15 Powerful Free Plugins that Every WordPress Blog Should Have
From my time as a beginning blogger up until becoming a pro blogger, i’ve picked up on a few things.
One is, not every blog will be a definite money-maker. Another is, in order for a blog to become successful, you need to have certain plugins installed that will enhance your blog.
They either make your experience as a blogger easier and/or make your blog a delite for visitors.
I’m not suggesting you download all of these; all though it won’t hurt as i use all these plugins on my blogs. They are in no significant order of importance.
Only add the ones that you’ll really need and use based on what your personal/business goals are with your blog.
My Top 15 WordPress Plugins
1. SEO Ultimate
This is the best plugin for having complete control of your SEO on your blog. With more features than I care to name and being extremely easy to use, this plugin is great for newbies and experienced bloggers.
2. WordPress Thread Comment
WordPress does not have threaded comments enabled which if you don’t know, allows you or another visitor to respond to other visitors’ comments. It adds a reply button within every comment. When someone’s comment is replied to, they will receive and email letting them know this. Best thing about it is you can add this plugin at any time.
3. CommentLuv
I absolutely love this plug because it rewards visitors for leaving comments. When they comment (if they have a blog with RSS enabled), CommentLuv will allow them to choose a recent blog post to showcase under their comment.
This also gives them another backlink. Another great feature of CommentLuv is it keeps track of how many clicks you get on your links. This is a great way of seeing what blog post titles work the best.
4. Author Box After Post
An author box at the bottom of each post is great because it allows you to let the reader know who you are. This is where you can let loose and be yourself. It features a picture of the author and a author description.
This is great if you plan on having more than one writer for your blog. It will show case each blogger and give them a chance to let readers know a little about what they may have going on.
5. Google Analyticator
This is the best overall plugin for hooking your Google Analytics account up to your blog. In case you don’t know what this is, Google Analytics allows you to track your blog traffic and stats.
This plugin is my favorite because all you have to do is copy and paste a code and next activate the plugin. It’s a 3 step process.
6. LinkWithin
This plugin alone will get you tons of more page views. You go to their site, Linkwithin.com, and setup a plugin exclusively for your site. No sign up is required.
After installation, you activate it and that’s it. It automatically, at the bottom of every post, will show between 3 and 5 post names and pictures for related articles.
7. WP YouTube Player
If your planning to add YouTube videos to your blog, then you need to have this plugin. All you have to do is add the URL for any video within some short code tags and the video will appear.
8. WP Hide Pages
This plugin is very convenient if you plan on creating pages that you want to keep hidden from the public eye. All you do is go to this plugin’s setting and click on pages you don’t want to show up and save.
9. WordPress Database Backup
I’m amazed that it took me a year to figure out just how important it is to back up a blog. This plugin is the “set it and forget it” type. You can set it up to backup everything on your blog certain times and email the backups to you.
I strongly suggest this plugin because you never know what may happen to your blog. It’s a great feeling when it goes down and you know you have everything backed up.
10. Pretty Link Lite
There’s a pro version of this plugin but I don’t see why it’s needed. It allows you to setup redirect links. It’s great for affiliate links that you want to disguise. I use it for that and to reroute old pages to new ones.
11. Clean-Contact
This plugin is must have if you’re planning to have a contact form on your blog. You paste a simple short code on your contact page and that’s it. By far, the best plugin I’ve ever seen for creating a contact page.
12. Google XML Sitemaps
Generates a sitemap for your blog. The best feature about this plugin is it will alert Google, Yahoo, and Bing the second you update you blog.
13. Ad Squares Widget
This plugin is one of the best plugins I’ve ever used for adding ads to my sidebar. It gives you the option to showcase 2 to 8 125px by 125px ads.
Don’t really know how effective those particular ads are, but if you want to add them to your sidebar, this is the best plugin to do it.
14. Ad Rotator
This is another favorite for when I want to show more than 1 ad in one spot in the sidebar. It’s similar to the Text widget but it allows you to add a simple MORE tag after each ad that will randomly switch your ads.
15. Datafeedr Random Ads V2
My overall favorite ad plugin. Just as the above, it rotates multiple ads in one spot. The best part about this plugin is it use PHP.
A great example is if you want an ad to only show at the top of each blog post. You would paste the code this plugin gives you into you blog post PHP coding and it would show up on every single post.
I use this plugin to add ads everywhere I want them on my pages.
Conclusion
I hope you found these plugins to helpful to your blogging career. I know they’ve been a huge help to mines.
