Rank Math has grown from a newcomer in the WordPress SEO space to one of the most widely adopted SEO plugins available. With over 2 million active installations and a feature set that rivals premium plugins, it has earned a strong reputation among site owners, developers, and content creators. In this review, we examine Rank Math SEO Pro in detail—covering its features, setup process, performance impact, pricing, and how it compares to alternatives like Yoast SEO. For those new to SEO, the Google SEO Starter Guide is a great resource to understand the fundamentals.
This review is based on hands-on testing with Rank Math Pro version 3.x on a WordPress 6.7 site running PHP 8.2. We tested it across multiple site types including blogs, WooCommerce stores, and business websites to provide a well-rounded assessment.
What Is Rank Math SEO?
Rank Math is a search engine optimization plugin for WordPress that helps you optimize your content, manage technical SEO settings, and monitor your site's search performance. It offers both a free version (available on WordPress.org) and a Pro version with advanced features like keyword tracking, advanced schema markup, and Google Analytics integration.
Unlike many SEO plugins that require multiple add-ons for full functionality, Rank Math bundles a comprehensive set of tools into a single plugin. This includes XML sitemaps, redirections, local SEO, WooCommerce SEO, and over 20 schema types—all without needing separate extensions.
Installation and Setup Process
One of Rank Math's strengths is its setup wizard. After installation, a step-by-step wizard guides you through essential configuration:
- Step 1 – Connect Account: Link your free Rank Math account to enable keyword tracking and other cloud features
- Step 2 – Site Type: Select your website type (blog, business, e-commerce, portfolio, etc.) to auto-configure relevant settings
- Step 3 – Search Console: Connect Google Search Console for direct data access within WordPress
- Step 4 – SEO Tweaks: Configure noindex settings for tags, author archives, and other low-value pages
- Step 5 – Analytics: Connect Google Analytics (Pro) for traffic data inside the dashboard
The entire setup takes 5-10 minutes for a new site. If you are migrating from another SEO plugin like Yoast SEO, Rank Math includes a one-click migration tool that imports your existing SEO titles, meta descriptions, focus keywords, and redirect rules.
Key Features Breakdown
Content Optimization (SEO Score)
Rank Math assigns each post or page an SEO score out of 100 based on factors like keyword usage, meta title/description length, heading structure, internal and external links, image optimization, and readability. The free version allows 1 focus keyword per post, while the Pro version supports up to 5 focus keywords simultaneously.
The content analysis runs in real-time as you type, providing actionable suggestions in the sidebar. Color-coded indicators (red, orange, green) help you quickly identify which areas need attention. While no automated tool replaces manual SEO expertise, Rank Math's suggestions are practical and grounded in widely accepted on-page SEO practices.
Schema Markup (Structured Data)
Schema markup is one of Rank Math's standout features. The plugin supports over 20 schema types including:
| Schema Type | Free | Pro | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Article | ✓ | ✓ | Blog posts, news articles |
| Product | ✓ | ✓ | E-commerce product pages |
| FAQ | ✓ | ✓ | Frequently asked questions |
| HowTo | ✓ | ✓ | Tutorial and step-by-step guides |
| Recipe | ✓ | ✓ | Food and cooking sites |
| Video | ✓ | ✓ | Video content pages |
| Local Business | ✓ | ✓ | Physical location businesses |
| Course | — | ✓ | Online course platforms |
| WooCommerce | — | ✓ | Advanced product schema |
| Podcast | — | ✓ | Podcast episodes |
In our testing, Rank Math's schema output consistently passed Google's Rich Results Test without manual adjustments. The visual schema editor in the Pro version makes it straightforward to configure custom schema for individual posts.
XML Sitemaps
Rank Math generates XML sitemaps automatically, including separate sitemaps for posts, pages, categories, and custom post types. The sitemaps follow Google's specifications and include image references. You can exclude specific posts or entire post types from sitemaps with a single toggle.
Redirection Manager
The built-in redirection module handles 301, 302, and 307 redirects without requiring a separate plugin. It also monitors 404 errors and offers to create redirects for broken URLs. The Pro version adds regex-based redirects and automatic redirect creation when you change a post's URL slug.
Analytics Integration (Pro)
Rank Math Pro connects to both Google Search Console and Google Analytics, displaying key metrics directly in your WordPress dashboard. You can view:
- Search impressions, clicks, and average position per keyword
- Top-performing pages by organic traffic
- Keyword ranking trends over time
- Traffic sources and user behavior data
While this data is available in Google's own tools, having it inside WordPress saves time and helps content creators make data-informed decisions without leaving their editing workflow.
WooCommerce SEO
For e-commerce sites, Rank Math provides WooCommerce-specific optimizations including product schema, breadcrumb control, category page optimization, and noindex settings for cart and checkout pages. If you are running a WooCommerce store, the WooCommerce SEO module adds meaningful functionality that would otherwise require a separate plugin.
Local SEO
Businesses with physical locations benefit from Rank Math's Local SEO module, which generates LocalBusiness schema and supports multiple locations. You can configure NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information, business hours, and a Google Maps embed—all from the WordPress dashboard.
