Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up SEO with Rank Math on your WordPress website:
Step 1: Install and Activate Rank Math
- Login to your WordPress dashboard.
- Go to Plugins > Add New.
- Search for Rank Math SEO.
- Click Install and then Activate.
Step 2: Complete the Setup Wizard
Once activated, Rank Math will launch a setup wizard to help you configure essential SEO settings.
- Go to Rank Math > Dashboard.
- Click Setup Wizard.
- Select your Site Type (e.g., blog, business website, portfolio).
- Fill in your Company Name and logo if applicable.
- Choose the default SEO settings:
- Search Engine Visibility: Ensure that both Posts and Pages are set to Visible.
- Schema Markup: Enable it to help search engines understand your content better.
- Connect Rank Math to your Google Search Console (optional but recommended).
- Click Save and Continue.
Step 3: Configure General Settings
1. Titles & Meta
- Go to Rank Math > Titles & Meta.
- Configure default settings for:
- Global Meta Title and Description templates.
- Enable Open Graph metadata for social media sharing.
- Set the separator (e.g.,
|
,-
,•
) for your titles.
Recommended Structure:
- Homepage Title:
%sitename% | %tagline%
- Post Title:
%title% | %sitename%
- Meta Description: Customize for each page or use a fallback like
%excerpt%
.
2. XML Sitemap
- Go to Rank Math > Sitemap Settings.
- Ensure the sitemap is Enabled.
- Configure what you want to include in the sitemap (e.g., posts, pages, categories).
- Save changes.
Your sitemap will be available at: yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml
.
3. SEO Analysis
- Go to Rank Math > SEO Analysis.
- Run a detailed SEO analysis to check your site’s SEO health.
- Follow recommendations to fix issues like:
- Missing alt text in images.
- Unoptimized meta descriptions.
- Slow page load times.
Step 4: Optimize Content for SEO
Rank Math makes it easy to optimize individual posts and pages.
- Edit a Post or Page.
- Scroll down to the Rank Math SEO section.
- Enter a Focus Keyword (the primary keyword for the content).
- Follow the recommendations (marked in green, yellow, or red) to improve SEO:
- Title: Ensure the keyword is in the title.
- Meta Description: Add the keyword and keep it under 160 characters.
- Headings: Use the keyword in at least one H1 or H2.
- Content Length: Ensure your content is long enough to rank well.
- Internal and External Links: Add relevant links.
Step 5: Enable Schema Markup
Schema markup helps search engines display rich snippets for your content.
- Go to Rank Math > Titles & Meta > Posts.
- Set the Default Schema Type (e.g., BlogPosting, Article, Product).
- You can customize schema for individual posts and pages.
Step 6: Optimize for Speed
- Install a caching plugin like WP Rocket or LiteSpeed Cache.
- Optimize images with Smush or ShortPixel.
- Use a CDN like Cloudflare for faster loading.
Step 7: Set Up Google Search Console
- Go to Rank Math > General Settings > Search Console.
- Connect your site to Google Search Console by authenticating your Google account.
- Submit your sitemap for better indexing.
Step 8: Monitor Performance
Rank Math provides built-in analytics to monitor your keyword rankings and traffic.
- Go to Rank Math > Analytics.
- Connect your Google Analytics account.
- Monitor keyword positions, clicks, impressions, and more.
Bonus: Rank Math SEO Checklist
- ✅ Install and activate Rank Math.
- ✅ Complete the setup wizard.
- ✅ Configure Titles & Meta settings.
- ✅ Enable and submit the XML sitemap.
- ✅ Add focus keywords to all posts and pages.
- ✅ Optimize for mobile and site speed.
- ✅ Monitor performance with Rank Math’s analytics.