WordPress can be a little complicated. There is advice that will benefit you if you don’t have experience with WordPress. Learning more will raise your ceiling for success. The following advice can help get you started.
When you use different tags for the topics on your blog, keep in mind that these are strictly for searching the content on your blog. These can’t be used by search engines. If you want your pages to be searchable on Google, you have to install an SEO type plug-in such as Headspace.
WordPress has many keyboard shortcuts which make working with posts a snap. For example, ctrl-c allows you to copy text, while ctrl-x lets you cut it. Ctrl-v will paste it somewhere else. Ctrl-b is bold, ctrl-i is italic and ctrl-u is underline. These basic keyboard shortcuts will save you a lot of time if you memorize them.
Allow users to email your articles if they want to. This is a good way to share, especially with those who are not using Facebook or Twitter. Set this up using a WP-Email plugin.
If your have opened up your WordPress blog for comments, be sure to monitor and moderate the comments. You do not want any inappropriate comments to appear on your blog that can be offensive to your readers. When you moderate incoming comments, you can delete spam and anything that you do not want to display to your readers.
So, what is the difference between tags and categories and why should I care? Categories are broad and house many posts which fall into the same genre, such as “cleaning tips”. Tags are more targeted, detailed words which describe what is in the content of a post, such as “removing blood stains” or “getting out grass stains”.
Make sure that you keep any plugins or themes you are using on your blog up to date. Exploits and general weaknesses in the security of a plugin or theme are almost always found eventually. Updates will keep them running smoothly and securely, but it’s important that you remember to keep them updated.
Always back up your WordPress files and database regularly. Although your website has backups, they may not do backups as frequently as you would like. You can find plugins that can make the back up process much easier. When you have your files and database backed up, you can easily restore your site if anything happens to it.
Is it challenging to meet self-imposed deadlines for your posts? You can create a post in advance and then schedule it to be posted later. When you start making a new post, you have the option to schedule a future publication. Write when you’re in the mood and take care of future posts.
Sticky the posts the you want to stay at the top of your page. If there are posts you want your visitors to see first, sticky them by going to the ‘visibility’ option on the ‘edit posts’ screen. Choose to sticky the selected messages to the first page, and that is it.
For a more customizable commenting system, try using CommentLuv. This system si a premium plugin that is pretty popular with bloggers. It makes commenting on other blogs easy. You can set it up to leave a link that connects automatically to your latest post. This is ideal for things like giveaways since it lets more people know about it.
Make sure to pick a WordPress host that allows you to click a button in order to install it. This way, you would not have to separately install a database on your own. Pushing just one button will allow you to get both your domain and database set up.
When you have a question about how to create something in WordPress, consider visiting one of the many user forums that have been set up on the web. These online communities are often created by WordPress experts who just want to bring together people with a similar goal. When you post a question, it is not uncommon that you will get several very helpful responses.
Only install the plugins that you really need. When you have many plugins, you have to keep up with installing updates for them. Old plugins can be a security risk. Sometimes an update can conflict with another plugin and cause problems. The more plugins you use, the higher the risk of some plugins not working well together.
Come up with a plan before you make a WordPress site. Write down what you wish to accomplish with your blog and how you think visitors will want to use it. It’s much easier to build a well-designed website from the beginning than it is to add plugins later.
If you aren’t using a plugin anymore, deactivate it, but also consider deleting it. Even in a deactivated state, your WordPress website checks on that plugin upon page load which actually slows down your site. Instead, delete those unused plugins completely. If you’ve got a lot of them, you may see a nice uptick to your site’s speed.
WordPress comes with a anti-spam plugin called Akismet. This usually works to block the spam comments from posting on your blog, but some people find it lacking. If you want extra spam protection, install Growmap. This plugin adds a check-box for the poster to click to confirm that it is not a bot.
If you want to use WordPress, be sure to buy your own domain. yoursite.wordpress.com is easy and free, but you don’t get the ability to make the same customizations and additions you would if you had a site on your own server and with your own domain, cramping your potential for success.
If you want to spice up your comment section, consider plugins which allow you or your readers to customize their posts. For example, Gravatar allows them to choose their own avatar to appear next to their posts, meaning that their content can easily be picked out across all WordPress sites.
Using WordPress can be tricky if you do not understand how it works. Bear in mind though, you have embarked on your quest for information by reading this article. Now, you just need to put into play what you have learned.