Search engines are constantly sending crawlers to search and index different kinds of content found online. Based on those results and a set of criteria largely known only to the search engine’s developers, each site is ranked in order of importance and value to users. The goal of most marketers is to rank, or appear as close as possible to the top in search results, so a key part of SEO strategy is to make sure that every possible part of a WordPress website is optimized to suit the ever-changing priorities of search algorithms. Currently, essential factors for ranking high on Google, the world’s most-used search engine, include:

Fast loading sites. Google’s stated aim is to provide users with the best search experience, and that includes sites that load quickly and smoothly so that there’s no wait time in which a visitor is likely to click away. There are different ways to improve the speed of your site that will ultimately help your content rank higher in search results.
Mobile responsiveness. More people now access the Internet from mobile devices than from the desktop, so Google rewards mobile-friendly sites with higher rankings.
Quality content with natural keyword use. Sites that publish relevant content that provides real value to the user tend to rank higher in searches, especially when enhanced by relevant keywords, naturally used – not keyword-stuffed short pieces that don’t relate to users’ needs.
Internal Linking. Backlinks – links from other sites to yours – have always been one measure of a site’s value and relevance, but so are internal links among the various types of content on the WordPress website. Internal linking, especially when links are structured to include keywords, demonstrates that all the content on the site is connected and relates to the site’s overall theme.
WordPress accommodates all these factors and more with native SEO features that are built into its source code and extended by a multitude of free and premium SEO plugins and themes.