Wordpress Blogging script is an open source script i.e. one can add more functions by having installed small program. Wordpress named it plugins. There are many plugins out there to enhance functionality of the blogging script. I am listing here the plugins which are highly useful. Some of them are very famous and some are underdog.
Top WP-Cache
Function of WP-Cache to create static (or you can say cache) of the posts and serve them without going to MySQL database. Intention is to let the visitors surf your blog fast. It is very powerful technique to manage huge traffic without putting load on server. There is no better way to handle sudden traffic from social bookmarking sites.
http://mnm.uib.es/gallir/wp-cache-2/
Chunk URLs
New bloggers usually place comments, leave URL in comment on others blog in order to drive some traffic. If the URL is long it might make the blog design awkward. This plugin will make long urls into shorter one.
http://www.village-idiot.org/archives/2006/06/29/wp-chunk/
Head Meta Description [SEO Plugin]
As an blogger you know how important is to rank well in search result. This is an execellent plugin to optimize your every post with unique description meta tag. Keyword meta tag hold no more value in SEO. But meta description is still one of the important part to decide ranking position.
http://guff.szub.net/2005/09/01/head-meta-description/
All In One SEO Pack [SEO Plugin]
You don’t need to worry about SEOing your blog. Everything will be taken care by this plugin. Improve traffic from search engines by installing this plugin.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/all-in-one-seo-pack/
Wordpress Database Backup
Do I need to explain how important it is to take backup of everything of your blog (specially hard written content of the posts). Take backup automatically or whenever you wish with the help of this plugin.
http://www.ilfilosofo.com/blog/wp-db-backup
Google XML Sitemaps [SEO Plugin]
Wow! I just love it. Small, albeit very useful, plugin to create sitemap of the blog. Yahoo, Live and Google loves XML sitemap a lot. Plugin will help to create and update the sitemap. Just install once and forget forever about any sitemap issues.
http://www.arnebrachhold.de/redir/sitemap-home/
Related Posts [Navigation lugin]
Most famous plugin in blogsphere. Listing up related posts at the end of a perticualr post is good practice to serve more your visitors about what they like. Increase page views per vistor by installing this plugin.
http://wasabi.pbwiki.com/Related%20Entries
Adsense Delux [Monetize]
Monetizing your blog with Adsense is easiest way to make money off your blog. Adsense Deluxe enable you to insert adsense code in either posts or anywhever in you blog.
http://www.acmetech.com/blog/adsense-deluxe/
Google Analytics for WordPress
Traffic monitoring and tracking activities of visitors on your blog has been very easy with Google Analytics which is free. The plugin help you to add analytics code in a blog.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-analytics-for-wordpress/
Akismet spam protection [Spam Prevention Plugin]
One of the worst thing in blogging is spam of comments. Akismet has became unseparable part of wordpress blogging. You can imagine how important the plugin is as it is already installed in script. Job of this plugin is to…
- Protect prevent spam comments, which eventually save your lots of time.
- Churn out spam comments from good comments.
Democracy Plugin
Running a poll is most user-interactive task. This plugin help you to run AJAX polls on your blog. It is highly recommended to instal widet also in order to move the poll anywhere aroung blog.
http://blog.jalenack.com/archives/democracy/
Adsense Manager [Monetize]
Don’t assume that the plugin enable you to place Adsene code in blog, instead, it supports many popular ad placement services. Monetizing your blog is very easy with this.
http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/adsense-manager/
MCEComments
MCEComments convert standard text field into user friendly WYSISYG format. People can post images in comment which can be stopped by disabling in plugin option.
http://mk.netgenes.org/my-plugins/mcecomments/
Thumbnail Viewer [For Image]
It is a plugin to view enlarge view of the small image in the posts without leaving the blog. It will impress visitors with web2.0 effect.
http://www.longren.org/wordpress/thumbnail-viewer/
Broken Links Remover
Checks your posts for broken links. If it finds one then it will make that link as normal text so that your readers will not see any dead links.
This plugin will help keep your site clean by hiding all bad/broken links. As soon as it finds a bad or broken link, it will notify the link with appropriate post under Manage -> Bad Links Wordpress admin page. More Info
That’s it. As a being blogger and blogging on self hosted blog with wordpress script I found these plugins very useful and headache reducing. Hope you also feel the same.
