Yoast SEO
AcquiredFounded 2010 · 95 employees on LinkedIn · 34 known investors
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Yoast develops SEO software, including plugins for WordPress, WooCommerce, and Shopify, that provides real-time content analysis, AI-powered optimization suggestions, and readiness for AI-driven search discovery. It serves entrepreneurs, in-house marketing teams, bloggers, and eCommerce/DTC stores looking to improve visibility in search results and AI answers.
Also known as WordPress SEO · Yoast · Yoast BV · Yoast SEO plugin
Founders & leadership
Yoast SEO was founded in 2010 by Joost de Valk.
Investors · 34
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Company profile
researched Aug 2026Yoast BV develops search engine optimization software, best known for the Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress. The plugin provides real-time SEO and readability analysis while writing, Schema.org structured data output, XML sitemaps, SERP previews for desktop and mobile, inclusive language analysis, breadcrumbs, HowTo and FAQ blocks, and import/export tools for migrating from other SEO plugins. A step-by-step configuration wizard handles initial setup, and much of a site's technical SEO is automated. The free plugin is distributed through WordPress.org and Composer/Packagist, with a distribution repository on GitHub, and is licensed under the GPL.
The product line spans a free WordPress plugin, Yoast SEO Premium, a WooCommerce SEO bundle, a Yoast SEO AI+ package, and Yoast SEO for Shopify. Premium and higher tiers add up to five keyphrases, more schema types including E-E-A-T signals, internal linking suggestions, redirect automation, a bulk metadata editor with AI drafts, and a set of AI tools (AI Generate for titles and meta descriptions, AI Optimize, AI Summarize and an AI Content Planner) built into the editor at no additional subscription cost. Features aimed at AI-driven discovery include schema aggregation for NLWeb, llms.txt management, a bot blocker controlling AI crawlers such as GPTBot, CCBot and Google-Extended, and an Abilities API exposing SEO, readability and inclusive language scores to external tools. The AI+ tier tracks brand visibility, sentiment and citations across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude. Integrations include Semrush for keyword research, Wincher for rank tracking, Elementor, Google Site Kit and a Google Docs add-on.
Beyond software, Yoast operates the Yoast SEO Academy training courses, publishes SEO guides, and runs a regular podcast/webinar series ("The SEO Update by Yoast") hosted by its principal SEOs. It attends, sponsors and organizes WordPress community events such as WordCamps, and hosted the first YoastCon conference in Nijmegen in 2015.
Founding story
Yoast traces its origins to 2005, when Joost de Valk launched a personal website, joostdevalk.nl. After moving to and later selling the domain css3.info, de Valk created the Yoast platform in 2009, released the first version of the WordPress SEO plugin in 2010, and founded Yoast BV in 2010. An initial WordPress SEO plugin had been developed by de Valk, an SEO consultant, in 2007.
Business model
Yoast operates a freemium software business: a free WordPress plugin distributed via WordPress.org, Composer/Packagist and GitHub, with paid annual subscriptions for Premium and add-on products that include updates, 24/7 support and access to the Yoast SEO Academy. Yoast has also sold consultancy services historically and monetizes online SEO courses.
Recurring subscription pricing per site: Yoast SEO Premium for WordPress at $118.80 per year excluding VAT, the WooCommerce SEO bundle at $178.80 per year, Yoast SEO AI+ at $358.80 per year, and Yoast SEO for Shopify at $19 per 30 days with a 14-day free trial. Bundles include Local SEO, News SEO, Video SEO and a Google Docs add-on. The company reported turnover of €10 million in 2018.
Traction
The company reports 13+ million customers and states that more than 10 million websites run Yoast SEO. The Composer package has recorded about 2.17 million installs. Landbase counts 5,184,479 companies using the plugin, most commonly in the United States, followed by France, the United Kingdom, Japan and Germany. Yoast SEO Premium is rated 4.6 out of 5 by 819 users.
Latest developments
Recent releases include AI Brand Insights with brand visibility scanning in Perplexity, Google Site Kit insights for all Yoast SEO Premium users, and a new SEO Task List in Yoast SEO. The Yoast SEO AI+ package adds monitoring of brand visibility, sentiment and citations across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude. Plugin development continues on a rapid cadence, with version 28.3 released 18 August 2026 and 28.4 release candidates published shortly after.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Yoast SEO is described as the most widely used WordPress SEO plugin, with the company citing more than 10 million websites running it and 13+ million customers; a third-party technographic dataset counted roughly 5.18 million companies using it. An author of a book on WordPress SEO called it "the granddaddy of all SEO plugins."
