My 7 SEO Mistakes Before Rank Math (And How I Fixed Them)
Sometimes you need to royally mess up before you find the right tool. Here’s my embarrassing SEO journey and the plugin that finally made sense of it all.
Quick Truth (if you are in a Hurry)
Look, I’m not going to sugarcoat this. Before discovering SEO mistakes before Rank Math were basically my entire blogging strategy, I was the creator who thought SEO was some mystical dark art reserved for tech wizards and people who actually enjoyed reading Google’s documentation.
These dumb mistakes were everywhere in my content.
Spoiler alert: I was doing almost everything wrong, and my traffic showed it.
The Real Talk: Rank Math didn’t just fix my mistakes. It exposed how clueless I actually was about basic SEO practices. But here’s the beautiful part: it fixed everything without making me feel like a complete idiot. Well, mostly.
One of the biggest SEO mistakes I made before Rank Math was not understanding how to optimize my content effectively. So they led me to create a lot of content that just didn’t rank.
Thinking back, one of the key SEO mistakes was ignoring the importance of keywords. I wish I had realized earlier and could have prevented it by focusing on keyword research.
If you’re making these same mistakes (and statistically, you probably are), this article will either make you laugh or cry. Maybe both.
As I continued my blogging journey, I realized more and more SEO mistakes before Rank Math were holding me back. I began to understand that without addressing these mistakes, I would struggle to gain traffic.
Let’s dive into my hall of shame.
I Used to Think SEO Was About Stuffing Keywords and Crossing Fingers
Realizing the SEO mistakes before Rank Math, also involved understanding how social media can impact SEO, was another breakthrough for me.
In conclusion, addressing them allowed me to transform my blog’s performance drastically.
Random afternoon, 2022. My studio apartment creative corner. Three months into blogging, exactly zero organic traffic.
I’m sitting there with my third coffee of the evening (yeah, it was that kind of day), staring at Google Analytics like it personally betrayed me.
A fellow blogger calls me, all excited about her blog hitting 5K monthly visitors, and I’m here celebrating my 47 page views, 32 of which were probably me checking if the damn site still worked.
“Dude, are you even doing SEO?” she asks.
“Of course I am,” I lied. “I put keywords everywhere.”
Everywhere, meaning I literally stuffed “best blogging tips” into every sentence like some kind of deranged keyword robot. My content read like it was written by someone having a stroke. But hey, keywords equal rankings, right?
Mon Dieu, I was so wrong.
The thing about SEO mistakes before Rank Math took over my site is that I didn’t even know what I didn’t know. I was operating on half-baked advice from 2015 YouTube videos and blog posts written by people who clearly never actually ranked for anything.
Let me walk you through the specific ways I absolutely butchered my SEO.
Grab your drink of choice because this gets embarrassing.
🚀 Make Google love your blog — install Rank Math today →
Mistake #1: Treating Meta Descriptions Like Optional Homework
One of the SEO mistakes before Rank Math was ignoring mobile optimization. I found out that SEO mistakes before Rank Math were not just limited to keywords.
You know what I used to do with meta descriptions? Absolutely nothing.
I genuinely believed Google would just “figure it out” and create something beautiful from my content. Like some kind of SEO fairy godmother situation.
Plot twist: Google just grabbed the first 160 characters of my blog post, which usually included gems like “Hey everyone! In today’s post, we’re going to talk about…”
Really compelling stuff that made people want to click. Not.
The Rank Math Fix
When I finally installed Rank Math (after friends literally wouldn’t shut up about it), the first thing it did was yell at me in red text about missing meta descriptions. Every. Single. Post.
But here’s what made Rank Math different from other plugins I’d tried: it didn’t just tell me I needed meta descriptions. It showed me:
- Exactly how many characters I had left (with a visual progress bar because apparently I need everything color-coded)
- Whether my focus keyword was actually in the description
- A preview of how it would look in search results
The plugin essentially held my hand through writing decent meta descriptions. It was like having an SEO teacher who actually gave a shit about whether you understood the material.
I rewrote 47 meta descriptions in one weekend. My click-through rate from search results jumped 34% within a month.
Correlation isn’t always causation, but c’mon.
🧠 Stop guessing SEO. Rank Math shows you exactly what to fix →
Mistake #2: Completely Ignoring Schema Markup (Because WTF Even Is That?)
Real talk: My SEO before Rank Math, I thought schema markup was some kind of advanced coding wizardry that required a computer science degree.
I’d see those fancy rich snippets in search results; those with star ratings, recipe times, FAQ accordions, and think, “Yeah, that’s for the big sites with developer teams, not for me sitting here in my pajamas trying to figure out WordPress.”
