pixel

5 WordPress Plugins You Should Have

Gary Green
Gary Green
March 5, 2020

WordPress plugins are some of the easiest ways to enhance and customise your website. They allow you to make changes, add features and analyse data.

In today's article, we'll run through 5 of our favourite WordPress plugins:

  1. Yoast SEO
  2. WP Staging
  3. Redirection
  4. Broken Link Checker
  5. Contact Form 7

If you'd like to work with us to design a beautiful website, check out our WordPress service which offers website content, blog writing and help with themes, plugins & SEO.

1. Yoast SEO

The Yoast SEO plugin is a great tool for optimising your content. For every page or post on your website, Yoast provides an interactive checklist, reminding you to:

  • Add internal and external links
  • Set a custom title and meta description
  • Keep your language clear and simple
  • Use the appropriate amount of keywords

You don't need to follow every suggestion religiously. Sometimes you might choose to write in a style which works for your blog (but which Yoast doesn't like). In particular, if you write technical articles, Yoast will always say that you're using too many long and difficult words.

But it's a great way to make sure you haven't missed anything obvious. And seeing the flags all go green is very satisfying!

2. WP Staging

Refreshing or revamping an existing website is tricky. You don't want to make changes to the live site until everything is ready. But you've got to start somewhere.

You also have to be very careful with your hyperlinks. When you start making changes to page content or URLs, you'll find a load a broken links building up. This can be a nightmare to hunt down and repair them all.

There's a great plugin we've used in the past called WP Staging. It allows you to "clone" (copy) your existing website, leaving you with a practice site to play around with. You can make changes and see exactly what it will look like, without affecting your live website.

As soon as you're happy with the new "staging" site, you can switch everything over there in one go.

3. Redirection

Redirection is a plugin that we use on our clients' websites to keep everything clean and tidy in the background. It's really easy to use and is great for dealing with 404s, redirects etc.

Keeping on top of this stuff is important for a couple of reasons:

  • Readers - It's infuriating to land on a 404 or get redirected to the wrong page. Having a nice clean backend makes the user experience more pleasant.
  • SEO - Google rewards sites with few errors, clean hierarchy and appropriate redirects. You'll notice this in better SEO rankings.

Once you install Redirection, just go in and check every week or so and see if you need to add any manual redirects. It's amazing how many redundant or out of date pages you can end up with after a few years.

4. Broken Link Checker

Continuing the theme of a clean and well-organised backend to your website... You should definitely consider adding the Broken Link Checker plugin to your WordPress website.

It has a really clear dashboard, which makes it very easy to spot any broken links. The plugin then allows you to remove the link, or to edit the target URL.

As with Redirection, schedule in a daily or weekly check of the plugin as part of your normal website audit checklist. Broken links are penalised by search engines (and they're annoying for readers too).

5. Contact Form 7

If you want to use your website to capture the details of prospective customers (which we recommend), you're going to need some sort of automated contact form. The one we advise is called Contact Form 7.

It has a bunch of nice features making it both powerful and incredibly easy to use:

  • It stores your messages in an "inbox" system
  • You can customise the message, destination inbox, form appearance etc
  • It's really easy to use and edit

There are plenty of other contacts forms out there, but this one seems to offer the best combination of features and usability.

If you'd like to discuss working with us on your WordPress website, please get in touch.

Tell us about your project...
Fill in your details to get started and join over 50 businesses enjoying Key Business Marketing's expertise..
Contact Form Demo (#1)
We adhere to strict GDPR rules and do not reveal or sell your data to any third-parties. For more, please read our Privacy Policy.
Latest Insights
February 13, 2024
A Guide To Using ChatGPT To Carry Out Keyword Research

Discover how to harness the potential of ChatGPT for advanced keyword research in SEO with our comprehensive guide.

January 12, 2024
Bolstered Advertising From Google On YouTube Shorts

Explore the latest Google advancements in YouTube Shorts advertising! Discover how Google is boosting brand visibility and addressing revenue challenges.

December 15, 2023
How Do I Manage My WordPress Website’s Email Services?

Learn how to effectively manage your WordPress website's email services for optimal performance. Explore the three methods of sending emails in WordPress

November 26, 2023
Monitoring Your Website Performance And Optimizing Accordingly

Explore the art of monitoring and optimising your website's performance. Discover dedicated tools to prevent downtime, enhance user experience, and meet Google's performance standards.

November 10, 2023
Project Magi: A Major Change To Google Search

Discover the revolutionary shift in Google's search landscape with Project Magi! This upcoming AI-powered search experience makes some big promises!

October 23, 2023
Top Tips For WordPress Security

Discover essential tips to fortify your WordPress website's security. Safeguard your site with expert advice in this comprehensive guide

September 29, 2023
A Guide To WordPress Maintenance Plans

Mastering WordPress Maintenance Plans: Organize your website tasks efficiently, from backups to plugin updates.

September 18, 2023
Solutions For The Most Frequently Seen WordPress Errors

Discover expert solutions for the most common WordPress errors and streamline your website management.

September 2, 2023
Top Tips For Managing Your WordPress Website

Master the art of WordPress website management with our expert tips! Learn how to streamline maintenance, boost performance, and enhance security

View Our latest insights »
Get the latest digital marketing insights delivered straight to your inbox
Newsletter Form (#2)
We care about the protection of your data. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
02037 282 848
Mon-Fri 9am - 5.30pm
contact@keybusinessmarketing.co.uk
Digital marketing guidance at your fingertips
Copyright © 2022 KEY BM LTD Reg: E&W 11055943
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram