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15 WordPress Hacks to Help You Blog Like a Pro

Many people think they can just start a blog and write whatever they want. This is not always the case, especially if you’re blogging for business purposes or to make money from your blog. 

If you really want to be successful with your blog, then there are some things that you need to know about WordPress hacks before getting started. Here are 15 WordPress hacks that will help you become a better blogger.

1) Use Google Analytics To Track Your Blog Stats.

This is one of the most important things that you can do as a blogger to track your progress and see how well your blog is doing. 

By installing Google Analytics on your WordPress blog, you’ll see how many people are visiting your site, where they’re coming from, and what type of content they’re looking for.

Understanding what’s going on in your blog helps you make better decisions about the content you publish and how you promote it.

2) Choose a suitable theme.

This is the first thing you should do when you set up your blog. Choosing a suitable theme ensures that your blog looks professional and is easy to navigate. 

There are thousands of free WordPress themes available, so take some time to browse through them and find the one that’s right for you.

To get it right, consider the purpose of your blog and who your target audience is. Do you want a simple, clean design or something more flashy?

Your theme should also be responsive, adjusting to different screen sizes (such as mobile devices). This is important because more and more people are using their phones and tablets to browse the web.

As much as we are saying this is important, don’t spend colossal junk of your time on this, as it’s just a design which can be changed anytime.

Read also: 20+ Best Free WordPress Blog Themes.

3) Use plugins to add functionality to your blog.

WordPress plugins are software that you can install on your blog to add new features and functionality. 

Thousands of free and premium plugins are available, so there’s no excuse not to have the exact features you want on your blog.

Some popular WordPress plugins include: 

  • WooCommerce (for creating an online store) 
  • Yoast SEO (for optimizing your content for search engines) 
  • Gravity Forms (for creating forms and surveys) 

If you are just starting out, we recommend sticking with the basics like Yoast SEO, Jetpack, Google Analytics for WordPress, and WPForms Lite, among others. 

These will give you a solid foundation without overloading your site with too many bells and whistles. You can always add more later as needed!

4) Create a content calendar.

A content calendar is a great way to plan and organize your blog posts. You can make sure that you’re publishing new content regularly and not letting your blog become stale. 

That’s where a content calendar can help.

And it doesn’t have to be something fancy. You can use Google Calendar or any other calendar software to create your content calendar. 

Create a separate event for each blog post you want to publish and add the details (such as title, keywords, etc.) in the description field.

If you need help getting started, check out this tutorial on creating an editorial calendar for your blog.

5) Use social media to promote your blog posts.

Social media is a great way to get more eyes on your blog posts. When you publish a new post, be sure to share it on your social media channels and encourage your followers to share it.

You can also use social media to drive traffic to specific blog posts by using hashtags, creating Pinterest pins, or running Facebook ads.

You need to understand the best type of content that works well on each social media platform. 

For example, 

  • Twitter is great for short, newsworthy posts 
  • Facebook is good for longer, in-depth articles 
  • Pinterest is perfect for visual content like infographics and recipes.

And don’t forget to add social media sharing buttons to your blog so readers can easily share your content with their followers.

6) Optimize your images for SEO.

Whenever you upload a new image to your blog, fill in the “alt text” field with a keyword-rich description of the image. This will help your images appear in Google Image Search and drive traffic to your site.

You should also make sure that you’re using compressed images so that they load quickly on your website. You can use a plugin like WP Smush to compress your images automatically.

7) Repurpose old content.

There’s no need to start from scratch every time you sit down to blog. With a bit of creativity, you can repurpose old content and give it new life.

Here are four ways to do just that:

  • Turn an old blog post into a new podcast episode.
  • Create an infographic from your most popular blog post.
  • Republish your best blog posts as guest posts on other sites.
  • Transform an old blog post into a SlideShare presentation. 

You can also leverage repurposing tocreateh new content for different platforms. 

For example, if you’ve written a blog post with excellent video content, why not turn that into a YouTube video? 

It is the best way to create new content without actually having to do the work.

8) Give Your Audience What They Want.

It is no secret that people love getting what they want. And when it comes to your blog, your audience is no different.

So what does your audience want from you and your blog?

Well, first and foremost, they want great content that is relevant to their interests. But beyond that, they also want to be engaged with your content. 

They want to feel like you’re talking to them directly and not just churning out article after article without any real connection.

And most importantly, they want to know that you’re listening to them. You’re taking their feedback and input seriously and using it to improve your blog and make it even more remarkable for them.

That’s why we mentioned earlier having Google Analytics on your site. That way, you can see what your readers are looking at and how they interact with your content. 

You can see which posts are getting the most views and which ones are getting the most social shares. 

And then use these insights to create more of such content!

9) Optimize your website for search engines.

If you are serious about blogging, you need to ensure your site is optimized for search engines. 

