Do you want to create compact archives on your WordPress website?
If you have been blogging for a few years, then the list of your posts might have become too long to fit in your WordPress sidebar. This will make your sidebar look cluttered which won’t be good for your site presentation
In this article, we’ll show you how to easily create compact archives in WordPress.
Why Do You Need Compact Archives in WordPress?
Adding an archive in WordPress allows you to easily display your previously published content on your website for users to go through.
By default, WordPress offers an ‘Archives’ block and widget that can be added to the sidebar of your WordPress blog.
However, the ‘Archives’ block only allows you to display your archives as a long list or a dropdown menu.
A list will make your site look cluttered while a dropdown can be easily overlooked by users as it isn’t as noticeable.
By creating compact archives, you can easily display your archives in the WordPress sidebar without taking up much space. You can also display them on your about page or even create a dedicated Archives section.
That being said, let’s take a look at how to easily add compact archives in WordPress.
Now, the plugin offers three styles to display compact archives on your website.
Style 1. Relaxed three-letter month initials
Style 2. Compact Monthly Initials
Style 3. Numeric Block
There are multiple ways to easily display compact archives on your website.
In this tutorial, we will be showing you all four methods and you can choose the one that you like the most.
Method 1. Add Compact Archives in WordPress Posts or Pages
It is super easy to add compact archives to your WordPress page or post because the plugin comes with an easy-to-use block that you can add to your post or page.
For this tutorial, we will be creating a new page for compact archives.
Simply head over to the Pages » Add New page from the admin sidebar. Once a new page opens up in the block editor, you can start by typing a name for your page.
Next, you need to click the ‘Add Block’ (+) button at the top and search for the ‘WPBeginner’s Compact Archvies’ block.
Upon locating it, simply click on the block to add it to your page.
Next, you need to choose a style for your archives from the Block Settings panel on the right corner of the screen.
Simply choose a style of your liking from the dropdown menu below the ‘Select Archive Type’ option.
You can also choose if you want your archive text to be capitalized or Uppercase.
For that, you need to open the dropdown menu below the ‘Transform Text’ option.
Once you’re satisfied with your choice, simply click the ‘Publish’ or ‘Update’ button at the top.
This is how your archives page will look.
Method 2. Add Compact Archives as a Widget
You can also display your archive as a widget on your website.
Adding the Compact Archives Block in Full Site Editor
If you’re using a block-based theme on your website, then you’ll have to add the ‘ WPBeginners’ Compact Archives’ block using the full site editor.
First, you need to visit the Appearance » Editor page from the admin sidebar to launch the FSE.
From here, you need to click the ‘Add Block’ (+) button on the top-left corner of the screen to open up the block menu.
Next, you need to simply locate and add the ‘WPBeginner’s Compact Archvies’ block to your preferred place on the website.
Once you add the block, you can configure its’ style and text settings from the Block Settings panel on the right.
Finally, don’t forget to click on the ‘Save’ button at the top to store your settings.’
Your compact archives will look like this.
Adding the Compact Archives Block Using Widgets
If you’re not using a block-based theme, then this method is for you.
First, you need to visit the Appearance » Widgets page from the admin sidebar.
Once there, simply click the ‘Sidebar’ tab to expand it.
Now, you need to click the ‘Add Block’ (+) button in the sidebar tab.
This will open up the ‘Widget Block Menu’ where you need to search for the ‘WPBeginner’s Compact Archive’ block.
Upon locating it, simply click the block to add it in the sidebar section.
Once the ‘Compact Archives’ block is added you can change the style and text of your archive by configuring the settings from the Block Settings panel on the right.
Don’t forget to click the ‘Update’ button at the top to save your changes.
This is how your website sidebar will look upon adding the ‘Compact Archvies’ block.
Method 3. Displaying Compact Archives in Template Files
For example, $style == 'initial' will display only month name initials and should fit right inside a sidebar. Using$style == 'block', will fit the main column of a page. Using $style == 'numeric', will display numeric months.
Method 4. Add Compact Archives to Your HTML Sitemap
First, you will need to install and activate the All in One SEO for WordPress plugin. For more details see our article on how to install a WordPress plugin.
All in One SEO is the best WordPress SEO plugin on the market. It allows you to easily optimize your website for search engines.
It also comes with an HTML sitemap feature that allows you to easily add an HTML sitemap to your WordPress site.
It is a premium plugin but you can also use the free version called All in One SEO Lite. The free version has fewer features but it includes HTML sitemaps.
Once finished, you now need to visit the All in One SEO » Sitemaps page from the admin sidebar.
From here, you need to click on the ‘HTML Sitemap’ tab and make sure that the ‘Enable Sitemap’ toggle is turned on.
