03 - Install, Setup Wizard and the Yoast Import - Rank Math Crash Course

1What this module produces

The short version

The site runs Yoast SEO today, and Yoast holds a title and description for every one of the 139 pages and 148 posts. Rank Math can import all of that in one click, so switching plugins costs us nothing in search. This module installs Rank Math, runs that import, and walks the Setup Wizard with the exact values to enter for Hermetic. Get it right once and every later module builds on it.

Four things happen in this module, in this order. Each one has its own section below.

Backup

A full copy of files and database before anything changes.

Install

Rank Math from the WordPress plugin directory, activated.

Import

Yoast titles, descriptions and settings moved into Rank Math.

Wizard

Site type, business details, analytics, sitemaps and modules.

2Preparation

Rank Math's migration guide starts with a backup, and so do we. The import rewrites SEO data on every page and post, and there is no undo inside the plugin.

Backup. Take a full backup of files and database with whatever the host provides, and confirm you can see the backup file before going on. If the site is on a staging copy, do this module there first and repeat it on production on launch day (module 09).
What Yoast holds today. Per-page SEO titles and meta descriptions, focus keywords, per-page robots settings (noindex on the thank-you pages, if anyone set it), and the global title templates. The crawl on 2026-09-29 shows Yoast generating the sitemap at sitemap_index.xml. Rank Math uses the same sitemap URL, so Google Search Console needs no change after the switch.
Yoast Premium redirects. If the site has Yoast Premium, its redirects import too. If it has the free version, there are none to bring across; the redirect list you built in module 02 goes in during module 09.
Admin access. You need a WordPress administrator login. The wizard also asks to sign in to the Google account that owns Search Console and Analytics, so have that password to hand.

Beaver Builder pages

The site's pages are built in Beaver Builder. Rank Math reads the page content Beaver Builder saves, so the SEO tests in module 07 still run. Nothing in this module touches page layouts.

3The install order

The order matters in one place: Yoast has to be deactivated before the import runs, and the wizard's compatibility check does that for you. Do not delete Yoast until the checks in section 7 pass.

The eight steps of this module. The wizard opens by itself after activation and carries you from step 3 to step 7 without leaving the screen. Illustration drawn from the Rank Math documentation as read on 2026-09-29. Labels match the plugin; layout is simplified.

4The compatibility check and the Yoast import

Install Rank Math from Plugins > Add New, search "Rank Math SEO", install and activate. The Setup Wizard opens on activation. If it does not, open Rank Math SEO > Dashboard > Setup Wizard.

At the top of the wizard, a compatibility check lists anything on the site that conflicts with Rank Math. Yoast SEO appears there.

Click More under the compatibility check to see the conflicting plugins. Yoast SEO is listed because two SEO plugins writing the same title tags and sitemap would fight each other.
Deactivate Yoast from that list. Deactivate it and leave it installed. Its data stays in the database, and that data is what the next step reads.
Click Start Import. Rank Math reads Yoast's settings, the per-page and per-post meta (titles, descriptions, focus keywords, robots), the category and tag meta, the author meta, and Yoast Premium redirects if any exist.
Wait for the import to report that it finished. On a site with 139 pages and 148 posts this is a single pass; do not close the tab while it runs.

If the import stops with an error

Rank Math's guide names one known cause: the Calculate SEO Scores option during import. Go to Rank Math SEO > Status & Tools > Import & Export, scroll to Other Plugins, open the Yoast SEO tab, untick Calculate SEO Scores, and click Import. The scores are recalculated the next time each page is saved, so nothing is lost by skipping them here.

That same Import & Export screen is where to go if you skipped the import in the wizard, or if you want to run it again. Importing twice is safe; it overwrites Rank Math's copy with Yoast's data.

5The Setup Wizard, screen by screen

Choose Advanced mode on the first screen. Easy mode hides the Role Manager, 404 Monitor and Redirections steps, and we need all three before launch. Custom mode is PRO and only imports a saved settings file, which we do not have yet.

The Your Site step with Hermetic's values. Callouts 1 to 5 are explained in the table below. Illustration drawn from the Rank Math documentation as read on 2026-09-29. Labels match the plugin; layout is simplified.

