How to Install and Set Up Rank Math SEO on WordPress (Step-by-Step Guide)

Rank Math SEO is one of the best SEO plugins for WordPress, offering advanced features like schema markup, instant indexing, and AI-powered suggestions—all for free! If you’re looking to boost your website’s rankings, this guide will help you install and configure Rank Math properly.

Let’s get started!

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Step 1: Install Rank Math SEO Plugin

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Go to Plugins → Add New.
3. In the search bar, type “Rank Math SEO” and press Enter.
4. Click Install Now, then Activate.

🎉 Congratulations! Rank Math is now installed, and the setup wizard will launch automatically.

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Step 2: Complete the Rank Math Setup Wizard

Once activated, Rank Math will guide you through its setup wizard to configure essential SEO settings.

1. Choose Easy or Advanced Mode

• Easy Mode: Recommended for beginners who want automatic SEO settings.
• Advanced Mode: Allows full customization (great for experienced users).

💡 Pro Tip: If you’re comfortable with SEO settings, select “Advanced Mode” for better control.

2. Set Up Basic SEO Settings

Select Website Type – Choose from Personal Blog, Business, Portfolio, etc.

Upload Logo & Social Share Image – Helps with branding and social media previews.

3. Connect Google Search Console (Optional but Recommended)

Click Connect Your Account to link Rank Math with Google.

This lets you track your website’s SEO performance, clicks, and impressions directly from WordPress.

4. Enable XML Sitemap

A sitemap helps Google discover and index your content faster. Make sure Sitemaps option is enabled.

✔ Tip: Also enable “Include Images” if you have a lot of visual content.

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Step 3: Optimize Posts with Rank Math SEO

Now that Rank Math is set up, let’s optimize a blog post for SEO.

1. Open any blog post in WordPress.
2. Scroll down to the Rank Math SEO section.
3. Enter a Focus Keyword (e.g., “best WordPress SEO plugin”).
4. Follow Rank Math’s suggestions to improve on-page SEO, such as:
   • Adding the keyword in Title, Meta Description, and URL.
   • Using headings (H2, H3) properly.
   • Adding alt text to images.

✅ As you make changes, the SEO score will update in real time. Aim for 80+ for best optimization!

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Step 4: Adjust Additional SEO Settings

To further improve your site’s SEO, tweak these settings:

1. Enable Breadcrumbs (Optional, but Good for SEO)

Go to Rank Math → General Settings → Breadcrumbs.

Click Enable Breadcrumbs to improve navigation and site structure.

2. Set Up 301 Redirects (Fix Broken Links)

Navigate to Rank Math → Redirections.

Add old and new URLs to redirect traffic and avoid broken links.

3. Optimize Titles & Meta Tags

• Go to Rank Math → Titles & Meta and set default SEO-friendly title formats.
• Example for blog posts: %title% | %sitename%

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Step 5: Verify Your Setup & Test SEO Performance

🎯 Final Checklist:
✅ Installed & activated Rank Math SEO.
✅ Completed setup wizard.
✅ Optimized a blog post using the Rank Math SEO checklist.
✅ Configured advanced settings like breadcrumbs and redirects.

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Conclusion

Rank Math SEO is a powerful and beginner-friendly plugin that makes optimizing your WordPress website easy. By following this guide, you now have Rank Math fully set up to improve your rankings.

👍 Have questions? Drop a comment below! And if you found this guide helpful, share it with fellow bloggers.

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