![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/visual-article-1-1980x660-1.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>How To Install Rank Math SEO<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nTo install Rank Math, you\u2019ll need to open your left sidebar in the WordPress dashboard, hover your cursor on \u201cPlugins\u201d and click on \u201cAdd New.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-5.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThis will open the WordPress plugin directory. In the top right corner, you\u2019ll see a search bar. Write \u201crankmath\u201d there and the plugin should appear in the list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Click on Install, and once that\u2019s done, click on Activate. When you\u2019re done, the Rank Math Set-Up Wizard will open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Rank Math SEO Set-Up Wizard<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nBefore we begin walking through the set-up wizard, note that it will ask you to connect Rank Math to the Search Console and Google Analytics. If you don\u2019t have those set up already, now\u2019s a good time to get it done. It shouldn\u2019t take more than 20-30 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you\u2019re done, it\u2019s time to tackle the Set-Up Wizard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-17.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-8.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIf you want a quick and easy set-up, pick \u201cEasy.\u201d However, Advanced doesn\u2019t make things any harder, so we\u2019ll go with that for this guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After you click \u201cSave and Continue,\u201d you\u2019ll have to give Rank Math some details about your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you don\u2019t have a logo, icon, or more details to give, it\u2019s ok to skip this section. But we highly recommend you give the plugin your site\u2019s details. It will help Rank Math index your site properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After you\u2019re done with the site details, you\u2019ll be taken to the Sitemaps section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-3.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIf you don\u2019t have a logo, icon, or more details to give, it\u2019s ok to skip this section. But we highly recommend you give the plugin your site\u2019s details. It will help Rank Math index your site properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After you\u2019re done with the site details, you\u2019ll be taken to the Sitemaps section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Sitemaps<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-10.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSitemaps are a crucial part of SEO. They help Google algorithms scan your website, understand its layout, and index your pages faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If Rank Math is your first SEO tool, you can probably skip this section. The settings will be properly set up by default.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, if you used a plugin like Yoast before Rank Math, the set-up wizard may keep some of your previous preferences. So check these options, to make sure that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Sitemap generation is turned on<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Image references are turned on<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Non-public taxonomies or posts are deselected<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
If your settings match the screenshot above, you\u2019re good to go!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>SEO Tweaks<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nAfter the sitemaps section, you\u2019ll also get to edit other SEO Tweaks in Rank Math.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-9.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThese should be fine by default. But just to make sure, here\u2019s what you should tweak for this section:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Make sure the non-index empty categories option is turned on. This will ensure Google doesn\u2019t crawl useless pages on your site.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Turn off the automatic \u201cnofollow\u201d attribute. You only want to add a \u201cnofollow\u201d attribute to links in particular cases, not for all external links.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Make sure all external links open in a new tab. This will maintain healthy metrics for your site, as people who want to check out an external source won\u2019t bounce away from your site.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Good job if you made it this far! We\u2019re nearly done setting everything up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Other Set-up Details<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nIf you get the option to import settings from other SEO plugins when you install Rank Math, do it. It will keep your site\u2019s preferences, update metadata for all posts, and plenty more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you choose the Advanced set-up mode, you\u2019ll also get some more options at the end of the Wizard. You\u2019ll be able to edit how role managers use Rank Math, add Schema Markup to your pages, and set up a 404 monitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-1.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThese are all important, so look them over and make sure they\u2019re enabled. But especially focus on Schema Markup. This will help Google crawl your site, and increase the likelihood your articles nab a featured snippet position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Configuring Rank Math\u2019s Settings<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAfter you finish the set-up, you\u2019ll be taken to Rank Math\u2019s dashboard. You can also access it anytime from the left sidebar in your WordPress dashboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019ve never used an SEO tool and you\u2019re just starting out, you can probably leave everything as is. The default settings are decent for most sites. If you want to fine-tune the plugin or make sure you didn\u2019t import anything damaging for your site, here\u2019s what you can enable for better SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- 404 monitoring (if you didn\u2019t already enable it with the Advanced set-up). This will keep track of visitors that end up on 404 pages. It\u2019s not crucial in the beginning, but it can be very useful if you have more pages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Image SEO. This adds the right tags to your images automatically.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- WooCommerce. This will automatically optimize your product pages. Make sure you turn it on if you use WooCommerce<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
