What Yoast does

Yoast (Yoast BV) is a Netherlands-based software company founded in 2010 by Joost de Valk, operating as a subsidiary of Newfold Digital. The company builds SEO software and education products, with its flagship Yoast SEO WordPress plugin active on 13+ million websites worldwide. The product suite spans free and premium tiers across multiple platforms: Yoast SEO and Yoast SEO Premium for WordPress ($118.80/year), Yoast WooCommerce SEO ($178.80/year), Yoast SEO AI+ ($358.80/year) bundling AI brand monitoring, Yoast SEO for Shopify ($19 per 30 days), the Yoast SEO Google Docs add-on, and the Yoast SEO Academy education platform with 350,000+ students.

The underlying technology combines a WordPress-native plugin stack (PHP/MySQL with REST API for headless setups) with an Indexables framework for metadata optimization, JSON-LD structured data generation covering 50+ schema types, and an NLP engine that performs real-time SEO and readability analysis in 25+ languages including RTL scripts. More recent AI capabilities include the Yoast AI Brand Insights cross-LLM monitoring platform (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity), generative AI for title/description and content drafting, llms.txt generation for Shopify, the Schema Aggregation feature co-developed with Microsoft NLWeb, and the WordPress 6.9 Abilities API integration.

Yoast operates a hybrid go-to-market combining product-led growth (freemium WordPress plugin as top-of-funnel, self-serve upsell) with inside sales for premium tiers and a reseller/bulk licensing channel targeting hosting companies and agencies needing 100+ licenses. Customers are predominantly SMBs, bloggers, ecommerce operators, and digital agencies, with a global footprint across the WordPress and Shopify ecosystems. The company employs approximately 110 people, ~70 based at its Wijchen headquarters and the remainder distributed globally, and is led by CEO Chaya Oosterbroek.

Name

Yoast

Legal name

Yoast BV

Website

https://yoast.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Yoast (Yoast BV) is a Netherlands-based SEO software company whose flagship WordPress plugin is active on 13+ million websites, serving SMBs, bloggers, ecommerce stores, and agencies with freemium SEO tools, AI-powered content optimization, AI brand-monitoring (AI+), and Shopify/WooCommerce extensions under Newfold Digital ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Search Engine Optimization Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

SEO/SEM & Performance Marketing Tools (BPAMALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

SEO Content Strategy & Production (Topic Research, Editorial Planning) (BPAFAJAH), SEO Analytics, Reporting & Attribution (KPIs, Dashboards, Forecasting) (BPAFAJAI), E-commerce SEO (Category/Product SEO, Merchant Feeds) (BPAFAJAE)

Keywords

• Wordpress seo plugins
• Search engine optimization software
• Ecommerce seo tools
• Ai brand monitoring
• Seo training academy

Headquarters

HQ city

Wijchen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Freemium WordPress Plugin: Free Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress provides core SEO features (real-time analysis, XML sitemaps, schema markup, readability checks) at no cost. This drives broad adoption and brand awareness across 13+ million websites.
2. Yoast SEO Premium Subscription: Annual subscription at $118.80/year providing advanced features: redirect manager, internal linking suggestions, 5 keyword optimization, AI title/description generation, social previews, 24/7 support, plus Local SEO, News SEO, Video SEO plugins and 1 Google Docs add-on seat.
3. Yoast WooCommerce SEO Subscription: Annual subscription at $178.80/year for WooCommerce store optimization. Includes product schema, AI-generated titles/descriptions, catalog templates, and all Premium features.
4. Yoast SEO AI+ Subscription: Annual subscription at $358.80/year combining AI Brand Insights monitoring with WooCommerce SEO. Monitors brand visibility across ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity with sentiment tracking and competitor benchmarking.
5. Yoast SEO Google Docs Add-on: $5/month subscription for Google Docs integration providing SEO guidance while writing. Free for Yoast SEO Premium users (1 seat included).
6. Yoast SEO for Shopify: $19 USD per 30 days subscription for Shopify store optimization. Includes 14-day free trial. Annual plan available (12 months for price of 10).
7. Yoast SEO Academy Courses: Free and premium SEO training courses. Premium access included with Yoast SEO Premium subscription. Free courses include SEO for beginners, WordPress training, and structured data basics.
8. Reseller/Bulk Licensing: Custom pricing for hosting companies, agencies, and resellers needing 100+ Yoast licenses. Tailored commercial terms based on volume.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Yoast develops and sells SEO software centered on its flagship Yoast SEO WordPress plugin, which delivers real-time SEO and readability analysis, automatic XML sitemaps, JSON-LD schema markup, and redirect management. The product portfolio extends to premium annual subscriptions (Yoast SEO Premium, Yoast WooCommerce SEO, Yoast SEO AI+), a Shopify app, a Google Docs add-on, and the Yoast SEO Academy online training platform. A reseller/bulk licensing program serves agencies and hosting partners needing 100+ licenses.

