Big news for Yoast! We’re so incredibly happy to announce that we are joining Newfold Digital. Joining forces with this leading web presence solutions provider will enable Yoast to take SEO for everyone to the next level! We look forward to new possibilities to help even more people to improve their SEO. We believe that our joint forces will help us to expand new possibilities across many platforms.
Get all of our SEO ideas into practice
Joost de Valk founded Yoast in 2010. Yoast never had any funding before, it grew organically into a company with 140 employees maintaining a plugin with over 12 million active installs. We don’t want to stop there! We’re planning to grow and improve even further! Joining Newfold Digital provides us with the freedom to build and iterate on ideas to further our mission. We plan to release many new features and products to help people with the findability of their websites.
Joint love for WordPress
Yoast loves WordPress. We are WordPress and open source fanboys and girls. Joining Newfold enables us to fully keep that love alive. Bluehost of course is a member of the amazing Newfold Digital family. We are really excited to team up with Bluehost. Over the years, we have attended countless WordCamps with the Bluehost team and we worked together on many WordPress Core releases.Yoast and Bluehost will enhance our offerings and contribution to the WordPress community together.
Only changes for the better
A big change, but only a change for the better! All the important things stay the same.Team Yoast will remain the same, all of our employees stay with us. Our headquarters will stay in Wijchen, the Netherlands. Our brand will remain our brand. Our mission will remain our mission. Yoast SEO will remain Yoast SEO. Our CEO will remain our CEO and all of the board members will stay in their roles.
So much exciting stuff is coming up!
We are really excited to be able to announce this news today. In the next few months we will really start working with and learning from our many new colleagues at Newfold Digital! We have some amazing plans already lined up that’ll be exciting to our customers. Stay tuned for more updates and information!
Marieke was Head of Strategy and former CEO at Yoast. During her time at our company she wrote a lot. Topics that she loves writing about include SEO copywriting, site structure and readability.
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35 Responses to Exciting news: Yoast joins Newfold Digital
Nathan Lyle • 3 years ago
So, the company formerly known as EIG (who ruined HostGator years ago and many others like it) now has Yoast SEO. :-( I get that things happen and you need to put a positive spin on things, but this is upsetting news for many who’ve seen good products fall apart after getting swallowed up.
Walter • 3 years ago
Too bad – that could once again lead to the demise of a once excellent software company. There are so many predecessor …
William Keyser • 3 years ago
Sounds good to me provided your employees benefit as well as Joost and other shareholders!
Vernita • 3 years ago
I wish you all the best! I sincerely hope that this company does not do what they had done to other companies when they were known as Endurance International.
Several services of companies I used to use went down hill after joining EIG, and I was stuck having to find alternative solutions.
Please be careful with this company. I’m hoping their new name means they have new management that is better than before.
Peter Mann • 3 years ago
I’m sure it’s all for the best, but how odd you mention a couple of companies / brands in your report but don’t provide a link to their websites. Is that good SEO?
And, erm, one of the good / annoying things with Yoast SEO Premium is the readability analysis and how it never fails to spot ‘Consecutive sentences: The text contains 3 consecutive sentences starting with the same word. Try to mix things up!’. However did you escape that judgement in your ‘Only changes for the better’ para?
Bruno Ewayu • 3 years ago
I honestly can’t wait to see the new exciting things to come for us Yoast customers!! Congratulations! This is good news.
Mant • 3 years ago
The problem with this news release is not once was it mentioned what your new owner actually does, just the standard “nothing will change” concept. That’s never true in the long run, but okay. It’s also concerning when the CEO of a company you pay for services responds to comments with the word “vulnerable” as a way to describe the company’s status had it not allowed itself to be acquired. Maybe we should look into another SEO provider if this is the case when you have “12 million active installs,” which includes customers paying monthly/yearly subscriptions for premium services. Also, customers never want to hear about what the “board” has to say. Just my 2 cents.
Filipe Morato Gomes • 3 years ago
It seams like sad news to me, can’t honestly see how this might be good or “exciting” for us, Yoast customers. Can you please clarify why and how this “will enable Yoast to take SEO for everyone to the next level”?
William Keyser • 3 years ago
Yes I share your feelings
^ Post author
Marieke van de Rakt • 3 years ago
Yoast on its own is just really vulnerable. We now have a partner that will help us. Being bootstrapped and small, any fluctuations on the dollar for instance, have major consequences on our company. That made us – the board- risk averse. We’re responsible for 140+ employees and take that responsibility really seriously. For a good product, for our users, we need to come up with new things. Try something out of the box. We feel that we can do just that again.
Scott L Smith • 3 years ago
Hi Marieke,
To clarify: “Yoast on its own is just really vulnerable” refers to coding you need help with? Or financial stability you need help with (due to USD fluctuations, etc)? Other?
Also interested in how this “will enable Yoast to take SEO for everyone to the next level”. Referring to coding help? Referring to financial resources to help test & release plugin improvements? Referring to keeping the 140+ employees intact so they can concentrate on improving Yoast (vs job security)?
Other?
