Trying to pick between Rank Math and Yoast SEO for WordPress search engine optimization?
If you want to improve the SEO of your WordPress site, you must use an SEO plugin. And, when it comes to WordPress SEO plugins, Yoast SEO is unquestionably the biggest brand in town, and has been since the inception of WordPress.
While Yoast SEO receives the most attention, it is not the only great choice for SEO on WordPress. There are numerous more popular plugins, including Rank Math, which we’ll compare to Yoast SEO.
When compared to Yoast SEO, Rank Math is a relative newbie, yet it’s quickly gained in popularity and has a following of devoted admirers, as seen by its official Facebook group.
So, in the Rank Math vs Yoast SEO comparison, which one should you choose? That, after all, is the subject of this piece.
We’re not going to choose a “winner” and a “loser.” Instead, we’ll merely highlight what each plugin does well and how they compare so you can choose the best solution for your needs, expertise level, and budget.
We’ll begin by going through each option in further depth. Then, in a number of categories, we’ll compare them in depth.
Ready? Let’s get started!
Introductions to Rank Math and Yoast SEO
To begin, we’ll quickly introduce Yoast SEO and Rank Math to provide the groundwork for our more hands-on comparison.
YOAST SEO
Yoast SEO, which was first released in 2010, is by far the most popular WordPress SEO plugin. Joost de Valk established it after working as an SEO consultant before developing Yoast SEO.
Yoast SEO is the “de facto” WordPress SEO plugin in many aspects. For example, if you read a WordPress SEO guide, it’s likely that it will presume you’re using Yoast SEO.
With over 288 million downloads to date, it is not only the most popular WordPress SEO plugin, but also one of the most popular WordPress plugins of all time.
RANK MATH
Rank Math, on the other hand, is a newcomer to the WordPress SEO scene. It was released in late 2018, but it had been in production for some years prior. While the SEO plugin is new, Rank Math comes from MyThemeShop, a well-established WordPress development company.
Rank Math has swiftly expanded in popularity since its first release, and it currently ranks as the second-most popular WordPress SEO plugin*. It’s gone from almost nothing to over 500,000 active instals in less than two years, which is astounding for a WordPress plugin. As you’ll see below, it’s grown substantially as a result of a long list of free features.
*Technically, All In One SEO Pack is the second-most popular plugin on WordPress.org in terms of active instals. Rank Math, on the other hand, has a lot greater traction and a far higher number of new downloads.
Rank Math vs. Yoast SEO – Key Differences
Now, let’s get into the meat of our Rank Math vs Yoast SEO comparison, beginning with a look at the features of each plugin.
In terms of the sheer quantity of functions offered, Rank Math outperforms Yoast SEO, especially when only the free editions are considered. That doesn’t necessarily imply that it’s “better,” because the important factor here is whether or not you’ll really use those extra features.
However, Rank Math has an edge if you want to use those extra capabilities.
RANK MATH
Free Bonuses:
-Create SEO titles and meta descriptions –
Create templates that apply to material automatically and manually alter SEO titles/descriptions for each pieces of content.
Create social media bios –
Text and photos on Facebook and Twitter may be controlled.
Keyword analysis with a focus (supports multiple keywords) –
Enter one or more focus keywords to discover how well your content is optimised for those keywords.
Sitemap in XML –
develop a more configurable XML sitemap than WordPress’s default sitemap functionality enables
Data structure/schema –
Configure sitewide schema markup as well as manage schema markup for particular pieces of content.
Google Search Console –
Connecting your site to Google Search Console allows you to automatically upload sitemaps and check Search Console data from inside your WordPress dashboard.
Local Search Engine Optimization and the Knowledge Graph —
improve your website’s local SEO (only one location for free)
SEO for Images –
enhance image SEO by automatically generating alt and title tags
Suggestions for Internal Links –
While you’re in the editor, Rank Math will propose other material on your site to connect to.
bits of bread
Include breadcrumbs on your website.
Counting Links –
The amount of internal and external links in your text should be counted.
Diversions –
301 and 302 redirects may be created and managed.
Monitor 404 –
Keep an eye out for 404 errors on your website. Common 404 errors might then be redirected to other pages on your site.
Using Google Analytics –
View information after entering the tracking code.
WooCommerce SEO Fundamentals –
build up product/shop titles/descriptions
Premium characteristics include:
Tracking keyword rank –
Monitor your site’s search engine rankings and keyword performance throughout the last year (pretty unique)
- Integration with Google Trends
- Sitemap for Google Video SEO
- Sitemap for Google News SEO
- Numerous venues for local SEO
- More schema types (20+) are pre-defined.
