7 Key WordPress Plugins Every New Blogger Should Install
“Blogging is the perfect way to turn your passion into a profession.” - Casey Botticello
Hey lovely mama, hope you’re doing well 😀
Today I wanted to write a super quick and simple post about plugins…
There are literally THOUSANDS of plugins out there for WordPress and it can get pretty darn confusing (and quite frankly – a bit annoying) trying to find the right ones to add to your site.
For years, I freaked out about which plugins I should use, and whether they’d be any good or end up breaking my site 😡
You have to be a bit careful, as there are a lot of harmful plugins out there that aren’t credible and can seriously damage your website, in a lot of ways.
I’ve bloated my blog, with too many plugins and I’ve also not had enough, but there are some truly great ones out there that can really help you and your blog out…
So, without all the overwhelm, I’m literally just going to share with you my 7 key WordPress plugins every new blogger should install…
”This post does contain affiliate links throughout and if you make a purchase using one of my links, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you”
Before we get right into it, all the plugins I use can be found on the WordPress.org website.
If you use plugins which are in this library, then you should be absolutely fine, knowing that they’re safe to install and use on your blog.
What is a Plugin?
I’m going to get to the plugins in a moment, but first, let’s take a look at what a plugin actually is, because before I started blogging, a plugin was an air freshener that plugged into the wall 😂
It’s simply a piece of software that gets “plugged” into your website, as an add-on, and it helps give your site more functionality, and allows you to create a site that can do pretty much whatever you want it to!
It also makes your life a lot easier, because there’s no coding…
If you want to get techie, plugins are made up of PHP code, and can also include things like CSS, Javascript and images (way over my head) 😂
There are plugins for everything, from contact forms, to email opt-ins and using the right ones can see your website work better for you, and also give your audience a better user experience (UX)…
So let’s dive into my 8 basic must-have plugins.
1. All in One WP Security & Firewall
One question that gets asked a lot is What is the Best FREE security plugin for WordPress and my answer (and my hosting companies too) is the All in One WP Security & Firewall…
If you go to WordPress.org, you can simply type in exactly what plugin you’re looking for and it will bring it up, or type in something, like Security for example, and see what plugins it shows up.
Security is super duper important, because you need to make sure your site is protected, for both you and your readers.
This plugin is free and protects against all kinds of things, some of which are below:
Bots
Brute force attacks.
Malware
Hacking
Image hotlinking
Spam prevention
Copywriting protection
This plugin is really fantastic and the best security one I’ve used – for free!
Why should you use a Security Plugin!
A security plugin is an easy and convenient way to ensure your site is protected as much as it can be, because they’re designed to stop attacks, hacking and protect from malware.
I highly recommend you install this plugin on your website.
Grab All in One WP Security & Firewall here 😀
2. Anti-Spam by CleanTalk
This is a fab plugin to stop SPAM from attacking your website!
It’s an all-in-one no CAPTCHA, premium universal plugin, which stops so many things, and it works with the premium Cloud Anti-Spam service at cleantalk.org.
Below is a small list of what it can do (but it does so much more):
Stops SPAM contact emails
Stops SPAM subscription
Stops SPAM comments
Stops SPAM in WooCommerce
Stops SPAM in widgets
Disable Comments
Block messages by languages, countries, networks and stops words
Email Address Encoder, which protects the email address published on your site
It’s not a free plugin, but it’s such a low cost. You get a 7 day free trial, and then you only pay $12 for the whole year, which is currently just £10 here in the UK.
Why should you use an Anti-Spam Plugin?
No one wants a ton of SPAM hitting their website, as it not only causes a drop in your web traffic, but it also slows your site down and can be dangerous (in the sense of phishing attacks).
This plugin is great, and really does have a ton of features.
It’s especially great at stopping those annoying spammy comments, as it catches them, and moves them to a SPAM folder.
You also have the option to silently ban SPAM comments and there’s an option within the plugin which can be enabled to auto-delete comments from within the SPAM folder.
Grab Anti-Spam by CleanTalk here 😀
3. RankMath SEO Pro
This is my all time favourite SEO plugin and it does so, so much!
There is a free version, and you can absolutely use just the free version.
I have been using the pro version for a couple of years now, and the extended features are awesome…
It’s a Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) plugin for WordPress, that seamlessly allows you to be on your SEO game, right from within your dashboard, posts and pages.
