Set SEO Values button

8

Click the Publish button