As you can see from the dashboard, Rank Math has more settings you can play around with. Most of them should be set up properly by default. But I recommend you give them all a check, to familiarize yourself with what this tool can do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Run The SEO Analyzer<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-16.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nRank Math\u2019s SEO Analyzer is another crucial tool you want to check out. You\u2019ll find it if you hover your cursor over \u201cRank Math\u201d in your WordPress sidebar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-14.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThis tool will analyze your site\u2019s SEO and technical layout. Just click on \u201cRun Test\u201d and let the plugin work its magic. After a few seconds, you\u2019ll a score and an overview of your site\u2019s SEO standing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-7.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe score\u2019s just a proprietary index, so don\u2019t live by it. But if it\u2019s anything less than 100, do look into Rank Math\u2019s suggestions. All of the problems it highlights are really easy to fix. You just go through the list of issues, and click on \u201cHow To Fix\u201d for a detailed guide on solving your site\u2019s problems:<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-11.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Optimize Your Content With Rank Math<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nRank Math\u2019s on-page optimization tips are probably its strongest asset. Its content suggestions can help you output better articles that rank higher on Google. You\u2019ll want to go through these steps with all the articles you publish on your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-15.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-12.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe first step in optimizing your content with Rank Math is filling in article metadata. To do that, you\u2019ll click on \u201cEdit Snippet\u201d in the Rank Math tab. This will open the Snippet editor, where you can update your post\u2019s metadata, and even preview the SERP result on both desktop and mobile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-6.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIf you enabled Schema, you can also edit it by clicking on the \u201cSchema\u201d button in Rank Math. By default, all your articles will have a global schema template, so you can leave it as is. But if you want, you can edit it further from this screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For more info, check out Rank Math\u2019s guide on using Schema<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOnce you\u2019re done with metadata, you can get to the fun stuff – optimizing your content. Rank Math analyses all of your articles based on the target keyword you input and provides helpful suggestions for improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"15](\"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-13.png\" "\\"15")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe mark you get for every suggestion is color-coded. If you\u2019re completely lacking in something, Rank Math will label it with a red X mark. That\u2019s what you should pay the most attention to. If you\u2019re doing well, but there is room for improvement, you\u2019ll get a green tick on a white background. And if you\u2019re doing very well, you\u2019ll get a white tick on a green background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Basic SEO suggestions are the most important, so make sure you tick all those boxes. But don\u2019t get too bogged down in it. Not all the suggestions are extremely accurate. For example, the target word count isn\u2019t based on that keyword\u2019s SERP. Rank Math just wants you to hit the 2,500-word mark, regardless of what article you\u2019re writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In some cases, it may be off. For example, the article I\u2019ve been showing you in this guide, \u201cThe Best Games like 7 Days To Die\u201d clocks in at around 2,100 words. Rank Math\u2019s telling me it\u2019s doing well, but since it\u2019s not over the 2,500 mark, it\u2019s suggesting I should add more content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The thing is most SERP competitors on this keyword clock in at 1,600 words, or less. That means I actually have to lower the word count for this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-2.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nI\u2019m showing you this to know that Rank Math is not perfect. Try to tick all of its boxes, but don\u2019t follow every single recommendation religiously, especially when it comes to word count.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After you\u2019re done with Basic SEO, you can take a look at its other suggestions. Rank Math will also provide insight into readability and other minor SEO tweaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-4.