Next, you need to choose how you want to display your HTML sitemap.
For this tutorial, we will be choosing the ‘Gutenberg Block’ option.
If you choose this method, then you’ll have to add the “AIOSEO – HTML Sitemap” block to any page where you wish to display your HTML sitemap.
Next, you need to scroll down to the ‘Compact Archives’ option in the ‘HTML Sitemap Settings’ section.
Here, you need to simply toggle the ‘Compact Archives’ switch to ‘Enabled’.
Now your HTML sitemap will be displayed in a compact date archive format.
Finally, don’t forget to click on the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your settings.
Next, open up a page where you want to display the HTML sitemap from the admin sidebar.
From here, simply click on the ‘Add Block’ (+) button at the top and then add the ‘AIOSEO-HTML Sitemap’ block to your page.
Finally, don’t forget to click the ‘Publish’ or ‘Update’ button to save your changes.
Your compact archives HTML Sitemap will look like this.
We hope this article helped you learn how to easily create compact archives in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on how to easily create an email newsletter in WordPress and our top picks of the best social media plugins to help promote your website.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Do you want to display your Facebook page reviews in WordPress?
Reviews and ratings can help you gain the trust of potential customers and encourage them to buy from your website. If you have a Facebook page, then you may already have lots of reviews that you can easily embed in your WordPress website.
In this article, we will show how to display Facebook page reviews and ratings on your WordPress website.
Why Should You Display Facebook Page Reviews in WordPress?
Reviews can help you build social proof and gain the trust of your visitors, which means more sales for your business.
However, Facebook has its own built-in review system. If you already have a Facebook page, then followers can review your products and services on that platform.
It’s also a good idea to show these reviews on your WordPress website. That way, people can see all your positive reviews, even if they don’t visit your Facebook page.
With that in mind, let’s see how to display your Facebook page reviews in WordPress.
How to Display Your Facebook Page Reviews in WordPress
The best way to add Facebook reviews to your WordPress website is by using Smash Balloon’s Reviews Feed Pro.
Reviews Feed Pro is the best customer review plugin for WordPress, and it lets you show reviews from Facebook, Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor without having to install any extra WordPress plugins.
Even better, the feed will update automatically as customers post new reviews to your Facebook page. This means potential customers will always see the latest reviews without you needing to add them manually.
Reviews Feed Pro also copies your site’s design and WordPress theme, so the Facebook reviews look like a natural part of your website rather than content embedded from an external social media platform.
Set Up the Reviews Feed Pro Plugin
First, you will need to install and activate the plugin. If you need help, then please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
Upon activation, click on Reviews Feed in the left-hand menu. You can now add the Reviews Feed Pro license key and click on the ‘Activate’ button.
You will find the license key in your account on the Smash Balloon website.
Connect Smash Balloon to Your Facebook Page
Now, you are ready to connect your Facebook page to your WordPress blog. This may sound complicated, but Reviews Feed Pro will walk you through the process.
To get started, go to Reviews Feed » All Feeds and click on ‘Add New’.
To display your Facebook page reviews, go ahead and click on ‘Facebook’. Then, select ‘Connect with Facebook’.
With that done, select the radio button next to ‘Page’.
Then, just click ‘Connect to Facebook’.
This opens a popup where you can log in to your Facebook account and choose one or more pages where you will get the reviews from.
After that, simply click on ‘Next’.
Facebook will now show all the information that Smash Balloon will have access to and the actions it can perform.
To restrict Smash Balloon’s access to your Facebook page, just click any switch to turn it from ‘Yes’ to ‘No’.
Just be aware this may affect the reviews that appear on your WordPress website. That said, it’s a good idea to leave all the switches enabled.
When you are happy with how the Facebook permissions are set up, select ‘Done’.
After a few moments, you will see a message confirming that you have connected your WordPress blog to your Facebook page.
When that’s done, just click on the ‘OK’ button.
Reviews Feed Pro will now take you back to the WordPress dashboard automatically.
Create a Facebook Review Feed for WordPress
You are now ready to create a feed showing all the reviews from your Facebook page.
Simply check the box next to your Facebook page and then click ‘Next’.
You can now choose the template you want to use for your page reviews. For example, you may want to highlight a single review or show multiple reviews in a masonry layout.
After making a decision, click on ‘Next’.
Smash Balloon will now go ahead and create the feed and then open it in the editor, ready for you to customize.
Customizing Your Facebook Review Feed
Smash Balloon automatically copies your site’s design, so the feed should already fit perfectly with your WordPress theme. However, you can fine-tune every part of the feed to get exactly the design you want.
The editor shows a live preview of your review feed to the right. On the left is a menu that shows the different settings you can use to change how the Facebook reviews look.
