RankMath Review
Are you wondering just how good the latest and greatest SEO plugin, RankMath, could be for your website?
There's no doubt that the internet is a powerful place, and now you can literally “Google” anything. Search engine optimization is at the forefront of business success and development, so it's good that you're paying attention.
If you're a blogger, website developer, ecommerce entity, or anyone else who uses a website for WordPress, you may already have your favorite WordPress SEO plugin, such as Yoast SEO or All in One SEO Pack.
As a matter of fact, you might find our “Rank Math vs AIOSEO” article interesting,.
RankMath has recently become one of the most sought-after SEO plugins on the market, and in this Rank Math review, we're going to see just how warranted that consensus is.
Can “1.3 million+ happy users” of Rank Math be wrong?
At the end of the day, there are really no “winners” or “losers,” as all of the SEO plugins mentioned above are valuable tools and can help with keyword optimization.
It just comes down to your preferred features, user interface, and which one you feel more comfortable with on your WordPress site.
Comparing Rank Math with other SEO plugins is no easy task due to its rich offering of features and its sophisticated insight into your search engine optimization.
That said, let's get started!
TLDR Summary — Rank Math Review and Features
Working on SEO optimization and don't have time to read it all? We got you.
Rank Math has shot up the ranks to be known as a premier SEO plugin that even professionals recommend.
A robust and expansive tool with a laundry list of features, it's quickly becoming the standard amongst WordPress plugins for SEO.
Rank Math is a free plugin with the option to go Pro and access more detailed analytics and stats, so no matter what your budget, you'll be able to access Rank Math.
It is amongst the most popular WordPress SEO plugins and can be used for tracking your focus keywords in blog posts and articles, optimizing your page SEO, linking with your Google Search Console Account, and so much more.
There's no doubt that Rank Math is a powerful SEO plugin. Read on to find out about all the features, the setup wizard, the user interface, and much more!
What is Rank Math SEO?
Rank Math is a WordPress plugin that gives you a competitive edge for search engine optimization.
You can help your website pages and/or blog to improve its SEO ranking and through different SEO analysis and SEO tools, beat out the competition for a better ranking on search engines.
Rank Math is a free SEO plugin that also offers a premium version, so no matter if you're a novice or expert, you can find a solution that works for you.
You can access Rank Math from directly within your page editor, and you can also access the tool from your WordPress dashboard.
From basic to advanced SEO techniques, Rankmath does it all.
There are other SEO plugins out there that can be used in place of Rank Math, but due to its premium features and keyword optimization, the plugin has become a top choice among people around the globe.
Let's take a look at how easy it is to set up the Rank Math plugin in the next section of our Rank Math Review.
How to Set Up Rank Math SEO Plugin
Getting the plugin set up is quite straightforward, which is a benefit for those that are just starting out on their WordPress journey.
You can download the Rank Math SEO plugin in two ways:
- Visit the RankMath website and download it
- Search for Rank Math on the WordPress plugins page and download it there
The Rank Math setup wizard is similar to those of Jetpack and WooCommerce, so if you've done those, this one will be a breeze.
That said, the Rank Math setup wizard also focuses on unique elements for an SEO plugin, offering you the option to choose between easy, advanced, and custom modes.
The custom mode is only available if you have the premium version, but both easy and advanced are available for the free version.
Regardless of which you choose, it's a simple process to configure Rank Math.
Easy Mode
The easy mode is the best option for those who are just starting out with an SEO plugin or those who don't want too much customization.
The plugin will configure all of the SEO practices for you, allowing you to use it as you please without fine tuning. The plugin will do the work for you.
Advanced Mode
You can have complete control over your SEO settings when you configure Rank Math in the advanced mode.
If you've got experience with SEO plugins and keyword optimization, you may want to consider tweaking each setting using this mode for best results.
Custom Mode
If you prefer to configure Rank Math with more settings, or are transferring from another site, the custom mode is for you.
This will most likely apply to developers and SEO professionals working with either their own sites or client websites.
After you've chosen the mode of your liking, you'll begin to go through the Rank Math setup wizard to enter information about your site, Google Search Console, Google Analytics, site map configuration, and nofollow settings.
You can visit the dashboard to check everything out and make sure that it's set up to your liking.
Now, what are the features that Rank Math will offer you?
In the next section of our Rank Math review, we'll evaluate all of the features that make Rank Math a contender for best WordPress SEO plugin.
RankMath Features
When you visit the Rank Math features page on their website, you can scroll endlessly, seeing up to 90 features that this WordPress plugin provides.