Every wizard option, the value for Hermetic, and the reason
Step	Option	Value for Hermetic	Why
Mode	Easy / Advanced / Custom	Advanced	Exposes Role Manager, 404 Monitor and Redirections. Custom is PRO.
Account	Connect Rank Math account	Skip	Only PRO and Content AI need it. Both are decided in module 10. Connect later from the Dashboard if we buy.
Your Site	Website Type (callout 1)	Small Business Site	Sets the defaults for a business rather than a blog or shop.
Your Site	Business Type (callout 2)	Professional Service	The most specific schema.org type in the list that fits an IT services company. There is no IT-specific type. Module 08 confirms it against the Google Business Profile category.
Your Site	Website Name	Hermetic Networks	Google uses it for the site name shown in results. Match the Google Business Profile exactly.
Your Site	Alternate Name (callout 3)	Hermetic	The short form clients use. Leave blank if you would rather Google never shorten it.
Your Site	Person or Organization	Organization	A company. Turns on Organization schema and the Local SEO fields.
Your Site	Organization Name	Hermetic Networks	Feeds the Knowledge Panel. Same spelling as the Business Profile and the footer.
Your Site	Logo for Google (callout 4)	Hexagon mark, square PNG	Rank Math requires at least 112 x 112 px and recommends square. Masters are in HN Documents/Creative/Logos.
Your Site	Default Social Share Image (callout 5)	1200 x 630 px image	Shown when a page without its own image is shared on LinkedIn or Facebook. Horizontal logo on the dark background.
Analytics	Connect Google Services	Connect with the Google account that owns Search Console	Pulls impressions, clicks and index status into WordPress. Module 06 finishes this.
Analytics	Search Console property	The property for www.hermeticnetworks.com	www is the canonical host on the live site. If only a domain property exists, pick that.
Analytics	Analytics property	The GA4 property for the site	Ties traffic data to the same dashboard.
Analytics	Install Analytics code	Off unless nothing else installs GA4	If the theme, Complianz or another plugin already loads the GA4 tag, a second copy double-counts visits. Check in module 06.
Sitemaps	Sitemaps	On	Replaces the Yoast sitemap at the same URL.
Sitemaps	Include Images	On	Lets Google index the images on service pages.
Sitemaps	Public Post Types	Posts, Pages	Nothing else on the site should be indexed.
Sitemaps	Public Taxonomies	Categories only	84 tags exist on the site today and none of them is a search anyone makes. Tags are kept out of the sitemap here and set to noindex in module 05.
Optimization	Noindex Empty Categories/Tags	On	An empty category page has nothing for Google to rank.
Optimization	Nofollow External Links	Off	We link to Microsoft, partners and sources we vouch for. There is no reason to tell Google otherwise.
Optimization	Open External Links in New Tab	On	Keeps the Hermetic tab open when a reader follows a link out.
Ready	Enable auto update	Match how the site's other plugins are updated	If plugins are updated on a schedule by whoever maintains the site, leave it off and include Rank Math in that schedule. If nobody updates them, turn it on.
Advanced	Role Manager	On, defaults kept	Administrators keep everything. Revisit if an editor or an agency gets a login.
Advanced	404 Monitor	On	Logs every missing URL after launch. Configured in module 04.
Advanced	Redirections	On	Needed to load the redirect list from module 02.
Advanced	Schema Markup: Posts	Article	Every blog post gets Article schema by default.
Advanced	Schema Markup: Pages	None	Service pages get Service schema one at a time in module 07. A blanket type on every page would put Article on the privacy policy.

Click Return to dashboard on the last screen. Nothing in the wizard is final; every value here has a matching field under General Settings or Titles & Meta.

6The Modules screen

Open Rank Math SEO > Dashboard. The top of the page has a switch between Easy and Advanced mode. Set it to Advanced; without it the Redirections, 404 Monitor and Role Manager modules do not appear. Below the switch is the module grid.

The module grid with Advanced mode on. Eleven modules on, seven off. Illustration drawn from the Rank Math documentation as read on 2026-09-29. Labels match the plugin; layout is simplified.

Modules on

Sitemap. Replaces the Yoast sitemap. Module 06.
Local SEO & Knowledge Graph. Address, phone, hours and business type schema. Modules 05 and 08.
Schema (Structured Data). Article on posts, Service on service pages, FAQ blocks. Module 07.
Analytics. Search Console and GA4 data inside WordPress. Module 06.
Image SEO. Fills missing alt text automatically. Module 04.
Instant Indexing. Tells Bing about new and changed pages through IndexNow. Module 06.
404 Monitor. Logs missing URLs after launch. Modules 04 and 09.
Redirections. Holds the redirect list. Module 09.
Link Counter. Counts internal links in and out of each page, which module 07 uses.
SEO Analyzer. A one-page audit of the whole site, run once after launch.
Role Manager. Keeps SEO settings with administrators.

Modules off

Content AI. A separate paid subscription. Not needed to launch. Module 10 decides.
WooCommerce. There is no shop.
BuddyPress, bbPress. No community or forum.
AMP. No AMP pages on the site.
Web Stories. Not used.
Podcast. No podcast feed.

A module that is off adds nothing to the page and nothing to the admin. Turning one on later is one switch.

7Checks after the import

Five checks, all from the front end or the WordPress admin. Do them before Yoast is deleted, so the import can be rerun if any fail.

