Library·SOP·SEO
For a new or existing WordPress post or page, set an accurate SEO title and meta description with its already active Rank Math plugin. Save it as a draft if review remains; if ready and you have publishing rights, publish or update it, then check the values in the live page source. The search preview is an example, and Google may show different wording for a query.
Last reviewed: · Editorial review
Clarity, structure and references reviewed in this version. This is not a test in a live account.
For a new or existing WordPress post or page, set an accurate SEO title and meta description with its already active Rank Math plugin. Save it as a draft if review remains; if ready and you have publishing rights, publish or update it, then check the values in the live page source. The search preview is an example, and Google may show different wording for a query.
This SOP covers:
This does not cover:
The SEO title names the page in search results. The meta description is a short summary that may appear below it. Both should set an expectation the page actually meets.
Open or create the exact WordPress post or page and confirm what it helps a reader do before drafting its search copy.
For an existing item, open the post or page by its title or public URL. For a new item, create a draft in the block editor and give it a working title. Confirm the editor shows the intended item and whether it is Draft or Published. Do not change an established page URL in this procedure.
Read the visible heading, introduction, and sections that answer the reader’s question. Note the question the page answers and any main phrase already selected. Use that phrase only if it fits naturally; do not invent a promise the page does not deliver.
Write a specific title and useful description from the page’s actual content, then compare both with the worked example.
Name the page’s main subject and, when useful, one distinguishing detail. Keep the title truthful and different from other pages. Include a chosen search phrase only when it reads naturally.
Write a short, plain-language summary of what the page helps a reader understand or do. Mention concrete details the page actually covers; avoid generic invitations and unsupported promises.
Tomato example — weak title: “Tomato | Green Notes.”
Tomato example — weak description: “Tomato growing tips. Click to learn more.”
For the fictional tomato-in-pots page, a clearer title is “Tomatoes in Pots: Pot Size, Sunlight & Watering.”
A clearer description is “Choose a pot with drainage, plan sunlight and watering for tomatoes grown in containers, and find the separate fertilizer guide.” Use details like these only when the page really includes them.
Rank Math has separate page-level fields and site-wide title templates. This procedure changes only the current page.
Open Rank Math search settings for this page.
In the WordPress editor, click the Rank Math SEO icon at the top right to open its panel. Select the General tab if another Rank Math tab is open.
In the General tab, click Edit Snippet. The dialog contains Title, Permalink, and Description fields. Use this page’s fields; do not open Rank Math’s global Titles & Meta settings.
Enter your drafted title and description in Rank Math’s page-level fields, leaving its URL and social-sharing settings alone.
Replace the text in the Title field with your drafted SEO title. If the field contains variable placeholders, check the preview to see what they produce; keep them only when the expanded result is accurate and specific, or replace them with your page-specific title.
Replace the text in the Description field with your drafted meta description. If it contains variables, verify the expanded preview before leaving any in place. Do not change the Permalink field, page URL, or Social tab.
Read focus-keyword or length hints as optional feedback. If a suggestion conflicts with clear wording, accuracy, or the page’s real content, keep the reader-focused copy and do not add repeated phrases to satisfy it.
A search preview is a mockup. Check the saved page output directly after updating it.
Review Rank Math’s search preview before saving. Use the desktop and mobile controls if shown, and remove filler if it hides the important meaning.
Read the desktop preview from the beginning. Make sure the page topic and useful distinction remain clear if a line is shortened.
Switch to the mobile preview and check the same title and description. If text is cut off, remove filler rather than using a fixed character target.
Save the item in its current workflow state. Update a published page; for a draft, use the appropriate save or publish control.
For an already published page, choose Save to update it. For a draft that is ready to go live and you have publishing rights, choose Publish and confirm WordPress’s prompt. If it still needs review, choose Save draft and send the editor link and completed metadata values to the reviewer or publisher.
After publication or update, open the public page URL in a new tab and reload it. If the item is still a draft, hand the editor link and both completed metadata values to the publisher, then return for the live check after publication.
Check the public page’s actual HTML so you know what Rank Math saved, rather than relying on the preview.
In desktop Chrome, open the public page. Press Ctrl+U on Windows/Linux or Command+Option+U on Mac to open View Page Source in a new tab. Press Ctrl+F or Command+F and Find <title to locate the title. Then Find name="description" to locate its meta tag.
Read the text after the opening title tag and before its closing tag. In the tag containing name="description", the content="..." value is the description text. Compare those words with what you saved in Rank Math. If the title adds the site name, compare the full title shown in the preview.
