Asking someone what WordPress plugin they couldn’t live without is like asking them what their favorite flavor of ice cream is…everyone has an opinion…and everyone is probably right. It’s very subjective.
But, personally, I feel that there are 10 must have WordPress plugins that all sites should start with.
10 Must Have WordPress Plugins
1. Akismet – This plugin comes standard with your WordPress installation, but you have to take the time to figure out how to activate it. Trust me, it’s worth the time (and really not all that hard once you give it a few minutes). This will drastically reduce the amount of spam comments you have to deal with.
2. Wordfence Security – This plug in helps protect you from viruses and hacks. You can see who has tried to access your site and block them. You can read more about everything they do here on their site. I’m seriously considering upping to the Premium account with all the attacks going on these days, but the free one has protected me pretty well also.
3. WordPress SEO by Yoast – This plugin helps you optimize your posts for SEO. It gives you a green light if you’ve got everything you need. It’s not fool-proof, but it’s definitely a good start!
4. Google Analyticator – In order to deliver the content that your readers want to see, you have to know what they’re looking at. Google Analytics is the industry standard and a MUST for all sites. This plugin helps you easily connect GA to your site and then places their analytics in your WP dashboard.
5. Google Fonts – Fonts are a fun and an easy way to give the vibe you want on your site, but if a reader doesn’t have the font you chose on their device…they won’t see it how you want them to. By choosing a Google Font for your titles and installing this plugin, you can make sure that it’s a standard font and everyone will see your site as you intended.
6. Ad Injection – This plugin allows you to put an ad anywhere on your site. I use it to put the Google Ad at the bottom of my posts. You can also put in the code for more than one ad network, so that if something happens to one..you have a back up and will still be making money.
7. Comment Reply Notification – This plugin automatically sends an email to the original person that commented when you reply to their comment on your blog. It’s absolutely necessary to build relationships with your readers.
8. Comment Luv – This is a big one (and also kind of controversial) for other bloggers. We all want comments and this is a way to encourage other bloggers to comment on your site by giving them a little link juice in exchange for their comment. This plugin automatically adds a link to the bloggers latest post in their comment.
9. Simple Share Buttons Adder – Everyone has their favorite social sharing plugin, but I LOVE this one. I love the cute social media buttons it adds to the top and bottom of my posts. I love that it’s totally customizeable….I can choose the images and where they go. It’s super cute and super free! You can read more about it here.
10. nRelate – This one adds links to other similar posts on your site to the bottom of your posts. It’s a great way to keep your reader engaged and on your site. You can customize this one too and make it cute or just a list of posts…whatever you do…just add it!
There are thousands of WordPress plugins out there and picking the right ones for your blog can be a bit overwhelming. I hope this list gave you a place to start.
No matter what you do, make sure you update your plugins when needed and delete any unused ones. This will help keep your site in good health.
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