12 useful WordPress plugins – 2011

WordPress is very popular among bloggers and writers today. One of the reasons is because it offers many of plugins that can help make your blog even better!

WordPress PluginsThere are an almost endless number of plugins you can find on WordPress, but it is important to limit your use to a few, as too many plugins can have an adverse effect on your host. The question is, which ones should you use?

Here are some options that can certainly be useful:-

1) Google XML- Sitemaps

This helps search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Ask to index your blog and informs them when you add new posts. These maps also help users to browse well through your various posts and find what they are looking for.

2) DiggDigg

Through this plugin you can insert buttons of various social networking sites on your WordPress site like Facebook like, Facebook share, Twitter, Digg, LinkedIn and many others.

3) Insights

Insights help you add more information to your blog. You can insert Flickr images, YouTube videos and interlink various posts to your advantage.

4) WP Super Cache

WP Super Cache converts WordPress PHP scripts into html files, thus reducing load and down time.

5) WP-DBManager

This plugin helps you manage your blog by providing ways to repair, backup, restore, and optimize database.

6) Akismet

Akismet helps you keep a check on spam by checking your blog comments and submitting to your admin such comments for review.

7) YoastWordPress SEO

This SEO plugin helps bloggers in optimising page titles and keywords into XML sitemaps.

8) Contact Form 7

Through Contact Form 7, users can create, manage and customize contact forms on their blog.

9) LinkWithin

This plugin adds thumbnails of relevant posts on your blog.

10) Yet Another Related Post Plugin (YARPP)

YARPP provides information of pages and posts which are related to your new entry thus giving the reader a chance to read more matter on the topic.

11) WP Page Navi

It helps in navigating through the site and provides the various posts with page numbers.

12) Google Analytics Plugin

Google Analytics is a good tool to track your blog and thus access information like outbound clicks, page views, and other metadata.

Whether you are a leisure blogger or a blogger for money, it is important to be familiar with and equip yourself with necessary plugins, as these can make your thought-sharing experience easier and more convenient.

So continue sharing relevant information and happy blogging!

19 thoughts on “12 useful WordPress plugins – 2011

  1. woooots!

    Thanks for the plugins list. I had like 70% of them installed, but i do feel the remaining 30% of them are what I am lacking off. Gonna take a run on those list again on my site. And by the way, i uses SexyBookmark instead of DiggDigg…is there any comparison study between them?

    • Christopher (admin team)

      2 things
      1 – it’s Christopher not Chris 😛
      2 – I am just one of many writers for Technology Bloggers, Kaushal wrote this post 🙂

      As for Akismet, I am not sure, I would have thought you would be able to use it on your blog…

      Thanks for the comment 🙂
      Christopher – Admin Team

  2. Everyone praises Contact Form 7, but can’t really understand why. From what i remember it’s difficult to configure and the results are buggy. After all, a contact form is just a couple input fields, doesn’t have to be a Ferrari.

    • Christopher (admin team)

      True, but if it’s looks good isn’t that a bonus?

      We use it here Amit, and I can’t remember ever having problems with it.

    • Christopher (admin team)

      It’s good, but I prefer GASP. However by using both Akismet and GASP on Technology Bloggers, we get relatively little spam.

      Thanks for the comment Nicholas, it’s always great to see someone new!
      Christopher – Admin Team

    • Christopher (admin team)

      I prefer to steer clear of SEO plugins, as I think that they can do more harm than good in most cases.

      It seems to be working for Technology Bloggers anyway 😉

      Thanks for the comment!
      Christopher – Admin Team

    • Christopher (admin team)

      To the former: if you write a good post, I guess you have to suffer then 😉

      To the latter: you are most welcome, feel free to reply to any individuals addressing you, or any of those comments that you just feel need a reply from you. Even if I have already replied.

      We have lovely commenters here Kaushal, they don’t bite; honest 🙂

  3. Now that you mention it, having links or snippets of “related posts” at the ready for readers is an excellent idea. I will check out YARPP and LinkWithin and see for myself! I am looking for the best Google+ profile plugin that displays my profile pic and the Add to Circles button. Any suggestions?

  4. Thanks for sharing. I wanna suggest you one more lesser known but helpful WordPress plugin which is User Blocker. It can block or unblock user accounts quickly and effortlessly by their roll or username for specific day & time OR date range Or permanently.

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