Simple SEO
by David Cole · SEO
Allows the modification of META titles, descriptions and keywords for all pages and posts. Also allows for default setting for of META title, descript …
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Health
A 89/100
no flags
Active installs
10K+
≈19K estimated
Momentum
+32%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “meta”, “seo” and “meta description” for “modification”, “google webmaster tools” and “webmaster tools”. “meta” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “modification” sits at #8 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “seo” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #19. “google webmaster tools” sits at #9 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “meta description” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #15. “webmaster tools” sits at #10 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
89 health vs 65 average across 2,224 SEO plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →5.0%
of downloads still active
At least 10K of 202K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median SEO plugin keeps 1.2%, across 1,193 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other SEO plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
Details
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Excellent listing optimization
Well tuned across the board
Updated 39 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.7★ over 33 reviews, smoothed to 4.34★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
36
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.5
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
17%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.3
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| simple seo | #3 | #4 | down 1 |
| title modification | #3 | #2 | 0 |
| modification | #8 | #8 | — |
| meta title your tag | #14 | #16 | down 1 |
| meta description your tag | #15 | #14 | up 2 |
| meta keywords your tag | #15 | #12 | 0 |
| google webmaster tools | #9 | #10 | down 1 |
| meta titles | #14 | #17 | up 2 |
| webmaster tools | #10 | #8 | 0 |
| seo your tag | #19 | #18 | 0 |
| simple sitemap | #12 | #10 | 0 |
| seo title | #13 | #12 | down 1 |
| import seo | #16 | #14 | down 2 |
| seo titles | #10 | #9 | up 1 |
| yoast seo | #18 | #13 | 0 |
| seo tool | #19 | #15 | down 5 |
| seo tools | #20 | #15 | down 3 |
| plugin seo | #22 | #19 | — |
| seo redirects | #22 | #22 | down 2 |
| og meta | #12 | #7 | 0 |
| meta your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
77 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 41 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 1 of its tags isn't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “meta”, “seo” and “meta description” for “modification”, “google webmaster tools” and “webmaster tools”. “meta” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “modification” sits at #8 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “seo” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #19. “google webmaster tools” sits at #9 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “meta description” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #15. “webmaster tools” sits at #10 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
- One page off on “meta description”. #15 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
- One page off on “meta keywords”. #15 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
- One page off on “meta title”. #14 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,489 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 11.3K · peaks are release surges
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 79% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “10K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 15 months ago; the previous band took 13 months to cross, which places it about 90% of the way through.
Install history since 13 Aug 2020
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 2.0.0 Release Date: November 22nd, 2022 Complete code rewrite to namespaces and OOP Added SEO to tags 2.0.0
- — Version 2.0.11 Release Date: November 23rd, 2022 Added options to use the posts featured image for FB and TW by default. If FB or TW image is added, it will use that instead of the featured image. Fixed a bug that was preventing the me 2.0.11
- — Version 2.0.12 Release Date: Jan 11th, 2023 Support for WooCommerce category and tag meta title and description. 2.0.12
- — Version 2.0.13 Release Date: Jan 25th, 2023 text domains added to __() for translations. 2.0.13
- — Version 2.0.14 Release Date: Feb 1st, 2023 more text domains added to __() for translations. Sitemaps added back, with the option to select post types og:image:url added to fix Facebook bug. 2.0.14
- — Version 2.0.15 Release Date: Feb 2nd, 2023 in_array() bool value fix for sitemap post type selections. I am aware of the sitemap select not working, you can still generate a sitemap, or delete one using the buttons. 2.0.15
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 6 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (2.0.38). Sites still on an older version should update.
- Patched Medium · 6.4 Simple SEO <= 2.0.31 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗2025-09-23 CVE-2025-10357 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 2.0.31 Patched in 2.0.32
- Patched Medium · 6.4 Simple SEO <= 1.7.91 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗2022-07-29 CVE-2022-1628 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 1.7.91 Patched in 1.7.92
- 2022-07-12 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 1.7.91 Patched in 1.7.92
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
CVE records: Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE terms of use.
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 8 languages, 1 at 90% or more · development strings
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Share of voice
How often each assistant names Simple SEO when asked about this topic, where it comes in the answer, and how that compares with its wp.org search position. Latest run 1 Nov 2026.
- Assistants
- ChatGPT, Claude
- Topics tracked
- SEO
Readme readiness
3 of 8 pass · checked 1 Nov 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Allows the modification of META titles, descriptions and keywords for all pages and posts. Also allows for..."
- ! Has a FAQ No FAQ section.
- ! FAQ asks real questions No FAQ to judge.
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Yoast, Rank Math, All in One SEO, Facebook and 1 more.
- ! Headings and lists 0 headings and 1 list; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ! Enough to quote 449 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ✓ Tags match the text All 5 tags appear in the text.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2025-07-28 9K+ → 10K+ up after 395 days in tier
- 2024-06-28 8K+ → 9K+ up after 286 days in tier
- 2023-09-16 7K+ → 8K+ up after 95 days in tier
- 2023-06-13 8K+ → 7K+ down after 3 days in tier
- 2023-06-10 7K+ → 8K+ up after 2 days in tier
- 2023-06-08 8K+ → 7K+ down after 26 days in tier
- 2023-05-13 7K+ → 8K+ up after 143 days in tier
- 2022-12-21 6K+ → 7K+ up after 332 days in tier
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
FV Simpler SEO 2K+ installs · 4.2★ · 3 shared tags A -
SiteSEO – SEO Simplified 400K+ installs · 3.9★ · 2 shared tags B -
SEO SIMPLE PACK 100K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags A -
Meta Tag Manager 70K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A -
SmartCrawl SEO checker, analyzer & optimizer 10K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A -
Head Meta Data 10K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Simple SEO into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/cds-simple-seo" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Simple SEO — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Simple SEO: 10K+ active installs, 4.7★ (33 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/cds-simple-seo
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