WordPress is an incredibly powerful Content Management System that currently powers over 35% of all websites. One of the major benefits of WordPress is the ability to create beautifully designed and expertly constructed websites without the extensive and expert knowledge of coding, websites, or even the internet altogether. One of the ways WordPress is able to provide such an experience is through plugins. Right now, there are over 15,000 plugins available to WordPress users, all with different purposes, features, benefits, and cost. Overwhelmed? Here is a list of tried and true plugins, some of which are currently being used by Anvil.

Before you install a plugin, it is important to know a few things:

• Only plugins that are actively being used should be installed. Unused plugins mean unused code which is detrimental to overall site speed and user experience.
• Depending on which plugins you use, there is the chance they can conflict or compete with one another, which again, can impact your site speed. The plugins listed below are not known to cause such issues, and other plugins outside of this list should be thoroughly researched.

Yoast

The most well-known and recommended SEO plugin in the WordPress community is Yoast. Instead of focusing on one aspect of SEO, Yoast provides a simpler way to optimize everything from your SEO Titles and Meta Descriptions to URL structure and structured data. Yoast offers a standard free plugin that is quite robust, but there are premium subscriptions available with pricing depending on the number of sites utilizing the plugin. The most valuable feature of their premium subscription is the availability of online support.

All in One SEO

Looking for a more beginner-level plugin that automates optimizations? The All in One SEO plugin is your best match. Most of the features of All in One SEO can be found within Yoast; however, in terms of interface, the customizable settings can be found on one page which makes them quick to review and update.

WP Rocket

These days, technical SEO is a crucial component of any SEO strategy which can be a major obstacle if you do not have coding experience or developer knowledge. This is one of the reasons WordPress is so widely-loved; its open-source configuration makes plugins available that are easy to install, easy to use, and simplify more advanced and expert tasks. Clients of Anvil have been hearing all about Page Speed and Core Web Vitals lately, and if your website could use improvements in this area – check out WP Rocket. Although this plugin is a paid subscription, its payoff is worth it, especially if you have zero experience or desire to learn the technical side. The benefits of installing this plugin include:

• Enable caching with a quick activation
• Minify your CSS and JavaScript files to improve load times
• Eliminate Render Blocking Resources by checking a few boxes
• Automatically optimized Google Fonts

Did any of those bullet points sound like a foreign language? If so, Anvil’s SEO team can provide additional guidance and information regarding the technical aspects of your website. Check out how our SEO team can help here.

WP Super Cache

Caching is one of the most common methods used to improve a website’s speed. The process cuts out several steps traditionally involved in loading a web page by essentially saving a copy of the current page so that information does not have to be retrieved for each visit. This plugin is free and has over 2 million active installs, not to mention is built by the creators of WordPress. Best of all, there is no advanced knowledge required to reap the benefits.

ShortPixel

It is no secret that large images take a longer time to load than smaller images. If you have a website with thousands of images, it would be impossible to individually compress and properly format each and every one. ShortPixel will apply a compression algorithm to images uploaded to WordPress that automatically resizes images without any additional work on your end. For images already in your media library, ShortPixel also has a Bulk Image Optimizer.

As mentioned above, WordPress gives its users the ability to build the websites of their dreams, but a great website needs to be seen which is why SEO-focused plugins are crucial for overall success. Not sure where to start? Unsure about which plugins to go with? Contact Anvil today, and we will provide all the support you need.