In this article, we’re talking about 10 essential WordPress plugins that can really take your website to the next level. Now, these are 10 plugins that we’ve used on many of our different sites, and they can help with all types of different things, from improving sales if you have an online store to enhancing Google ranking efficiency, better load speed, and various other benefits that can help your website achieve more success on the internet and, of course, rank higher in Google. So, there are many reasons to consider any of these plugins, and hopefully, by the end of this article, you find at least a few that you either don’t already have or are very interested in getting.
SiteGround Optimizer: Enhancing Load Speed and SEO
I want to start off with number one. The first one is actually quite interesting. This is SiteGround Optimizer, and the objective here is to help you rank higher on Google and overall provide users or visitors with a better experience on your website by offering faster load speeds and a more efficient, optimized website. There are many benefits to be had with that. We know that Google values faster load speed because it signifies a better user experience on websites. So, that’s one of the metrics that Google considers when determining the ranking of websites. Therefore, if you want to rank higher on Google, faster load speed is absolutely essential, and SiteGround Optimizer is a great way to achieve that. Now, the caveat here is that SiteGround Optimizer primarily works with SiteGround hosting. So, if you use SiteGround as your host, then you can leverage SiteGround Optimizer, which is a fantastic plugin. If you don’t have SiteGround as your main host, we also recommend considering switching to SiteGround.
Pretty Links: Simplifying URL Management
I want to give an example here. Just a couple of weeks ago, I had a website, a different blog that initially started off on Bluehost. We like Bluehost; it’s a great platform to start smaller websites, particularly for those not experiencing substantial growth.But when users clicked on the affiliate link, it took more than 25 seconds to reach the final destination. In those 25 seconds, it’s highly likely that users would get bored, think it’s a broken link, or simply close out, not proceeding through that link. Now, once we moved that site over to SiteGround, that same link that took 25 seconds now loads in less than four seconds, dramatically increasing affiliate conversions. There are several reasons why SiteGround offers a better experience, which I’ll cover in another article. That’s why SiteGround Optimizer ties in with a great website experience.
Yoast SEO: Elevating Google Ranking
Moving into number two. This one’s a bit related to the first one and is a free plugin that allows you to shorten your links. What I mean by this is you can take any lengthy link, whether it’s a Google Forms job application, an affiliate product link from Amazon, or any other URL, and compress it into a neat, user-friendly link that integrates with your domain. For instance, if I find a surfboard on Amazon and want an affiliate link, instead of a complex link with various characters, I can easily set it up as mydomain.com/surfboard or anything else I prefer. It’s more shareable and user-friendly, making people more likely to click. The plugin that does this is called Pretty Links, as the name suggests. It turns cumbersome links into attractive, manageable ones. Another benefit is that it tracks clicks. So, if you want to monitor your affiliate links or any other link clicks, Pretty Links is an excellent tool. There’s a free version and a paid version, with additional features like redirecting based on geography, streamlining the process. Pretty Links offers various benefits.
WooCommerce: Transforming Your Site into an Online Store
Now, the third one on this list, in our opinion, is absolutely essential for every WordPress site, regardless of its nature. Yoast SEO is a powerful tool that can elevate your website by improving its Google ranking. Even if you’re knowledgeable about SEO, Yoast SEO simplifies the process, providing tools for bulk editing, Google visibility, checklists, reminders, and more to enhance your search engine optimization and, consequently, your Google ranking. It’s a fantastic tool, another free plugin we highly recommend for every website. And of course, the name “Yoast” is a bit unique; its origin is uncertain, but it’s a must-have plugin for optimizing your website’s SEO.
Elementor: Crafting Professional Websites
Number four. If you’re aiming to transform your WordPress site into an online store for merchandise, drop shipping, or any e-commerce venture, WooCommerce is an indispensable plugin. It equips your site with tools akin to Shopify and BigCommerce, offering customization options and support for various product types, including digital, physical, and affiliate products. We’ve created an entire tutorial on WooCommerce due to its immense power.
Smush: Optimizing Page Speed and Load Times
Next up, our favourite plugin for building WordPress websites is Elementor. When crafting a website, Elementor is the ultimate tool, providing a user-friendly, drag-and-drop builder for pages, posts, templates, and pop-ups. It rivals platforms like Squarespace and Wix in flexibility and ease of use, enabling anyone to create a professional, visually appealing website without coding expertise. There’s also a free version, making it an ideal starting point.
Wordfence: Ensuring Website Security
Following that, we have a seemingly simple yet impactful plugin for page speed optimization and Google ranking—Smush. This plugin optimizes your website by removing image metadata, enabling lazy loading, and other enhancements to expedite load times. If you’re not a photographer, image metadata may be irrelevant to viewers, so stripping this data speeds up your site significantly. Lazy loading further improves the experience by loading content as users scroll, ensuring rapid load times.
Wordfence: Safeguarding Your WordPress Site
Moving on, an often overlooked but vital plugin is Wordfence. It acts as a security firewall for WordPress sites, safeguarding against unauthorized access and attacks. Wordfence reveals attempted login breaches and offers security measures like two-factor authentication and IP address blacklisting, ensuring your website remains protected.
WPForms: Customizing and Managing Forms
Number eight on our list is WPForms, an excellent tool for managing and customizing forms on your site. Whether collecting emails or other visitor information, WPForms provides extensive customization options and is widely used.
MonsterInsights: Integrating Google Analytics
For analytics enthusiasts, MonsterInsights is indispensable. This plugin seamlessly integrates Google Analytics with your WordPress dashboard, simplifying the setup and presenting essential insights about your site’s performance, user behaviour, and more. We also recommend setting up Google Search Console for additional data on your site’s Google rankings and performance.
Constant Contact: Facilitating Marketing Campaigns
Lastly, for marketing endeavours, Constant Contact offers an effective plugin for WordPress. It seamlessly integrates with WordPress, facilitating email marketing campaigns and engagement strategies.
Conclusion: Maximizing WordPress Potential
I hope you found these 10 plugins helpful. Of course, not all may be relevant to your site’s needs, and it’s essential to avoid plugin overload. If you have other favourite plugins or feedback, please share them in the comments below article. If you enjoyed this article.
