3.11.15 62

The 7 Best WordPress Plugins for Bloggers

One of the main reasons I moved my blog to WordPress was to take advantage of their seemingly endless trove of plugins. Over the past six months, I’ve discovered some that are now integral to the successful, behind-the-scenes running of my blog. So today, I’ve rounded up what I consider the 7 best WordPress plugins for bloggers.

Askimet—Hate comment spam? Me too. This plugin has protected A Touch of Teal from over 800 spam comments this month, and its software is constantly evolving to protect your site against new spam strategies and tactics.

EWWW Image Optimizer—This plugin reduces the file sizes of your images which means your site will run faster. After you’ve installed it, the plugin automatically takes care of optimizing any new image you upload and you can easily fix previously uploaded ones.

Jetpack by WordPress.comcWant all the perks with having a .com WordPress site, but are self-hosting? Want no more—this plugin will give you all the capabilities given to free WordPress users.

Wordfence Security—I love this plugin so much that I paid for the premium version. This plugin keeps my site secure, and allows me to block specific IP addresses by number or location if they attempt too many failed logins to my site.

WordPress SEO by Yoast—The most recommended SEO plugin across the board, it makes it so easy to set keywords, write meta descriptions, and see how well your content is optimized for search engine crawlers.

WP-Optimize—If you love cleaning, you’ll love this plugin. (If you don’t, you’ll still probably love it.) Essentially, it allows you to delete all your previous post revisions and anything else taking up space that’s slowing your site down unnecessarily.

WP Super Cache—This plugin allows you to delete your blog’s cache with the click of a button. I use this a lot when I am updating my sidebar. Sometimes my changes there take a while to show up, but whenever I delete my cache, they appear right away.

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Fellow WordPress users, what are your favorite plugins?

Leave a Comment

62 Comments

  1. Kelsey&Kenecha wrote:

    This is so helpful for people who have wordpress, love people help other people out 😀

    Florals&Smiles
    Twitter

    Published 3.11.15
    Reply
    • Katie wrote:

      Thanks girl! xo

      Published 3.13.15
      Reply
  2. SEO by Yoast is hands down my favorite plug in!

    Published 3.11.15
    Reply
    • Katie wrote:

      Isn’t it the best?!

      Published 3.13.15
      Reply
  3. Lisa wrote:

    Thanks for sharing these! I’m getting ready move to a self-hosted site, so I’ll be jumping into the world of plugins really soon. It’s a little overwhelming haha.

    Published 3.11.15
    Reply
    • Katie wrote:

      It definitely is overwhelming, but I think the jump is worth it! Plus, there is little risk associated with trying out some and seeing which work best for you. Let me know if you have any questions!

      Published 3.13.15
      Reply
  4. Tori wrote:

    I like the SEO plugin as well. It’s such a great tool and very easy for any blogger to follow! I’ve been looking for some good social media plugins for Genesis. Any ideas?

    Published 3.11.15
    Reply
    • Katie wrote:

      What kind of social media plugins are you looking for?

      Published 3.13.15
      Reply
  5. Amanda wrote:

    I can not wait to give some of these plug ins a try. I have created my website from the ground up with no other experience under my belt. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. I will put your suggestions to use!

    Published 3.11.15
    Reply
    • Katie wrote:

      Let me know how you like them! It definitely is a learning process, but so worth it in the end. xo

      Published 3.13.15
      Reply
  6. Chelsea wrote:

    Akismet and Yoast are must haves for me! I’d get SO much spam without Akismet!

    Published 3.11.15
    Reply
    • Katie wrote:

      Me too! A lifesaver for sure.

      Published 3.13.15
      Reply
  7. I love these tips for WordPress! I’ll definitely have to look into them more. Thank you for sharing.

    Kiara

    Published 3.11.15
    Reply
    • Katie wrote:

      Of course! Let me know if you have any questions. xo

      Published 3.13.15
      Reply
  8. Love all your blogging tips Katie! Keep them coming! I don’t have the Image Optimizer or the Super Cache plug ins so I need to look into both. Thanks for the suggestions!

    http://www.taffetaandtulips.com

    Published 3.11.15
    Reply
    • Katie wrote:

      Aw, thanks Kate! Look into them and let me know what you think!

      Published 3.13.15
      Reply
  9. Chelsie wrote:

    I LOVE the SEO plug-in; I was so overwhelmed by SEO before it and now I feel like I can at least do the basics! I haven’t heard about the cache plug in, but I am totally going to download it now so I can clear it out; I bet that is why I’ve been having schedule issues! Thanks, girl!

    Published 3.11.15
    Reply
    • Katie wrote:

      I completely agree! it simplifies things :] And yes, clearing my cache has helped me so many times! xo

      Published 3.13.15
      Reply
  10. I JUST moved to WordPress yesterday! Definitely saving this post! 🙂

    Published 3.11.15
    Reply
    • Katie wrote:

      Yes! Congrats on the move! xo

      Published 3.13.15
      Reply
  11. Great post. I found a couple of new ideas here. Thanks!

    Published 3.11.15
    Reply
    • Katie wrote:

      Glad it helped! xo

      Published 3.13.15
      Reply
  12. Kati Rose wrote:

    I love love love this list! So many times the best plug-ins are the same, but you gave me quite a few new ones to check out. AND one that I had been looking for a solution for (image optimization) – thanks! 🙂

    Published 3.11.15
    Reply
    • Katie wrote:

      So glad it was helpful and a unique mix! The Image Optimizer really helped me out, so I hope it helps you too.

      Published 3.13.15
      Reply
  13. Anita wrote:

    This is so helpful! I’m doing a site redesign so I’m definitely updating and adding some plugins. Akismet is the best, and I’m going to check out the other ones you listed!

    Published 3.11.15
    Reply
    • Katie wrote:

      Good luck on your redesign! Glad this was helpful! xo

      Published 3.13.15
      Reply
  14. Camesha wrote:

    Thanks for this list! I have most of these but there are two I am going to install and give a try!

    Published 3.11.15
    Reply
    • Katie wrote:

      Let me know how you like ’em!

      Published 3.13.15
      Reply
  15. Abby wrote:

    I need to move my blog over to wordpress – this post is encouraging me to do so even more!

    Abby
    http://www.champagneplans.com

    Published 3.12.15
    Reply
  16. Rachel wrote:

    Amen to Akismet! My friends who use Blogger complain about all the spam, and I tell them I never get any on WordPress

    Published 3.12.15
    Reply
    • Katie wrote:

      100% agree, girl! xo

      Published 3.13.15
      Reply
  17. Tianna wrote:

    so helpful! Thanks for these – DL some now!

    http://storybookapothecary.com ♥ stop by and chat with me! 🙂

    Published 3.12.15
    Reply
    • Katie wrote:

      Yay! Glad it was helpful! xo

      Published 3.13.15
      Reply
  18. Nice apps. I use a different one for my SEO and Disqus for the comments, because previously my blog was on Tumblr with Disqus and I had to migrate all the comments.
    Great ideas for the cash cleaner though :))

    Published 3.13.15
    Reply
    • Katie wrote:

      Thanks! That totally makes sense – and so much of plugins is personal preference. You have to do what works for you! xo

      Published 3.13.15
      Reply
  19. Nora Gouma wrote:

    To be honest , I am very lucky to visit this great blog , for sure I can use your tips. Thank a lot for the tips and for sharing.

    xxx

    http://www.noragouma.com

    Published 3.16.15
    Reply
    • Katie wrote:

      Glad you liked ‘em! xo

      Published 3.16.15
      Reply
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