Rank Math is an SEO plugin for WordPress whose setup covers the title, description, schema and sitemap, and it gives each page a score from 0 to 100. To get close to 100 you need to pass the focus keyword tests: title, description, URL, start of the text, subheading, density and links. But a score of 100 only shows that the text met the plugin’s checklist, not that Google will put the page first.
Here is the setup in the right order, the tests that weigh most on the score and what to do for each one. The foundation is the official knowledge base.
What the plugin is and what it delivers
The plugin has a free version and a PRO version. The free one already includes the setup wizard, the sitemap, the schema, the analysis of each page and URL submission via IndexNow. PRO adds features such as unlimited keywords per page and the search intent tool.
It’s for anyone with a WordPress site who wants a single panel for page-level SEO rules. If that’s your case, the SEO for WordPress guide shows where the plugin fits in the bigger picture.
How to set up Rank Math in the wizard
To set up Rank Math, open the Setup Wizard, choose the setup mode and go through the steps in order. Connecting the plugin account is optional, and you can skip that screen. You can run the wizard again whenever you want, under Rank Math SEO, Dashboard, Setup Wizard tab.
- Mode. There are Easy and Advanced modes, plus Custom, which is PRO only. Advanced has more steps. You can switch modes later.
- Compatibility check. The plugin warns you if another SEO plugin is active. If there is one, it can import its data.
- Import. If you’re coming from Yoast SEO, All In One SEO or SEOPress, you import titles and descriptions so you don’t lose what’s already been written.
- Your site. You say whether it’s a blog, a store or a company site, and enter the name, the logo and a default image for sharing. The plugin uses this to mark the site as a person or organization in the schema.
- Analytics. You can connect Search Console and GA4. Once the site is verified, the plugin submits the sitemap to Search Console on its own.
- Sitemap. See the next section.
- Optimization. There are three options here, which I cover below.
- Ready. The last screen confirms and offers automatic plugin updates.
One of the options in the optimization step is to add nofollow to all external links. The wizard recommends turning it on. I would leave it off, for a simple reason. The plugin itself has a test that asks for at least one followed external link, and links to trusted sources, such as Google’s official documentation, help the reader. If you turn it on, add trusted domains to the exceptions list.
Schema, sitemap and IndexNow in Rank Math
Schema is the code that describes the business and the page to search engines. The sitemap is the list of pages you want indexed. IndexNow is an automatic notice the site sends when it publishes or changes a page. All three live in the plugin and deserve a check after installation.
For schema, the most important point is the Your site step of the wizard. If the business is local, choose the closest business type from the list. If you can’t find one, use Organization. The guide on structured data explains what each markup does.
For the sitemap, the options are to include images (on by default), choose the public content types and choose the taxonomies. Leave out whatever shouldn’t appear on Google. Thank-you pages and test pages don’t need to be there.
The Instant Indexing module uses the IndexNow protocol, which the plugin documentation describes as an initiative from Microsoft and Yandex. When you turn on the module and choose the content types, the plugin notifies participating search engines whenever you publish or edit a page, except those marked noindex. The plugin page mentions Bing and Yandex. For Google, the path is still the sitemap and Search Console. If your page is slow to show up, the guide to getting your site indexed on Google covers the rest.
Focus Keyword: the first one is the one that counts
The focus keyword is the page’s main search, and the first one you type becomes the primary. It gets an asterisk on screen. The following ones are secondary.
This matters because several tests only look at the primary one: title, description, URL, start of the text, image alt text and uniqueness. Others run on all of them. The documentation notes that the PRO version accepts unlimited keywords per page and warns that adding more than needed does more harm than good.
Pick the way your customer types. “Dentist in Campinas” works. “Excellence in dental solutions” doesn’t, because nobody searches that way. And don’t repeat the same keyword on two pages, because the plugin has a uniqueness test and the pages end up competing with each other.
The tests that weigh on your Rank Math score
The Rank Math score comes from four groups of tests: Basic SEO, Additional SEO, Title Readability and Content Readability. To reach 100, the documentation says you must pass all the basic keyword tests. Each test shows a green, yellow or red icon.
| Rank Math test | What to do |
|---|---|
| Focus Keyword in SEO title | Put it at the beginning and within the first 50 characters, so it shows in full on mobile |
| Focus Keyword in meta description | Include it within the first 120 to 160 characters and write the description by hand |
| Focus Keyword in URL | Use the phrase in the address and keep the whole URL at 75 characters or less |
| Focus Keyword at the start of the content | Put it in the first paragraph, within the first 10% of the content |
| Focus Keyword in subheading | Use it in at least one H2 or H3 |
| Focus Keyword in image alt text | Write alt text that describes the image and includes the phrase |
| Keyword density | Stay between 1% and 1.5%; above 2.5% the plugin warns you |
| Dofollow external link | Link to an official source without nofollow |
| Internal link | Link to other pages on your site |
| Content length | Texts over 2,500 words score 100% on this test |
| Short paragraphs | No paragraph over 120 words |
| Media | One image or video already passes; four give the full score |
| Title: number, power word and sentiment | Use a number, a word that gives a reason to click and a clear tone |
The values in the table come from the official tutorial on how to get 100 on the tests. Note the length rule. A text of 1,500 to 2,000 words gets 60% of that test, and the plugin doesn’t fail you for it. Padding a text just to earn points is a recipe for fluff, and readers notice.
Colors and what each range means
The overall score has a color. From 81 up it shows green, and the plugin says the page is ready to publish. Between 51 and 80 it shows yellow, which indicates room to improve. Below 50 it shows red. If you’re above 80, you’re already well served, and the extra effort to reach 100 usually pays off little.
Why a score of 100 is not a ranking
A score of 100 means the text passed the plugin’s tests. Ranking on Google depends on other factors, such as competition, site authority and relevance, and many of them are out of your control. That comes from the plugin’s own documentation.
The official tutorial states that the recommendations should be read as suggestions, not absolute rules, and that the goal is to please the reader first and the search engine second. It also says a page with a lower score can rank well if everything else is right. If the plugin itself says so, take it seriously.
In practice, cheating Google here means stuffing the page with keywords to turn the test green, bloating the text to gain length points or adding pointless images just to pass the media test. None of that helps the reader, and a customer who lands on forced text doesn’t care. The honest path is the opposite: answer the search well, cite an official source and organize the text in short paragraphs. A score of 100 comes as a consequence when the text is already good, and when it doesn’t come, that’s fine.
If you want to know what else weighs on ranking beyond the plugin, the on-page SEO pillar lists the checks for each page. And if you’re torn between plugins, the article on Yoast SEO explains the other option.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rank Math free? There’s a free version, which includes the setup wizard, sitemap, schema and IndexNow, and a PRO version with extra features, such as unlimited keywords per page.
What is the focus keyword? It’s the page’s main search. The first one you type is the primary, and most tests look only at it.
What is the ideal keyword density? Between 1% and 1.5% gives the full score on the test. Above 2.5% the plugin shows a warning.
Does a Rank Math score of 100 guarantee first place on Google? No. The plugin’s own documentation says competition, authority and relevance also decide the ranking.
What is IndexNow? It’s a protocol where the site notifies participating search engines when it publishes or changes a page. In the plugin, the Instant Indexing module does this automatically.
Can I switch from Yoast to Rank Math without losing data? Yes. The wizard imports data from Yoast SEO, All In One SEO and SEOPress, but check titles and descriptions afterward.
Want to know what your site really needs?
A plugin sets up the foundation, but ranking comes from what the page says and who recommends it. See how Ciclicko handles on-page SEO and GEO so your site shows up where customers search.