Skip to main content
Search
< All Topics
Print

How to Set Up Rank Math SEO Plugin on WordPress

Posted
Updated
ByKartik Periasamy

📄 38 🕑 8 min read Cybergate IT Team
Rank Math SEO plugin WordPress setup configuration
Rank Math is the most feature-rich free SEO plugin for WordPress, used by millions of websites globally.

Rank Math is a powerful WordPress SEO plugin that helps you optimise every page and post for Google search. It provides meta tag management, XML sitemaps, schema markup, keyword analysis, redirect management and Google Search Console integration – all in one free plugin. This guide covers a complete setup from installation to per-page optimisation.

Step 1: Install Rank Math

1

Install via WordPress Plugins

In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Add New Plugin. In the search box, type Rank Math SEO. The official plugin by Rank Math appears at the top. Click Install Now then Activate.

After activation, a notification banner appears at the top of the admin screen prompting you to connect with a Rank Math account (free). Click Connect Your Website and create a free account at rankmath.com using your work email.

Step 2: Run the Setup Wizard

2

Easy Setup Wizard

After connecting your account, the Setup Wizard launches. Select Easy setup mode (recommended for most users).

Configure the following on the wizard screens:

  • Site type: Choose Blog, News, eCommerce, Local Business or Portfolio based on your website type
  • Publisher: Add your name/company name and logo
  • SEO Analysis: Run the initial analysis to see your current SEO score
3

Connect Google Search Console in Wizard

When the wizard reaches the Webmaster Tools screen, click Google Search Console. A Google authentication window will open. Sign in with the Google account that has access to your Search Console property. Grant the requested permissions.

Select your website property from the dropdown. Click Save and Continue. Rank Math will now pull impression and click data directly from Google Search Console into your WordPress dashboard.

4

Configure Sitemap

On the Sitemap screen in the wizard:

  • Enable Sitemap Index
  • Include Posts, Pages and any relevant custom post types
  • Exclude Tags, Date archives, Author archives (thin content pages not worth indexing)
  • Leave Images enabled if your site is image-heavy

After the wizard completes, your sitemap is live at yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml. Submit this to Google Search Console.

Step 3: Configure Title and Meta Settings

Rank Math › Titles & Meta
5

Set Global Title Format

Go to Rank Math > Titles & Meta > Global Meta.

  • Separator: Choose | (pipe) or – (hyphen) for the separator between page title and site name
  • Homepage title: Set your primary keyword + brand name (e.g. Managed IT Support Malaysia – Cybergate)
  • Homepage description: Write a compelling 140-160 character description that includes your main keyword and location

Under each content type (Posts, Pages, Products), set the title template. The default %title% %sep% %sitename% works well for most sites.

Step 4: Optimise Individual Pages

6

Set Focus Keyword and Meta on Each Page

Open any page or post in the WordPress editor. Scroll down to the Rank Math SEO panel below the content editor (or find it in the right sidebar).

Set:

  • Focus Keyword: The primary keyword you want this page to rank for (e.g. “IT support Melaka” for your services page)
  • SEO Title: Include the focus keyword near the beginning. Keep under 60 characters.
  • Meta Description: Write 140-160 characters. Include the focus keyword naturally. Make it compelling as it affects click rate from search results.

The Rank Math score indicator turns green as you optimise each factor. Aim for the score to reach 80 or above.

Rank Math SEO editor panel WordPress
The Rank Math panel appears below the content editor on every page and post
Rank Math SEO score optimisation
Rank Math scores each page based on how well it is optimised for the focus keyword

Step 5: Enable Schema Markup

7

Add Rich Schema to Pages

Schema markup helps Google understand your content and can enable rich results (star ratings, FAQs, how-to steps) in search results. In the Rank Math panel for each page, click the Schema tab.

Choose the appropriate schema type:

  • Service pages: Service schema
  • Blog posts: Article schema (set automatically)
  • About page: AboutPage schema
  • Contact page: ContactPage schema
  • Local business info: LocalBusiness schema on Homepage

Fill in the required fields for the selected schema type. Schema does not directly improve rankings but improves how your listing appears in Google results.

Check Schema with Google Rich Results Test

After setting up schema, go to search.google.com/test/rich-results. Enter your page URL to verify Google can read your schema and identify any errors. Valid schema may enable enhanced search result features that increase click rates.

Need IT Help in Malaysia?

Cybergate provides SEO and Google ranking Malaysia for businesses across Malaysia. Our team is available Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm.

📞 Get Free Help 🛤 WhatsApp Us

Frequently Asked Questions

Rank Math Free covers all essential SEO needs: meta titles and descriptions, focus keyword analysis, schema markup, sitemaps, redirections (up to 500), Google Search Console integration, and basic local SEO. Rank Math Pro adds unlimited keywords per post, advanced schema types, content AI, Google Analytics 4 integration, woocommerce SEO, video SEO and unlimited redirects. For most Malaysian SME websites, the free version is sufficient to rank competitively.

Both are excellent. Rank Math is generally recommended for new WordPress installations because: it includes more features in the free version (schema markup, redirects, GSC integration), its interface is cleaner and more modern, the setup wizard connects to Google Search Console automatically, and it has better performance (lighter weight). If you have an existing site with Yoast installed, there is no compelling reason to switch unless you want specific Rank Math features.

Rank Math free allows one focus keyword per post. Rank Math Pro allows up to five. For most pages, start with one primary focus keyword that represents the main search intent of the page. Avoid setting a focus keyword that is too broad (impossible to rank for) or too long (very low search volume). Use Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs to check monthly search volume for your chosen keyword before setting it.

The Rank Math SEO score (shown as a number out of 100 with a colour indicator) measures how well a specific page or post is optimised for its focus keyword. It checks factors like keyword in title, keyword in meta description, keyword density, content length, internal links and more. Aim for 80 or above for important pages. However, the score is a guide, not a guarantee of ranking – a page with a lower score can outrank one with a perfect score if the content is better.

CG
Cybergate IT Team
Managed IT support for Malaysian businesses since 2014. Microsoft Partner · Fortinet Technology Partner. About Us

Related Articles

Knowledge Base
How to Write SEO-Friendly Meta Titles and Descriptions

Knowledge Base
How to Submit Your Sitemap to Google Search Console

Table of Contents