It can be a bit overwhelming at first, especially if it's your first time working with an SEO plugin.
In any case, here we're going to break down these features and discuss just how Rank Math sets itself apart from other SEO plugins out there.
Setup Wizard
As we discussed earlier, the setup wizard makes it easy and painless to get Rank Math working for you.
As rank math explains on their site, the plugin basically configures itself, unless you want to have a bigger role in doing so.
When you set up Rank Math, the plugin will verify your site settings as well as recommend any changes to help optimize it.
The plugin will then set up your site's SEO, webmaster profiles, social profiles, and other relevant SEO settings.
The reason that Rank Math has become such a popular plugin is because the setup process is truly seamless and makes it easy to get started with search engine optimization.
Clean User Interface
The pleasant and user-friendly design of Rank Math is also another reason why it's become such a popular WordPress SEO plugin.
You can view the Rank Math plugin from the WordPress dashboard; you'll get a dropdown menu to navigate from.
The main dashboard of the Rank Math plugin is clean and easy to read.
You can choose your selected module as well as activate or deactivate them, or adjust settings for particular models.
This dashboard will give you access to 404 monitor, IMage SEO (pro feature), Content AI, Link Counter, Schema (Pro feature), Local SEO (pro feature), AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)plugin integration , and many more.
The Rank Math dashboard is very straightforward and it's one of the things that we liked most about the WordPress plugin.
You will also have access to Rank Math from directly within the content editor, allowing you to optimize your SEO minute by minute as you create your page, post, etc.
The interface here is also extremely readable and can be used even by those who don't have much experience with SEO plugins.
Content AI
Rankmath Content AI is a built-to-use feature that is embedded in the WordPress editor for easy access. You can customize it via the dashboard as well as view site-wide configurations.
In the editor, Content AI will offer you a variety of detailed suggestions that will work to optimize your content for best SEO results.
This includes using focus keyword analysis to offer you related keywords, questions, and links, all of which you can use inside your content, headings, or meta description.
What's more, within the Content AI feature there is a module that will give you suggested numbers and real-time counts for external links, internal links, headings, word count, as well as media count.
For a free plugin, there are certainly tons of benefits packed into not only Rank Math but in just this Content AI feature itself.
Built-in Advanced SEO Analytics Module
If you're serious about search engine optimization, the advanced SEO analysis module is an excellent tool from Rank Math.
Other SEO plugins will also offer you analytics, but the way that this plugin lays them out is intuitive and easy to grasp, and is even available on Rank Math free.
You can see valuable information straight from Google Search Console here, including indexing information, your sitemap status, a keyword rank tracker, search clicks, CTR, and more.
You can get a snapshot of your overall optimization right from the WP dashboard, making it easy without needing a separate plugin.
Google Index Status
Another reason why the Rank Math integration with Google Search Console is valuable is that you will get the Google URL Inspection API data right on your WP site.
Google Index Status is important because if you don't have your site indexed in Google aren't even in their database.
Ultimately, that means that no matter how great your page is, the search engine won't present your page in SERPs.
Your website needs to be “crawled” in order to be indexed. That's why having a strong focus keyword can help; when Google crawls your site, it can more easily recognize what your site is about.
With Rank Math and GSC, you can gain insight into your site's overall presence on Google, see any server errors, view the top statuses, as well as the status of all of your content, and more.
Google Search Console integration is available even on the Rank Math free plugin, so you aren't excluded if you opt for the free version.
Google Analytics 4 Integration
Google Analytics is also a key player in how your website is performing, and because Rank Math offers integration, you can access all of your Google Analytics data right from the WP dashboard as well.
Make sure that your Google Analytics tracking code is properly inserted on your website to see the data.
Rank Tracker
Keyword rank tracking is one of the most important parts of SEO, and is something that even beginners are likely to be aware of.
No matter your level of experience, you should know how your website compares against the competition.
In the rank tracker, you can view keywords, impressions, clicks, position, and position history, giving you a better understanding of SEO analysis and your website's position in terms of keywords.
Position History
You can safely test out new SEO methods and understand how your website has performed historically with the position history feature in Rank Math.
You will only be able to access position history for focus keywords and posts if you have the premium version, so that is something to keep in mind.
Ranking Keywords for Posts
Although you may have planned out multiple focus keywords, your content may not always rank in the way that you imagine it will.
With the ranking keywords for posts feature, you can identify which keywords your post is ranking for.
This insight can help you to make edits that improve rankings for those keywords, or if you prefer, you can edit with the goal of ranking on search engines for other keywords.
