In this post free WordPress tips we will talk about few things that you should do immediately after you have installed WordPress to your webhost and before launching your site. For the person who has experience with the WordPress platform these steps come as a no brainer. But for the novice user they can and is often overlooked. Not only are they overlooked but more importantly are the reasons why they should be implemented. First let’s list and describe them for you. Once you understand them the importance may seem much clearer. Don’t worry we tell you the importance in the conclusion of this free WordPress tips post.
Free WordPress Tips Checklist
[/box]
Free WordPress Tip #1. Check the Privacy Settings
Well, yes, some things should be kept private but we believe you are building your WordPress blog to share with the world right? Therefore, you want to make sure it is set up so everyone can see it. Not so fast though, let’s point out one thing here, well two. There are 2 privacy settings within WordPress. Here they are as they appear in your WordPress dash board.
- I would like my site to be visible to everyone, including search engines (like Google, Bing, Technorati) and archivers
- I would like to block search engines, but allow normal visitors
You can find your privacy settings in the “settings” tab of the menu on the left hand side of your WordPress dashboard. While you are working on your site it is recommended that you check option 2. Once you are ready to tell Mr. Google, his friends and your friends about your site then select option 1.
Free WordPress Tip #2: The Permalink Structure
For SEO purposes it is important to change your permalink structure from the default numerical structure which looks like ?p=123 to one that uses the title of your page or post. You will also find the permalink structure in the “settings” tab of the dashboard menu. There are several ways to set up your permalinks. Some tutorials teach to set them up based on what you will be doing with your site. The prevailing structure as of this post is to keep the structure as short as possible. You do this by choosing the custom option, then input this sequence /%postname%/. Using this custom structure will make the link for your post and pages more user and search engine friendly.
Free WordPress Tip #3: WWW or No WWW That is the Question
Still working in the “settings” tab under general settings you need to set your domain to include the www. The default setting does not include it. The reason for this change is search engines look at the two versions as two different sites. The thing to remember is whichever one you chose here is the one you need to use consistently. Also, if you opt to change to include www make sure you change both places. Additionally, once you have made this change you will be logged out of your WordPress dash board. Okay, the sky is not falling this is normal. Simply log back in.
Free WordPress Tip #4. Site Title and Tagline
When you first installed WordPress using Fantastico in your webhost you indicated the site name and tagline you wanted to use for your site. If you are having second thoughts or just placed some random rambling in there here is your opportunity to change it. Within the “settings” section, under the general tab, you can edit what shows up in the browser title bar and what is displayed within the search engine results. Do you have your main keyword in there? Is it a catchy title so that people will want to click through to read more? Remember, first impressions count!
These are just a few simple free WordPress tips to help get you started with your WordPress site. Be sure to take the time to implement them as they are crucial to your site traffic and rankings. That was the importance that we alluded to in the beginning of this post. If setting up your WordPress site is overwhelming or you just don’t know how go here and browse our all in one WordPress Pacakges. We can have you up and running within 72 hours.