- History of Google AdSense earnings
- Watermark social media photographs automatically
One wonderful aspect of Rank Math is that all of these capabilities are modular, so you can easily deactivate those that you don’t intend to use.
YOAST SEO
Yoast SEO’s free edition offers less functionality, however the Yoast SEO team does provide a number of premium add-ons that may be used to supplement the basic capabilities. However, as previously said, Yoast SEO charges for things that Rank Math provides for free, such as a redirect manager, multiple keyword analysis, and internal link suggestions.
Basic Characteristics:
Create SEO titles and meta descriptions –
Create templates that apply to material automatically and manually alter SEO titles/descriptions for each pieces of content.
Sitemap in XML –
develop a more flexible XML sitemap than WordPress’s detailed feature enables
Keyword analysis with a narrow focus (just one keyword) –
Enter one focus keyword and discover how well your content is optimised for that term.
Site-wide design –
Site-wide schema markup should be included.
Type of content schema –
establish a unique schema type for each item of material (you can also set a sitewide default).
Google Search Console –
Use Search Console to validate your website.
Create social media bios –
Text and photos on Facebook and Twitter may be controlled.
WooCommerce SEO Fundamentals –
Set the titles/descriptions for items and store pages, for example.
Content that is essential –
Mark significant pages as “Cornerstone” to assist in optimising them and increasing internal connections to them.
bits of bread
Include breadcrumbs on your website.
Counting Links –
The amount of internal links in your article should be counted.
Core Premium Benefits:
Manager of Redirections –
301 and 302 redirects may be created and managed.
Suggestions for internal links —
Yoast SEO will recommend more material on your site to connect to.
Internal hyperlinks –
Instead of individually adding relevant links, add a block that automatically incorporates them.
Several target keywords –
Examine your material for a variety of target keywords.
Associated keywords –
based on SEMrush data, build similar keyphrases
Yoast SEO also provides premium add-ons for various sorts of SEO. These include capabilities that are usually only available in Rank Math’s premium edition, while Rank Math does contain certain local SEO elements in its free version:
Local Search Engine Optimization –
Structured data for local businesses/Knowledge Graph is added, your contact page is improved, and numerous physical locations are supported.
SEO for Videos –
Get your videos listed in Google Videos and improve your video SEO.
SEO News –
Optimize your site for Google News, send a ping to Google when you publish a new article, construct an XML News sitemap, and more.
SEO for WooCommerce (Advanced) –
gain access to more WooCommerce SEO tools like as social media graph data, a cleaner XML sitemap, and more
Rank Math vs. Yoast SEO – Installation Procedure
Both Rank Math and Yoast SEO do an excellent job of introducing you to crucial options. Both are also quite user-friendly in general.
Overall, this category is a toss-up, and which one you favour is purely a matter of personal choice.
RANK MATH
When you first run Rank Math, a setup wizard appears to assist you in configuring the most critical fundamental functions. You may also link your free Rank Math account to access more features. You are not need to do this in order to use the plugin, but you must link a free account in order to activate all of its capabilities.
Overall, the wizard is well-executed and provides differentiated experiences for novice and experienced users:
In the setup wizard, you’ll set up:
- -Information on the basic schema
- -Google Analytics and Google Search Console connections, if desired.
- -A sitemap in XML.
- -Other fundamental options, such as whether or not to noindex empty category and tag archives.
When you complete the setup process, you will be given the opportunity to configure advanced settings, which will allow you to access extra stages for things like:
- -Manager’s role (to control which WordPress roles can access Rank Math).
- 404 error tracking
- -Redirection.
- -More specific schema markup options, such as specifying default schema types for certain post kinds.
After completing the setup procedure, you will be sent to the module manager, which shows all of the features and allows you to:
- -Turn on/off each module.
- -Set up all of the modules you’ve enabled.
You won’t view all of the modules if you’re on Easy Mode. To see every single module, you must enable Advanced Mode.
YOAST SEO
Yoast SEO, like Rank Math, has a setting wizard to help you get up and running quickly, albeit you’ll need to open it from the WordPress toolbar.
