Installing an SEO plugin is easy. Configuring it correctly takes 30 minutes and most bloggers skip it. The default settings work; the right settings work better. This post is the configuration that matters.

Short answer: Install Yoast SEO or Rank Math (either is fine). Run the initial setup wizard. Set up XML sitemap. Configure title/meta templates. Connect to Google Search Console. Then use the per-post features: focus keyword, meta description, readability. Most other settings can stay at default.
Yoast SEO and Rank Math dashboards side by side showing their main settings panels

Yoast SEO vs Rank Math

Both are excellent. Differences:

Yoast SEO

  • The original. Most-installed. Most tutorials reference it.
  • Free version is solid.
  • Premium adds internal linking suggestions, redirect manager, multiple keyword tracking.
  • Slightly more conservative interface.

Rank Math

  • Newer, more aggressive features in the free version.
  • Includes some Yoast premium features for free (multiple keywords, redirects, schema).
  • Lighter weight than Yoast.
  • Cleaner setup wizard.

Pick one. Don’t run both. The configuration that follows applies to either with minor naming differences.

Step 1: Run the setup wizard

After installation, both plugins offer a setup wizard. Run it.

The wizard asks:

  • Your site type (blog, ecommerce, etc.).
  • Your name / company name / logo.
  • Your social profiles.
  • Whether your site is in development or production.
  • Connection to Google Search Console.

Fill out honestly. The choices affect schema markup and other defaults.

Step 2: Configure title and meta description templates

The most overlooked setting. Templates define how titles and meta descriptions are generated for posts you haven’t manually set.

Default for posts: usually %title% - %sitename%.

Better: %title% | %sitename% (cleaner separator).

For categories and tags: usually some default that works. Verify they look right by viewing a category page in incognito.

Step 3: Verify XML sitemap is active

Both plugins generate a sitemap at yoursite.com/sitemap_index.xml.

Check:

  1. Visit the URL. Should show a list of sitemaps.
  2. Make sure your posts are included.
  3. Make sure unwanted content types (e.g., attachment pages) are excluded.

This sitemap gets submitted to Google Search Console.

Step 4: Submit sitemap to Search Console

  1. Open Google Search Console.
  2. Sitemaps → Add a new sitemap.
  3. Enter sitemap_index.xml.
  4. Submit.

Search Console will start indexing your sitemap entries.

Step 5: Schema settings

Both plugins add structured data (schema) to your posts. The defaults are usually right:

  • Article schema for posts.
  • Person or Organization schema for the site.
  • BreadcrumbList for navigation.

If you write specific content types (recipes, reviews, products), enable the corresponding schema:

  • Recipe schema for cooking blogs.
  • Review schema for product reviews.
  • FAQ schema for posts with Q&A sections.

Schema doesn’t directly boost rankings but helps Google understand your content and can produce rich results in search.

Yoast SEO settings panel for a single blog post showing focus keyword and SEO analysis

Step 6: Per-post settings (the important part)

The plugin’s main daily-use feature is the per-post sidebar in the editor. For every post:

Focus keyword

One primary keyword per post. The plugin analyzes whether you used it in the right places (title, URL, intro, headings).

SEO title

Override the auto-generated title. Aim for 50–60 characters with keyword near the start. The plugin shows a preview of how it’ll look in search.

Meta description

140–160 characters. Manually write for every post. The plugin shows a preview.

URL slug

Short, keyword-bearing, no stop words. WordPress sets this automatically from the title; the plugin lets you tweak.

Readability analysis (Yoast specifically)

Yoast scores readability. Useful but don’t obsess. Some advice (“limit transition word use,” “shorten sentences”) doesn’t always serve your voice. Treat as informational.

Step 7: Configure breadcrumbs (optional)

Both plugins can output breadcrumb navigation. Most modern themes either include breadcrumbs or use the plugin’s output.

To enable Yoast breadcrumbs: SEO → Settings → Breadcrumbs → Enable.

Then add the breadcrumb code to your theme (your theme docs will explain where).

Step 8: Verify Google Search Console connection

Both plugins integrate with Google Search Console. Once connected:

  • You can see GSC data inside WordPress.
  • The plugin can request re-indexing of posts (Yoast Premium / Rank Math).

Verify the connection is active in the plugin’s main dashboard.

Step 9: Set up redirects (if using Rank Math, or Yoast Premium)

Both offer redirect managers. When you change a URL or delete a post, set up a 301 redirect.

Where to find:

  • Rank Math: Rank Math → Redirections.
  • Yoast Premium: SEO → Redirects.
  • Free alternative: the Redirection plugin (separate plugin).

Set redirects whenever URLs change. Preserves SEO and avoids 404s for old links.

Settings to skip

Both plugins offer many advanced settings. Most don’t need attention:

  • Twitter cards / Open Graph customization beyond defaults. Defaults usually fine.
  • Webmaster tools verifications for Bing, Yandex. Add only if you care about non-Google search.
  • RSS feed customizations. Defaults fine.
  • Advanced taxonomy SEO. Usually not needed.

The “noindex” feature

Both plugins let you set posts or pages to “noindex” — telling Google not to include them in search.

Use for:

  • Thank-you pages after form submissions.
  • Internal admin pages.
  • Duplicate content.
  • Pages that exist for users but shouldn’t rank.

Don’t use noindex aggressively. Most posts should be indexed.

The “I see lots of red dots in Yoast” panic

Yoast’s SEO analysis uses red/orange/green dots to score each post. Red means “could improve.”

Don’t chase all green. Some red items make sense to fix; others are reasonable to ignore. Use the analysis as a checklist, not as gospel.

Common red items worth fixing:

  • Focus keyword not in title.
  • Focus keyword not in URL slug.
  • Meta description missing or too short.
  • No internal links.
  • No external links.

Common red items often safe to ignore:

  • “Transition words” warnings (your voice matters more).
  • “Sentence length” warnings (vary deliberately).
  • “Paragraph too long” (sometimes a long paragraph is right).

Migrating between plugins

If you switch from Yoast to Rank Math (or vice versa):

  • Both plugins have migration importers built in.
  • The importer copies focus keywords, meta descriptions, and settings.
  • Run on staging first to verify everything carries over.

Don’t run two SEO plugins at once. Conflicts cause issues.

The honest summary

Yoast SEO or Rank Math — pick one, configure once. Run the setup wizard. Set good title/meta templates. Submit your sitemap to Search Console. Then daily use is just per-post: focus keyword, manual title, manual meta description, varied internal links. Most other settings stay at default. Don’t chase all-green Yoast scores; use the analysis as a checklist, not as the goal.