Luckily, you can do a few easy things to make sure your site is as search-engine-friendly as possible. 

Here are a few tips:

  • Use keywords throughout your site, including your titles and the body of your posts. This will help search engines index your site and make it easier for people to find when they’re searching for topics related to what you write about.
  • Install an SEO plugin like Yoast or All in One SEOoptimiseelp you with things like optimizing your titles and meta descriptions, which are essential for both search engine ranking and click-through rate.
  • Make sure your site is well-linked. Search engines like Google crawl the web looking for new sites to index, so the more links to your site from other places on the internet, the faster it will be discovered by search engines. 
  • Write about topics that interest people in your niche or industry. Don’t try to write about something that’s out of your league. If you’re not an avid reader of the New York Times, don’t try to start a blog about politics. 

SEO is an ongoing process. It doesn’t just happen overnight. Search engines are constantly changing their algorithms, so you’ll have to stay on top of these changes and adjust your strategy accordingly. 

10) Enable automatic WordPress updates.

WordPress is constantly evolving, releasing regular security and maintenance patches. 

However, updating the latest version can be a hassle for some bloggers, requiring a few steps.

Automatic updates can help take care of this for you by updating your WordPress version to the latest one as soon as it’s released. This ensures that your blog is always up-to-date and secure from any potential vulnerabilities.

To enable automatic updates, add the following line of code to your wp-config.php file:

define( ‘WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE’, true );

11) Use an SSL certificate.

An SSL certificate is an important tool for any website – big or small. It encrypts communication between your website and visitors’ web browsers, making it more difficult for hackers to intercept important information. This provides a major security boost for your site and can also help build trust with your visitors.

There are a few different available, depending on your needs. 

A standard SSL certificate is typically sufficient for most websites. However, if you are running an e-commerce site or handling sensitive data, you may want to consider an EV (extended validation) SSL certificate. 

This provides the highest security level and turns the address bar green in most web browsers, further increasing trust with visitors.

Getting an SSL certificate is usually a simple process – your web hosting company can typically help you get set up. 

Read also: Secure Website: How an SSL Certificate can Help.

12) Enable two-factor authentication.

When it comes to WordPress security, two-factor authentication is a must. This extra layer of security ensures that even if someone manages to guess your password, they won’t be able to access your account unless they also have access to your phone or another device.

There are a few different ways to set up two-factor authentication for WordPress. One popular option is to use a security plugin like Authy or Duo Security. These plugins add an extra step to the login process, requiring you to enter a code from your phone to log in.

Another option is to use a service like Google Authenticator, which generates codes that can be used for logging in. This can be set up on your WordPress site by going to the Security settings and adding a second factor under the Two-Factor Authentication heading. 

Still on security, change the default WordPress username and password. Head over to the Users section in your dashboard and click on “Add New” at the top of the page. Under “User Details,” enter your own username and password as well as a new email address.

13) Create backups of your WordPress site regularly.

Once in a while, things may go wrong. And that’s why backing up your WordPress site regularly is a must if you want to avoid losing any of your data. 

There are many ways to do this, but we recommend using a plugin like BackupBuddy or UpdraftPlus. These plugins will automatically create backups of your site and store them safely off-site.

Once you have a backup plugin installed, be sure to create a full backup of your site at least once a week. 

If you make frequent changes to your site, you may want to create multiple backups each week. 

And if you ever need to restore your site from a backup, simply follow the instructions provided by the plugin. 

14) Don’t install untested plugins or themes.

Regarding WordPress, it is crucial only to install plugins and themes that have been tested. This is because untested plugins and themes could cause problems with your website. 

Installing an untested plugin or theme could break your website or make it vulnerable to security threats.

If you’re unsure whether a plugin or theme is tested, you can check the WordPress Codex. The Codex is a database of information about WordPress, and it includes a list of all the tested plugins and themes. To find the list, search the Codex website for “tested plugins” or “tested themes.”

If you install an untested plugin or theme, test it yourself before using it on your live website. This way, if there are any problems, you can fix them before they cause any damage. 

15) Consider guest posting on other blogs.

One great way to get your name and your blog out there is to guest post on other blogs. When you guest post, you write a blog post for another person’s blog. This is a great way to get exposure to new readers.

Before you, guest post, make sure that you know the guidelines of the blog you’re going to be posting on. 

Some blogs will want you to write about a specific topic, while others will give you free rein. Once you know what the blog is looking for, start writing your post.

Make sure that your post is well-written and engaging. The goal is to get people to read your post and then click on your blog. If you can do that, guest posting will be a great way to grow your traffic and build up your presence online. 

Conclusion 

As a WordPress user, you can now blog like a pro! You know how to make your site look great, how to find the best plugins, and how to troubleshoot any problems you may encounter. 

You’re well on your way to becoming a WordPress expert! 

Related: 7 Common Mistakes People Make When Starting A WordPress Blog.

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