This wizard also performs an excellent job of guiding you through all of the critical settings, such as:
- -Schema data for the entire site
- -Whether or not your site should be indexed
- -Templates for SEO titles
The Yoast SEO dashboard also contains some recommendations and ideas, as well as a list of potential issues with your site:
Yoast SEO, like Rank Math, has a modular approach that allows you to disable aspects you don’t want to utilise. The features may be viewed in the Functionality page, and you can disable certain features by using the toggle:
User Interface: Rank Math vs. Yoast SEO
You previously saw some of the user interface when we compared the setup procedure above. Following that, we’ll look at how the user interface looks for day-to-day tasks, such as optimising a single post or page.
Outside of that, we’ll show off some of the more distinctive interface components.
RANK MATH
If you’re using the WordPress block editor (Gutenberg), Rank Math is completely integrated. That is, you will not employ the “meta box” technique provided by the Classic editor.
You may access the Rank Math settings by clicking on the Rank Math button in the Toolbar. The sidebar options are separated into four tabs:
In general –
Change the snippet’s details, choose a target term, and watch the analysis.
Proficient –
Configure robot meta data, such as adding a noindex tag.
– Schema
configure schema markup/structured data
Socialization –
build up social graph data on Facebook and Twitter
The Analytics interface is another distinguishing feature of Rank Math. You will be able to track: Depending on whether you have the free or pro version, you will be able to track:
Reports from the Search Console (e.g. search impressions and keyword positions). Free.
- -Keyword performance/rankings Paid.
- -Google Analytics traffic statistics Paid. Rank Math will also match these to the SEO score of each piece of content.
YOAST SEO
Yoast SEO provides two options for configuring your SEO information while working in the editor for a single piece of content:
- -A meta box shows beneath the editor in both the block editor and the traditional editor. This is the “traditional” method of configuring Yoast SEO.
- -If you’re using the block editor, a new Yoast SEO option will appear in the editor sidebar.
You may select the method that works best for you, which is useful if you prefer the meta box method (because Rank Math does not provide a meta box in the block editor).
When you utilise the block editor’s sidebar, you’ll have access to all of the settings in one column:
You may access additional information by expanding each area. For example, if you’ve enabled the schema markup options, you may change the schema type of a single piece of content from the Schema section.
You may also examine your snippet information in a popup by clicking on the “preview” options:
The meta box, which displays below the editor and separates its settings into four columns, is another alternative.
Search Engine Optimization –
establish titles/descriptions, examine keyword analysis, and manage advanced settings like robots tags and canonical links
- – Readability
Check out the readability analysis hints. - – Schema
For this piece of material, select a schema type. - Socialization –
configure open graph data for Facebook and Twitter
Rank Math vs. Yoast SEO – Keyword Research
While creating content, both Rank Math and Yoast SEO allow keyword research. That is, you may enter the keyword(s) you want to target, and the plugin will analyse your content to inform you how well-optimized it is and whether any modifications are required.
This is another aspect where your own choice and the interface/approach you like is all that matters. However, one benefit of Rank Math is that it allows you to examine many keywords for free. You can only examine one keyword with the free edition of Yoast SEO (though the premium version allows multiple keyword analysis).
rankmath
Even in the free edition, Rank Math allows you to examine up to five target keywords simultaneously. All you have to do is enter the keyword(s) you wish to target, and Rank Math will handle the rest.
-Give you a score ranging from 0 to 100. as well as some colour labelling If you score more than 80, you’ll earn a “green,” which is good.
-Make a list of particular suggestions and whether or not you’ve met them. Is your main keyword, for example, in the SEO title? How frequently did you utilise it in the content?
The list of ideas provided by Rank Math covers both on-page SEO and additional aspects such as title/content readability:
YOAST SEO
Yoast SEO’s free edition on WordPress.org only allows you to examine a single keyword for each piece of content. However, if you pay to the premium edition, you will be able to evaluate several keywords.
Again, as we shown in the user interface sections, you can get the analysis tips from the block editor’s sidebar or the meta box under either editor.
The analysis works similarly to Rank Math in that you enter your keyword(s), and Yoast SEO then offers you a score and compares your content to its list of specific suggestions.
However, Yoast SEO’s score is less detailed. There is no numerical rating and only three options:
- -Gray (good)
- -The colour yellow (ok)
- -The colour red (bad)
Yoast SEO divides its readability analysis into its own score, using the same scoring mechanism. The readability analysis can be a little strange, since the score weighting might feel random at times.
For example, altering a single letter in your text might take you from red to green. In general, you should focus on the individual reading advice rather than your overall score.
Pricing for Rank Math vs. Yoast SEO
Both Rank Math and Yoast SEO are free to use on WordPress.org. Then, both developers sell premium versions with additional features.