I was so intimidated by schema that I convinced myself it wasn’t important. “Content is king, right? People will find my amazing content regardless!”
Narrator voice: They did not find his amazing content.
The Rank Math Reality Check
Installing Rank Math was like discovering that schema markup wasn’t actually rocket science. It was more like… checking boxes.
The plugin has this Schema Markup feature that’s so stupidly simple it almost made me angry. You literally select what type of content you’re writing (article, review, how-to, FAQ, whatever), fill in some basic information, and boom—structured data.
I added the FAQ schema to one of my posts about content creation tools. Within three weeks, that post started showing up in Google’s “People Also Ask” boxes. My traffic for that single post tripled.
Pro tip that I learned the hard way: Don’t just add schema for the hell of it. Google actually reads this stuff, and if your schema says you have a recipe but your content is about SEO, you’re going to have problems.
Match your schema to your actual content. Revolutionary concept, I know.
💡 If SEO feels hard, you’re not using Rank Math yet →
Mistake #3: Forgetting Redirects Exist (RIP My Link Juice)
Oh man, this one still makes me cringe.
I used to change URLs like I was trying on different outfits. “Hmm, this post about My 4 Must-Have WordPress Tools for AI Blogging would sound better with a shorter URL.
Let me just change that real quick…”
Changes URL, doesn’t set up a redirect, and Wonders why traffic disappeared
I literally broke so many backlinks by changing URLs without redirects that I’m surprised Google didn’t just ban my site altogether. Any link equity I’d built up? Gone. 404 errors everywhere. It was a massacre.
The worst part?
I didn’t even realize I was doing this until I used Rank Math’s Redirect Manager and saw the graveyard of broken links I’d created.
How Rank Math Saved My Dumb Ass
Rank Math has this redirect feature that’s integrated right into the plugin. When you change a URL, it literally prompts you: “Hey, you just changed this URL. Want to set up a redirect?”
YES. YES, I WANT TO SET UP A REDIRECT.
Even better, you can bulk import redirects, monitor 404 errors, and track which redirects are actually being used. The plugin keeps a log of everything, which is perfect for people like me who have the memory of a goldfish.
I went back and fixed about 30 broken URLs, setting up proper 301 redirects for each one. Slowly but surely, my traffic for those posts started recovering. Some of them even ranked better than before because I also optimized the content while I was at it.
Lesson learned: URLs are not fashion statements. Pick one and commit.
📈 Turn your next post into a traffic magnet with Rank Math →
Mistake #4: Skipping Image Alt Text (Because Who Actually Reads That?)
Friday morning at a coffee shop downtown. I’m uploading images to my blog post, and WordPress keeps asking me for alt text.
“Skip. Skip. Skip. Skip.”
I genuinely thought alt text was just for people using screen readers, which is important, but full disclosure—it wasn’t my priority when I was desperately trying to get any traffic at all.
The SEO benefit of image alt text? Completely flew over my head.
Here’s what nobody tells you when you’re starting out: Google can’t actually “see” your images. It reads the alt text to understand what the image is about.
No alt text = no image SEO = missing out on potential traffic from image search.
I was basically uploading images into a black hole and wondering why they never ranked in Google Images.
The Rank Math Wake-Up Call
Rank Math’s content analysis feature includes a check for image alt text. Every post I looked at had this angry red bullet point: “Images don’t have alt attributes.”
The plugin made it impossible to ignore. It was right there in my face every time I hit publish, silently judging my laziness.
So I started adding alt text. Not just random descriptions, but actual keyword-rich, descriptive alt text that made sense. “Screenshot-1.png” became “rank-math-seo-score-100-dashboard-screenshot.png” with proper alt text to match.
Three months later, I started getting a surprising amount of traffic from Google Images. Turns out, people do search for “Rank Math settings screenshot” and “content analysis example,” and my properly optimized images were showing up.
Honestly? This was one of those small changes that added up to real results. Plus, I stopped feeling guilty about accessibility every time someone mentioned screen readers.
⏰ Spend less time tweaking SEO — let Rank Math do it smarter →
Mistake #5: Keyword Stuffing Like It’s 2010
Remember earlier when I mentioned stuffing keywords into every sentence? Let me be more specific about how bad this actually was.
I had a blog post about content creation that used the phrase “content creation” 47 times in 1,200 words. FORTY. SEVEN. TIMES.
It read like this: “Content creation is important for content creation success. When you’re doing content creation, you need content creation tools for better content creation results…”
I basically created content that even I wouldn’t want to read. But SEO myths die hard, and I was convinced that more keywords = higher rankings.