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDo look them over, and see if you can improve anything based on these suggestions. Especially pay attention to rich content and linking suggestions. But take these more lightly, as things like ideal keyword density differ drastically from article to article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you can afford it, use Surfer SEO along with Rank Math. Its recommendations are based on crawling-specific SERPs, not general best practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Conclusion: Making The Most Out Of Rank Math<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nRank Math is easy to use. But that\u2019s not to say it\u2019s a simple tool. If you want to make the most out of this SEO plugin, you should keep learning about it after you\u2019ve read this article. Check out Rank Math\u2019s knowledge base<\/a> for more guides, and if you want to improve your content, also read our roundup of the 18 best B2B content marketing hacks<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Rank Math has quickly become the industry standard for SEO on WordPress. It\u2019s a reliable tool, it doesn\u2019t slow down your site, and it\u2019s very easy to use. So how can you start optimizing with Rank Math? In this guide on how to use Rank Math, I\u2019ll walk you through everything you need to do, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":2016011,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[115],"class_list":["post-2015999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business"],"blocksy_meta":[],"authors":[{"term_id":115,"user_id":17,"is_guest":0,"slug":"gabi-m","display_name":"Gabriela Mechkova","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Gabriela-Mechkova.png","url2x":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Gabriela-Mechkova.png"},"0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2015999","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2015999"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2015999\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2018291,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2015999\/revisions\/2018291"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2016011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2015999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2015999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2015999"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=2015999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThis will open the WordPress plugin directory. In the top right corner, you\u2019ll see a search bar. Write \u201crankmath\u201d there and the plugin should appear in the list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Click on Install, and once that\u2019s done, click on Activate. When you\u2019re done, the Rank Math Set-Up Wizard will open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Rank Math SEO Set-Up Wizard<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nBefore we begin walking through the set-up wizard, note that it will ask you to connect Rank Math to the Search Console and Google Analytics. If you don\u2019t have those set up already, now\u2019s a good time to get it done. It shouldn\u2019t take more than 20-30 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you\u2019re done, it\u2019s time to tackle the Set-Up Wizard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIf you want a quick and easy set-up, pick \u201cEasy.\u201d However, Advanced doesn\u2019t make things any harder, so we\u2019ll go with that for this guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After you click \u201cSave and Continue,\u201d you\u2019ll have to give Rank Math some details about your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you don\u2019t have a logo, icon, or more details to give, it\u2019s ok to skip this section. But we highly recommend you give the plugin your site\u2019s details. It will help Rank Math index your site properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After you\u2019re done with the site details, you\u2019ll be taken to the Sitemaps section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIf you don\u2019t have a logo, icon, or more details to give, it\u2019s ok to skip this section. But we highly recommend you give the plugin your site\u2019s details. It will help Rank Math index your site properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After you\u2019re done with the site details, you\u2019ll be taken to the Sitemaps section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Sitemaps<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSitemaps are a crucial part of SEO. They help Google algorithms scan your website, understand its layout, and index your pages faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If Rank Math is your first SEO tool, you can probably skip this section. The settings will be properly set up by default.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, if you used a plugin like Yoast before Rank Math, the set-up wizard may keep some of your previous preferences. So check these options, to make sure that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Sitemap generation is turned on<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Image references are turned on<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Non-public taxonomies or posts are deselected<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
If your settings match the screenshot above, you\u2019re good to go!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>SEO Tweaks<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nAfter the sitemaps section, you\u2019ll also get to edit other SEO Tweaks in Rank Math.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThese should be fine by default. But just to make sure, here\u2019s what you should tweak for this section:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Make sure the non-index empty categories option is turned on. This will ensure Google doesn\u2019t crawl useless pages on your site.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Turn off the automatic \u201cnofollow\u201d attribute. You only want to add a \u201cnofollow\u201d attribute to links in particular cases, not for all external links.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Make sure all external links open in a new tab. This will maintain healthy metrics for your site, as people who want to check out an external source won\u2019t bounce away from your site.