Most of these settings are self-explanatory, but we will quickly look at the major areas. To get started, click on ‘Layout’ in the left-hand menu.
Here, you can choose from a Grid, Masonry, or Carousel layout.
As you click on the different options, the live preview will automatically update to show the new layout. In this way, you can try different layouts to see what looks the best.
You can also change the spacing, how many Facebook reviews to display in the feed, and the number of characters WordPress shows from each review.
As you make changes, remember the feed may look different on smartphones and tablets compared to desktop computers.
With that in mind, it’s a good idea to test the mobile version of your review feed using the row of buttons in the right-hand corner. In this way, you can create a Facebook review feed that looks just as good on smartphones and tablets as it does on desktop computers.
If you use the Carousel layout to create a responsive slider, then you can change how the reviews scroll using the ‘Pagination’ settings.
For example, you can enable autoplay so that the reviews scroll automatically or make the interval longer so that customers have more time to read each Facebook review.
When you are happy with these changes, just click on the small arrow next to ‘Customize’.
This takes you back to the main settings screen.
The next option is ‘Header’, which controls the text that appears at the top of your Facebook review feed.
By default, Smash Balloon shows a ‘Review’ headline, your average star rating, the total number of reviews, and a ‘Write a review’ button.
To remove a piece of content, simply uncheck any of the Heading, Button, or Average Review Rating boxes.
Another option is to change the padding and margins using the settings under ‘Element Header Spacing’.
Do you want to customize the header text? Then simply click on Heading, Button, or Average Review Rating, depending on the content you want to change.
You can also replace the default text with your own custom messaging by typing into the ‘Content’ field.
After making these changes, simply click on the ‘Header’ link to return to the previous screen.
The default Facebook header provides some useful context while also encouraging visitors to write their own reviews.
For that reason, we recommend leaving the header enabled. However, if you prefer, then you can remove the header by clicking the ‘Enable’ toggle.
Ready to return to the main editor screen?
Then simply click on the ‘Customize’ link.
The next setting is ‘Reviews’, so give this option a click.
Here, you can choose between ‘Post Style’ and ‘Edit Individual Elements’.
If you select ‘Post Style’, then you can change how the individual reviews look inside the feed.
For example, you can switch to a boxed layout, add a box shadow, and change the corner radius to create curved edges.
As always, the preview will update automatically, so you can try different settings to see what looks the best.
When you are happy with how the feed looks, simply click on the ‘Reviews’ link to return to the previous screen.
This time, select ‘Edit Individual Elements’. You will now see all the different content that Reviews Feed Pro includes in each review, such as the rating, author and date, images, and review text.
You can add and remove this content to show exactly the information that visitors need to see. To do this, simply check and uncheck the different boxes.
You can also customize the different content by clicking on it.
For example, in the following image, we have changed the color and size of the review content, known as the ‘Review Paragraph’. In this way, you can draw the visitor’s attention toward the most important information.
When you are happy with how the feed looks, click on ‘Customize’ to return to the main Smash Balloon editor.
You can now select ‘Load More Button’.
The ‘Load More’ button allows visitors to see more reviews, so Smash Balloon adds it to your feed by default. Since it’s such an important button, you may want to make it stand out by changing the background color, hover state, label, margins, and more.
You can also replace the default ‘Load More’ text with your own messaging by typing into the ‘Text’ field.
If you prefer, then you can remove the button by clicking the ‘Enable’ toggle. In this way, you can encourage people to visit your Facebook page in order to read more reviews.
Customize the Facebook Page Review Settings
When you are happy with how the Facebook review feed looks, you may want to change its settings. They allow you to reorganize the reviews that appear on your site and moderate the content using filters. You can even pick individual reviews to show in the Facebook feed.
To see the available options, select the ‘Settings’ tab.
First, you may want to reorganize the reviews by selecting ‘Sort’.
Here, you can organize reviews based on date or rating.
After choosing one of these options, you will get access to some additional settings.
For example, if you enable the ‘By Rating’ slider, then you can choose whether to show the highest or lowest-rated reviews first.
Another option is to show reviews at random by clicking the ‘Randomize’ slider.
This can be a way to keep the feed interesting, even for regular visitors.
When you are happy with the order, click on the ‘Settings’ link.
This takes you back to the main ‘Settings’ tab.
Next, you may want to filter the reviews that appear on your website by selecting ‘Filters’.
To start, you can choose whether to show reviews that have a certain star rating.
In this way, you can show the best reviews to potential customers and get more sales. However, if you only display positive reviews, then some visitors may see you as less trustworthy, which can damage your conversion rates.
You can also filter reviews based on their content. For example, you may want to hide all reviews that include the name of your biggest competitor or offensive language.