Google, apparently, did not agree with my strategy. My posts ranked nowhere, and the ones that did get traffic had bounce rates that would make a kangaroo jealous.
Rank Math’s Keyword Density Reality Check
When I first ran my keyword-stuffed content through Rank Math’s content analysis, it gave me this assessment: keyword density 3.9%, recommended 1-1.5%.
The plugin literally told me to chill the hell out with the keywords.
But here’s what made Rank Math actually useful: it didn’t just say “you’re using too many keywords.” It showed me:
- Exactly where I was overusing the focus keyword
- Suggested related keywords and synonyms I could use instead (semantic SEO, baby!)
- Highlighted sections where keyword usage felt unnatural
I went through and replaced half my keyword instances with related terms and natural variations. “Content creation” became “creating content,” “making content,” “content development,” and sometimes just… other words altogether because not every sentence needs the exact keyword.
My content became readable again. Revolutionary.
Current approach: I aim for that 1.5% keyword density that Rank Math recommends, and I actually use the semantic keywords section to find related terms. Turns out, Google is smart enough to understand synonyms. Who knew? (Everyone except past me, apparently.)
🔍 Rank higher, write faster, stress less — Rank Math it →
Mistake #6: Not Connecting Google Analytics and Search Console (Because Why Would I Want Data?)
This mistake is so embarrassing, I almost didn’t include it.
For the first six months of blogging, I had neither Google Analytics nor Google Search Console connected to my site. I was literally flying blind, making decisions based on vibes and hope.
“My content is good, so obviously it’s working,” I’d tell myself while refreshing my WordPress stats page for the millionth time, watching that flatline like it was going to suddenly spike.
I didn’t connect tracking tools because:
- It seemed complicated
- I didn’t want to know how badly I was failing
- I genuinely didn’t understand what I’d do with the data anyway
All terrible reasons, by the way.
How Rank Math Made Tracking Actually Useful
Rank Math has this Setup Wizard that walks you through connecting Google Analytics and Search Console right from your WordPress dashboard. No switching between tabs, no confusing API keys, no existential dread about whether you’re doing it right.
The plugin’s built-in analytics features show you:
- Which keywords you’re actually ranking for (spoiler: usually not the ones you think)
- Click-through rates for your posts
- Impressions and positions in search results
- Top-performing content and pages that need work
But here’s the real game-changer: Rank Math shows you this data right inside your WordPress dashboard. I don’t have to log into three different Google tools to see what’s working. It’s all right there when I’m writing and editing posts.
Once I actually had data, I could make informed decisions instead of just guessing. I discovered that a random post I’d written about AI tools was getting 10x more impressions than my main content. So I doubled down on that topic.
Hard truth: You can’t improve what you don’t measure. And you can’t measure what you don’t track. Connect your damn analytics.
😅 I fixed my SEO mistakes with one plugin: Rank Math →
Mistake #7: Fearing XML Sitemaps (Because They Sound Technical and Scary)
XML sitemaps. Just reading those words used to make my brain hurt.
I avoided sitemaps for months because every tutorial I found made them sound incredibly complicated.
Manually submitting URLs to Google?
Keeping track of what’s indexed?
Updating the sitemap every time I publish something new?
Screw that noise. Too much work. I’ll just let Google “discover” my content organically.
Yeah, about that… Google’s crawlers aren’t exactly rushing to check out every new blog in existence. Without a sitemap, I was basically hoping Google would stumble upon my content by accident. And hoping is not a strategy.
Rank Math’s “Oh, It’s Already Done” Moment
Want to know the beautiful thing about Rank Math’s sitemap feature?
It’s automatic.
I literally did nothing except toggle a switch during setup, and Rank Math started generating and updating my XML sitemap automatically. Every time I publish a post, it gets added to the sitemap. Every time I update content, the sitemap updates. Every time I delete something, it gets removed.
The plugin even splits your sitemap into separate files for posts, pages, categories, and tags, which is apparently better for large sites (though mine wasn’t large enough to worry about that yet).
I submitted my sitemap to Google Search Console once. That was it. One time. Rank Math handles everything else.
Within two weeks of submitting my sitemap, my indexing rate jumped significantly. New posts were showing up in search results within days instead of weeks. Old posts that Google had apparently never found were suddenly getting indexed.
All because I finally let Google know what content existed on my site instead of playing hide-and-seek.
😏 Google’s playing hard to get? Rank Math is your wingman →
Bigger Picture: What These Mistakes Cost Me
Let’s do some real talk math, because I’m all about transparency.
