I got this question from a reader that I wanted to post for those of you who use WordPress:
“Is it better to use the built-in Genesis theme SEO or the WordPress SEO plugin by Yoast? Does it make a difference? I assumed they both accomplish the same thing and that what you put in them is way more important than which you use. Do you have an opinion or preference?”
Yes, I do have an opinion. I would use the built-in SEO functionality that comes with the theme, especially one as well-known as Genesis. No use in wasting a plugin that would just duplicate something the theme already allows.
With WordPress, it’s easy to get plugin happy and start downloading lots of plugins which you really don’t need. Having an over abundance of plugins can make your site slow, which will absolutely have an effect on your SEO, not to mention other negative consequences.
Also, this reader is absolutely correct that it’s way more important what you put in there. Make sure to always have keyword rich titles and descriptions, follow best practices, and leave the keywords tag blank. It’s a waste of time to fill this out as Google no longer takes the keywords field into account.
Your Turn:
Do you have any burning SEO questions I can answer for you? Email me at jennyatjennymunn.com and let me know – I’d love to hear from you (really!). 
. Or, connect with me on Google+ today.
Photo Credit: SAN_DRINO
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I agree with you, but Yoast plugin gives more functionality to get more in terms of SEO. You are right, plugin slow down the speed of a website, but there a lot of options to speed up your website and it up to you to think what is necessary for your website.
Hi there!
Thanks for your write up. I am very skeptical honestly. I used to use Genesis inbuild SEO and it was good. Now, I had changed to Yoast SEO. Basically both are very good but I yet to see why I would need an additional plugin like Yoast for that matter.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that Yoast is bad. Just giving my opinion. Currently, I am using Yoast SEO on my latest website, http://www.estudiowerk.com
Have a great day!
Reginald