At a glance

  • The simplest setup for most WordPress sites is a two-plugin combo: Rank Math SEO + Google Site Kit.

  • Rank Math Pro is about $8/month. Google Site Kit is free!

  • Rank Math helps you handle SEO on each page and shows more search insights inside WordPress. You can also use it on multiple sites with one license!

  • Site Kit makes the official connection to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Search Console, basically your overview of general traffic.

  • Together they replace more expensive tools for everyday reporting and on-page SEO.

  • Follow the quick setup steps below.

  • If Rank Math stops showing data, use this guide: Fixes When Rank Math Shows No Data

Quick Answer

If you want the best WordPress analytics plugin setup without complexity, use Google Site Kit to connect your site to GA4 and Search Console, and use Rank Math to setup your keywords/metadata, manage your SEO and see search insights in your dashboard. It is affordable, quick to install, and easy for non-technical site owners to understand.

Cheaper than having to get both Yoast SEO Premium (one license $118.80/year) and Monster Insights Plus ($99/year). RankMathSEO is only $8.99/month for multiple sites!

Why this stack works for non-experts and experts alike

Most small businesses and solo creators do not need a complicated analytics system. You want to know three things:

  1. Are people visiting my site?

  2. How are they finding me?

  3. What should I improve next?

Google Site Kit answers the first two with official connections to GA4 and Search Console. Rank Math answers the third by putting SEO tools right where you edit your pages, and it pulls helpful search insights into WordPress so you do not have to dig through multiple dashboards.

What I like about Rank Math

  • Easy SEO on every page: Set clear titles and descriptions, get simple checks, and spot quick wins.

  • Search insights where you work: See which pages and searches bring people to your site without leaving WordPress.

  • Keyword tracking that makes sense: Quickly spot top keywords and ranking changes so you know what to improve next.

  • Guided scores: Each page gets a score with specific to-dos. It turns “SEO” into a short checklist.

  • Useful extras built in: Sitemaps, redirects, 404 monitor, schema helpers, and an optional Content AI assistant.

  • Local SEO helpers: Add business details and markup for address, hours, and service areas.

  • Licensing that scales: Plans cover multiple sites. Use Pro for your own sites; Business or Agency tiers fit client work.

  • Good value: Pro is about $8 per month, which is friendly for most budgets.

What I like about Google Site Kit

  • Official and reliable: Built by Google, so GA4 and Search Console connections are solid.

  • One clean setup: It places your Analytics tag and verifies Search Console without copying code.

  • Clear dashboard: See traffic, top pages, and search terms right inside WordPress.

  • PageSpeed and Core Web Vitals: Get quick performance checks so you can spot slow pages.

  • Plays nice with other Google tools: Optional modules for Tag Manager and AdSense if you need them later.

  • Free: No extra cost.

How the two plugins work together

  • Site Kit does the connecting. It links your site to GA4 and Search Console so data flows in.

  • Rank Math does the shaping. It helps you tune each page for search and shows search insights in your dashboard.

Think of Google Site Kit as the wiring that brings data into the house and Rank Math as the control panel that helps you use that data to optimize and make smart changes.

RankMath SEO

Google Site Kit

Step-by-step setup

1) Install Rank Math and do the basics

  1. In WordPress, go to Plugins, search Rank Math SEO, install, and activate.

  2. Run the setup wizard. Pick the options that match your site.

  3. Turn on the features you need, like Sitemaps and Redirects.

  4. In Rank Math’s Analytics screen, connect your Google account when asked so it can read Search Console data.

2) Install Site Kit and connect Google

  1. In Plugins, search Google Site Kit, install, and activate.

  2. Connect your Google account and let Site Kit confirm you own the site.

  3. In Site Kit, connect Search Console first.

  4. Still in Site Kit, connect Google Analytics. Create or select your GA4 property. Site Kit will place the tag for you.

3) Make sure everything matches

  • In Site Kit, make sure you chose the correct Search Console site and the correct GA4 property.

  • In Rank Math’s Analytics settings, pick the same Search Console site you connected in Site Kit.

  • Give it a little time. Search Console data can take a day to populate if the site is brand new.

When should you look at alternatives?

You might consider MonsterInsights Premium or Yoast SEO Premium if you have very specific needs, like custom GA4 reports inside WordPress for a larger team, or you are already standardized on one of these tools for your internal processes. For most sites, Rank Math + Site Kit is simpler, cheaper, and more than enough.

Best practices to keep your data clean

  • Use one Analytics tag: Let Site Kit place the GA4 tag. Do not add a second tag from another plugin.

  • Keep properties consistent: Use the same Search Console site in both Site Kit and Rank Math.

  • Avoid plugin overlap: Do not install multiple plugins that all try to manage Analytics.

  • Check it monthly: After plugin or Google updates, open Site Kit and Rank Math and make sure data is flowing.

  • Write down your setup: Note which plugin controls Analytics and which controls SEO so future changes do not break things.

Troubleshooting link

If Rank Math stops showing data or your search numbers look frozen, try the fast reset in our step-by-step guide.

See: Fix RankMath SEO

Want help getting this right the first time? We can set up Rank Math and Site Kit for you, confirm your connections to Analytics and Search Console, and give you a short list of improvements to focus on next.

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