Another option is to only show reviews that feature a specific word or phrase. For instance, if you are creating a landing page for a particular WooCommerce product, then you might only show reviews that mention the product.
To set up either of these filters, simply type the blacklisted or whitelisted words into the ‘By Words’ section.
With that done, click on the ‘Settings’ link.
The final option is ‘Moderation’, which allows you to pick the individual reviews you want to show to visitors. This gives you complete control over the Facebook review feed.
After selecting ‘Moderation’, you can choose between ‘Allow List’ or ‘Block List’.
If you select ‘Allow List,’ then you can check the box next to each review you want to show. If you choose ‘Block List’ instead, then you can check the box for every review you want to hide.
Are you happy with how the review feed is set up?
Then go ahead and click on ‘Save’ to store your changes.
With that done, you are ready to add the reviews to your WordPress website.
How to Add Facebook Page Reviews in WordPress
You can now add the review feed to your online store, blog, or website using either a block, widget, or shortcode.
If you have created more than one feed using Reviews Feed Pro, then you will need to know the feed’s shortcode before you can use the widget or block.
To get this information, head over to Reviews Feed » All Feeds and then look at the value under ‘Shortcode’. You will need to add this code to the block or widget, so make a note of it.
If you want to embed the feed in a post or page, then we recommend using the Smash Balloon Reviews Feed block.
Just open the page or post where you want to show your Facebook page reviews. Then, click on the ‘+’ icon to add a new block and start typing ‘Reviews Feed’.
The block will show one of your review feeds by default. If you want to show a different feed, then find the ‘Shortcode Settings’ in the right-hand menu.
Here, simply add the shortcode you got earlier, and then click on ‘Apply Changes’.
If you are happy with how the review feed looks, then you can go ahead and publish or update the page.
Another option is to add the Reviews Feed widget to your website. This is a great way to show positive customer reviews on every page and post. For example, you might add the widget to the sidebar or WordPress footer.
To add the Reviews Feed widget to your site, head over to Appearance » Widgets. You can then click on the blue ‘+’ icon towards the top of the screen.
In the panel that appears, type in ‘Reviews Feed’ to find the right widget.
Then, simply drag the widget onto the area where you want to show the reviews, such as the sidebar or similar section.
The widget will automatically show one of the feeds you created using the Reviews Feed plugin. If this isn’t the feed you want to display, then type the feed’s shortcode into the ‘Shortcode Settings’ box.
Are you using a block theme? Then you can use the full site editor to add the Reviews Feed block anywhere on your website. This includes areas you can’t edit using the standard WordPress content editor, such as your site’s 404 page template.
In the WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance » Editor.
By default, the full site editor shows your theme’s home template, but you can add the review feed to any template or template part, such as the footer.
To see all the available options, select either ‘Templates’ or ‘Template Parts’.
You can now click on the template or template part you want to edit.
As an example, we will add the review feed to a 404 page template, but the steps will be exactly the same no matter which template you choose.
After selecting a template, WordPress will show a preview of the template or template part.
To add your Facebook page reviews to this template, click on the small pencil icon.
With that done, click on the blue ‘+’ icon in the top left corner.
In the search bar, type in ‘Reviews Feed’.
When the right block appears, drag and drop it onto the theme template.
As always, Reviews Feed will show a feed by default. To change this feed, simply add the shortcode following the same process described above.
Bonus: How to Add Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor Reviews
Displaying your Facebook page reviews in WordPress is a great start. However, there are many different places where customers may review your business online.
Depending on your industry, you may get more reviews on other platforms besides Facebook. For example, if you have a restaurant website or run a bed and breakfast, then it often makes sense to show reviews from TripAdvisor.
With Smash Balloon Reviews Feed Pro, you can show reviews from TripAdvisor, Google, and more, without installing any extra plugins.
Simply create a new feed following the process described above. When you get to the ‘Create a Review Feed’ screen, select ‘Add New’.
In the popup that appears, simply select the platform where you want to get reviews from, such as Google or TripAdvisor.
Then, select the ‘Next’ button.
After that, Smash Balloon Reviews Feed Pro will guide you through the process of connecting WordPress to your chosen platform.
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Using plenty of high-quality visuals is essential if you want to keep online users engaged with your website’s content. However, if you’re not careful, heavy and fixed image files can hinder your site’s performance and create a poor user experience (UX) on certain devices. In turn, this can discourage visitors from spending time on your pages. The good news is you can use adaptive images for WordPress to prevent this from happening.
WordPress coming soon Plugins are truly useful when you want to build up excitement to a new website or a product launch. Users who visit the site pre-launch will see a coming soon page instead of the regular site content, often complete with website/product info and a countdown to launch day. To help you build the perfect coming soon page, we’ve curated this list of the eight best WordPress coming soon plugins.