Keyword Comparison and Google Trends Tool
Keywords are important for all different areas of your page– you need them in pretty much every element down to the alt and title tags.
Thus, the keyword comparison and Google Trends integration can help you to identify potential keywords without having to simply guess.
Even if you've never used trends before, the Google Trends integration with Rank Math provides a visual way to quickly check search trends for keywords.
You can even compare your focus keyword against another particular keyword to have a greater understanding of what's happening on search engines.
This feature doesn't come with the free SEO plugin, so you'll need to opt for the premium version to access Trends.
XML Sitemap
As we mentioned in an above section about Google indexing, it's important for Google to be able to find and crawl your site so that it can appear in SERPs.
There are other sitemap plugins you can use for WP, but this feature comes included with Rank Math.
The purpose of an XML sitemap is to help search engines find the content on your site and then index it.
Rank Math will create compatible XML sitemaps that will help your pages get indexed so that you aren't passed up in SERPs.
You can also customize your sitemaps, setting what is included in them and what isn't.
Image SEO Modules
Text isn't the only thing that is included in SEO– images matter too, and they can have a big impact.
Image SEO is something that you can focus on with Rankmath, and you'll be able to see how your images hold up in terms of alt tags, title tags, helping to improve your rankings even further.
This is included with the free version, which is great news.
Local SEO
With local SEO support, you can bring more traffic to your website. You just need to enter your business details in Rankmath; the plugin will then add the necessary metadata to your website, boosting its chance at ranking.
In order for this feature to work, you'll need to have your business profile set up on Google. That means the local SEO is likely only going to be important for those that have a physical location or operate from a particular region.
There are different search rankings for Google My Business, including proximity, relevance, and prominence.
Rank Math will help you to fulfill all of those needs and ensure that you're getting more website traffic from local audiences.
Of course, you'll still need to ensure that you have great content uploaded and keep your website and business profile updated if you want best results from this feature.
Link Tracking
With so many different elements involved in SEO, it can be tough to remember it all, but when you use Rankmath, it's a lot easier.
Both internal and external links are a part of the scoring system that Rank Math gives your content, so you won't be able to forget them as they will appear in the editor as red.
It will also tell you about the status of your external links, whether they are dofollow or nofollow.
Internal links are also taken into account by the plugin, and in order to get the highest score, you'll need to have at least one.
This feature helps to improve the structure of your website and makes it easier for search engines to crawl your posts/pages.
It will also allow you to avoid linking to too many internal pages and have a good balance between internal and external links.
Advanced Schema Generator
You can improve CTR by ensuring that your content stands out to users in Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
If you don't have much experience in SEO, the idea of schema and its importance may be something new to you.
Schema is microdata that can be added to HTML; this data will improve how search engines read and represent your page in SERPs.
Why is that important?
The better that Google or other search engines understand what your page is about, the better they can display it in SERPs to ensure the right people are seeing it for the right terms.
Schema isn't a ranking factor as of yet, but it does factor into your ranking and may be added in as part of the ranking algorithm in the future.
The Rank Math advanced Schema generator makes it easy to include this structured data in your posts without having to do much more than simply point and click.
You can get a limited Schema generator with the free version, but if you want more complex and premium features related to Schema, you'll need to sign up for the premium version.
Import Schema Markup from Other Websites
If you already know the schema that you want to use, you will be able to import ready-made Schema information from other URLs and then make changes as you like.
This helps you to save time and will also keep things consistent if you import the Schema markup from your own pages/posts on your website.
Custom Schema Builder
While you may feel intimidated by the idea of Schema, Rank Math makes it very simple. You don't need any programming knowledge to create Schema graphs with Rank Math.
Other SEO plugins such as Yoast SEO offer Schema features as well, but Rank Math makes it just a bit more straightforward and simple.
You will have access to so many different Schema features on Rank Math that you'll become an expert in no time.
WooCommerce SEO
Rank Math PRO offers you the opportunity to set parameters for both single products and product archives, which include the SEO title and meta description.
The integration from Rank Math with basic Woocommerce SEO support helps you to sell more and rank better, which is a key feature if you're involved in ecommerce.
Quick Edit SEO Details
The quick edit option allows you to change the SEO setting of a post directly from the post view list.
Quick edit is an efficient way to make sure that everything is exactly as it needs to be: SEO title, meta description, primary focus keyword, primary category, meta tags, and more.
Rank Math Pricing
As we've mentioned, You can use Rank Math free of charge, forever.
If you want a more in-depth experience, you'll definitely want to check out a paid plan.