This is a significant shift for Rank Math, as it previously only came in a free version. The developer, on the other hand, plans to release the Pro version of the plugin in November 2020. It provides new features without affecting any of the existing features that were previously offered for free.
Overall, the premium edition of Rank Math is less expensive than Yoast SEO for three reasons:
- –Rank Math’s top-level rates are less expensive than Yoast SEO’s (though that might change).
- –Rank Math‘s subscription service allows for an infinite number of websites, however Yoast SEO does not.
- -Rank Math provides a single subscription package that includes all of the functionality, whereas Yoast SEO has many paid extensions. For example, if you wish to add Local SEO support, you must do it separately.
RANKMATH
For the time being, Rank Math’s premium edition is available in two flavours:
- $59 for Pro –
It may be used on an unlimited number of personal websites and can track up to 1,000 keywords. - $199 for business –
It may be used on an infinite number of personal and client websites, and it can track up to 20,000 keywords.
These rates are labelled as a limited-time “launch promotion.” If Rank Math decides to charge the full list price, you will have to pay:
- $129 for the Pro
- $429 for business
It’s unclear whether Rank Math will continue to charge these fees in the future or whether this is just an evergreen pricing method to generate urgency.
YOAST SEO
Yoast SEO has two sorts of premium products.
The first is the core premium plugin, which grants you access to features such as multiple keyword analysis, internal link suggestions, and more. The basic premium service costs $89 for usage on a single site; however, savings are available for multi-site licences:
Then there are four paid extensions for different forms of SEO:
- WordPress Video SEO –
Starting at $69 for a single site. - WordPress Local SEO –
Starting at $69 for a single site. - WordPress SEO News –
Starting at $69 for a single site. - WooCommerce YOAST SEO —
Starting at $69 for a single site.
Rank Math vs. Yoast SEO– Frequently Asked Questions
To wrap things up, let’s go through some frequently asked questions you could have following our comparison.
Which WordPress Plugin Has the Most Functions?
In general, Rank Math offers more functionality than Yoast SEO, especially when the free versions are considered.
Which Is the Most Popular Plugin?
Yoast SEO is more well-known — in fact, it is one of the most popular plugins of all time. It has, however, been around far longer than Rank Math. Rank Math is highly popular, especially given its youth.
Yoast SEO is active on 5+ million sites (the highest categorization at WordPress.org – it’s likely far more than that), whereas Rank Math is active on 600,000+ sites.
Which plugin has received the most positive feedback?
Is Rank Math safe to use?
Some individuals are concerned about the safety of Rank Math because it is a younger plugin compared to Yoast SEO, which has been around for years.
Don’t be concerned! Rank Math is still developed by an established WordPress development team (MyThemeShop), and it has earned a strong reputation in the short time that it has been offered.
The 2,000+ individuals who rated it 4.9 stars on WordPress.org are correct.
Is Rank Math More Effective Than Yoast SEO?
This one is a little more subjective, and it’s what we sought to cover in this piece. Rank Math has more functionality than Yoast SEO, especially when it comes to free editions.
However, this does not necessarily imply that it is better for your site – it all depends on whether or not you believe you will utilise those capabilities and how much you value going with the “more established” option in Yoast SEO.
Summary
In your Rank Math vs Yoast SEO comparison, it should be evident that both are high-quality SEO plugins. The figures and reviews do not lie.
Basically, you won’t make a “error” by using either plugin. It’s more about selecting the plugin that will best assist you reach your SEO objectives.
Overall, the free edition of Rank Math provides you with more functionality. For example, you’ll receive numerous keyword analysis, 404 detection, a redirect manager, local SEO capabilities, internal link ideas, and more. All of these are services that Yoast SEO either costs for or does not provide.
If you believe you’ll need such features, Rank Math could be for you. However, if you only utilise your SEO plugin to create some SEO titles/descriptions and perhaps optimise for a single keyword, you’re not gaining any more value from those functionalities.
The wonderful thing about Rank Math is that it’s modular, so you can turn off any functionality you don’t need to prevent bloat (the same is true of Yoast SEO).
To summarise:
If you want the most functionality, Rank Math currently has the upper hand, especially when comparing the free versions.
If you’re not going to use the other capabilities and only want something to handle your SEO titles/descriptions and other simple settings, you might as well go with the UI you want. If you respect Yoast SEO’s extensive track record, you might want to go with the “established choice” — having a ten-year track record is undoubtedly a benefit.
