If you’re blogging on WordPress, you have access to a whole world of handy plugins. They make customizing and running your site easier and faster. The best part is, you don’t have to be a wizard with code or an expert in website design to use them. For the most part, you can simply download and activate them!
Today, I wanted to share a few of the most essential WordPress plugins that you should download for your blog!
5 Essential WordPress Plugins
Yoast- This plugin takes the guesswork out of SEO. You put in the keyword you want to rank for and it will help you optimize your post based on that phrase. It also lets you customize the meta description, which is the text that shows up under your link in Google search results.
WP Rocket– Slow site? WP Rocket comes to the rescue! It lets do you activate things like lazy loading and browser caching. No idea what that means? That’s ok! These things optimize your site so the pages load faster. This not only creates a better experience for your readers, but it also helps you rank higher in search engines!
MailMunch- Trying to grow that email list? MailMunch lets you create simple pop-ups that capture email addresses and integrate directly into your email provider. You can even A/B test different pop-ups to figure out what works best! Most of the basic features are free, but there are premium options available if you want to make additional customizations.
Akismet- See ya later, spam. Akismet blocks spam comments so you don’t have to. Since launching my site in 2010, Akismet has blocked nearly 5,000 comments from my site. And the filter is pretty intuitive so it’s rare that a “real” comment is blocked!
ValutPress– This plugin protects you from the most common — and most serious — security threats. From hackers to malware to simple user error, this plugin is essential if you ever need to restore your website! If anything ever happens to your blog, a quick, painless restore will bring it back to life.
Most of these plugins are free, with the opportunity to pay for premium features depending on what you need. Always be sure to check and make sure they’re compatible with your version of WordPress before downloading!
I love Yoast – and I have been toying with the premium vs free. Thoughts?