Getting started with Rank Math SEO software

This guide explains the basics of using the Rank Math SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) software in WordPress to improve how your pages appear in search engines such as Google.

The most common SEO tasks are:

  • Choosing a focus keyword (key phrase)
  • Writing a meta title
  • Writing a meta description

These help search engines understand what your page is about and how it should appear in search results.

Open the page in the WordPress editing screen

To edit SEO settings, you need to open the page in the WordPress editor, not in the Beaver Builder interface.

  1. Log into WordPress.
  2. Go to Pages in the left-hand menu (or choose another type of content).
  3. Find the page you want to edit.
  4. Click Edit (and not Beaver Builder).

This opens the page’s technical editing screen, where Rank Math settings are available.

Open the Rank Math SEO panel

Once the page editor is open:

  1. Look for the Rank Math SEO button at the top of the screen.
  2. Click the button indicated below:

This will open the Rank Math SEO panel, where you can manage the page’s SEO settings.

Add a focus keyword (key phrase)

The first step is to add a Focus Keyword.

  1. In the Rank Math panel, find the Focus Keyword field.
  2. Enter the main phrase you want the page to appear for in search results.

Although the field is called “Focus Keyword”, it’s often better to think of it as a key phrase.

Example

Too broad: Restaurant

Better: Restaurant in Leigh-on-Sea

However, try not to make it too narrow either. The goal is to choose a phrase that real people are likely to search for in Google.

Important note

Adding text into the Focus Keyword box does not directly improve SEO by itself. It is used as a guide for the SEO software, which will then check whether that phrase appears in important places on your page.

Ensure the key phrase appears in important locations

These include:

  • The page title
  • The page URL (sometimes called the slug or permalink)
  • The meta description
  • The main page content
  • Subheadings

If the keyword is missing from these areas, Rank Math will highlight this in its checklist.

You can then edit the page to include the phrase naturally in these places.

Write a meta title

The meta title is usually what appears as the clickable headline in Google search results.

  1. In the Rank Math panel, find the SEO Title field.
  2. Write a clear title that describes the page.
  3. Try to include your focus keyword within the title.

Example: The Seaside Kitchen | Seafood Restaurant in Leigh-on-Sea

Rank Math will show a preview of how your title may appear in Google and guide you if it becomes too long. It is good practice to leave your company or website name displaying in all the SEO titles.

Often, this will already be set up for you. By default, your page title and your website or company name are usually included automatically, so in many cases this step may not require any changes.

Write a meta description

The meta description is the short summary that may appear underneath the title in search results.

  1. In the Rank Math panel, find the Description field.
  2. Write a short sentence summarising the page.
  3. Try to include your focus keyword naturally.

Example: Visit our restaurant in Leigh-on-Sea for fresh seafood, seasonal menus and a relaxed seaside atmosphere.

Rank Math will show a length indicator, helping you keep the description within an ideal length.

Note that Google may sometimes shorten your description or generate its own version instead. However, writing a clear and compelling description is still an important part of good SEO practice, as it can help encourage people to click on your result and visit your website. So write something that “sells” and attracts people!

Review the SEO checklist

Rank Math provides a checklist showing how well the page is optimised for your chosen keyword. You’ll see ticks and crosses for things like:

  • Whether the keyword appears in the title
  • Whether it appears in the page content
  • Whether the content is long enough
  • Whether the page has good readability
  • Whether paragraphs are a reasonable length

The more ticks you achieve, the stronger your page’s SEO is likely to be for your chosen phrase.

However, don’t worry if you can’t achieve everything. These are guidelines rather than strict requirements.

Editing meta descriptions quickly from the page list

If you need to update lots of pages at once, there is also a quicker method.

  1. Go to the Pages or Posts list in WordPress.
  2. Look for the SEO Description column.
  3. Click the edit icon shown in that column (as indicated below).

This allows you to quickly edit SEO descriptions directly from the list view, without opening each page individually.

Advanced options

Rank Math also includes additional SEO tools in other tabs, for example:

You can instruct search engines not to show the page in search results by selecting the “Noindex” option. This is useful for pages that shouldn’t appear in search engines, such as private content, “thank you” confirmation pages, or internal system pages.

You can also customise how your page appears when shared on social media platforms.

Further help

Our guide covers some basic SEO practice. You can find more detailed Rank Math guides here:

Whilst we’re always happy to help with SEO tasks such as research, training and optimisation work, this falls outside our standard support. We can assist with this as part of our task-based services, or you are welcome to work with your own SEO specialist if you prefer.

Last reviewed and updated by :  May 2026