You've installed Rank Math. Or Yoast. Or All in One SEO.
Now what?
If you Google "best WordPress SEO plugins," you'll drown in listicles. Every agency blog has one. Every tool vendor sponsors one. The result? Twenty tabs open, decision paralysis, and no clear answer about what to install after your main SEO plugin.
Here's the honest version: most sites need exactly one all-in-one SEO plugin, plus maybe two or three focused tools. That's it.
This guide cuts through the noise and tells you which supporting plugins actually matter—and which ones are just bloat.
If you've installed Rank Math, Yoast, or All in One SEO, you've covered the fundamentals:
The big three haven't changed (though the order has):
Yoast SEO still dominates by install numbers—five times larger than most competitors. It's the Excel of SEO plugins: everyone's used it, everyone complains about it, everyone keeps using it anyway.
Rank Math is the upstart that actually earned its hype. The free tier is generous, the interface feels modern, and it handles almost everything Yoast does plus schema markup, redirects, and rank tracking without making you pay extra.
All in One SEO (AIOSEO) is the middle path—beginner-friendly setup wizards paired with advanced features when you need them. Less overwhelming than Rank Math, more modern than Yoast.
Honestly? It barely matters. These three are all competent. The real choice is philosophical:
The performance difference is negligible. The SEO impact is identical. You're choosing a workflow, not an advantage.
Not sure which all-in-one plugin to choose? Read our head-to-head comparison of the top 5 WordPress SEO plugins.
Even the best all-in-one SEO plugins have gaps. Here's what they don't handle well—and which specialized plugins fill those gaps.
URLs change. You reorganize your site structure. You delete old posts. You rename products. Every broken link and missing redirect bleeds authority and frustrates users.
Your all-in-one SEO plugin might have basic redirect features (Rank Math does; Yoast doesn't unless you pay), but they're usually buried in settings and limited in scope.
What it does: Manages 301 redirects, 302 redirects, and tracks 404 errors in one clean interface.
Why you need it: Every site that's been around more than two years needs proper redirect management. Link equity doesn't transfer through broken links.
How to use it:
Performance impact: Minimal. Redirection is well-optimized and only fires when needed.
Cost: Free
Skip it if: Your site is brand new (under 6 months) with no URL changes yet.
What it does: Scans your site for broken internal and external links, then notifies you when it finds problems.
Why you need it: Broken links hurt user experience and waste crawl budget. Google interprets them as poor site maintenance.
How to use it:
The catch: Can be resource-intensive on large sites. Run scans during off-peak hours.
Alternative: Run Screaming Frog quarterly instead of installing a plugin. Same results, no performance impact.
Cost: free
Skip it if: You have fewer than 50 posts or check links manually during content audits.
Google's Core Web Vitals are ranking factors. Your all-in-one SEO plugin handles content optimization, but it doesn't make your site load faster.
Slow sites rank worse. Period.
WP Rocket (Premium, $59/year)
Best for: Users who want "set it and forget it" performance optimization without learning caching rules.
W3 Total Cache (Free)
Best for: Technical users who want granular control and don't mind configuration complexity.
Use WP Rocket if: You value your time and want performance gains in under 10 minutes of setup.
Use W3 Total Cache if: You're comfortable with caching terminology and want free, powerful performance optimization.
Don't use both. They conflict. Pick one.
Performance impact: These plugins improve performance when configured correctly. Misconfigured caching can break your site.
Skip performance plugins if: You're on managed WordPress hosting (WP Engine, Kinsta, Flywheel) that handles caching at the server level.
Your all-in-one plugin includes basic schema (Article, BlogPosting), but rich results require more specific structured data:
Rank Math includes extensive schema support. Yoast locks most schema behind premium. AIOSEO has basic schema in free, advanced in paid.
Schema Pro ($79/year, or included in some hosting plans)
Best for: E-commerce sites, recipe blogs, local businesses, or anyone targeting featured snippets.
WordLift (Free tier available, Pro $59/month)
Best for: Publishers and content-heavy sites focused on topical authority.
Skip schema plugins if:
Install a schema plugin if:
Cost: Schema Pro $79/year, WordLift free-$59/month
Internal linking is critical for SEO, but manually updating 200 old posts with links to new content is soul-crushing work.
Your all-in-one SEO plugin might suggest internal links (Yoast Premium does), but it won't add them automatically.
What it does: Automatically adds internal links based on keywords you configure.
