SEO stands for “search engine optimization,” the practice of improving your website so that Google and other search engines can find it. It should be mentioned that in posts about SEO, the term “Google” is actually shorthand for all search engines. The advice in this post applies equally to search engines Bing, Baidu (China), and Yandex (Russia).
Introduction to SEO: getting Google to notice your website Read More »
What is a SERP? Google’s search results page: a mix of paid ads, smart tools, and traditional website links. We describe the SERP anatomy and how it relates to SEO.
What is a SERP? Anatomy of Google’s search results page Read More »
WordPress powers over 40% of the web, making it the biggest target for hackers, automated bots, and brute-force attacks. While a single security plugin helps, relying on just one layer of defense leaves your site vulnerable and can drain your server’s resources.
The ultimate WordPress security stack that costs nothing: Cloudflare + Wordfence Read More »
Some of the settings for your WordPress website are harder to find than others, which is the case with the ones that govern the maximum size of a file you can upload to your site. The file size limit is determined by your web hosting server’s PHP configuration settings, which WordPress reports on but doesn’t control.
By the end of this you’ll know exactly which setting is stopping you, how to raise it on your host, and — the part that saves the most time — how to tell when the limit isn’t WordPress’s to raise at all.
How to increase the WordPress upload file size limit Read More »
Are you a WordPress newbie who has been advised to install a plugin, but you’re not completely sure you understand what that means? Fear not, intrepid WordPress warrior, we’ve got your answer here. There is no topic too small or question too basic for us at WP4Newbies. And fear not, because we don’t just describe one way to install a plugin, but three!
In your path to getting online, you need to nail down two things before anything else. You will need to choose your site’s web host and domain name. You can’t start using WordPress at all until these decisions are settled. Luckily, many web hosts include a free domain name with every new subscription, including those we specifically endorse below. In that case you don’t need a domain name pre-purchased so much as researched and selected. In this article you will learn how to research and select a domain name that will boost your online credibility, and how to evaluate a web host on all the qualifications that are important. We’re hitting the ground running.
How to research, evaluate, and choose your site’s web host and domain name Read More »
There are slightly less than 60,000 plugins available for download in WordPress’s official plugin directory. They are its “secret sauce” and the reason for its dominance as a CMS. Needless to say, plugins are beloved. But they’re also a security risk and they can slow down your website. That’s why you should follow these three essential tips for using plugins in WordPress.
Three essential rules for using WordPress plugins Read More »
Imagine this scenario: You’ve heard a lot of good things about a platform called WordPress, that powers nearly half the websites on the internet, and you want to check it out and try it for yourself. You’re not a web developer or techie, though, so you do a Google search and discover there are two almost identical websites claiming to be WordPress: WordPress.org and WordPress.com. Neither one clearly explains what the difference between them is or why you should choose one over the other. What do you do?
WordPress.org vs WordPress.com: which one do you actually need? Read More »
On the WordPress dashboard, under Settings, there is a page called Permalinks. The page contains six radio buttons representing different ways you can structure you site’s permalinks. There is no explanation of why you would choose one option over another, and more importantly, there is no indication that this is an important issue. It is, and this post will tell you how to set permalinks up on your site.
How to set up WordPress permalinks, and why you should Read More »
WordPress has a bit of a public relations problem. And a Trademark problem. And a conflict-of-interests problem. With so many problems it’s amazing that it’s been able to rise to the level it has in forming the foundation of nearly half of the world’s websites. It makes you wonder what the platform actually could achieve if it didn’t have people on the inside chipping away at its potential. What am I talking about? Keep reading, Is WordPress in Trouble?
Who actually owns WordPress, and what it means for you Read More »
