WordPress plugins are helpful tools that make it easier for you to work with your website. Experts recommend not to install too many plugins. On the one hand, this makes sense for security reasons; on the other hand, too many plugins slow down the loading time of your website. For this reason, focus on the essential plugins to optimize your WordPress website.
A plugin is a type of additional program that is added to existing software for extended functions. Especially in the field of computer games, addons are also used. WordPress plugins enable WordPress users to add additional functions to the dashboard of their website. Customize your website with plugins for designing images and posts, protect your website with security plugins and optimize the visibility of your website on Google by letting SEO plugins support you.
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13 useful WordPress plugins
Get to know 13 valuable plugins for WordPress that are worthwhile for almost any type of website.
Yoast SEO
Yoast SEO is an integral part of every website. Even if you are not familiar with search engine optimization, working with Yoast SEO is not a problem. The free plugin shows you whether you have used your main keyword in an appropriate amount, presents you with a readability and SEO analysis, and lets you easily create metadata for the respective page. If you value the visibility of your website, Yoast SEO as a plugin is indispensable.
WP Rocket
If the loading time is too long, many users leave the page before it has fully loaded. To get a high number of website visits, the fastest possible loading time is essential. WP Rocket is a plugin that is also available in German. It optimizes the loading time of your website. WP Rocket isn’t free, but it offers affordable annual payments and tiered contributions for different websites.
Cache Enabler
Cache Enabler is also a plugin for optimizing the loading time of your website. Unlike WP Rocket, it’s free, but it’s not quite as comprehensive. The Cache Enabler stores static HTML files of your website to reduce the loading time when they are accessed.
Also Read: How To Activate Google Analytics In WordPress
Easy table of contents
With the free WordPress plugin Easy Table of Contents, you can create a table of contents on your website in no time. This makes it easier for the reader to find their way around. If your visitors click on a specific topic in the table of contents, they jump directly to the appropriate place on the website.
Wordfence Security
Wordfence Security protects your site from unwanted viruses. The free plugin works like an antivirus program for your website, scans it regularly for threats, and informs you by email in the event of danger.
Simple image sizes
In many WordPress themes, you only have three settings for displaying the image on your website. Individual dimensions or a specific format are often not possible. This is where the Simple Image Sizes plugin comes in. Set the width and height of your pictures individually. Simple Image Sizes is a free WordPress plugin.
Pretty links
This plugin does what the name promises. Trim links on your website that are too long. Unlike other link shortening tools, your domain name will remain. This ensures that the links still look nice despite being shortened. Pretty Links also has some other valuable features. For example, it tracks which browser, operating system, or host clicked the Link. Increase the reach of your website with visually appealing, short links. Pretty Link is a free plugin.
Broken Link Checker
So-called “dead links” that start from your website simply lead nowhere, annoy your users. In addition, they hurt your findability on search engines; after all, your content is considered less relevant. That is why there is a plugin called “Broken Link Checker,” You can check where there are outgoing links that no longer lead to the corresponding target page. You can activate the plugin from time to time instead of leaving it running not to cause unnecessary server load.
Also Read: Open Source Marketing: These Are The Best Tools
Redirection
This plugin targets a similar problem, namely, non-existent pages. Otherwise, you can set up a 404 forwarding for these, but this forwarding can also be easily done via the plugin if you prefer to keep your hands off it. IP addresses should not be saved when forwarding for data protection reasons; you can set this manually not to experience any difficulties from a data protection perspective.
Antispam Bee
If your website is already online, you probably know the problem – new spam comments keep coming in, which you have to delete painstakingly. This plugin, which has already been downloaded over 500,000 times, provides a remedy. It’s available for free and will help you contain the spam in your comments.
EWWW Image Optimizer
The fast loading time is one of the most important factors so that users do not leave your website again, and it is also essential for SEO reasons. However, large images will massively slow the speed of your website. That’s why you can use the EWWW Image Optimizer plugin – for free. All images are compressed by the plugin, which means that the loading time is significantly faster than when large image files have to be played out each time a page is accessed.
WP super cache
You can also ensure the fast loading time of your website with this plugin. It ensures that a compressed version of the data is available, which can then be loaded at lightning speed. This plugin is free. Alternatively, WP Rocket is currently 39 USD to buy, with a little more functions, but the same approach to speed up the loading time. With the paid option, you have additional features that should improve your findability on search engines. So the investment can be worth it!
WP sweep
Last but not least, it should also be mentioned that a lot of unnecessary content accumulates over the months and years that you do not need on your site. Let us think, for example, of spam comments or drafts that have not been completed and are now long out of date. With the WP-Sweep plugin, you can, in short, “clean out” your website and ensure that completely outdated and unused content disappears. This in turn, leads to your website loads faster because only relevant content is present.