Forums are a great tool to foster discussion and connection on the internet. With some of the best WordPress Forum plugins out there, it is easier than ever to create your own online community.
In this post, we’ll provide you with our list of the most helpful WordPress forum plugins to help you get a forum up and running on your site.
Key Features of the Best Forum Plugins (What to Look For)
For those looking to create an online community, WordPress is a great platform to build on. When looking for a forum plugin, it needs to be able to do the job well. Look for these features of the best forum plugins:
User Accounts and Dashboards: User registration and management should be simple and efficient so users can register an account with ease and you can track user activity, receive real-time updates, and engage with the community.
Customization of Styles and Layouts: Look for a forum plugin with a wide range of customization options to help you create a forum that matches your brand’s style and layout, from color schemes to custom fonts.
Advanced Moderation Tools: To keep forums clean and spam-free, look for plugins with a variety of moderation tools that allow administrators to manage the content of their forums, including features like moderation queues, flags, and automatic spam filters.
Simple to Use: You want a simple forum that does not inhibit a community from growing, with a user-friendly interface and clear navigation to help users find what they’re looking for and participate in the community with ease.
Option to Subscribe to Topics and Receive Notifications: Subscribing to topic notifications is an essential feature for keeping users engaged with the forum. Participation is key in keeping the forum interesting and worth visiting.
Compatibility: Make sure your forum plugin is compatible with essential plugins and themes you will use on your site.
The Best WordPress Forum Plugins
Most would agree that the two most popular WordPress forum plugins are bbPress and BuddyPress. Although these plugins are free and provide a core foundation for building forums, they are often used with other themes and plugins to get a more polished design and user experience. Some of the best membership plugins and LMS plugins have built-in forums using bbPress and BuddyPress integration. So, we’ve expanded our list to include other plugins and themes that can help you build online communities with the tools you need.
Here they are:
1. Answers by Creative Minds (CM Answers)
Answers by Creative Minds (a.k.a. CM Answers) is a Q&A-style WordPress forum plugin designed to help you build engaging communities around answering questions. Its forum-like layout and functions focus on questions versus topics—making it perfect for creating a Stack Exchange/Quora-style forum. The basic free version has enough features to start, but the pro version is what makes Answers a great choice for building forums.
Key Features for CM Answers:
Forum topic views and answer counters
Forum-related email notifications for administrators and users
Sorting options in the question and answer pages
The forum template can be easily customized
Ability to monetize forums with PayPal/Stripe integrations
Not only is CM Answers a great tool for building a Q&A-style forum, but it also offers unique features that set it apart from other forum plugins. For instance, website owners can use it to replace the commenting system on regular blog posts (without the need for a comment plugin). And, the forums can be monetized which is an ideal choice for thought leaders and bloggers who want to create a paid community around their offerings.
CM Answers is for you if you…
Need a total Q&A forum solution
Have been kicking around the idea of creating a paid community (similar to a paid Facebook Group or Discord server)
ForumEngine is a WordPress theme that makes it easy to turn your site into a discussion forum. Yes, theme. We’ve included it for those who may want a complete forum solution (or website) without having to build and design one yourself. A theme may be of particular interest to those who want to run a community forum on a separate WordPress installation on a sub-domain or in a root folder (eg. community.example.com or example.com/community).
Key Features of ForumEngine:
Frontend style customizer with other frontend controls
Adaptive design for mobile use
User badges and achievements
Live notification system
Translation support
One of its standout features is its detailed styling function, which gives you complete control over the look and feel of your forum. That, and individual users can customize styling their way with a front-end styler.
ForumEngine is for you if you…
Have the flexibility to use a theme versus a plugin for your forum solution
Want to pay a low Lifetime (LTD) price for the software
Like an active developer who listens to feedback and posts updates regularly
bbPress is an incredibly popular WordPress plugin that makes it easy to add a forum to your site. Developed by some of the same team behind WordPress.org (the open-source project)—bbPress has an air of familiarity that is classically WordPress. We like that it seamlessly integrates with membership plugins like MemberPress and Paid Memberships Pro so that you can easily add a forum to your membership site. It even integrates with Lifter LMS to create a community forum for your online course as well.
Extend your forum with numerous free, third-party plugins
Allow users to subscribe to topics and specific forums
The key feature and advantage of bbPress are that it is completely free and open-source. This means that you can go to the website and download the plugin without having to worry about any upsells or hidden costs. And since it is developed to the highest standards, free and open source feels pretty good.
bbPress is for you if you…
Want a lightweight and reliable forum plugin
Want a free solution that works without a lot of design options
Use a membership or LMS plugin that already has built-in integration for it.