I don’t know where I would be without some of these. This is part of the reason why i feel WordPress is the best blogging platform.
Do you have a plugin you feel is a must have on a blog? If so, feel free to comment and let us know below.
I thank you for reading
This post was written by
Dennis Marshall – has written 59 posts on .
Dennis Marshall aka the SEO Menace, is a totally cool up and coming entrepreneur dedicated to living life mentally, financially and spiritually free. He started blogging not having a clue where he was going with it but now, here he is, blogging for dollars, taking names and loving every single minute of it. You can follow him (me) on twitter @Dennis_Knows and follow this blog @iblog4dollars. Also, if you're new to blogging, check out the iBlog4Dollars Academy (coming soon..). You will not regret it!
Get My New eBook Free
Join my list & get direct access to me & tons of content!
Hi my name is Dennis Marshall (that's me) and I'm a full time blogger/affiliate marketer/internet marketer. I dibble and dabble in real estate also but my main focus is online. I wrote a book called "
25 Responses to “15 Powerful Free Plugins that Every WordPress Blog Should Have”
The Top 10 Successful Internet Entrepreneurs That Influenced Me So Much on February 28, 2012
[...] he has a team but you catch my drift. When I first installed the CommentLuv plugin (which is one of my top WordPress plugins), I had no clue what I was becoming a part [...]
Murray Lunn on February 21, 2012
PrettyLink has been a major plugin that I’ve been using for the last year; it’s great to see the stats you have on your affiliate links than just assuming you’re doing well – tracking them, optimizing them and being able to dynamically change the link is always a plus.
Murray Lunn recently posted..How to Accept Mobile Payments with Square
Dennis Marshall on February 23, 2012
Tell me about it.. I learned how important PL was when I had to go through my Aweber emails & some of my blog posts and change my affiliate links because the link was dead.
Using PL, we just change one link and it fixes it everywhere.. Can’t beat that with a stick… I don’t think people realize yet how powerful that plugin is… I think I need to talk about it more.. thanks for coming through Murray and sharing..
Dennis Marshall recently posted..Are You Bradying When It Comes To Your Online Business Success? (w/ Inspirational Video)
Latha on February 14, 2012
Thanks a Lot Dennis. I have installed almost all of these today. Have to configure a few.
Latha recently posted..Duplicate Content versus Syndicated Content – Myths Busted
Dennis Marshall on February 15, 2012
Latha don’t install them all if you don’t need them all…. LOL.. Figure out which ones you need the most and install those.. Some plugins tend to conflict with others…
Have fun though..
Thanks for coming through and commenting…
Dennis
Dennis Marshall recently posted..9 Things You Can Get Done For 5 Bucks That Will Greatly Help Your Blog, Online Business & Brand
Latha on February 15, 2012
Yes Sir.. I am using only those I thought would be useful. Deactivated others..
Gerald Martin from SEO Reseller on February 23, 2012
Good point there. Take only what you need. I’ve been hearing that a lot since I was a kid. Anyway, that aside, the only time when it’s going to be good to install ALL of these would be when you’re running an experiment on them. Thanks for the list, by the way!
Blog Lady on January 30, 2012
Wow, that’s an awesome collection of plugins. You obviously have spent a lot of time with WordPress to find these. I’m checking out a couple of them right now. By the way, found this article through your article at the CommentLuv Network. Thanks for this useful list.
Blog Lady recently posted..Link Building Strategies: The Guest Blogging Spreadsheet
Dennis Marshall on January 30, 2012
Hey thanks for coming through.. Wait til you see my new list I’m coming out with.. I’ve got some plugins that will blow you away..
and yea I’ve bee using most of these for a while now.. They’ve made running my blog a heck of a lot easier..
Dennis Marshall recently posted..4 Solid Reasons Why Blogging Is Alot Like Real Estate… And Some Changes You Need To Make
Michael Friesen on January 3, 2012
Dennis -
Appreciate all the plug-in suggestions. I am newer to the blog world so installed several of these to try to get more visibility. Any ideas on great WP plug-ins related to LinkedIn?
Best,
Mike
Michael Friesen recently posted..Turning Business Owners Into CEOs
Dennis Marshall on January 3, 2012
Hey Michael. Sorry I don’t have a recommendation for linkedIn. I actually just put it on my schedule to focus on driving traffic from LinkedIn. I know linkedin is powerful so i have to use it.
Stay around. When I figure something out, I’ll be sure to write about it.
Thanks for the comment..