There are three paid plans aside from the Free Rank Math: PRO, Business, and Agency.
For individuals or small businesses, it's likely that the PRO plan would be sufficient.
Even still, the Business plan isn't astronomical and offers way higher numbers.
Let's take a look at what you'll get with each plan as well as the price points in the following sections.
Free
The free Rankmath plugin is best suited for bloggers and small websites that aren't focused on ecommerce or other monetization efforts.
The main features of the free plan include 5 content AI credits, a limited Schema generator, support through the forums, and the scoring system within the WordPress editor.
Unfortunately, you won't get any keyword tracking features with the Free plan, so if you're in need of a deeper understanding, you may need to opt for one of the paid plans.
PRO
PRO includes a huge number of additional features for your Rankmath plugin that could prove invaluable for your SEO success.
The primary features include the ability to work on unlimited personal websites, up to 1k keywords to track, 25 content AI credits, 24/7 support, and a powerful Schema generator.
If you're serious about SEO and want the best results, the PRO version is likely for you. Rankmath describes it as being for bloggers, individuals, and solopreneurs and will cost you $59 per year.
Business
The Business plan is great for freelancers, businesses, and agency owners, offering a much higher count of all things mentioned in the previous plan.
You'll get support for 200 client websites, 200 Content AI credits, the ability to track 20k keywords, and more.
This plan goes for $199 per year.
Agency
Last but not least, if you find yourself in a situation with a need for extremely high volume, you can get support for up to 750 websites with the Agency plan.
up to 75k keywords can be tracked and you'll get a whopping 750 Content AI credits.
The cost is $499 per year.
Rank Math vs. Yoast SEO
If you've been searching around for an SEO plugin, you've likely come across Yoast SEO.
While it isn't the only option, it's certainly one that frequently comes up in the SEO conversation.
Historically speaking, Yoast SEO was the go-to SEo plugin before Rank Math.
Now, the Rank Math vs Yoast SEO duel is more intense than ever, and it's still hotly debated as to which is the best WordPress SEO plugin to use.
As a part of our Rank Math review, we're going to take a look at how the two size up and give you our final decision on Rank Math vs. the Yoast SEO plugin. Let's take a look.
Rank Math vs Yoast SEO: User Interface (UI)
The user interface (UI) of any software tool is vital for its success, and a WordPress SEO plugin is no exception.
Both Rank Math and Yoast SEO offer UIs that are easy to work on, neatly organized, and clearly defined.
In this respect, Rank Math just edges out Yoast SEO in its ease of use and simple nature. It is incredibly easy to work with Rank Math and the color-coded nature of the editor is quite pleasant.
Not only that, it has a better aesthetic as opposed to Yoast SEO both in the editor as well as on the dashboard.
The dashboard has clear modules and everything can be customized and edited with just the click of a button.
In terms of the in-editor interface, it's much easier to understand the scoring of your content as well as the readability tips through Rank Math.
In our opinion, it's a no brainer.
UI Winner: Rank Math.
Rank Math vs Yoast SEO: Keyword Analysis
As you create your content, both Rank Math and Yoast SEO will offer you keyword analysis.
You can add in your target keyword, and both Rank Math and Yoast SEO will analyze your content and give you direction for keyword optimization.
In that regard, both will work. It then comes down to the details and what your preference is, as there are some nuances between the options you are presented from each plugin.
Rank Math offers you the advantage of analyzing multiple focus keywords, and you can even do this on Rank Math free. You can analyze up to 5 focus keywords at a time.
Yoast SEO, on the other hand, only offers you the chance to analyze a single keyword with the free version.
What's more, the Content AI feature that Rank Math offers will give you even more extensive in-editor analysis of your content, providing a deeper level of optimization than the Yoast SEO plugin can.
The scoring is also more specific on Rank Math vs Yoast.
Considering all of the Google integrations, the visual nature of data reporting, as well as the many ways you can check your ranking stats, Rank Math comes out on top here.
Keyword Analysis Winner: Rank Math.
Rank Math vs Yoast SEO: Search Console Integration
Both Rank Math SEO and the Yoast SEO plugin offer Google Search Console integration, but it's easier to execute on Rank Math.
When you go through the setup wizard on Rank Math, you'll be able to set up the integration right there by simply entering and verifying your gmail account before you finish the wizard.
Yoast SEO also offers Search Console integration, but it isn't as comprehensive and informative as the one with Rank.
Search Console Winner: Rank Math.
Rank Math vs Yoast SEO: Pricing
In terms of pricing, there are also many things to compare here.
