How to choose a WordPress theme (performance, SEO, and usability)

A WordPress theme is more than a design—it affects speed, layout stability, and how easy it is to create good pages.

What to optimize for (in this order)

1. Speed and stability — A theme that ships minimal code and doesn’t shift layout.
2. Readability — Clean typography, good spacing, easy scanning.
3. Mobile usability — Menus, headings, and buttons work on small screens.
4. Compatibility — Works with your editor and essential plugins.
5. Long-term maintenance — Updates, documentation, and active support.

Performance checks you can do quickly

Even before buying or installing:

• Avoid themes that advertise “100+ sliders” and heavy animations.
• Prefer themes that don’t require multiple page builders.
• Look for clean demo pages (not overloaded with effects).

After installing, test:

• A post page
• The home page
• A category page

Use Lighthouse (mobile) and pay attention to layout shift and slow scripts.

SEO-friendly doesn’t mean “SEO plugin included”

A good theme helps SEO by being:

• semantic (headings and structure make sense)
• accessible (labels, focus states, contrast)
• fast (especially on mobile)

SEO plugins can handle metadata, but a slow or unstable theme still hurts the experience.

Usability details that matter

• Consistent heading sizes (H1, H2, H3)
• Good line length for reading
• Clear navigation to About/Contact/Privacy
• No intrusive popups on first paint

Minimal plugin expectations

Your theme should work without forcing:

• multiple “required” plugins
• custom “shortcode builders” for basic layouts
• proprietary widgets that lock you in

A simple decision rule

If two themes look equally good, choose the one that:

• loads faster
• uses fewer dependencies
• is easier to customize without hacks

A simple theme plus strong content usually outperforms a flashy theme with weak content.