Sitemap. Open https://www.hermeticnetworks.com/sitemap_index.xml in a private window. The page should now say it is generated by Rank Math, and list post and page sitemaps. The author sitemap still appears here; module 06 removes it.
A page's title and description. Open the homepage in the editor. In the Rank Math meta box, the SEO title should read "IT Support & Cybersecurity Services | Richmond & Virginia Beach" and the description should start "Elevate your business with Hermetic Networks", the same values Yoast served on 2026-09-29. Module 05 rewrites them; the point here is that they arrived.
A post's focus keyword. Open any blog post that had a focus keyword in Yoast and confirm it shows in the Rank Math meta box.
Front-end source. View the source of the homepage and search for Rank Math. The head should contain a comment naming Rank Math and no Yoast comment.
Thank-you pages. Open /thank-you/ in the editor and check the Advanced tab of the meta box. If Yoast had noindex set, it should be here. If not, module 05 sets it.

When all five pass, delete Yoast from Plugins. Keep the backup from section 2 for at least the launch window in module 09.

8Do this now

Take a full backup through the host and confirm the file exists. This is the only way back if the import goes wrong.
Install and activate Rank Math SEO from Plugins > Add New. The wizard opens.
Choose Advanced mode.
In the compatibility check, click More, deactivate Yoast SEO, then click Start Import and wait for it to finish. If it errors, use Status & Tools with Calculate SEO Scores unticked.
Work through the wizard with the values in the table in section 5. Have the hexagon logo PNG and a 1200 x 630 share image ready before you start the Your Site step.
On the Dashboard, switch to Advanced mode and set the modules as in section 6.
Run the five checks in section 7. When they pass, delete Yoast.
Write down the date, the Rank Math version shown on the Dashboard, and where the backup is stored. Module 09's launch checklist asks for all three.

9Check yourself

Why deactivate Yoast rather than delete it before the import?
Answer
Deactivating stops Yoast writing title tags and the sitemap, so the two plugins do not conflict, but leaves its data in the database. The import reads that data. Deleting first would remove the titles, descriptions and focus keywords there is to import.
The import fails partway through. What does Rank Math's guide say to try?
Answer
Run the import from Rank Math SEO > Status & Tools > Import & Export > Other Plugins > Yoast SEO with Calculate SEO Scores unticked. The scores are rebuilt when each page is next saved.
Why choose Advanced mode in the wizard when Easy is offered for beginners?
Answer
Easy mode skips the Role Manager, 404 Monitor and Redirections steps. The redirect list from module 02 has to go in before launch, and the 404 Monitor is how we find anything the list missed.
Install Analytics code is a wizard toggle. Why is the recommendation off for Hermetic?
Answer
The site already runs plugins that can load the GA4 tag, such as Complianz, and a theme can too. Two copies of the tag count every visit twice. Module 06 checks what is installed and turns this on only if nothing else loads GA4.
Does switching from Yoast to Rank Math change anything in Google Search Console?
Answer
No. Both plugins serve the sitemap index at sitemap_index.xml, so the sitemap already submitted keeps working. Module 06 resubmits it anyway as a check.
Schema Markup for Pages is left at None in the wizard. Why not set it to Article like Posts?
Answer
A default applies to every page, including the privacy policy and the thank-you pages. Service pages get Service schema individually in module 07, where the type can match the page.

10Glossary

Setup Wizard: Rank Math's guided first-run screens: Account, Your Site, Analytics, Sitemaps, Optimization, Ready, and in Advanced mode Role Manager, 404 Monitor and Redirections, and Schema Markup. Reopened from Rank Math SEO > Dashboard > Setup Wizard.
Compatibility check: The panel at the top of the wizard that lists plugins conflicting with Rank Math and offers to deactivate them.
Start Import: The wizard button that copies Yoast's settings and per-page SEO data into Rank Math.
Import & Export: The tab under Rank Math SEO > Status & Tools where the Yoast import can be run or rerun, and where Rank Math settings can be saved to a file.
Calculate SEO Scores: An import option that scores every imported post during the import. Unticking it is Rank Math's fix when the import errors.
Post meta: The SEO data stored against one page or post: title, description, focus keyword, robots settings.
Advanced mode: The Dashboard switch that shows the Redirections, 404 Monitor and Role Manager modules.
Module: A feature of Rank Math that can be turned on or off from the Dashboard. Off means it adds nothing to the site.
Logo for Google: The square image Rank Math puts in Organization schema. Minimum 112 x 112 px.
Default Social Share Image: The 1200 x 630 px image used when a shared page has no image of its own.
Role Manager: The module that decides which WordPress roles can change Rank Math settings.

11Sources

Rank Math, How to Set Up Rank Math: wizard modes, every step and option, the Advanced options.
Rank Math, Migrating from Yoast SEO to Rank Math: backup, deactivating Yoast, Start Import, the Status & Tools path, the Calculate SEO Scores fix.
Rank Math, Import and Export Settings: where the Import & Export tab lives.
Rank Math, Pricing: which wizard options and modules are PRO.
Site facts from a crawl of www.hermeticnetworks.com on 2026-09-29: Yoast SEO generating the sitemap, the homepage title and description, the Beaver Builder theme and plugins, the page and post counts.

Documentation read 2026-09-29. Rank Math changes often; where this page and the documentation disagree, the documentation is current.