Did you know that, 22% of all new websites are driven by WordPress? More than 1700 free themes, and 25,762 WP plugins (and growing) in the plugin repository are just a few of the reasons behind the popularity of WordPress as a Content Management System.
This is why we conducted a webinar on How to Setup WordPress Website Optimization for Lead Generation where we received many interesting queries which have been discussed below:
Question 1
What is the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?
There are quite a few differences between the two versions:
WordPress.com: This free WordPress hosted version does have some advantages; like you don’t have to worry about hosting, maintenance, security etc. But it also means limitations; for instance, none of the free plugins available to WP.org users are available to you. There are many built-in features, but they are limited. This version is preferred for personal blogging, and is not really suitable for business blogs.
Self-hosted WordPress.org: Granted, you have to bear the minimal hosting and domain costs, but in turn you have the freedom to build your website up beautifully using all the different plugins. You would need to take care of maintenance, backup, security etc. but plugins make the task easy. This is the version that you should go for, if you wish to build a business website/blog.
To know more about the difference, read the WordPress document on WordPress.com vs WordPress.org
Question 2
Can we convert our existing website to a WordPress one?
Yes, it is possible to migrate your existing website to a WordPress one. However, you will have to undertake it as a completely new website project. You can check out the Website Migration to WordPress Guide and get started at once.
Question 3
What are gravity forms on WordPress?
‘Gravity Forms’ is a premium WordPress plugin that allows you to create forms to collect your visitors’ details. It allows you to place forms on posts, pages, or anywhere else where shortcodes are allowed.
Question 4
What is Google Authorship?
Google Authorship markup helps you link your website/blog content with your Google Plus profile. As a result of which the rich snippet appears (take a look at the image below). It will authenticate your creative work; give it prominence over normal snippets and bring credibility to your content.
I have already discussed about Google Authorship Markup along with its steps and benefits in my previous blog post. If you want to learn more about about Google Authorship, read the post or refer to Google Support Article.
Question 5
What are the top must have plugin for Wordpress?
Well to get a fully optimized website you would have to add different plugins that would make your content management tasks easier. But here I would mention a few essential ones, like:
| Plugin Nature: | I recommend: |
| A plugin that analyses your website content and all its SEO. | Wordpress SEO |
| A plugin that tracks your visitors’ activity and search trends | Google Analytics, JetPack |
| A plugin that protects your website and content from junk comments and trackback spam. | Akismet |
| A plugin that easily creates web forms and manage form entries within the WordPress admin. | Gravity Forms |
| A plugin that adds Social buttons to your content to help visitors share the content, especially on the blog. | Slick Social Share Buttons |
| A plugin that manages and highlights the comment section on your website/blog. | Disqus Comment System |
Not only the these, but there are a lot many useful plugins that can help you manage your website/blog content easily. Check out a few more Plugins that are useful for WordPress optimization
P.S. – The above plugins are just recommendation, basing upon our own experience. It is not compulsory that you have to use the same; you can use comparable plugins as well.
Question 6
Would it be useful to hire an online agency to work on the SEO?
If you have a good budget to hire one, you might opt to go for it. You might also choose to hire a freelancer. I wouldn’t say that it is not difficult to handle SEO by yourself, but it not impossible for sure. I think if one updates himself with sufficient information about how to manage SEO, he can efficiently work on the task. This definitely doesn’t mean that hiring an online agency would not be useful. It is always good to take help of experts and professionals.
Question 7
What should be the word count of a blog post in order to optimize it for a better SEO?
An average blog post optimized for SEO should have at least 300 words. 300 – 500 words is just considered a ‘healthy’ content length- neither too long nor too short. It really is a matter of the quality of your content; sometimes you might be able to convey a lot in fewer words. If that is the case, you can occasionally go for shorter blog posts as well.
There were a few more interesting questions that had been asked during the webinar. We will be discussing those in our next blog post. So stay connect and keep reading!
Do share your your own tips and tricks on WordPress Optimization with us and our readers below.