In those first six months before I installed Rank Math and fixed these mistakes, my blog traffic looked like this:
- Month 1: 147 visitors
- Month 2: 203 visitors
- Month 3: 289 visitors
- Month 4: 312 visitors
- Month 5: 278 visitors (actually went down, cool)
- Month 6: 401 visitors
After implementing Rank Math and systematically fixing these seven mistakes over the next three months:
- Month 7: 1,792 visitors
- Month 8: 3,547 visitors
- Month 9: 5,834 visitors
I’m not saying Rank Math is magic. I also improved my content quality, published more consistently, and actually learned what SEO meant beyond keyword stuffing. But having a plugin that showed me exactly what was wrong and how to fix it? That was the catalyst.
The honest truth: I wasted six months because I was too stubborn or too intimidated to use proper SEO tools. I thought I could figure it out on my own with free advice from the internet. And sure, I could have eventually, but why make things harder than they need to be?
Why Rank Math Works for Perpetually Confused Creators Like Me
Here’s the thing about Rank Math that actually makes it different from other SEO plugins I’ve tried (and yes, I’ve tried most of them):
It doesn’t assume you already know everything.
The plugin is built for people who are still figuring this stuff out. It explains what each SEO element means, why it matters, and how to fix it if it’s wrong. There’s no gatekeeping or “you should already know this” attitude.
As a matter of fact, they have a very rich knowledge base and blog.
Plus, the free version is genuinely functional. I used the free version for months before upgrading to Pro, and it handled everything I needed. No artificial limitations that force you to upgrade just to access basic features.
The Pro version adds cool stuff like content AI and advanced schema, but you can build a solid SEO foundation with the free version alone.
Features That Matter (From Someone Who Gets It)
- Content Analysis: Real-time SEO scoring as you write, with specific suggestions for improvement
- Focus Keyword Optimization: Tracks keyword density and placement without being annoying about it
- Schema Markup: Multiple schema types with an easy-to-use interface
- Internal Linking Suggestions: Shows related posts you should link to while you’re writing
- 404 Monitor & Redirects: Catches broken links before they destroy your SEO
- LSI Keywords: Suggests related terms to use for better semantic SEO
- Google Analytics Integration: All your important metrics right in WordPress
- Local SEO Features: If you run a local business (though I don’t, so I can’t speak to this personally)
The Pro version adds:
- Content AI for SEO optimization suggestions
- Video SEO schema
- Google Trends integration
- Advanced WooCommerce SEO
- Image SEO optimization
Pricing: The Free version has everything most bloggers need. Pro starts at $7.99/ month, billed annually (ex VAT) for unlimited personal sites. Considering I wasted six months and countless hours making these mistakes, that’s stupidly cheap.
✍️ Create. Publish. Rank. Repeat — that’s the Rank Math rhythm →
Uncomfortable Truth About SEO Tools
Look, I need to be real with you about something.
Rank Math (or any SEO plugin) won’t fix bad content. If your writing sucks, no amount of schema markup and meta description optimization will save you. I figured this out when I optimized some truly terrible posts and wondered why they still didn’t rank.
SEO tools are amplifiers, not magic wands.
They amplify good content by making it more discoverable.
They don’t transform garbage into gold. You still need to write stuff that people actually want to read and that answers their questions better than the other 50 articles on the same topic.
But if you’re already creating decent content? Tools like Rank Math help ensure that your work actually gets seen instead of disappearing into the void of page 47 on Google.
What I’d Tell My Past Self (If Time Travel Existed)
Hey, 2022 Jean. Put down the whiskey/wine/coffee for a second and listen.
Stop trying to hack SEO with outdated strategies and half-understood concepts. Install Rank Math on day one. Follow its recommendations. Actually read what the plugin is telling you instead of ignoring those red warnings because they hurt your ego.
You’re not stupid for not knowing SEO. You’re stupid for refusing to use tools that would teach you.
Also, Diane, my best friend, is right about basically everything. Start listening to her sooner.
And maybe invest in Bitcoin or whatever. I don’t know, I’m not a financial advisor.
Your Turn (No Pressure, But Do This)
If you’re reading this and mentally checking off mistakes you’re currently making, good. That means you’re self-aware enough to improve.
Here’s what I’d recommend doing right now, today, this minute:
- Install Rank Math (free version is fine to start)
- Run the Setup Wizard (takes maybe 10 minutes, stop making excuses)
- Check your existing posts with the content analysis feature
- Fix the most glaring issues first (missing meta descriptions, no alt text, broken redirects)
- Connect your analytics (stop flying blind)
- Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console
Don’t try to fix everything at once. I made that mistake too, got overwhelmed, and nearly gave up. Pick your worst-performing posts or your newest content and start there. Work through your site gradually.
