Yoast SEO: How to Start SEO Data Optimization

See how to do the data optimization needed in the Yoast SEO plugin the safe way.

Links Mentioned

Partial UpdraftPlus Backup: How to Select Only Database or Specific Files

Get Help

If you have trouble getting the database optimization to run or finish, click here to jump to the Troubleshooting section for help.

Video Tutorial

Written Tutorial

Check Yoast Notifications

After every time you update the Yoast SEO plugin, you’ll want to check the notifications area to see if the database tables also need to be optimized.

It’s under the Yoast SEO > General tab in the Notification section.

FYI, this notification may not show up until the next day after you do the plugin update.

If you see this Start SEO data optimization button, here’s what to do before you click it.

Take a Backup First

You need to ensure you have a recent backup of your database since you did the Yoast SEO plugin update.

If you are using the UpdraftPlus plugin, see this post for Partial UpdraftPlus Backup for how to take only a database backup.

This will be much faster than taking a full backup.

Do Yoast Data Optimization

After the database backup is complete, return to your site.

In the left admin sidebar, click Yoast SEO.

In the Notification section, click the Start SEO data optimization button.

You’ll see a progress bar as it goes.

And when it is finished, you should see this green box with SEO data optimization complete.

Error Messages

If you see an error, try it again.

If you still see an error, get out of your site, come back in another day and try it again.

It can be a little glitchy that way.

Take Another Backup

And, you may want to run another backup of your database after this is finished.

Okay, That’s It!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial.

Be sure to subscribe to this YouTube channel.

And come on over and see me at BlogAid.net for more helpful tips.

Troubleshooting

If you are having issues running the database optimization or it won’t complete, follow these suggestions from the Yoast support forum:

• Take a database backup – see how to do this if you are using UpdraftPlus
• Install & activate the Yoast Test Helper plugin
• Go to Tools > Yoast Test
• Locate the Yoast SEO section and click on the ‘Reset indexables tables & migrations’, ‘Reset Prominent words calculation’, and ‘Reset Internal link counter’ buttons. After each click, the page will reload to confirm that the specific reset was successful.
• Go to SEO > Tools, and under SEO data, click the “Start SEO data optimization” button to allow Yoast to rescan your content.

If you are still having issues, post it on the Yoast SEO plugin support forum.