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Good job if you made it this far! We\u2019re nearly done setting everything up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Other Set-up Details<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\nIf you get the option to import settings from other SEO plugins when you install Rank Math, do it. It will keep your site\u2019s preferences, update metadata for all posts, and plenty more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you choose the Advanced set-up mode, you\u2019ll also get some more options at the end of the Wizard. You\u2019ll be able to edit how role managers use Rank Math, add Schema Markup to your pages, and set up a 404 monitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThese are all important, so look them over and make sure they\u2019re enabled. But especially focus on Schema Markup. This will help Google crawl your site, and increase the likelihood your articles nab a featured snippet position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Configuring Rank Math\u2019s Settings<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAfter you finish the set-up, you\u2019ll be taken to Rank Math\u2019s dashboard. You can also access it anytime from the left sidebar in your WordPress dashboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019ve never used an SEO tool and you\u2019re just starting out, you can probably leave everything as is. The default settings are decent for most sites. If you want to fine-tune the plugin or make sure you didn\u2019t import anything damaging for your site, here\u2019s what you can enable for better SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- 404 monitoring (if you didn\u2019t already enable it with the Advanced set-up). This will keep track of visitors that end up on 404 pages. It\u2019s not crucial in the beginning, but it can be very useful if you have more pages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Image SEO. This adds the right tags to your images automatically.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- WooCommerce. This will automatically optimize your product pages. Make sure you turn it on if you use WooCommerce<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
As you can see from the dashboard, Rank Math has more settings you can play around with. Most of them should be set up properly by default. But I recommend you give them all a check, to familiarize yourself with what this tool can do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Run The SEO Analyzer<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nRank Math\u2019s SEO Analyzer is another crucial tool you want to check out. You\u2019ll find it if you hover your cursor over \u201cRank Math\u201d in your WordPress sidebar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThis tool will analyze your site\u2019s SEO and technical layout. Just click on \u201cRun Test\u201d and let the plugin work its magic. After a few seconds, you\u2019ll a score and an overview of your site\u2019s SEO standing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe score\u2019s just a proprietary index, so don\u2019t live by it. But if it\u2019s anything less than 100, do look into Rank Math\u2019s suggestions. All of the problems it highlights are really easy to fix. You just go through the list of issues, and click on \u201cHow To Fix\u201d for a detailed guide on solving your site\u2019s problems:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Optimize Your Content With Rank Math<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nRank Math\u2019s on-page optimization tips are probably its strongest asset. Its content suggestions can help you output better articles that rank higher on Google. You\u2019ll want to go through these steps with all the articles you publish on your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe first step in optimizing your content with Rank Math is filling in article metadata. To do that, you\u2019ll click on \u201cEdit Snippet\u201d in the Rank Math tab. This will open the Snippet editor, where you can update your post\u2019s metadata, and even preview the SERP result on both desktop and mobile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIf you enabled Schema, you can also edit it by clicking on the \u201cSchema\u201d button in Rank Math. By default, all your articles will have a global schema template, so you can leave it as is. But if you want, you can edit it further from this screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For more info, check out Rank Math\u2019s guide on using Schema<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOnce you\u2019re done with metadata, you can get to the fun stuff – optimizing your content. Rank Math analyses all of your articles based on the target keyword you input and provides helpful suggestions for improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe mark you get for every suggestion is color-coded. If you\u2019re completely lacking in something, Rank Math will label it with a red X mark. That\u2019s what you should pay the most attention to. If you\u2019re doing well, but there is room for improvement, you\u2019ll get a green tick on a white background. And if you\u2019re doing very well, you\u2019ll get a white tick on a green background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Basic SEO suggestions are the most important, so make sure you tick all those boxes. But don\u2019t get too bogged down in it. Not all the suggestions are extremely accurate. For example, the target word count isn\u2019t based on that keyword\u2019s SERP. Rank Math just wants you to hit the 2,500-word mark, regardless of what article you\u2019re writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In some cases, it may be off. For example, the article I\u2019ve been showing you in this guide, \u201cThe Best Games like 7 Days To Die\u201d clocks in at around 2,100 words. Rank Math\u2019s telling me it\u2019s doing well, but since it\u2019s not over the 2,500 mark, it\u2019s suggesting I should add more content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The thing is most SERP competitors on this keyword clock in at 1,600 words, or less. That means I actually have to lower the word count for this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nI\u2019m showing you this to know that Rank Math is not perfect. Try to tick all of its boxes, but don\u2019t follow every single recommendation religiously, especially when it comes to word count.