Build a Blog

This is a list of the plugins (in no particular order) I use on my blogs and what I think are essential plugins for any Wordpress blog. All the plugins come with installation and configuration instructions once downloaded and the file unzipped:

1. SEO Title Tag
This plugin allows you to edit the post title that appears at the top of the internet browser when the blog is visited, which helps with on page SEO. And it integrates with Wordpress 2.3.

2. Dagon Design Sitemap Generator
This plugin generates a physical sitemap for the blog which can be fully customised. Making searching the blog for a specific section easy, and updates itself every time the blog is modified or posted to. It will also help with on page SEO.

3. Google (XML) sitemap
This plugin works with Google Webmaster Tools and creates a sitemap for your blog by crawling it (it will then do it regularly) and is more for the search engine ‘bots’ than humans!

4. Google Analytic
This plugin lets you easily add the Google Analytic’s statistic package tracking code to your blog. You need to sign up with Google Analytic’s for an account and then you can get the script and paste it into the plugin. A great statistic’s package.
5. Wordpress Database Backup
This plugin lets you schedule backup’s for your blog and save them to your computer. If your blog has a problem, then all will not be lost!

6. Akismet
This plugin is a great time saver. I only started using it a couple of months ago and already it has stopped over 450 spam comments. You just need an API key to activate it, and to do this just sign up for a wordpress.com account and that will give you an API key.

7. Related posts
Great for increasing page views, and offering your readers even more useful content by listing related articles at the bottom of posts. It also lets archived articles be seen again easily.

8. Subscribe to comments
Helps foster a community by encouraging comments on your blog. By giving the option to have future comments emailed to the commentator, enticing them to return.

9. Share this
Puts a single icon at the bottom of posts giving the readers a list (once clicked), of social media sites to add your content to. This is great for uncluttering a blog, and getting rid of the mess of icons that can be at the end of posts.

10. Wordpress Automatic Upgrade
Do you know how to upgrade wordpress through your host? I didn’t, but this plugin automatically upgrades wordpress to the latest version from wordpress.org, now that’s handy.

There are 100’s of plugins out there and this is just my opinion of the plugins I have tried, used and heard about. It’s my pick of the bunch.

If you would like to learn more about uploading plugins then you may like to read this article: How to Install Wordpress Themes and Plugins.

Thanks

Mandy

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