Must-Have WordPress Website Plugins Every Blogger Needs To Install

What are your go-to and essential plugins when starting a blog? What plugins should a new blogger have on their blog? There are a few essential WordPress Plugins Every Blogger Needs for Success! The great news is that many Must-Have WordPress Plugins for Bloggers are FREE!

So if you’re just getting started blogging, on a budget, and wondering What plugins do you need for a blog? Don’t worry, I’ve put together a list of the Best Free WordPress Plugins Every Website Needs! But, keep in mind eventually you’ll want to invest in your blog and treat it like a business by purchasing some of these Must-Have WordPress Plugins for Bloggers!

What plugins should a new blogger have on their blog?

I wanted to keep a list of all the plug-ins that are essential to me! They help me run my blogs and make my life, easier, more simplified, and stress-free! Be sure to save this blog post as I’m always updating and adding to it as I fine-tune my blogs.

P.S. Do you have a list of your favorite blogging plugins? What are your must-have plugins for every website you’ve created? Don’t forget to comment at the end and let me know!

Essential plugins for WordPress blogs in 2024

What Are Plugins?

Plugins are handy tools that enhance the features of your website in a variety of ways. They are kind of like “apps” on your phone except they only apply to your website. Plugins can do many different things and each one serves a unique purpose.

Plugins can be used to make your site more secure, add functionality like share buttons, or help readers sign up for your mailing list. The possibilities are endless!

The old Apple slogan applies here: “There’s an ~~app~~ plugin for that!”

Best Essential WordPress Plugins for Bloggers

1. Google SiteKit

I’ve been trying to track, analyze, and increase the traffic on my websites lately, especially with the new Google Analytics GA4 Update! Let’s just say I’m learning a lot!

HOW TO INCREASE TRAFFIC ON YOUR BLOG & WEBSITE? — Set up Tracking Tools! You can’t measure your results or figure out how to improve them without having a way to track them first!

I’ve installed the Google SiteKit Plugin and have been working on setting up my Google Analytics account to work with the new GA4 Update, trying to understand Google Tag Manager, and then, of course, there are ways to track BEYOND just your blog you should be familiar with like Email List (Which I use MailChimp for), Social Media i.e. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok etc…) plus plenty more I don’t have time to mention all here!

2. Simple Post Redirect

If you need to send traffic from a page or post to somewhere else on the web (maybe your own blog, maybe not) But for whatever reason you decide it can be done super fast with Simple Post Redirect which takes minutes to install!

Sometimes when I’m building a new blog or updating an old post I may not have pages finished, or temporally need to redirect traffic to other URLs. Once this plug-in is installed on your blog all you have to do is go to the page or post you want to redirect, type in the new URL, and save your changes! To reverse the process, simply remove the forwarded URL and save it to update your blog!

3. Yoast SEO

Yoast is a WordPress plugin that helps you write better content. It does this by checking your writing for common mistakes and giving you feedback on making your writing clearer and more concise. Yoast also helps you optimize your posts for search engines, making it easier for people to find your content online.

Overall, Yoast SEO is an essential plugin for anyone who wants to improve their writing skills and rank higher in search engine results pages. Try it out today and see the difference it makes!

4. Editorial Calendar

There are many different Editorial Calendar plugins, all with different features. I try to find ones that are compatible with my version of WordPress and have the basic features I need. I like to save my posts as drafts and include the date so that I can see them on a calendar layout versus a long list of blog posts. I find it more visually appealing and easier to see what content is coming out and when. I can make changes from the calendar and drag blog posts around etc…

5. Simple Author Box

Depending on if your website has a theme and what it includes you might want to download and install a “Simple Author Box” on your blogging website. An author box is added at the end (or beginning) of a blog post with a simple bio, photo, social media links, etc… to the author (aka as YOU) so that there is a Call-To-Action for the viewer to learn more about you on every blog post!

6. WP Code (Headers & Footers)

Again depending on the theme and your blogging website customizations already installed, you may have the ability to add headers and footers within your own code. However, I am NOT a website developer and DO NOT know how to code! So, I like to install a plugin to help with adding code to my website, especially within my headers, footers, and the body of my website itself.

Social Media Platforms like Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and more all might want you to install some type of code for tracking things like website views, clicks on pics, etc… Google Analytics also requires a code to be installed on your website to be able to provide important details used for tracking! WP Code (Headers & Footers) does the job for me!

7. Shareaholic

Again depending on your website and theme you might already have some sharing features built in, but I like to add sharing buttons to my blog so that others have an easy way to share or save my content whether that be in an email, text, or on social media via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc… you name it. What I like about Shareaholic is that you can customize what is shared and add your preferences as well. Plus, the plugin does a great job of suggesting related content for each blog, so it keeps readers on your blog longer! They also have a monetization feature that will pay you for allowing them to advertise on your blog, but I haven’t tested this out yet.

8. Grammarly

Grammarly is one of my newest additions but should have been my first! If you need help with spelling or grammar then this plug-in is FREE and helps correct all of those things! Even as I’m writing to you it’s telling me that I need to fix a sentence, correct the spelling of a word, and take out or add a word!

Another great thing I like about Grammarly is that you can install it on your desktop and it will help correct EVERYTHING on your computer! Anytime you are typing it will help you edit your writing! Emails, Documents, Excel Spreadsheets, you name it!

I will mention they have a paid premium version that has more features, but the free version works fine for the basic needed ones. Ya know so you don’t sound like an “idot” I mean “idiot”!

One more thing… Grammarly is NOT a plugin for WordPress but it can be downloaded and added to your browser, desktop, mobile phone, etc…

How to Install a Plugin

You can easily and quickly install any of these plugins directly from the backend of your WordPress website.

Navigate to the Plugins page.
Click “Add New”
Type in the name of the plugin you want. Make sure it’s the right one!
Click “Install.”
Click “Activate” and boom! You’re ready to go.

Update Your Plugins Regularly

Just like you update your apps on your phone, plugins need to be updated too as new versions are released. It’s crucial to stay up-to-date with the latest WordPress plugins so you can take advantage of all that they offer.

You’ll need to update your plugins from time to time to ensure you’re using the latest version. Plugin updates can include bug fixes and important security patches so don’t delay in updating for too long!

Occasionally a plugin update can cause havoc on your site, but these instances are rare.

It can be time-consuming and challenging to sift through the thousands of WordPress plugins to find what best suits your needs. Luckily for those looking for a bit of help finding the perfect plugin, we’ve compiled this list as an easy reference guide. I hope you found it useful! What are your favorite plugins?

Last thoughts on these Essential Plugins for Bloggers…

These are the best essential WordPress plugins for bloggers of all types. WordPress is a powerful web publishing platform, but what makes it so popular is the ability to install “plugins” that cater to a site’s individual needs. I rely on WordPress to run my blogging business! If you’re interested in starting your own WordPress blog, check out my other blogs!

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ABOUT ME:

If we haven’t officially met, Hi I’m Blogging Brandi an EX-Corp Kool-Aid Drinker, born to be a blogger, Creator, and Entrepreneur! I also have a Degree in Finance and am a Licensed Cosmetologist. Plus, I LOVE RVing and hanging out with my Dogs ( I have a Cat too!)…

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Blogging Brandi