Yoast positions the product around no-expertise-required, real-time red/orange/green guidance inside the editing workflow, with AI tools bundled into the Premium subscription rather than sold as separate credits or add-ons, and with early support for AI-driven discovery formats such as schema aggregation for NLWeb, llms.txt and AI crawler controls. Long-running tracking of search algorithm changes since 2008 and a broad add-on ecosystem (Local, News, Video, WooCommerce, Google Docs) are also emphasized.
Technology
The plugin is written in JavaScript and PHP for the WordPress platform, licensed under the GPL, and requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Core technology includes real-time content and readability analysis with a traffic-light scoring system, Schema.org structured data generation, schema aggregation for NLWeb producing a deduplicated graph, llms.txt management, AI crawler controls, an Abilities API, and generative AI features for titles, meta descriptions, summaries and content planning. SEO analysis supports 20+ languages, and the Shopify product is available in 27 languages.
Go-to-market
Distribution is primarily through the free WordPress.org plugin and package repositories, which funnel users to paid upgrades. The company supports this with content marketing (SEO guides, a newsletter, podcasts and webinars), the Yoast SEO Academy, presence and sponsorship at WordCamps and other WordPress community events, and 24/7 email and chat support for paying subscribers plus free community support forums. It also distributes through the Shopify ecosystem.
Site owners ranging from small local businesses to some of the most visited sites on the web, including entrepreneurs, in-house marketing teams, bloggers, content publishers, and eCommerce/DTC merchants running WooCommerce or Shopify stores. Third-party technographic data attributes usage across manufacturing, business services, software, retail and holding companies.
Geography
Yoast BV is based in the Netherlands, with headquarters in Wijchen; as of September 2018 it reported almost 100 employees, of whom 85 were based at the Dutch HQ. Usage of its plugin is global, concentrated in the United States and also significant in France, the United Kingdom, Japan and Germany.
History
The company initially focused on SEO consultancy and developed both the Yoast SEO plugin and a Google Analytics plugin for WordPress. The plugin was renamed from WordPress SEO to Yoast SEO in 2012, the year a premium version was also launched. In April 2016, Yoast sold its Google Analytics for WordPress plugin, which was renamed MonsterInsights by acquirer Syed Balkhi. Yoast hosted the inaugural YoastCon conference in Nijmegen in 2015. In June 2020 it acquired the Duplicate Post plugin, then used on over three million sites, with its original developer Enrico Battocchi joining as a senior developer. In August 2021 Yoast was acquired by Newfold Digital, the owner of hosting provider Bluehost. AI features were added to the plugin in September 2024.
Risks & controversies
In 2015 a security consultant discovered a flaw in Yoast SEO version 1.7.3.3 and earlier that potentially exposed over a million WordPress sites to attackers. EE Times editor Brian Santo, while using Yoast for ranking analysis, criticized the negative effects of SEO practices on journalism.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 11
launches, deals, and filingsYoast announced brand visibility scanning in Perplexity for AI Brand Insights, Site Kit by Google insights for all Yoast SEO Premium users, and a new SEO Task List in Yoast SEO.
Yoast added AI features intended to automatically improve sites' SEO performance.
Yoast joined Newfold Digital, the company that owns hosting provider Bluehost; announced by Marieke van de Rakt on 12 August 2021.
Yoast announced it had become the main sponsor of a professional basketball club named Yoast United, competing in the BNXT League.
Yoast acquired the Duplicate Post plugin, which had over 3 million users; original developer Enrico Battocchi joined Yoast as a senior developer.
Yoast BV divested its Google Analytics for WordPress plugin, which was acquired by Syed Balkhi and renamed MonsterInsights.
Yoast hosted its first YoastCon conference at the Lindenberg Nijmegen Culture House in Nijmegen, Netherlands.
A security consultant discovered a flaw affecting version 1.7.3.3 and earlier that could have exposed over a million WordPress sites to attackers.
The WordPress SEO plugin was renamed Yoast SEO and a paid premium version was introduced.
Joost de Valk launched the first version of the WordPress SEO plugin, the predecessor of Yoast SEO, the same year Yoast BV was founded.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Yoast SEOyoa.st · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Yoast SEO do?
- Dutch developer of the Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress, WooCommerce and Shopify, owned by Newfold Digital since 2021.
- Who founded Yoast SEO?
- Yoast SEO was founded by Joost de Valk in 2010.
- Who are Yoast SEO's investors?
- Yoast SEO's investors include August Capital, B Capital Group, Bessemer Venture Partners, Blumberg Capital, boldstart ventures, Cathay Innovation, Conductive Ventures, Correlation Ventures and 26 more.