Sadly, the ability to import a file is another feature that was removed by Yoast. The process has changed, and now you have to copy the settings directly from another site. All downloads have been removed.
My “Always Current” Current Settings
These are my own recommended settings for the Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress, and I try to keep it current.
The default settings of the Yoast SEO Plugin simply don’t cover everything. they’re not supposed to, because each setup is different.
Instead of just using the default setup, (which doesn’t even generate a description tag), you can download and import my own settings directly here from my own Dropbox account.
This Import Will:
Set up your site with no duplicate content areas, and will noindex your author archives, tag pages and category pages. It will also ensure that each page or post has a 100% unique title tag and unique description tag automatically generated.
After You Import:
If you know what you’re doing, check my settings to make changes you might prefer. If you don’t know what you’re doing, then the only thing you need to check is your social settings, and put in your own Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest info, etc.
If you look at the plugin settings tabs, you’ll see that nearly all of the default syntax from Yoast has been replaced or appended, in order to generate 100% unique titles, description tags, pagination.. This setup continues all the way down to the category and tag level even so feel free to reindex them, Any SEO Test should come out meta perfect for every single crawlable URL. If not, then please tell me about it, and I’ll help you make the adjustment.
Reporting Errors with the Yoast Plugin
You should report any and all Yoast WordPress SEO plugin issues here at their official Github home. Do not report them at WordPress because they will not answer.
The Yoast WP SEO plugin offers the widest variety of setup options of any SEO plugin, including its most useful option, the ability to import and export your settings from site to site. Remember, support for the plugin should be obtained here, rather than at WordPress.org.
These settings are explained & detailed in my Pubcon presentation slides below:
As one of the first 400 or so users of the plugin that now has over 10 million downloads, I’ve seen it evolve tremendously, and I understand it inside and out. Over the years, I’ve developed what I believe to be optimal settings after installation.
Are you looking for a reliable set of tools to manage your own website visibility? Ranking reports, competitive intelligence, on page SEO ideas, sharing reports and projects with agencies and clients, etc.? Then try SEMrush. I’ve been a customer of theirs for many years, and we use it for nearly all clients in all situations.
