I’m using the All in One SEO plugin for my site. The extra fields and options it supplies seem like they could be handled via a theme, possibly negating the use for a plugin.
Should SEO considerations be handled by a theme, rather than delegating the work to a separate plugin? It could reduce maintenance issues, takes up less space, and be more integrated.
Ideally, SEO should always be handled by the theme. Actually, most plug-in behavior that impacts the front-end of a site should be handled by the theme. Plug-ins like All in One SEO are quick solutions for people who don’t want to invest the time required to re-code a theme they built, downloaded from a free site, or purchased from another developer.
Putting the functionality in the theme itself gives you more control, makes WordPress faster, and means you don’t need to worry about upgrades potentially breaking your site if they introduce new bugs that conflict with other systems you’re using.