You can see in the image above, that when it’s installed, you get this little box in the top right hand corner, and if you click on it, it opens up and you can start working through all the elements (such as focus keyword, the basic SEO and title readability sections etc).
You’ll then get a score out of 100, but don’t be obsessed by getting 100/100, as it will be near impossible. Anything within the 80’s, that shows as green, will be fine.
The plugin is also so simple to set up, with its easy to follow set-up wizard, which almost entirely configures itself.
There’s a test demo version as well, which you can try out, to see if you like the plugin.
It gives you all the SEO tools you need, to attract more traffic and improve your SEO efforts!
Some of the key features for this plugin are below:
Simple, clean user interface
Built in Advanced SEO Analytics
Google Index Status
Google Analytics 4 Integration
Position history
Rank Tracker
Advanced Schema Generator
Keyword Ranking for Posts
As I said above, you can use the free version of the plugin, and I recommend you do this for a while until you’re comfortable with it, and then if you feel like moving onto the paid version, you can then pay for the RankMath SEO Pro version.
The plan you’ll more than likely go for, is the Pro – for bloggers and solopreneurs, and it’s priced at $59 per year (ex tax).
In the UK, this is roughly £72, for a plugin that has made SEO so simple for me, and helps every step of the way.
I’m actually thinking of doing a complete review of it in a separate blog post soon, so I can share all the amazing things it can do.
Why should you use an SEO plugin?
SEO is vital for any blog or website, because ranking on Google and other search engines is key for being found online.
Using a plugin makes it easy to optimise your content, and you can customise it to work for you and your site.
This plugin really does it all and is a one stop SEO shop. I highly recommend using it, over any other SEO plugin out there.
4. Shortpixel Image Optimizer
This is another must have plugin in my library!
Images are one of those files, which if not optimised correctly, can take up way too much storage on your website, causing your site to be as slow as a snail.
Shortpixel works by compressing the images, and also other files, saving you time and effort.
Again there is a free version, and this is fine when you’re first starting out, as you probably won’t have a lot of images being uploaded to your site (unless you’re a photographer)…
It works by using credits, so you pay for credits and they get used every time you upload and optimise an image to your site.
The free plan gives you 100 credits every month, and then they have all kinds of plans, including unlimited credits, the monthly plans and also credit packages…
Shortpixel gives you instructions to set the plugin up properly, but I got my hosting company to check it out and make sure it was set up correctly for my website.
Shortpixels key features include:
Compresses all kinds of files including JPEG, PNG, GIF and PDF documents
Converts JPEG, PNG and GIFS to WebP and AVIF
Optimise thumbnails and featured images
Smart Cropping
Automatic conversion from PNG to JPEG if the image files are too large
Skip images already optimised
Works with HTTPS and HTTP websites
Single API key which can be used on one or multiple sites, with the ShortPixel plugin
Bulk optimise all existing images within your Media Library
No file size limit
Why should you use an Image Optimiser plugin?
Using an image optimisation plugin is great for so many things, but the main reason is to reduce the size of your image files (without affecting the quality) so your pages load faster.
Optimising your images also plays an important role for SEO, which we know is super critical for ranking on Google and getting your blog or site in the best position possible!
Your images need to be found and read easily by Google bots and crawlers…
Optimisation also improves the UX (user experience) for your readers, because there’s nothing more off putting than slow sites.
Grab ShortPixel Image Optimiser here 😀
5. Social Warfare
With over 1 million downloads, this is definitely one of the best social sharing plugins out there.
It also has the option for you to set it up for over 20 different social sharing platforms…
We all love to share content which we find entertaining and inspiring, and when it comes to your blog, including simple sharing buttons makes it simple and easy for your readers to share your posts and content.
You definitely want to have social share buttons on your site, just don’t go OTT and crazy with too many, as it’ll look unprofessional and like you’re trying too hard to get your content shared…
A few of Social Warfare’s key features are:
Simple “works-out-of-the-box setup
Lightweight plugin so your site remains speedy
Pretty buttons
Responsive, so works with any screen size
Click to Tweet buttons
Place a shortcode or PHP snippet anywhere you want your social sharing buttons
Easy placement (above post content, below post content, above and below post content or switch it off
A Frame Buster to stop people stealing your content, by detecting when your site is being targeted by framing apps and immediately redirecting your visitors to the unframed and original version of your site
Why should you use a Social Sharing plugin?