Most importantly: Actually use the damn plugin. Don’t just install it and ignore its recommendations because you think you know better. You don’t. Trust me, I tried that approach, and it doesn’t work.
Smart SEO isn’t luck — it’s Rank Math precision →
My Conclusion (Because I’m Smarter Now and Better Equipped)
I’m still making mistakes.
Last week, I published a post without checking the readability score and had to go back and break up some monster paragraphs. I still sometimes forget to add internal links until Rank Math reminds me. I’m not some SEO guru who’s figured it all out.
But I’m better equipped now.
I have tools that catch my mistakes before they cost me traffic. I have data that shows me what’s working instead of just guessing. I have a system that doesn’t require me to remember 47 different SEO best practices every time I hit publish.
Rank Math made me smarter. It also made my blog less stupid.
And honestly? That’s exactly what I needed.
So here’s my challenge to you: Don’t repeat my SEO sins. Don’t waste months flying blind because you’re too stubborn or too intimidated to use proper tools. Install Rank Math and let it quietly fix what you didn’t know was broken.
Your future self (and your traffic stats) will thank you.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have about 40 more old posts to optimize. This SEO thing never actually ends, does it?
Salud 🥃
FAQs: Because You’re Probably Wondering About Specific Stuff
Is Rank Math really free, or is it one of those “free with catch” situations?
It’s genuinely free for core features. I used the free version for over six months before upgrading, and it handled everything I needed: content analysis, schema markup, redirects, sitemap generation, the works.
The Pro version adds cool stuff like content AI and advanced schema options, but you can build solid SEO without it. No artificial paywalls blocking basic functionality.
Will Rank Math automatically fix all my SEO mistakes?
No, and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. Rank Math identifies problems and gives you clear instructions on how to fix them, but you still have to do the work. It’s more like having an SEO teacher than having someone do your homework for you.
The plugin shows you what’s wrong and explains why it matters, then you make the fixes yourself.
Can I use Rank Math if I’m not technical at all?
Absolutely. I’m not a developer, I can barely handle basic WordPress stuff without Googling things, and I managed fine. The Setup Wizard holds your hand through configuration, and the interface is pretty intuitive.
If you can write a blog post in WordPress, you can use Rank Math. Plus, they have documentation and support if you get stuck.
How long does it take to see results after fixing these mistakes?
Realistic answer: It depends on how competitive your niche is and how much content you have. I started seeing traffic improvements within 2-3 weeks for some posts, but it took 2-3 months to see significant overall growth.
SEO is not instant gratification. If you’re looking for overnight success, you’re in the wrong business. But if you’re willing to be patient and consistent, the improvements compound over time.
Should I switch from Yoast to Rank Math?
I switched from Yoast to Rank Math and never looked back, but your mileage may vary. Rank Math’s free version has more features than Yoast’s free version. The interface makes more sense to me personally.
There’s a migration tool that transfers all your SEO data from Yoast to Rank Math automatically, so switching isn’t complicated. Try it and see if it clicks for you.
What’s the difference between the free and Pro versions?
Free version includes: content analysis, schema markup (basic types), redirects, 404 monitoring, Google integrations, sitemap generation, internal linking suggestions, and pretty much everything most bloggers need.
Pro version adds: Content AI (AI-powered SEO suggestions), video SEO schema, Google Trends integration, advanced WooCommerce SEO, image SEO optimization, and some other features I haven’t explored yet. Costs $7.99/ month, billed annually (ex VAT) for unlimited sites.
Worth it if you’re serious about blogging, but not mandatory to see results.
Will using Rank Math guarantee my content ranks on page one?
Absolutely not, and anyone promising guaranteed rankings is either naive or scamming you.
Rank Math optimizes your technical SEO and helps you follow best practices, but ranking depends on multiple factors: content quality, competition, backlinks, domain authority, search intent, user experience, and probably 200+ other ranking factors Google doesn’t publicly share.
Think of Rank Math as giving your content the best possible chance to rank, not a guarantee that it will.
Can I use Rank Math on multiple sites?
Yes! Even the free version works on unlimited sites, which is pretty generous. The Pro license also covers unlimited sites for one price, unlike some plugins that charge per site.
If you manage multiple blogs or client sites, this alone makes it worth considering.
Ready to stop making dumb SEO mistakes? Install Rank Math and start fixing what’s broken. Your blog will thank you.
