Installing Rank Math on a Multisite Environment

In this knowledgebase article, we’re going to walk you through how to install Rank Math in your multisite environment.

1 What is WordPress Multisite?

WordPress Multisite is a way of adding multiple sites to an existing or newly-created WordPress site. It allows you to create and manage an environment of multiple websites from a single WordPress dashboard. With WordPress Multisite’s help, you can easily make changes and keep all your sites updated from a single place.

You can create a multisite network for yourself that only you have access to. Or you could add other users who can create their own sites inside your network and limit them from accessing more powerful WordPress features.

For example, a multisite is used in the education stream to create a blog or general website for individual departments or courses. Bloggers can post blog posts on their own sites, but only the multisite owner, called ‘super admin,’ can install plugins or make other changes across the site. Each sub-site can use its blog to set up an online hub to initiate engaging discussions and create a community sense.

2 Does Multisite Affect SEO?

Google considers subdomains completely separate from the main website even though they’re interrelated. Subdirectories are considered part of the main domain but not the subdomains.

 We’ve listed some best practices that might help the subdomain as well as the main domain in increasing the chances of ranking the content:

• Interlink the main site and the subdomain whenever relevant.
• Register both the sub-domain and main domain in Google Search Console.
• Perform all the best SEO practices on both.

Also, you must register the main site and all the subdomains to the Google Search Console separately.

3 How to Install Rank Math’s Free Version?

Let us now discuss how to install Rank Math’s free version on site-wide and on sub-site of a multisite environment.

Note: Network Activate will activate Rank Math site-wide and allows you to connect the network to your Rank Math account. But, if you prefer to connect individual subsites to your Rank Math account, we recommend installing Rank Math on the network and then activating Rank Math on individual subsites.

3.1 How to Install Rank Math’s Free Version on a Multisite Environment?

3.1.1 Navigate to the Plugins Section

To install Rank Math plugin on a WordPress Multisite, navigate to the Plugins section, located under My Sites → Network Admin, as shown below:

3.1.2 Add New Plugin

In the Plugins section, click on Add New to install the free version of the Rank Math plugin.

3.1.3 Install Rank Math

Search for Rank Math plugin in the search bar, click on Install Now to initiate the installation process.

Rank Math will now be installed on your network admin site. After the installation, you’ll see a link that helps to network activate the plugin, as shown below:

Once you network activate a plugin, it will be available to all the sites on your multisite network.

3.1.4 Connect Your Account

Connect your account from Rank Math’s dashboard.

On the next screen, select the account you want to use for plugin activation and click on the OK, ACTIVATE NOW button.

After clicking OK, ACTIVATE NOW Rank Math’s free version will be activated. You can confirm that the plugin has been successfully activated by navigating back to the Help tab of the Rank Math dashboard, as shown below:

3.1.5 Use Rank Math’s Setup Wizard to Set up SEO on Your Website

Once you’ve activated Rank Math on your account, follow our setup wizard from Rank Math SEO → Dashboard → Setup Wizard Tab that will easily set up Rank Math on your Multisite environment.

And that’s it! The free version of Rank Math is now installed on your multisite environment.

3.2 How to Install Rank Math’s Free Version on a Sub-Site of a Multisite Network?

3.2.1 Network Activate Rank Math Plugin

In a Multisite environment, the site admins for an individual site on your network do not have the power to update, install, or remove plugins. However, if the plugin is network activated, the site admins can then configure the plugin settings for their own site.

Hence you need to install Rank Math on your main site before you install it on a sub-site. To do so, navigate to the Plugins section, located under My Sites → Network Admin. Click on Add New and search for Rank Math plugin in the search bar. Once you’ve found the plugin, click Install Now as shown below:

After installing the plugin, you can choose to network activate the plugin by clicking the Network Activate link. If you do so, the plugin will activate all your subsites.

However, If you wish to install Rank Math only on a particular subsite, then do not network activate the plugin and follow the steps mentioned below.