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After you\u2019re done with Basic SEO, you can take a look at its other suggestions. Rank Math will also provide insight into readability and other minor SEO tweaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDo look them over, and see if you can improve anything based on these suggestions. Especially pay attention to rich content and linking suggestions. But take these more lightly, as things like ideal keyword density differ drastically from article to article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you can afford it, use Surfer SEO along with Rank Math. Its recommendations are based on crawling-specific SERPs, not general best practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Conclusion: Making The Most Out Of Rank Math<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nRank Math is easy to use. But that\u2019s not to say it\u2019s a simple tool. If you want to make the most out of this SEO plugin, you should keep learning about it after you\u2019ve read this article. Check out Rank Math\u2019s knowledge base<\/a> for more guides, and if you want to improve your content, also read our roundup of the 18 best B2B content marketing hacks<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Rank Math has quickly become the industry standard for SEO on WordPress. It\u2019s a reliable tool, it doesn\u2019t slow down your site, and it\u2019s very easy to use. So how can you start optimizing with Rank Math? In this guide on how to use Rank Math, I\u2019ll walk you through everything you need to do, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":2016011,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[115],"class_list":["post-2015999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business"],"blocksy_meta":[],"authors":[{"term_id":115,"user_id":17,"is_guest":0,"slug":"gabi-m","display_name":"Gabriela Mechkova","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Gabriela-Mechkova.png","url2x":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Gabriela-Mechkova.png"},"0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2015999","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2015999"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2015999\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2018291,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2015999\/revisions\/2018291"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2016011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2015999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2015999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2015999"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=2015999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIf you want a quick and easy set-up, pick \u201cEasy.\u201d However, Advanced doesn\u2019t make things any harder, so we\u2019ll go with that for this guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After you click \u201cSave and Continue,\u201d you\u2019ll have to give Rank Math some details about your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you don\u2019t have a logo, icon, or more details to give, it\u2019s ok to skip this section. But we highly recommend you give the plugin your site\u2019s details. It will help Rank Math index your site properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After you\u2019re done with the site details, you\u2019ll be taken to the Sitemaps section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you don\u2019t have a logo, icon, or more details to give, it\u2019s ok to skip this section. But we highly recommend you give the plugin your site\u2019s details. It will help Rank Math index your site properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After you\u2019re done with the site details, you\u2019ll be taken to the Sitemaps section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sitemaps are a crucial part of SEO. They help Google algorithms scan your website, understand its layout, and index your pages faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If Rank Math is your first SEO tool, you can probably skip this section. The settings will be properly set up by default.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, if you used a plugin like Yoast before Rank Math, the set-up wizard may keep some of your previous preferences. So check these options, to make sure that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your settings match the screenshot above, you\u2019re good to go!<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the sitemaps section, you\u2019ll also get to edit other SEO Tweaks in Rank Math.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These should be fine by default. But just to make sure, here\u2019s what you should tweak for this section:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Good job if you made it this far! We\u2019re nearly done setting everything up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you get the option to import settings from other SEO plugins when you install Rank Math, do it. It will keep your site\u2019s preferences, update metadata for all posts, and plenty more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you choose the Advanced set-up mode, you\u2019ll also get some more options at the end of the Wizard. You\u2019ll be able to edit how role managers use Rank Math, add Schema Markup to your pages, and set up a 404 monitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These are all important, so look them over and make sure they\u2019re enabled. But especially focus on Schema Markup. This will help Google crawl your site, and increase the likelihood your articles nab a featured snippet position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After you finish the set-up, you\u2019ll be taken to Rank Math\u2019s dashboard. You can also access it anytime from the left sidebar in your WordPress dashboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve never used an SEO tool and you\u2019re just starting out, you can probably leave everything as is. The default settings are decent for most sites. If you want to fine-tune the plugin or make sure you didn\u2019t import anything damaging for your site, here\u2019s what you can enable for better SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you can see from the dashboard, Rank Math has more settings you can play around with. Most of them should be set up properly by default. But I recommend you give them all a check, to familiarize yourself with what this tool can do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rank Math\u2019s SEO Analyzer is another crucial tool you want to check out. You\u2019ll find it if you hover your cursor over \u201cRank Math\u201d in your WordPress sidebar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This tool will analyze your site\u2019s SEO and technical layout. Just click on \u201cRun Test\u201d and let the plugin work its magic. After a few seconds, you\u2019ll a score and an overview of your site\u2019s SEO standing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The score\u2019s just a proprietary index, so don\u2019t live by it. But