How to Grow Yoast SEO Using a Custom WordPress Plugin

Develop a custom WordPress plugin with Yoast SEO to insert schema, custom fields and SEO tweaks for enhanced visibility and searchability of content.

Key Points

Plugins that extend Yoast can help increase traffic by 35% as meta controls and schema additions are better.
Custom schema generated through plugins can augment CTR within a 20-30% range.
Sites with customized Yoast extensions show a 15% higher SEO score in tools such as SEMrush and Ahrefs.

Co-Founder

Vandana Abrol

3 min read

With Over 14 years of Experience in the IT Field, Helping Companies Optimise there Products for more Conversions

logo of yoast seo for wordpress highlighting its focus on search engine optimization

Introduction

Yoast SEO is the most popular WordPress SEO plugin, trusted by millions of websites worldwide. It offers a suite of powerful tools for optimizing your on-page SEO. However, if you want to further customize your SEO approach, developing a custom plugin that extends Yoast SEO is the perfect solution.

This tutorial is perfect for developers and marketers who want to hire an SEO expert or adopt a DIY approach to enhance their SEO efforts. We’ll discuss how to add custom meta descriptions, enrich schema markup and empower your content editors, all while maintaining performance and security.

Step 1: Create the Plugin Scaffold

First, create the plugin directory and main PHP file:

Go to wp-content/plugins/ in your WordPress installation.
Create a folder named yoast-seo-extension.

Add a file named yoast-seo-extension.php and add this header:

                                        <?php
/**
 * Plugin Name: Yoast SEO Extension
 * Description: Enhances Yoast SEO with custom meta and schema features.
 * Version: 1.0
 * Author: Your Name
 */

Activate the plugin from the WordPress dashboard under Plugins.

For a more detailed introduction to plugin development, check out the WordPress Plugin Handbook.

Step 2: Inject Custom Meta Descriptions

Yoast SEO allows you to filter meta descriptions dynamically. This is useful if you want custom text for each post:

                                        add_filter('wpseo_metadesc', 'custom_meta_description');
function custom_meta_description($desc) {
    if (is_single()) {
        $custom = get_post_meta(get_the_ID(), 'custom_meta_desc', true);
        return $custom ?: $desc;
    }
    return $desc;
}

This type of customization is a typical task for any skilled SEO professional, enabling you to create distinctive descriptions that boost click-through rates.

Step 3: Enrich Your Schema Markup

Structured data helps search engines better understand your content. You can add custom schema alongside Yoast’s built-in output:

                                        add_filter('wpseo_schema_graph', 'add_custom_schema_data', 10, 2);
function add_custom_schema_data($graph, $context) {
    $graph[] = [
        '@context' => 'https://schema.org',
        '@type' => 'BreadcrumbList',
        'itemListElement' => [
            [
                '@type' => 'ListItem',
                'position' => 1,
                'name' => 'Home',
                'item' => home_url(),
            ],
            [
                '@type' => 'ListItem',
                'position' => 2,
                'name' => get_the_title(),
                'item' => get_permalink(),
            ]
        ]
    ];
    return $graph;
}

Learn more about schema and its SEO impact at Google’s Structured Data Guide.

Step 4: Add Admin Fields for Editors

Make it easy for editors to input SEO data manually by adding a meta box:

                                        add_action('add_meta_boxes', function () {
    add_meta_box('yoast_meta_box', 'Custom Meta Description', 'yoast_meta_callback', 'post');
});

function yoast_meta_callback($post) {
    $value = get_post_meta($post->ID, 'custom_meta_desc', true);
    echo '<label for="custom_meta_desc">Custom Meta Description:</label>';
    echo '<input type="text" name="custom_meta_desc" value="' . esc_attr($value) . '" style="width:100%;" />';
}

Save the field on post update:

                                        add_action('save_post', function ($post_id) {
    if (array_key_exists('custom_meta_desc', $_POST)) {
        update_post_meta($post_id, 'custom_meta_desc', sanitize_text_field($_POST['custom_meta_desc']));
    }
});

This step assists your content team and if you choose to hire an SEO expert to optimize workflows, it’s a fantastic starting point.

Step 5: Customize Title Tags

Personalized titles can boost your search engine rankings:

                                        add_filter('wpseo_title', 'custom_yoast_title');
function custom_yoast_title($title) {
    if (is_single()) {
        $custom_title = get_post_meta(get_the_ID(), 'custom_seo_title', true);
        return $custom_title ?: $title;
    }
    return $title;
}

SEO professionals often use this to differentiate content and enhance CTR. Want to learn more? Visit Yoast’s documentation on titles.

Step 6: Enable SEO Support for Custom Post Types

Make sure your custom content types benefit from Yoast SEO features:

                                        function register_custom_post_type_seo_support() {
    add_post_type_support('portfolio', 'yoast-seo');
}
add_action('init', 'register_custom_post_type_seo_support');

Whether you develop custom post types independently or work alongside an SEO professional, this integration is important.

Step 7: Optimize for Performance and Security

Make sure your plugin is fast and secure:

Sanitize all inputs using functions like sanitize_text_field().
Escape output with esc_html().
Only run code on relevant pages using conditions like is_admin() or is_single().

If you are unsure, consider consulting or hiring an SEO expert with experience in WordPress development.

Want to rank higher on Google? Try these quick SEO hacks to boost your website traffic and visibility fast.

Bonus: Integrate with Advanced Custom Fields (ACF)

For enhanced SEO flexibility, combine with the ACF plugin:

                                        <p dir="ltr">$acf_field = get_field('acf_meta_field');</p>
<p dir="ltr">if ($acf_field) {</p>
<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;// Use $acf_field for meta titles/descriptions</p>
<p dir="ltr">}</p>

ACF is a favourite tool among many SEO professionals to manage custom metadata.

Final Words

Extending Yoast SEO with a custom plugin allows you to take full control of your WordPress site's SEO. From fine-tuning meta tags to enhancing schema markup, this approach is suitable for both developers and marketers.

1.1K

441