How it works:
Why it's useful: Keeps your internal linking structure healthy without manual updates.
The catch: Automated links can feel mechanical. Review output monthly to ensure links make sense.
Performance impact: Minimal. Links are added during post save, not on page load.
Cost: Free, Pro version $69.99 (one-time)
Skip it if: You have fewer than 50 posts or enjoy manual internal linking.
Already covered in detail? Yes—we included this in the 5 best WordPress SEO plugins comparison.
Your all-in-one SEO plugin gives you a traffic light (red/yellow/green) for optimization, but it doesn't help you write better content.
Yoast and Rank Math analyze keyword density and readability. They don't help with semantic relevance, competitor gaps, or content depth.
What it does: Scores your content in real-time for:
How it works:
Best for: Content teams using Semrush already, or writers who want data-driven optimization during drafting.
The catch: Requires a paid Semrush subscription ($129.95/month minimum). Only valuable if you'll actually rewrite based on feedback.
Alternative: Use Clearscope, Surfer SEO, or Frase (similar features, different pricing).
Skip it if: You don't have a Semrush subscription or prefer post-draft optimization over real-time scoring.
Google Analytics 4 is powerful but confusing. Logging in separately to check traffic breaks your workflow.
Your SEO plugin shows optimization scores, but it doesn't show which pages actually get traffic or convert.
MonsterInsights ($99.50/year for Lite)
Site Kit by Google (Free)
Which one to choose?
MonsterInsights if you want cleaner reports and advanced tracking (e-commerce, forms, custom events).
Site Kit if you want free, official Google integration and don't need advanced features.
Skip analytics plugins if:
Install an analytics plugin if:
Why they exist: They scrape Google Suggest and show search volumes.
Why you don't need them: Use free tools (Google Keyword Planner, AnswerThePublic, Ubersuggest) or paid tools (Ahrefs, Semrush) outside WordPress. Keyword research happens before writing, not during.
Performance impact: Unnecessary server load for a task better done in a browser.
Why they exist: They check your keyword rankings daily.
Why you don't need them: They hammer SERP APIs and slow your hosting. Use Ahrefs, Semrush, or Rank Math's cloud-based tracking instead.
Exception: Rank Math Pro includes cloud rank tracking that doesn't impact your server.
Why they exist: They promise to optimize your site with one click.
Why you don't need them: If automatic optimization worked, it would be in WordPress core. Real SEO requires strategy, not magic buttons.
Here's the minimal, effective stack for 90% of WordPress sites:
Even if you install everything recommended above:
That's 7 plugins maximum. Most sites need 3-4.
Anything beyond this is either redundant or solving a problem you don't actually have.
Don't install Internal Link Juicer when you have 10 posts. Wait until manual linking becomes painful.
Install Query Monitor (free debugging plugin) to see which plugins slow your site. Remove the worst offenders.
Deactivate and delete plugins you haven't configured or checked in 3 months. They're dead weight.
Mistake 1: Installing rank tracking plugins
Your hosting can't handle daily SERP checks. Use cloud-based tools (Ahrefs, Semrush, Rank Math Pro's cloud tracking).
Mistake 2: Running WP Rocket on managed WordPress hosting
WP Engine, Kinsta, and Flywheel handle caching at the server level. Adding WP Rocket creates conflicts.
Mistake 3: Installing Schema plugins when Rank Math already has schema
Check your all-in-one plugin's schema capabilities first. Rank Math's free schema builder handles most use cases.
Mistake 4: Activating plugins "just in case"
Every active plugin adds attack surface and potential conflicts. If you're not using it this month, delete it.
The best SEO plugin is the one you'll actually use consistently.
Rank Math with every feature enabled but never configured is worse than Yoast with basic settings properly set up.
Install less. Configure more. Ship content.
The plugins don't rank your site. You do.
Start here: Do you have Rank Math, Yoast, or AIOSEO installed and configured?
Has your site been live for more than 2 years, or have you changed URLs?
Are you on shared hosting (not managed WordPress hosting)?
Do you run an e-commerce store, recipe blog, or local business?
Do you have 50+ published posts and publish weekly?
Do you check Google Analytics weekly to make business decisions?
Do you have a Semrush subscription and write 10+ posts per month?
The bottom line: Start with one all-in-one SEO plugin. Add Redirection and a performance plugin. Install specialized tools only when you hit specific limitations.
Less plugin bloat. More actual optimization. Better rankings.