Rank Math’s Search Engine Optimization Plugin: Designed to Push the Boundaries of WordPress SEO

TL; DR: Those who manually configure websites based on best practices in search engine optimization (SEO) know the job is time-consuming and repetitive. Rank Math, an SEO plugin for WordPress, empowers site owners to take the guesswork out of the process, making it easier to rank higher in organic search. To date, nearly 800,000 users have leveraged the tool to gain complete control over SEO workflows. With a mission to make WordPress SEO less of a hassle and more fun, Rank Math is ultimately contributing to a better web experience for all.

At the risk of sounding too picky, I’ll admit I’m very selective with the software that I use professionally and personally. The reason: There’s only so much time in a day. And there’s definitely not enough to time deal with steep learning curves and user interfaces that lack the level consideration I’ve come to expect as an end user.

As it turns out, I’m not alone. Consumer preferences continue to trend toward software that’s easy-to-use, and adoption rates show that inviting digital products tend to win over the alternative. That’s why there’s an entire discipline built around user interface (UI) design.

The folks behind Rank Math, an SEO plugin for WordPress, recognize the critical importance of a good UI. And they’re using it to stand apart from their competitors.

“Our user interface is one of the reasons people stick with us, and that’s something we take a lot of pride in,” said Bhanu Ahluwalia, Co-Founder and CMO of Rank Math. “Bells and whistles are great — but not if users get lost and can’t figure stuff out.”

The tool, which is easily accessible through the WordPress plugin repository, blends seamlessly into WordPress. There, it saves users hours of repetitive work by optimizing content through built-in SEO suggestions.

The plugin’s intuitive UI characteristics complement its additional features, which include advanced SEO analytics, integration with Google Analytics, rank trackers, and schema builders. The company refers to the plugin as the Swiss Army knife of SEO for a reason — it’s a handy, all-in-one solution with more than 15 built-in modules users can wield at their discretion.

Rank Math was founded in 2018 by Bhanu, current CEO Nimit Kashyap, and CTO Suraj Vibhute. At the time, the WordPress SEO space had become relatively stagnant.

“New tools popped up every few months, if not more frequently, but the ease-of-use and user experience weren’t significantly improving,” Bhanu told us. “Yet the SEO landscape had been changing faster than ever.”

The trio created the plugin to satisfy internal needs on another project. After witnessing how well it worked, the group’s peers encouraged them to release the solution to the public — so that’s just what they did.

“Our goal in terms of differentiation was not to follow the common path at the time, which was (and still is in some ways) to nickel-and-dime the user,” Bhanu told us. “We believe building a better web is a goal that helps everyone, which is why we only offered a free version initially.”

Bhanu told us that the company’s mission hasn’t changed much since then, though the product has certainly evolved.

“As our user base continued to grow rapidly, we saw that there was a clear demand for the advanced functionalities required by SEO professionals and others focused on organic website growth,” he said. “That’s what led to and informed much of Rank Math PRO’s development process.”

Today, Rank Math comes in three flavors. The free plan is suitable for beginners, while the PRO plan is geared toward individuals and solopreneurs. At the highest tier, Rank Math’s Business plan includes support for client websites, which freelancers and agency owners commonly require.

On February 10, 2021, W3Techs announced a notable milestone: WordPress now powers 40% of the world’s websites. That’s two out of every five websites online today.

The content management system (CMS) is the most popular solution of its kind for a reason — it’s free to download and use, customizable, and SEO-friendly.

“WordPress as a platform has evolved significantly over the past few years, which is clear from the additional market share it captured this past year,” Bhanu said. “There continues to be a growing list of reasons why industry-leading sites like Bloomberg and TechCrunch rely on WordPress.”

The Rank Math team remains agile in this growing space by tracking trends and making customer-fueled decisions.

“In terms of staying competitive, I’d say it’s really been a matter of staying as close to our user base and people in the SEO industry as possible — which is fortunately quite easy with our incredible and growing team,” Bhanu said.

This technique keeps the Rank Math team from veering too far from its original mission — to create a better online experience for all.

“A lot of plugin and software developers eventually grow to the point where there is a disconnect between strategies designed to move the business forward and the customer’s actual needs,” Bhanu said. “Our goal is to focus on moving the product and customer forward, which then, as a result, moves the business forward.”

Bhanu told us that approach has been particularly relevant this past year, as businesses have increasingly relied on internet-based services to cope with the pandemic.

The Rank Math team, headquartered in New Delhi, is made up of more than 25 dedicated and experienced remote workers from across the globe. Customer support staff at Rank Math are known for their fast response times and ability to resolve issues quickly and effectively. All paid plans include around-the-clock access to the support team.

Part of providing great support is listening to customers and identifying opportunities for improvement. That’s why feedback plays a significant role in the process of updating the plugin, adding features, and putting new ideas into production.

“The development process is mostly led by customer feedback and requests for what they want to see in the future,” Bhanu explained. “We also have the pleasure of working with incredibly talented customers in the SEO and WordPress space who have the ability to precisely communicate how we can improve their process and help them deliver better results.”

Rank Math’s import and export options for Title and Meta settings are just one example of a feature that was inspired by customer input.

“After hearing from people about how difficult it was to audit and update meta descriptions and titles at scale, we made it possible to do so directly in Excel or Google Sheets,” Bhanu said. “This way, they can work along with their team and then reimport the data into their site with the help of Rank Math.”

Rank Math’s rich set of features adds up in terms of ROI, saving users time and boosting organic search rankings.

“We know from our own experience working with other solutions and from user feedback that the amount of time saved alone is well worth the cost of a paid plan — especially considering how much you’d have to spend acquiring an array of third-party tools to get what you need,” Bhanu said.

Once again, Rank Math proves its worth as the Swiss Army knife of SEO.