Performance Impact
SEO plugins can affect site speed due to the code they inject into the frontend. We tested Rank Math's performance impact on a clean WordPress installation with the flavor theme:
| Metric | Without Rank Math | With Rank Math | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Page Load Time | 1.2s | 1.25s | +0.05s |
| Requests | 18 | 19 | +1 |
| Page Size | 285 KB | 289 KB | +4 KB |
| TTFB | 180ms | 195ms | +15ms |
| PageSpeed Score | 98 | 97 | -1 |
Rank Math's frontend footprint is minimal. The plugin is well-coded and does not load unnecessary assets on the frontend. The slight increase in TTFB comes from the additional database queries for meta information, which is expected from any SEO plugin.
Pricing and Plans
| Feature | Free | Pro ($6.99/mo) | Business ($20.99/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus Keywords | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Schema Types | 15+ | 20+ | 20+ |
| Google Analytics | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Keyword Tracking | — | 500 keywords | 10,000 keywords |
| Sites | Unlimited | Unlimited personal | Client sites |
| Email Reports | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Advanced Schema | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| News SEO | — | ✓ | ✓ |
The free version is remarkably capable and sufficient for most personal blogs and small business sites. The Pro version becomes worthwhile when you need keyword tracking, multiple focus keywords, or advanced schema types. You can also get Rank Math SEO Pro at PluginTheme.net under GPL licensing. For more detailed guidance on using Rank Math, check out the Rank Math Knowledge Base.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive free version with features many plugins charge for | The number of settings and modules can be overwhelming for beginners |
| Built-in schema editor supporting 20+ types without separate plugins | Some advanced analytics features require a cloud account connection |
| One-click migration from Yoast, All in One SEO, and other plugins | Keyword tracking depends on Rank Math servers (not self-hosted) |
| Minimal performance impact on page load times | UI changes between major versions may require re-learning some workflows |
| Active development with regular updates and new features | Customer support response times vary during peak periods |
| WooCommerce and Local SEO modules included at no extra cost | Content AI credits (for AI-generated suggestions) are limited per plan |
Rank Math vs Yoast SEO: Quick Comparison
For a detailed side-by-side analysis, see our Rank Math vs Yoast SEO comparison. Here is a quick overview:
| Feature | Rank Math Free | Yoast Free | Rank Math Pro | Yoast Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus Keywords | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 + synonyms |
| Schema Types | 15+ | 6 | 20+ | 6 |
| Redirections | ✓ | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Google Analytics | — | — | ✓ | — |
| Local SEO | ✓ | — | ✓ | Paid add-on |
| WooCommerce SEO | ✓ | — | ✓ | Paid add-on |
Rank Math includes more features in its free version than Yoast. However, Yoast has a longer track record (since 2010) and is used on more sites, which means community resources and third-party integrations are more abundant. Both are solid choices—the decision often comes down to whether you prefer Rank Math's all-in-one approach or Yoast's modular ecosystem.
Who Should Use Rank Math?
Rank Math is well-suited for:
- Content creators and bloggers who want detailed content optimization guidance with multiple focus keywords
- Small business owners who need local SEO, schema markup, and analytics without managing multiple plugins
- WooCommerce store owners who want product schema and e-commerce SEO features built-in
- Developers and agencies who manage multiple client sites and need a consistent SEO toolkit
- Users migrating from Yoast who want more features without paying for multiple add-ons
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rank Math free version sufficient for most websites?
Yes. Rank Math's free version includes features that many SEO plugins only offer in their premium versions, including XML sitemaps, 15+ schema types, redirection manager, and WooCommerce SEO. For personal blogs and small business sites, the free version covers all essential SEO needs.
Can I switch from Yoast SEO to Rank Math without losing my settings?
Rank Math includes a one-click migration tool that imports SEO titles, meta descriptions, focus keywords, robot settings, and redirects from Yoast SEO. The migration process takes a few minutes and preserves your existing SEO work. We recommend checking a few pages after migration to verify everything transferred correctly.
Does Rank Math slow down my website?
In our performance testing, Rank Math adds approximately 4 KB to page size and 15ms to server response time—a negligible impact. The plugin is well-optimized and does not load unnecessary scripts or stylesheets on the frontend.
Is Rank Math compatible with page builders like Elementor?
Yes. Rank Math integrates with Elementor, Elementor Pro, Divi, Beaver Builder, and the default Gutenberg editor. The SEO analysis panel appears within the page builder interface, allowing you to optimize content without switching to the classic editor.
How does Rank Math handle schema markup for WooCommerce products?
Rank Math automatically generates Product schema for WooCommerce items, including price, availability, review ratings, and SKU. The Pro version adds advanced product schema with GTIN, MPN, and brand fields. This structured data helps product pages appear in Google Shopping results and rich snippets.
Does Rank Math support multilingual websites?
Rank Math works with WPML, Polylang, and TranslatePress. It generates separate sitemaps for each language and allows you to set unique SEO titles, descriptions, and schema for each translation. Hreflang tags are managed by the translation plugin, not Rank Math.
What happens to my SEO data if I deactivate Rank Math?
Rank Math stores SEO data as WordPress post meta. If you deactivate the plugin, the data remains in your database but is not used. Most SEO plugins can import Rank Math data if you decide to switch. However, features like redirects and sitemaps will stop working until you activate an alternative plugin.
Can Rank Math generate an XML sitemap that includes images?
Yes. Rank Math's sitemaps include image references by default, following Google's image sitemap specifications. You can also configure which post types and taxonomies appear in sitemaps and set individual posts to be excluded.