Product overview

Yoast offers a comprehensive SEO product portfolio built around its core Yoast SEO WordPress plugin, which is trusted by 13+ million websites. The offering spans free and premium tiers with platform-specific solutions for WordPress (including Premium with advanced AI features), Shopify (standalone app at $19/month), and WooCommerce (bundled with Premium at $178.80/year). The flagship Yoast SEO AI+ tier ($358.80/year) adds AI Brand Insights monitoring across ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity to WooCommerce SEO capabilities. All premium plans include access to Yoast SEO Academy's training courses and 24/7 support. Additional products include the Google Docs Add-On for content optimization in Google Workspace, Local SEO/News SEO/Video SEO plugins included with Premium, and the Yoast Duplicate Post WordPress utility. The company also maintains an active release schedule with regular plugin updates, new AI features like AI Content Planner and AI Brand Insights, and innovation initiatives including NLWeb Schema Aggregation partnership with Microsoft.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Yoast SEO: The flagship WordPress SEO plugin providing real-time SEO analysis, readability checks, schema markup, and technical SEO automation for WordPress websites.
• Yoast SEO Premium
• Yoast SEO for Shopify
• Yoast WooCommerce SEO
• Yoast SEO AI+
• Yoast SEO Google Docs Add-on
• Yoast SEO Academy
• Yoast Duplicate Post

Products and services

• Yoast SEO (WordPress plugin) The flagship free WordPress SEO plugin providing real-time SEO and readability analysis, automatic XML sitemaps, essential schema markup (50+ schema types), canonical URLs, and technical SEO infrastructure. Trusted by 13+ million websites worldwide and supports 25+ languages including RTL.
• Yoast SEO Premium Annual subscription ($118.80/year) for advanced WordPress SEO with AI-powered title and description generation, redirect manager, internal linking suggestions, social previews, 24/7 support, and includes Local SEO, News SEO, Video SEO plugins plus one Google Docs add-on seat. Designed for small businesses, in-house marketing teams, and content creators who need deeper automation.
• Yoast WooCommerce SEO Annual subscription ($178.80/year) tailored for WooCommerce stores, bundling all Yoast SEO Premium features with product-specific schema (price, availability, ratings), AI-generated product titles and descriptions, catalog templates, and optimized XML sitemaps for product archives.
• Yoast SEO AI+ Premium annual subscription ($358.80/year) combining Yoast WooCommerce SEO with Yoast AI Brand Insights. Provides weekly brand visibility monitoring across ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity, including AI Visibility Index scoring, sentiment tracking, citation analysis, and competitor benchmarking. Designed for brand marketers adapting to AI-generated search.
• Yoast SEO for Shopify SEO app for Shopify stores available in the Shopify App Store, priced at $19 USD per 30 days with a 14-day free trial and an annual plan option (12 months for the price of 10). Provides AI-powered SEO titles and descriptions, real-time analysis, automatic schema markup, and templates for product pages and collections. Rated 4.6/5 by 161 Shopify App Store users.
• Yoast SEO Google Docs Add-On Browser-based add-on ($5/month subscription) bringing real-time Yoast SEO and readability guidance into Google Docs. Includes one free seat with Yoast SEO Premium or Yoast WooCommerce SEO and requires a Google or Google Workspace account. Designed for content teams writing and optimizing drafts collaboratively.
• Yoast SEO Academy Online SEO training platform with free and premium courses covering SEO basics, keyword research, copywriting, technical SEO, ecommerce SEO, international SEO, and AI for SEO. Premium access is included with Yoast SEO Premium subscription. Has trained more than 350,000 students and is rated 4.6/5.
• Yoast Duplicate Post Free WordPress plugin for cloning and repurposing posts or pages with a single click, supporting bulk cloning of multiple items and customizable cloning behavior. Built on Gutenberg block editor support with reliable Rewrite & Republish functionality.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average improvements of +18 to +34 content score points and +1.8 to +5.2 ranking positions across content optimization tools
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

