How to Use All in One SEO to Set Up WordPress for Search

The short answer: install the free Lite plugin, run the setup wizard (site category, homepage title, person or organisation, features, live or under construction, Search Console), work the SEO Checklist from its high-priority tasks down, open the sitemap and submit it to Google, then set titles and descriptions on the pages that matter. The wizard takes less than 10 minutes, per the AIOSEO setup wizard guide, and none of it needs a paid plan.

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A new WordPress site, or one inherited from an agency, often has no deliberate SEO settings at all. The fix is an afternoon of configuration, not a project. This guide follows AIOSEO's own documentation in the order the plugin presents it. For what the paid plans add and cost, see the All in One SEO glossary entry.

Before you install anything:

1. The free version covers this job. The wizard, checklist, sitemap and per-page titles all work in Lite, listed on WordPress.org. A paid licence starts at $49.50 for the first year of Basic on the pricing page, checked on 24 October 2026, and is not needed for setup.
2. Check what is already installed. If another SEO plugin runs on the site, decide which one stays before you activate a second, so that only one of them writes titles, schema and sitemaps.
3. Know the before picture. Note how many pages Google has indexed in Search Console's Page indexing report, so you can see the effect of the new sitemap and settings.

What you need first

• A self-hosted WordPress site and an administrator account.
• A verified Google Search Console property for the domain.
• Your logo, a default social image and the URLs of your social profiles.
• The site served over HTTPS, if you plan to use the MCP step later.

Step 1: Install Lite and start the wizard

Install All in One SEO from the WordPress plugin directory and activate it. The setup wizard opens on its own with a welcome screen and a button to begin, per the setup wizard guide.

Step 2: Choose a category and write the homepage title

Pick the category that fits, such as Blog, Online Store or Small Offline Business. Below it, set the Home Page Title and Home Page Meta Description using the tag buttons, which insert values like your site title and keep them current as the site changes.

Step 3: Say who is behind the site

Choose Person or Organization. The guide's rule: most business and brand sites should choose Organization. Add the name, description, phone number, logo and default share image, then the URLs of your social profiles. Search engines use these details to understand who publishes the site.

Step 4: Pick the features

The recommended features, including sitemaps and schema markup, are on by default. Each toggle has a short description; leave the defaults unless you know a feature clashes with something else on the site.

Step 5: Set the site live

On Search Appearance, choose Live Site once the site should appear in search results. Under Construction keeps it out. Review the options for post types, multiple authors and attachment pages while the SERP preview updates.

Step 6: Connect Google Search Console

Click Connect to Google Search Console and follow Google's prompts. The connection powers Search Statistics inside WordPress; you can skip it and connect later.

Step 7: Work the SEO Checklist

Open All in One SEO, General Settings, SEO Checklist. Filter by priority and start with High, marked with a red dot, then Medium and Low. Each task has a View Explanation link and a Dismiss link for tasks that do not apply, per the SEO Checklist guide.

Step 8: Check the sitemap and submit it

Go to Sitemaps, confirm Enable Sitemap is on and click Open Sitemap. The index lists one sitemap per content type, with 1,000 URLs per page by default, per the sitemap guide. Leave date and author archives out unless you need them. Then paste the sitemap URL into the Add a new sitemap box in Search Console's Sitemaps report and click Submit.

Step 9: Set titles on the pages that sell

Edit each key page, scroll to AIOSEO Settings and set the Title and Meta Description with smart tags or your own text, per the title and description guide. Start with the homepage, the product or service pages and the top five posts by traffic.

One step for an AI assistant

AIOSEO has an MCP server that works with the free version. Open All in One SEO, AI Suite, MCP tab, and follow its four steps: review the registered abilities, install the free MCP Adapter, generate an Application Password, test the connection, as the MCP guide describes. You need WordPress 6.9 or newer. Then copy the snippet for Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code or a CLI.

Ask the assistant to find the posts missing meta descriptions and draft one for each. Review the drafts before you let it write them back, because the Application Password grants the same access as your own account. When the batch is done, revoke the password from your WordPress profile.

What the docs warn about

• Under Construction left on. It keeps the whole site out of search results.
• Google rewrites snippets. Search engines do not have to use the title and description you set, the title and description guide notes.
• Excluded content vanishes from sitemap settings. Anything set to noindex under Search Appearance will not appear in the sitemap options, per the sitemap guide.
• Disabling the sitemap. The sitemap URL then returns a 404 and search engines lose that signal.
• Application Passwords switched off. They require HTTPS, and security plugins can disable them, per the MCP guide.

The plugin's dashboard will keep offering upgrades, because a free install is how it sells Pro. For this job, the free version finishes the work, and the decision to pay can wait until a feature you need is missing.

FAQ

Can I change the wizard settings later?

Yes. Everything set in the wizard is available afterwards in the All in One SEO settings, per the setup wizard guide.

Does the free version include the MCP server?

Yes, with 13 abilities covering posts, settings, notifications, robots.txt and site audits; Pro adds terms, redirects and Search Statistics, per the MCP guide.

Does AIOSEO create a sitemap file on the server?

No. The sitemap is generated each time a crawler requests it, so it stays current, per the sitemap guide.