Ensuring your WordPress plugins are up-to-date is essential for maintaining the security and functionality of your website. In this blog post, we will provide a tutorial on how to update one of the most widely used plugins for WordPress – Yoast SEO.
Why Update Your Yoast SEO Plugin?
Every new version of Yoast SEO comes with improvements, new features, or potential security fixes. Updating the plugin ensures that you’re getting the most out of it and that your website remains secure.
Methods to Update Your Yoast SEO Plugin
Here are two methods you can use to update your Yoast SEO plugin:
Direct Update From WordPress Dashboard
This is the easiest method to update your Yoast SEO plugin. Follow the steps below:
- Login to your WordPress dashboard.
- Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
- Find the Yoast SEO plugin. If an update is available, you will see an Update Now link.
- Click on the Update Now link. WordPress will then automatically download and install the latest version of the Yoast SEO plugin.
Update Via FTP
If for some reason you’re unable to update the Yoast SEO plugin from your WordPress dashboard, you can do it manually via FTP. Here’s how:
- First, you need to download the latest version of the Yoast SEO plugin from the WordPress plugin directory.
- Unzip the downloaded file on your computer.
- Connect to your website via FTP. If you don’t know how to do this, contact your hosting provider for assistance.
- Navigate to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory.
- Delete the old wordpress-seo directory.
- Upload the unzipped file to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory.
Conclusion
Updating your Yoast SEO plugin is a straightforward process. Whether you’re updating directly from your WordPress dashboard or manually via FTP, it’s critical to keep your plugin version up to date for maximum website performance and security.