AI capability8 records

Feature13 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Microsoft (NLWeb)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025In November 2025, Yoast announced collaboration with NLWeb, an open web protocol developed by Microsoft designed to simplify building conversational interfaces for the web. First major result: Yoast SEO Schema Aggregation feature.
• Google (Site Kit)coreTechnology or IntegrationYoast SEO offers seamless integration with Site Kit by Google, allowing site admins and SEO managers to view Google data directly within their WordPress dashboard. This technical integration connects Yoast's SEO capabilities with Google's analytics and search console data.
• SemrushcoreTechnology or IntegrationYoast SEO integrates with Semrush for expanded keyword research capabilities, accessible directly within WordPress without additional plugins.
• Newfold DigitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoast is part of the Newfold Digital family of brands, a global company that has provided opportunities to advance through partnerships with other Newfold brands. Yoast maintains its mission of 'SEO for everyone' while benefiting from Newfold's resources and ecosystem.
• Schema.org (Google/Microsoft)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoast works together with Google and Microsoft to improve the web by contributing to the schema.org project, helping shape structured data standards for search engines.
• BluehostminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBluehost is shown as a Yoast partner, likely offering Yoast SEO integration or bundled services with their web hosting platform.
• WordPress.comminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWordPress.com is shown as a Yoast partner in the partner logos section, suggesting a commercial or integration relationship.
• COC NetherlandsminorOthersYoast maintains a strong partnership with COC Netherlands to become more diverse and inclusive, attending Amsterdam Pride parade annually and organizing Pride parties at WordCamps.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Rank Math: Rank Math is the most aggressive WordPress SEO plugin challenger, offering strong free-tier feature parity with Yoast SEO at lower premium price points. Directly competes for the same WordPress install base and lists migration tools to attract Yoast defectors.
• All in One SEO (AIOSEO): AIOSEO is a long-standing WordPress SEO plugin competitor with overlapping feature set (XML sitemaps, schema, on-page analysis). Yoast explicitly built migration tooling to capture its users, indicating head-to-head competition on the WordPress install base.
• SEOPress: SEOPress is a freemium WordPress SEO plugin positioned as a lower-cost, privacy-respecting alternative to Yoast. Direct competitor with built-in migration import from SEOPress to Yoast confirming cross-flow of users.

Broad incumbents

• Semrush: Semrush is a broad SEO and digital marketing suite covering keyword research, backlinks, rank tracking, and content optimization. Integrates with Yoast but at a portfolio level competes for the same SEO software budget, especially with agencies and in-house teams.
• Ahrefs: Ahrefs is a comprehensive SEO toolset covering site audits, keyword research, content exploration, and rank tracking. Competes with Yoast primarily on the analytics/research side for professional SEOs and content teams rather than WordPress-native installs.
• Moz: Moz is an established SEO software suite with Domain Authority, keyword research, link index, and content optimization tools. Overlaps with Yoast on content optimization guidance but does not specialize in CMS plugin distribution.

Emerging players

• Surfer SEO: Surfer SEO focuses on AI-driven content optimization and SERP analysis, overlapping with Yoast's content analysis and AI Optimize features. Targets content marketers and agencies, increasingly competing on AI content workflows where Yoast is also investing.
• Mangools: Mangools offers KWFinder, SERPChecker, and LinkMiner as a more affordable SEO toolkit aimed at SMBs and bloggers — the same customer Yoast targets. Competes more on price than depth, particularly for budget-conscious small business owners.
• Screaming Frog SEO Spider: Screaming Frog provides technical SEO crawling and auditing software widely used by SEO professionals. Overlaps with Yoast on technical SEO but is desktop/agency-oriented rather than WordPress-install oriented.
• MarketMuse: MarketMuse is an AI-driven content planning and optimization platform competing with Yoast's content analysis features. Targets content-heavy publishers and ecommerce brands optimizing at scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/yoast
• Facebookfacebook.com/yoast
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yoast-com
• Instagraminstagram.com/yoast
• Xx.com/yoast

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Yoast