Thank you in advance for any info that will help long time Yoast users and supporters make the best decisions for moving forward in even better helping our clients!
^ Post author
Marieke van de Rakt • 3 years ago
I did not mean the coding part at all…. that’s the most stable as they come. I mean vulnerable as a company, mostly due to USD fluctuations. We have 140+ employees. They matter to me.
We have more ideas than people to execute them. I would love to be able to hire more and make the product even more awesome.
Hope I have clarified this a bit for you.
bangla it blog • 3 years ago
its really good news . hope yoast will make it more better day by day. thanks
^ Post author
Marieke van de Rakt • 3 years ago
thank you!
Niels Neumann • 3 years ago
Thats great news. I look forward to new features and more seo optimization for wordpress
^ Post author
Marieke van de Rakt • 3 years ago
we’re going to do our very best!
Priya Gupta • 3 years ago
Yes, you are right, Good Work Yoast SEO
^ Post author
Marieke van de Rakt • 3 years ago
thanks!
Darryl Schmidt • 3 years ago
BlueYoast :)
^ Post author
Marieke van de Rakt • 3 years ago
:-)
rmens • 3 years ago
Congrats to the team!
Very concerned about Endurance International Group too. They trashed great products brands in the past with rudderless management.
^ Post author
Marieke van de Rakt • 3 years ago
Thank you! Do know that the leadership of Newfold is not the same as the EIG.
I am going to my very best to further improve (and not deteriorate) Yoast SEO!
David Mitchell • 3 years ago
Well this sounds exciting. All the best to Yoast, Joost, Marieke, and co. from a Belgian fan and user.
^ Post author
Marieke van de Rakt • 3 years ago
thank you David!
Avi from Netolink • 3 years ago
Good luck guys!
Hope your product stays as good as it is today.
As James said earlier, hopefully the purchase will not adversely affect you.
You built a product and I believe the road was difficult.
Merger, acquisition or IPO is not the end, but the beginning.
Do not make customers and consumers lose faith in you.
Again, good luck from our entire team.
^ Post author
Marieke van de Rakt • 3 years ago
we’ll do our very best! Thank you for your kind words!
James • 3 years ago
This acquisition deeply concerns me. As a long term user/customer of yoast I have loved everything about yoast, down to the support and the honesty when something goes wrong. You guys clearly love what you do!
Now Newfold Digital who own EIG have a long history of doing things badly. As a previous customer of EIG I vowed never to use them again! Terrible support and most importantly they do not care about the customers needs. I’m genuinely surprised you have allowed them to acquire you.
Now you say in the above, that Yoast will still remain Yoast. Now that may be true in the short term but the long term this could change, especially when your new owners decided they need or want to change the company structure. They have a history of this and have done so as recent of this year, so I expect similar.
For me, this has really put me off Yoast and sadly I will have to look at other options as I have had way too much stress and pain from EIG or whatever they want to call themselves these days.
I wish you all the best of luck but as the saying goes ‘Once Bitten Twice Shy’. I will very much err on the side of caution with this news and look for alternative arrangements.
Joost de Valk • 3 years ago
Sorry you had a bad experience in the past with EIG, never great to hear even though of course we had nothing to do with that :)
Newfold is a very different company today, so while I respect your position, keep watching this space and see the amazing things we’ll be able to do for you! All the best to you too!
Cathryn • 3 years ago
Same here, very, very bad hosting company Bluehost/EIG, probably the worst from my experience and everyone else I know that’s used them….. Bummer that you are joining them.
p. mann • 3 years ago
Joost! Who’s better than you?!
Yusion • 3 years ago
Thing will change over the time, but I really wish this joining is leading to a better SEO services
providers for all the customers, as I know there is alot of rumors about the digital company previously! But thank you for making it to this level! 🥰
Antoon de Groot • 3 years ago
Congrats Yoast!
New opportunities
radoslav ivanov • 3 years ago
Congratulations Yoast for joining the Newsfold Digital!
Seems like the adventures of Yoast will continue and grow up more.
Joost de Valk • 3 years ago
That’s certainly the plan! Thank you!
Craig Gibson • 3 years ago
I am 50/50 on this news to be honest. I had a terrible experience with BlueHost for support and user experience. I also understand you need certainty from a financial perspective. Fingers crossed you retain control of your direction!
So, the company formerly known as EIG (who ruined HostGator years ago and many others like it) now has Yoast SEO. :-( I get that things happen and you need to put a positive spin on things, but this is upsetting news for many who’ve seen good products fall apart after getting swallowed up.
Too bad – that could once again lead to the demise of a once excellent software company. There are so many predecessor …
Sounds good to me provided your employees benefit as well as Joost and other shareholders!
I wish you all the best! I sincerely hope that this company does not do what they had done to other companies when they were known as Endurance International.
Several services of companies I used to use went down hill after joining EIG, and I was stuck having to find alternative solutions.
Please be careful with this company. I’m hoping their new name means they have new management that is better than before.
I’m sure it’s all for the best, but how odd you mention a couple of companies / brands in your report but don’t provide a link to their websites. Is that good SEO?