Asgaros Forum is a lightweight and straightforward WordPress plugin that makes it easy to add a forum to existing websites. It’s designed to provide all the basic features of a forum without getting bogged down in unnecessary features and bloat, making it an ideal choice for websites that need a small and simple forum.
Key Features of Asgaros Forum:
Users create profiles that come with notifications and personal feeds
Users have access to media uploads within the forum
Forum statistics and analytics
Guests can guest-post within forums
Moderation system for approval processes and forum banning
Compatible with Multisite
One of the great features of Asgaros Forum is its moderation tools. Moderators have deep visibility about who is online (in real-time), which makes it easy to keep an eye on what’s happening in the forum. Additionally, the plugin offers a simple admin page with topic/user monitoring, usage reporting, and moderation tools.
Asgaros Forum is for you if you…
Need a forum solution that can be added to an existing website
Want just enough features to open up a forum but not too many to manage
wpForo is a comprehensive and user-friendly forum plugin for WordPress. It allows site owners to easily create modern forums where their users can participate, ask questions, answer, up-vote, and subscribe to topics. This plugin brings everything you need to run an efficient and professional community, including a powerful and beautiful forum with unique features. The core features of the plugin are free, but if you need more, some affordable add-ons allow you to integrate WooCommerce memberships, GIPHY, private messaging, and many more.
Key Features for wpForo:
Easy drag-and-drop forum management system for admins
Member ratings and badges
Built-in forum sitemap, forum SEO tools, and caching system
Six end-user forum styles, including dark mode
Four forum layouts and designs
Built-in topic and forum subscription
One of the reasons why many users prefer wpForo over other forum plugins is its modern design. Other forum solutions can tend to look dated (plus forums are hard to style anyways). It includes four major layout styles for site admins to use and six styles (sometimes called skins) that individual users can use to customize their experience (including dark mode!).
Engage your community even more with gamification and reward points to users for getting likes and up-votes using MyCred plugin integration.
wpForo is for you if you…
want a modern-looking forum option out of the box
Enjoy the core features and don’t mind paying for the occasion extension/add-on
WP Discussion Board – WordPress Forum Plugin is a user-friendly and practical solution for those looking to add a forum to their WordPress site. With a simple setup and a form-driven front-end design, this plugin is accessible to users with no prior WordPress knowledge.
Key Features of Discussion Board:
User management for forum administrators
Frontend user self-serve and management
Spam reduction tools
Shortcode library to show forum on other pages and posts
Designed to look beautiful and work with any theme
The Discussion Board offers a minimalist and modern forum that can be placed anywhere on your WordPress website. The user registration process is streamlined and effortless. Overall, Discussion Board is easy to look at which isn’t the case with every forum plugin out there.
Discussion Board is for you if you…
Like the idea of using form submissions as part of the forum experience
Need dedicated moderation and spam protection tools built-in
WP Discussion Board Pricing: Free; Paid plans start at $49 per year
BuddyPress is a powerful plugin developed by the same team behind bbPress and WordPress. It goes in a slightly different direction than bbPress in that it can transform your website into a social media network. BuddyPress can work with any WordPress theme to help you create an online community complete with user profiles, messaging, and networking options. It’s ideal for business owners and bloggers who want to build a community around their content and product.
Key Features for BuddyPress:
Users can control profile visibility
Admins can create custom profile fields
Friendships and friend connections
Public and private messaging
Customizable emails
Forums are often great for creating community. BuddyPress goes the extra mile and brings social networking functionality directly into a WordPress website. It offers an exciting alternative to traditional forums and comment plugins with less emphasis on “staying on topic” and more emphasis on community engagement.
BuddyPress is for you if you…
Like the idea of building a social network for your users directly on your site
Want community engagement that goes beyond forums
Don’t mind the extra setup that is entailed in creating social features
Sabai Discuss is a premium WordPress plugin that offers a unique take on forums. It combines the best of both worlds by offering both a discussion stream and a question-and-answer tool, making it ideal for those who want to create a community-driven Q&A website, a discussion forum, a knowledge base, or even a helpdesk portal.
Key Features for Sabai Discuss:
Discussion Stream makes it easy to stay on top of new activities with a streamlined information feed
Voting engine for threads within the forum
Upvote or downvote questions
Moderation system with user reporting
Forum users can use the frontend markdown editor
One of the standout features of Sabai Discuss is its attractive and easy-to-read interface. It’s designed to look like a Q&A platform like Quora or Stack Overflow, and it does so in a way that’s both functional and visually appealing. This makes it a great choice for those who want a forum that feels modern and engaging.