Social platforms are EVERYWHERE now and we’re all on them, so in order to make your content available to more people, you need to give your readers the easy option of clicking a button and sharing their fave content with others…
If you want to spread awareness of your blog, a social share plugin can help do this, plus when readers come to your site and can see that your posts have been shared, it can also build your brand credibility.
With Social Warfare, you’re able to set this up quickly and simply and have sharing buttons on the content you want to get out there more!
6. Thrive Leads
I’ve been using Thrive Leads for years and I love how versatile and amazing it is!
Thrive Leads is a WordPress lead generation plugin that’s been designed to help make list building easier and more effective.
It has sooooo many beautiful and customisable opt-in forms within the Thrive Leads Library, so there’s something for every kind of site to choose from.
The image above only shows a fraction of the forms available.
There are all kinds of forms for all kinds of uses:
Thrivebox (Pop Up Lightbox)
Sticky Ribbon
In-Line forms
2-Step forms
Slide-In forms
Opt-In Widget
Screen Filler Overlay
Content Lock
Scroll Mat
Yes/No & Multiple Choice forms
You also get to fully design and customise your forms, with your brand fonts and colours and it integrates with many of the popular email marketing platforms as well.
So with all that said, what are some of Thrive Leads key features:
Advanced A/B testing of forms
Pre-Designed Templates – drag & drop editor so no design skills required!
Target your opt-in forms by setting time triggers, scroll triggers, on-click forms and more…
Detailed statistics and reports
Create mobile-specific opt-in forms
3 levels of customisation – show or hide certain form types, show or hide certain elements and tweak any detail with mobile responsive editing
Tested and compatible with all browsers
Integrates with pretty much all Autoresponders and Email Marketing Services
The lead forms I use the most are the Content Upgrade forms. They’re super simple and I add them in amongst my content in my blog posts, so people can sign up for my relevant freebie (content upgrade) for that particular post.
Why should you use the Thrive Leads plugin?
I don’t think I really need to explain much why I think Thrive Leads should be in your blogging tools.
From all the above, you can see what it can do and how powerful it can be.
The variety of forms available is second to none and it really is the best plugin out there to help with your list building.
7. Weblizar Pin It Button on Image Hover And Post
This is an extremely simple plugin to use and has very few settings to set up.
You literally choose where you want to show the pin it button, and click on the yes or no circle. I have all of them selected to yes!
The plugin provides the ability to pin your blog posts, images and pages into your Pinterest account.
If you’re like me, you love using Pinterest for all kinds of inspiration, and I find it a really beautiful place to hang out!
When it’s activated, it will bring up a little “Save” button when you hover over the image, as in the screenshot below…
When you click on this, it allows you to save the post or image etc to your Pinterest board of choice.
Some of the key features for this pin it button plugin are:
Shows Pinterest Pin It Button on Image hover
Shows Pinterest Pin It Button in Post
Shows Pinterest Pin It Button in Page
Customisable button size on hover
Multilingual and is translatable in any language
Why should you use the Weblizar Pin It Button plugin?
Because Pinterest is such a popular platform, you’re really missing out on a lot of traffic if you don’t enable a pin it button.
This is one of the best ways to get people to share and save your content quickly and easily, as all they have to do is hover over the image and click…
Grab Weblizar Pin It Button on Image Hover And Post here 😀
How to Install a Plugin
Before I finish this post, I wanted to quickly show you how you can install a plugin.
Although they all have different settings (and you’ll need to read the instructions or reach out to the support teams or your hosting company for help if needed), installing and activating every plugin is the same.
Go to the Plugins tab within your WordPress dashboard and click on Add New.
Type in the name of the plugin you want to install (you can search by keyword, author or tag) in the box and it should appear in the results below.
Click on Install Now (mine shows as Active as I already have it installed) and then Activate and it will be installed into your dashboard.
You can then head to the Plugins tab again and click on Installed Plugins, where the plugin you just installed and activated will show.
You can click on the Settings for it and set it up as required…
That’s the basic way to install any plugin you wish to add to your site.
Let’s wrap up!
So that’s it my lovely mama, the 7 key WordPress plugins every new blogger should install…
They’re simple and easy to set up and they’ll make such a difference to how your site runs.
My big thing is to always try and help break things down which seem super techie, and maybe a bit boring!
Plugins for me, do come under the “boring” category of blogging, but they’re a really important element to your blog.
I hope this quick blog post has helped explain what they do, the necessary ones you need, and how you can install them simply…
