Manual SEO optimization doesn’t require costly tools or subscriptions. Often, the best solutions come from systematic troubleshooting and leveraging free tools like RankMath—exactly what happened while preparing this very post.
Yesterday, I encountered a “couldn’t fetch” error in Google Search Console that was blocking my sitemap submissions. A quick check with an AI assistant suggested I needed a robots.txt file, but the diagnosis felt incomplete. Instead of turning to additional paid tools, I used Claude to dive deeper into the issue.
The result? I discovered that RankMath’s free version wasn’t generating a virtual robots.txt file because Advanced Mode wasn’t enabled. By enabling it, I fixed both the robots.txt creation and the sitemap URL configuration. This hands-on approach showcased the power of RankMath’s free features and manual SEO optimization—solving the problem efficiently without extra costs.
This experience perfectly illustrates today’s tutorial: how to achieve professional SEO results using manual techniques and free tools like RankMath to get the job done effectively.