Sabai Discuss is for you if you…
Enjoy purchasing products from Envato Marketplace
Need a Q&A-based forum setup
Sabai Discuss Pricing: $24 (LTD) with 6 months of support
Simple:Press is a feature-packed WordPress forum plugin that offers a sleek and customizable interface. Its threads are clean and have simple colors that complement your website’s content. The free version is fairly basic, but you can enhance its functionalities by purchasing a premium plan. Ideal for businesses that are planning for very large and complicated communities.
Key Features for Simple:Press:
Sub-forum support
Forum ranking and badges
User-defined signatures
Upload avatars or use Gravatar or WordPress avatar
Forum statistics for the admin
Member profile options for users
Monetization potential
Simple:Press touts itself as an enterprise solution. If you are looking for a robust and complex community forum, Simple:Press aims to be the ideal plugin for your needs.
Simple:Press is for you if you…
Have enterprise-level dreams for your community
Don’t mind paying a pretty penny for advanced features
Want a modern-looking forum
Simple:Press Pricing: Free; Paid plans start at $199 per year
Our list of the best WordPress forum plugins provides you with a glance into what’s available to you as you build your online forum. Should you want to monetize your community, you can consider using bbPress with a membership plugin like MemberPress or Paid Memberships Pro. Or you can use CM Answers or Simple:Press .
If you are after a forum theme, check out Forum Engine as it is a complete forum built into a theme instead of a plugin.
When choosing any plugin on WordPress, it is important to look at features and pricing carefully. This means paying very careful attention to what is (and isn’t) offered with each pricing tier. WordPress offers many great free and cheap options for forum plugins. Enjoy building your community.
Featured Image via M. Ageng sumantri /Â shutterstock.com
Do you want to enable customer tracking in WooCommerce?
Customer tracking allows you to offer a personalized shopping experience based on customer behavior in your eCommerce store.
In this article, we will show you how to easily enable customer tracking in WooCommerce with Google Analytics.
Why Enable Customer Tracking in WooCommerce with Google Analytics?
Google Analytics allows you to see where your visitors are coming from and what they do on your website. In other words, it helps you track your traffic sources as well as user engagement on your website.
For eCommerce platforms, Google Analytics offers an enhanced eCommerce tracking feature. This allows you to better understand users’ shopping and checkout behavior. Plus, you can see which products perform the best and track your WooCommerce store’s sales performance.
By default, a WooCommerce store allows your customers to create an account or checkout as guest users. Creating an account helps the user save their shipping and billing information for faster checkout next time. It also helps you offer customers a personalized shopping experience based on their browsing and shopping history.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could track logged-in users with their user IDs in Google Analytics and also see the path customers took before making a purchase?
This will give you access to a treasure trove of information and insights on customer behavior. You can use it to offer a better on-site experience and boost your sales.
Let’s take a look at how to easily enable customer tracking in WooCommerce. Here are quick links that you can use to jump ahead to any section:
Set up Ecommerce Tracking in WordPress with Google Analytics
The best way to set up WooCommerce customer tracking in Google Analytics is using MonsterInsights. It is the best analytics solution for WordPress and helps you set up tracking without editing code.
If you use the native method for tracking WooCommerce conversions, then you’ll need to edit the tracking code, use Google Tag Manager, or both. This can be tricky for beginners, and the slightest mistake can mess up your analytics data.
The MonsterInsights plugin offers an eCommerce addon, which automatically detects WooCommerce and starts tracking customer behavior in Google Analytics. It also comes with a Customer Journey addon that allows you to see users’ behavior before they make a purchase.
First, you will need to install and activate the MonsterInsights plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
You will need to be on the ‘Pro’ plan to access the eCommerce and User Journey addons, which we will use for this tutorial. However, there is also a MonsterInsights Lite version you can use for free.
Upon activation, you will see the welcome screen and the setup wizard. Simply click the ‘Launch the Wizard’ button and follow the on-screen instructions.
Once you’ve configured Google Analytics on your website, the next step is to install the eCommerce addon.
The addon automatically sets up eCommerce tracking on your website and detects your WooCommerce store.
First, you need to visit the Insights » Addons page from your WordPress dashboard and navigate to the ‘eCommerce’ addon. Simply click the ‘Install’ button, and the addon will automatically activate.
That’s it! MonsterInsights will take care of the rest once the addon is active.
Now that you’ve set up WooCommerce tracking in Google Analytics, the next step is to enable the MonsterInsights Customer Journey addon.
The addon will allow you to see the steps a customer takes before making a purchase in WooCommerce. Plus, it also shows the time it took at each step, the pages a user visited, and more.
First, you’ll need to go to Insights » Addons from your WordPress admin panel. Next, navigate to the User Journey addon and click the ‘Install’ button.