3.2.2 Navigate to Your Subsite

Navigate to your sub-site where you’d like to activate Rank Math, as shown below:

3.2.3 Activate Rank Math

In your subsite’s WordPress dashboard, navigate to the Plugins section and click on Activate to activate the free version of Rank Math as shown below:

3.2.4 Connect Your Account

Once you’ve activated Rank Math, connect your account from Rank Math SEO → Dashboard → Help and click Connect Now button as shown below:

On the next screen, select the account you want to use for plugin activation and click on the OK, ACTIVATE NOW button.

3.2.5 Use Rank Math’s Setup Wizard to Set up SEO on Your Website

Once you’ve activated Rank Math, follow our setup wizard either from the Plugins section of your sub-site or by navigating to Rank Math SEO → Dashboard → Setup Wizard Tab that will help to set up Rank Math on your subsite without any hassle.

And that’s it! The free version of Rank Math is now installed on your individual sub-site.

4 How to Install Rank Math PRO?

Note: Network Activate will activate Rank Math site-wide and allows you to connect the network to your Rank Math account. But, if you prefer to connect individual subsites to your Rank Math account, we recommend installing Rank Math on the network and then activating Rank Math on individual subsites.

4.1 How to Install Rank Math PRO on a Multisite Environment?

In this section, we will discuss how to upgrade to Rank Math PRO on a multisite environment.

4.1.1 Purchase a License

To begin with, you need to purchase a license of Rank Math PRO.

4.1.2 Update Rank Math Free Version

Update the free version on your sub-site from WordPress dashboard → Plugins area as shown below:

4.1.3 Download Rank Math PRO

Download Rank Math PRO version from your account area.

4.1.4 Upload the PRO Version on WordPress MultiSite

To upload the PRO version on your WordPress multiSite, navigate to the Plugins section, located under My Sites → Network Admin. Click on Add New as shown below:

Then click on Upload Plugin to upload Rank Math’s PRO version.

Select the zip file that you downloaded by clicking on Choose File. Click on Install Now as shown below:

The plugin will be installed successfully. You can then choose to network activate it by clicking on Network Activate as shown below:

Once you have network activated the plugin, Rank Math PRO will be available to all the sites on your multisite network. If you don’t wish to network activate the plugin, it will be available for individual site admins to activate it.

4.1.5 Activate the License

Next step is to activate the license from the WordPress Dashboard → Rank Math SEO → Dashboard → Help. Click on Connect Now as shown below:

Once you click Connect Now, you’ll be redirected to rankmath.com, where you’ll be able to connect your account to activate your license. You should use the same Rank Math account you used to subscribe to a Rank Math PRO plan.

After clicking OK, ACTIVATE NOW, Rank Math PRO will be activated on your multisite environment. You can confirm that the activation has been successful by navigating back to the Help tab of the Rank Math Dashboard, as shown below:

4.2 How to Install Rank Math PRO on a Sub-Site of a Multisite Environment?

4.2.1 Network Activate Rank Math PRO

You can choose to either activate Rank Math PRO on a network level or on individual subsites. To do so, you’ll have to install Rank Math PRO on your multisite following the same steps as mentioned in the above section.

Once you’ve uploaded the PRO version on your multisite environment, you can choose to network activate it, and the plugin will be available for all the sub-sites.

If you want to activate Rank Math PRO on a particular sub-site then follow the steps shown below.

4.2.2 Navigate to Your Subsite

Navigate to your subsite where you’d like to activate Rank Math PRO as shown below:

4.2.3 Activate Rank Math PRO

In your subsite’s WordPress dashboard, navigate to the Plugins section and click on Activate to activate the PRO version of Rank Math as shown below:

4.2.4 Activate the License

Next step is to activate the license from the WordPress Dashboard → Rank Math SEO → Dashboard → Help. Click on Connect Now as shown below:

Once you click Connect Now, you’ll be redirected to rankmath.com, where you’ll be able to connect your account to activate your license. You should use the same Rank Math account you used to subscribe to a Rank Math PRO plan.

After clicking OK, ACTIVATE NOW, Rank Math PRO will be activated successfully on your subsite.

A multisite environment can definitely help streamline some repetitive tasks, and matched with a plugin like Rank Math can make taking control of your site’s on-page SEO easier than ever.

If you still have any questions about installing Rank Math on a multisite environment, please feel free to contact our support team, who are available 24×7 and will help you out as soon as possible.