The pricing models for both plugins are a bit different.
When you use Rank Math, there are only four different pricing options to choose from: Free, Pro, Business, and Agency.
Prices are quite affordable for most plans: $0, $59, $199, and $499, all charged on an annual basis.
Yoast is a bit more complicated. They offer their main plugin at either $99 or $229, and it doesn't go into as much detail about what you'll get with the two options.
What's more, you'll also have to add on different packages if you want access to the video SEO, local SEO, news SEO, and WooCommerce SEO. That really increases the price, as none are under $79/year.
All of those are included when you opt for PRO with Rank Math.
Just for simplicity's sake and the access to the features you need, Yoast SEO doesn't hit the mark.
Pricing Winner: Rank Math.
You can see that the clear winner here is RM, and it's no surprise– they've designed their plugin for success.
Yoast was the leader amongst SEO plugins for quite some time, and it was pretty shocking when Rank Math came out and took the lead from them.
We don't see Rank Math going anywhere anytime soon, that's for sure.
Rank Math Review FAQ
If you still have some questions related to RankMath and whether or not it's the right choice for you, we've got you covered here.
Below you'll find six of the most common questions about Rank Math.
Is Rank Math Any Good?
Rankmath describes itself as the “swiss army knife” of WordPress SEO, and we pretty much agree with them.
Based on our extensive review and testing of the plugin features for both a free Rank Math account as well as PRO, the expansive nature of the plugin is pretty astounding.
It has all the features you could hope to want in an SEO pack, the user interface is among the best of any plugin out there, and the SEO tools are thorough and informative.
It would be tough to beat out Rank Math as the most popular SEO plugin. Even if you just use the free version, it has a lot to offer, no matter your experience level with SEO.
Is Rank Math Better than Yoast SEO?
In our opinion, we would assert that Rank Math is better than Yoast SEO.
If you are curious as to why, you can take a look at the in-depth comparison that we've provided in the above section, but the main reasons are that Rank Math offers:
- Better UI
- Better keyword analysis
- Better integrations
- More features
- Easier to use
- Simple pricing
- Free version is more effective than Yoast SEO
This question continues to be debated, but after experiencing both, that is our final conclusion.
Is Rank Math Good for SEO?
Rankmath is currently one of the best WordPress SEO plugins available, and the company claims to have over 1.3 million satisfied clients.
It is quickly becoming the WP standard plugin for SEO, which indicates to us that it certainly offers many benefits if you want to have a page optimized for search and SERPs.
Can You Use Rank Math and Yoast SEO Together?
No. It's not recommended.
When you use more than one plugin for SEO, they can conflict and ultimately cause problems for your site.
It's much better to make a decision on which one you like best and then stick with that one.
At the end of the day, you could always change at any time, and having two won't necessarily offer you any benefits. It could, however, cause problems.
Is Rank Math Safe?
Coming from Jetpack, which is a WordPress plugin that will help you with security and other elements of your site, Rank Math is safe.
WordPress plugins often get new versions as things change and the plugin is improved, and the good news is that the current version of Rank Math is good to go.
In previous versions, some vulnerabilities had been identified that may have put your site at risk, but the current version is cleared and will not put your site in an insecure position.
Not only that, Rank Math is from MyThemeShop, which is an established WordPress development team that holds a strong and reputable track record.
Rank Math wouldn't be the #1 WordPress SEO plugin with more than 1 million active installations if it weren't safe, that's for sure.
Is Rank Math Free?
There is a free version of Rankmath as well as a PRO, Business, and Agency.
There are tons more features that come with the Pro version, so you might consider using it, especially if you are more experienced with SEO.
If not, the free version could be a great place to start. You can always upgrade if you want more features later on.
If you work on multiple websites or need more keyword volume and Content AI credits, the Business or Agency plans would suit you best from the get go.
Review Conclusion: Do We Recommend Rank Math SEO?
We 100% recommend the Rank Math SEO plugin.
As you can see, there are tons of features that can help you get better results for your website, generate more traffic, close more sales, and more.
This SEO tool is incredibly in-depth, and offers not only easy access for those without much experience but also offers the complexity that experienced SEO professionals would require.
Rank Math SEO currently sits in the #1 position on the WP plugins library, officially making it the best SEO plugin for WordPress at the time of this article's composition.
Not only that, it has a virtually 5-star rating, sitting at 4.9 with over 4,300 reviews.
You may have tried out All in One SEO Pack, or perhaps Yoast, but if you haven't tested out Rank Math yet, we recommend that you do!