Dennis Marshall recently posted..Official Tweet Adder 3 Review: Why Its Worth Every Penny And How It’s Perfect For Social Media Domination
Michael Friesen on January 3, 2012
No problem Dennis … I’ll stay tuned!
Michael Friesen recently posted..How to Hire For Retention (Part 1 of 2)
My Simple 6 Step Process For Writing Amazing High Quality Blog Posts on December 24, 2011
[...] links, I use a free wordpress plugin called Pretty Link Lite. I wrote about this and other must have wordpress plugins in a recent blog post. It allows you to create new redirect links that hide those ugly affiliate [...]
Dan Sumner on December 11, 2011
Hey Dennis, I use most of these plugins myself, although I do have Thesis installed so it takes a couple away. I will be checking WP YouTube Player and Datafeedr Random Ads V2 as I still hard code my videos and ads (old school).
Thanks Dennis.
Dan Sumner recently posted..The 7 Link Challenge….Lets Go Viral!
Dennis Marshall on December 13, 2011
Wow… yea I was doing it old school to but then I went to this dude’s page who was doing some work for me and I asked him how he got his ads to switch like that..
He put me onto Datafeedr and taught me a little php and it was a wrap from there. I install it on every single blog I plan to ads on.. Funny thing is, I have it on this blog.. Codes are inserted in their places ready to go. All I have to do is edit the plugin settings and they’ll appear.
That’s why i live it so much. It effortless just like wordpress.
and yea that youtube plugin is a life saver. I feel the same way about that one. One feature about it I didnt speak about in the post is how it has themes that keep the viewer from being able to click the video and be taken to youtube. This is important for keeping visitors on your site.
Thanks for the comment Dan.. Very much appreciated
Dennis Marshall recently posted..What The Heck Is Blogging And How Can It Benefit Me? (I’m asking you this
Iroko from Creating Millionaires on December 8, 2011
Thanks for some of the plugins, I have longing to find some of them, thanks!
Iroko @ Creating Millionaires recently posted..Who Is A Millionaire?
Dennis Marshall on December 8, 2011
Yea you can just click the links I provided. Thanks for the comments
Dennis Marshall recently posted..What The Heck Is Blogging And How Can It Benefit Me? (I’m asking you this
Sye Rodriguez from health and personal growth on December 8, 2011
It’s good to find another person who’s in the beginning of his internet marketing business, as I am.
I have commentluv on one of my sites so far. Are you finding it is benefiting you a lot?
I got the premium version when it first became available.
I want to use it more but I’m a little overwhelmed with too many blogs and wonder how it will affect my site.
WP insert is another plugin you might find useful. It allows you to set it and then it will insert the ads you want in the place you designate for every post you make. They can be before, in the middle or after a post, for example.
Thanks for sharing the plugin information Dennis
Thanks Dennis.
Sye Rodriguez @ health and personal growth recently posted..How To Get A Flat Stomach Mindset
Dennis Marshall on December 8, 2011
Sounds Good Sye.. I think I’ve used that one before on another blog. CommentLuv is a great plugin. I love the free version so I’m sure I’d love the premium version. I will get it in the future..
Thanks for the comment
Dennis Marshall recently posted..What The Heck Is Blogging And How Can It Benefit Me? (I’m asking you this
Anish on December 7, 2011
Great compilation. I used to use a Yet Another Related Posts Plugin to internally link related posts, but it took too much hosting resources. I’ll give LinkWithin a go. Thanks Dennis.
Anish recently posted..Panasonic VT30
Dennis Marshall on December 26, 2011
Yea you should definitely try it… I had someone recommend it to me and since then, i use it on every single blog.
If you check your analytics, you’ll see that it produces more page views.
Thanks for the comment…
Dennis Marshall recently posted..How To Become A Pro Blogger And Not Just A Person That Writes Stuff
Flo on December 5, 2011
Nice list, don’t agree about the SEO module though… try yoast seo plugin and you won’t go back, promise!
Dennis Marshall on December 5, 2011
I will definitely check it out.. Thanks Flo
Dennis Marshall recently posted..5 Reasons Why You Must Use WordPress For Your Internet Business/Blog
Abhishek on December 4, 2011
these are some really nice plugins that you have listed out.I have many of these plugins installed on my blog
Dennis Marshall on December 5, 2011
Sounds good Abhishek… I have a general list a plugins that Install on every blog and most are here..
Thanks for your comment
Dennis Marshall recently posted..12 Exclusive Proven Tips For Creating An eBook, Branding Yourself & Making Money (Part 1)