if it\u2019s anything less than 100, do look into Rank Math\u2019s suggestions. All of the problems it highlights are really easy to fix. You just go through the list of issues, and click on \u201cHow To Fix\u201d for a detailed guide on solving your site\u2019s problems:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rank Math\u2019s on-page optimization tips are probably its strongest asset. Its content suggestions can help you output better articles that rank higher on Google. You\u2019ll want to go through these steps with all the articles you publish on your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first step in optimizing your content with Rank Math is filling in article metadata. To do that, you\u2019ll click on \u201cEdit Snippet\u201d in the Rank Math tab. This will open the Snippet editor, where you can update your post\u2019s metadata, and even preview the SERP result on both desktop and mobile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you enabled Schema, you can also edit it by clicking on the \u201cSchema\u201d button in Rank Math. By default, all your articles will have a global schema template, so you can leave it as is. But if you want, you can edit it further from this screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more info, check out Rank Math\u2019s guide on using Schema<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019re done with metadata, you can get to the fun stuff – optimizing your content. Rank Math analyses all of your articles based on the target keyword you input and provides helpful suggestions for improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The mark you get for every suggestion is color-coded. If you\u2019re completely lacking in something, Rank Math will label it with a red X mark. That\u2019s what you should pay the most attention to. If you\u2019re doing well, but there is room for improvement, you\u2019ll get a green tick on a white background. And if you\u2019re doing very well, you\u2019ll get a white tick on a green background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Basic SEO suggestions are the most important, so make sure you tick all those boxes. But don\u2019t get too bogged down in it. Not all the suggestions are extremely accurate. For example, the target word count isn\u2019t based on that keyword\u2019s SERP. Rank Math just wants you to hit the 2,500-word mark, regardless of what article you\u2019re writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In some cases, it may be off. For example, the article I\u2019ve been showing you in this guide, \u201cThe Best Games like 7 Days To Die\u201d clocks in at around 2,100 words. Rank Math\u2019s telling me it\u2019s doing well, but since it\u2019s not over the 2,500 mark, it\u2019s suggesting I should add more content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The thing is most SERP competitors on this keyword clock in at 1,600 words, or less. That means I actually have to lower the word count for this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m showing you this to know that Rank Math is not perfect. Try to tick all of its boxes, but don\u2019t follow every single recommendation religiously, especially when it comes to word count.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After you\u2019re done with Basic SEO, you can take a look at its other suggestions. Rank Math will also provide insight into readability and other minor SEO tweaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do look them over, and see if you can improve anything based on these suggestions. Especially pay attention to rich content and linking suggestions. But take these more lightly, as things like ideal keyword density differ drastically from article to article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can afford it, use Surfer SEO along with Rank Math. Its recommendations are based on crawling-specific SERPs, not general best practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rank Math is easy to use. But that\u2019s not to say it\u2019s a simple tool. If you want to make the most out of this SEO plugin, you should keep learning about it after you\u2019ve read this article. Check out Rank Math\u2019s knowledge base<\/a> for more guides, and if you want to improve your content, also read our roundup of the 18 best B2B content marketing hacks<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Rank Math has quickly become the industry standard for SEO on WordPress. It\u2019s a reliable tool, it doesn\u2019t slow down your site, and it\u2019s very easy to use. So how can you start optimizing with Rank Math? In this guide on how to use Rank Math, I\u2019ll walk you through everything you need to do, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":2016011,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[115],"class_list":["post-2015999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business"],"blocksy_meta":[],"authors":[{"term_id":115,"user_id":17,"is_guest":0,"slug":"gabi-m","display_name":"Gabriela Mechkova","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Gabriela-Mechkova.png","url2x":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Gabriela-Mechkova.png"},"0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2015999","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2015999"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2015999\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2018291,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2015999\/revisions\/2018291"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2016011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2015999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2015999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2015999"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpx.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=2015999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Sitemaps<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/span>SEO Tweaks<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Other Set-up Details<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Configuring Rank Math\u2019s Settings<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/span>Run The SEO Analyzer<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Optimize Your Content With Rank Math<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>Conclusion: Making The Most Out Of Rank Math<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n