And, erm, one of the good / annoying things with Yoast SEO Premium is the readability analysis and how it never fails to spot ‘Consecutive sentences: The text contains 3 consecutive sentences starting with the same word. Try to mix things up!’. However did you escape that judgement in your ‘Only changes for the better’ para?
I honestly can’t wait to see the new exciting things to come for us Yoast customers!! Congratulations! This is good news.
The problem with this news release is not once was it mentioned what your new owner actually does, just the standard “nothing will change” concept. That’s never true in the long run, but okay. It’s also concerning when the CEO of a company you pay for services responds to comments with the word “vulnerable” as a way to describe the company’s status had it not allowed itself to be acquired. Maybe we should look into another SEO provider if this is the case when you have “12 million active installs,” which includes customers paying monthly/yearly subscriptions for premium services. Also, customers never want to hear about what the “board” has to say. Just my 2 cents.
It seams like sad news to me, can’t honestly see how this might be good or “exciting” for us, Yoast customers. Can you please clarify why and how this “will enable Yoast to take SEO for everyone to the next level”?
Yes I share your feelings
Yoast on its own is just really vulnerable. We now have a partner that will help us. Being bootstrapped and small, any fluctuations on the dollar for instance, have major consequences on our company. That made us – the board- risk averse. We’re responsible for 140+ employees and take that responsibility really seriously. For a good product, for our users, we need to come up with new things. Try something out of the box. We feel that we can do just that again.
Hi Marieke,
To clarify: “Yoast on its own is just really vulnerable” refers to coding you need help with? Or financial stability you need help with (due to USD fluctuations, etc)? Other?
Also interested in how this “will enable Yoast to take SEO for everyone to the next level”. Referring to coding help? Referring to financial resources to help test & release plugin improvements? Referring to keeping the 140+ employees intact so they can concentrate on improving Yoast (vs job security)?
Other?
Thank you in advance for any info that will help long time Yoast users and supporters make the best decisions for moving forward in even better helping our clients!
I did not mean the coding part at all…. that’s the most stable as they come. I mean vulnerable as a company, mostly due to USD fluctuations. We have 140+ employees. They matter to me.
We have more ideas than people to execute them. I would love to be able to hire more and make the product even more awesome.
Hope I have clarified this a bit for you.
its really good news . hope yoast will make it more better day by day. thanks
thank you!
Thats great news. I look forward to new features and more seo optimization for wordpress
we’re going to do our very best!
Yes, you are right, Good Work Yoast SEO
thanks!
BlueYoast :)
:-)
Congrats to the team!
Very concerned about Endurance International Group too. They trashed great products brands in the past with rudderless management.
Thank you! Do know that the leadership of Newfold is not the same as the EIG.
I am going to my very best to further improve (and not deteriorate) Yoast SEO!
Well this sounds exciting. All the best to Yoast, Joost, Marieke, and co. from a Belgian fan and user.
thank you David!
Good luck guys!
Hope your product stays as good as it is today.
As James said earlier, hopefully the purchase will not adversely affect you.
You built a product and I believe the road was difficult.
Merger, acquisition or IPO is not the end, but the beginning.
Do not make customers and consumers lose faith in you.
Again, good luck from our entire team.
we’ll do our very best! Thank you for your kind words!
This acquisition deeply concerns me. As a long term user/customer of yoast I have loved everything about yoast, down to the support and the honesty when something goes wrong. You guys clearly love what you do!
Now Newfold Digital who own EIG have a long history of doing things badly. As a previous customer of EIG I vowed never to use them again! Terrible support and most importantly they do not care about the customers needs. I’m genuinely surprised you have allowed them to acquire you.
Now you say in the above, that Yoast will still remain Yoast. Now that may be true in the short term but the long term this could change, especially when your new owners decided they need or want to change the company structure. They have a history of this and have done so as recent of this year, so I expect similar.
For me, this has really put me off Yoast and sadly I will have to look at other options as I have had way too much stress and pain from EIG or whatever they want to call themselves these days.
I wish you all the best of luck but as the saying goes ‘Once Bitten Twice Shy’. I will very much err on the side of caution with this news and look for alternative arrangements.
Sorry you had a bad experience in the past with EIG, never great to hear even though of course we had nothing to do with that :)
Newfold is a very different company today, so while I respect your position, keep watching this space and see the amazing things we’ll be able to do for you! All the best to you too!
Same here, very, very bad hosting company Bluehost/EIG, probably the worst from my experience and everyone else I know that’s used them….. Bummer that you are joining them.
Joost! Who’s better than you?!
Thing will change over the time, but I really wish this joining is leading to a better SEO services
providers for all the customers, as I know there is alot of rumors about the digital company previously! But thank you for making it to this level! 🥰
Congrats Yoast!
New opportunities
Congratulations Yoast for joining the Newsfold Digital!
Seems like the adventures of Yoast will continue and grow up more.
That’s certainly the plan! Thank you!
I am 50/50 on this news to be honest. I had a terrible experience with BlueHost for support and user experience. I also understand you need certainty from a financial perspective. Fingers crossed you retain control of your direction!