I want my site to show up on Google and Bing for certain keywords. I know some HTML and watched a few YouTube tutorials, so I understand meta tags help.
But every guide I find shows people editing PHP files or HTML directly, and with my $4/month WordPress personal plan, I can’t find these options.
Is there a way to optimize my site for search without upgrading to the business plan?
That said, if you want full control over SEO, you’ll need to either:
Upgrade to the business plan so you can install plugins like Yoast or RankMath.
Switch to self-hosted WordPress with a provider like SiteGround, Bluehost, or Namecheap.
The lower-tier WordPress.com plans are fine for simple blogs, but they don’t give you access to custom SEO settings, plugins, or themes. If you’re serious about SEO, you’ll probably outgrow the personal plan quickly.
The easiest way to remove limitations is to switch to self-hosted WordPress. WordPress.com locks a lot of features behind their paid plans, but with your own hosting, you’ll have full control for less money.
If you want full SEO control, move off WordPress.com. Get your own hosting, install WordPress, and you’ll have zero restrictions. Most web hosts offer a simple WordPress setup, and from there, you can install any SEO plugin you want.