An SEO plugin adds a set of tools to your WordPress dashboard for controlling how each page and post appears in search results, writing a meta description, checking basic readability, and automatically generating an XML sitemap. Two widely used free options are Yoast SEO and Rank Math. Either works well for a typical small business site, and the setup steps below apply to both with only minor naming differences.
Installing the Plugin
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard (yourdomain.com/wp-admin).
- In the left menu, go to Plugins, then click Add New Plugin.
- Type "Yoast SEO" or "Rank Math" into the search box.
- Find the plugin in the results and click Install Now.
- Once installed, click Activate.
Only run one SEO plugin at a time. Having two active together can duplicate meta tags in your page headers and confuse search engines about which settings to use.
Running the Setup Wizard
After activation, both plugins launch a short setup wizard (you can also reopen it later from the plugin's menu). It will ask you to:
- Confirm whether the site represents a business or a person.
- Enter your business name and upload a logo (used for search result branding and social sharing previews).
- Connect your social media profiles, if you have them.
- Set your preferred site title and tagline format.
You can skip optional steps and come back to them later from the plugin's settings page.
Using the Plugin on a Post or Page
Open any post or page in the editor and scroll down (or look in the sidebar) for the SEO plugin's panel. You'll typically see three things:
- A Focus Keyphrase field: enter the main search term you want that page to rank for.
- A Snippet Preview: edit the SEO title and meta description shown here to control exactly what appears in Google's search results for that page.
- A readability and SEO analysis, usually shown as a traffic-light score (red, yellow, green) with specific suggestions like "add your keyphrase to the first paragraph."
Treat the green score as a helpful checklist, not a requirement for publishing. Clear, useful content for your reader matters more than a perfect score, especially early on.
Checking Your XML Sitemap
Both plugins automatically generate an XML sitemap once activated, usually available at yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml. You can confirm the exact address in the plugin's settings under its sitemap section. Once you have it, submit that sitemap address to Google so your pages get indexed faster: see How to Submit Your Website's Sitemap to Google Search Console.
A Few Settings Worth Checking
- Make sure the plugin's sitemap feature is turned on. It's enabled by default, but it's worth confirming after setup.
- Review the Search Appearance (Yoast) or Titles & Meta (Rank Math) settings to make sure your homepage title and description look the way you want them to in search results.
- If you run an online store or have many similar pages, check the plugin's settings for whether to noindex low-value pages like tag archives, so they don't dilute your site's relevance for real content.
Once the plugin is set up, the main ongoing work is filling in a focus keyphrase and a clear meta description each time you publish new content.