The addon will automatically activate and start tracking your WooCommerce customer’s journey.
Next, you can go to WooCommerce » Orders from your WordPress dashboard to view the path your customers took when purchasing a product.
After that, click on the order for which you’d like to see the user journey.
On the next screen, you’ll see the path a customer took before buying the product. You get to view the pages they visited, where they clicked, and how much time they spent on a page.
This is really useful information to better understand your customers. You can see which product categories are performing the best and where customers are exiting your store during the purchase process. Using the data, you can then fix these issues and optimize your site for more conversions.
Enabling User ID Tracking in Google Analytics
While MonsterInsights makes it very easy to track customers on your WooCommerce store, it also tracks WordPress ID tracking in Google Analytics.
WordPress ID is a unique ID to identify every user on your website. The user ID is called the ‘Client ID’ in Universal Analytics and the ‘App Instance ID’ in Google Analytics.
Do remember that enhanced eCommerce tracking will enable eCommerce reporting features for your WooCommerce store. However, it does not enable user tracking by default.
Let’s take a look at how you can enable user ID tracking in Google Analytics 4.
Enabling Customer Tracking in Google Analytics 4
To start, you’ll need to go to the Admin settings from your GA4 dashboard and click the ‘Reporting Identity’ option.
On the next screen, you will need to select a way to identify users on your online store.
GA4 uses multiple ways to identify customers. These include user ID, Google signals, device ID, and modeled data. For the sake of this tutorial, we’ll select the ‘Observed’ option and click the ‘Save’ button.
Viewing Customer Tracking Reports in Google Analytics
Now that everything is set up, Google Analytics will now track all your website customers. It will also be able to track logged-in users with their unique WordPress user ID.
View User ID Data in Google Analytics 4
You can view GA4 eCommerce tracking WooCommerce data by going to the ‘Explore’ tab from the menu on your left.
Under Explorations, you’ll see different report templates. Simply click the existing ‘User explorer’ report.
Next, you’ll see the User explorer report in Google Analytics 4.
One thing you can notice is the Client ID will be replaced with the App instance ID.
You can click on any of the app instance IDs to view more details.
For example, the report shows the total events that were triggered, the location of the user, the time stamp for each event, and more.
View User ID Data in Universal Analytics
Note: Universal Analytics has now sunset and is no longer processing data from your website. However, you can still view past data and use it for comparison.
To view all your individual customer activity, you can go to your Universal Analytics account and click on the Audience » User Explorer menu.
You will see individual customer reports with a unique ID assigned to all non-logged-in users.
To view customer tracking reports for logged-in users in WooCommerce, you need to click on the Google Analytics logo on the top left corner of the screen.
This will show all your Google Analytics profiles. You will see your website profile and under ‘All website data’ you will see the UserID reporting view you created earlier.
Go ahead and click on the UserID reporting view to load it.
Once it’s loaded, you need to click on the Audience » User Explorer menu. This way, you will see a logged-in customer tracking report where each user is represented by their WordPress user ID on your website.
You can click on the user ID to view a customer’s individual tracking data.
For instance, the device category they use, acquisition date, the channel they used to arrive on the online store, and more.
Matching Customer Tracking with Their WordPress Accounts
Now that you’ve identified users in Google Analytics, you can match them with WordPress accounts. This will help you know who this customer is, and how you can create personalized offers, emails, or shopping experiences for them.
First, you need to note down the customer ID you see in your Google Analytics User-ID reporting view.
After that, go to your WordPress website’s admin area and click on the ‘Users’ menu. It will show you a list of all users on your WordPress site.
Next, you can click the ‘Edit’ link below any username in the list.
WordPress will now open the user profile for you.
If you look in your browser’s address bar you will ‘user_id’ parameter in the URL.
Next, you need to replace the value next to user_id with the one you copied from your Google Analytics report and press enter key on your keyboard.
WordPress will now load the user profile associated with that particular User ID. You now have the customer’s name, username, email address, and social media information. You can also track their orders, product views, cart activity, and more.
We hope this article helped you learn how to enable customer tracking in WooCommerce with Google Analytics. You may also want to see our expert pick of the best free WooCommerce plugins for your online store and how to get a free email domain.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Are you looking to enable or activate plugins from the WordPress database?
If you are unable to access your WordPress admin area and need to activate a plugin to restore your access, then you can do that from the WordPress database.
In this article, we will show you how to easily activate your WordPress plugins using the database.
When Should You Activate WordPress Plugins Using Database
However in some situations, a website owner may need to activate certain plugins to restore access to their WordPress website.
For example, let’s assume an error is stopping you from accessing your WordPress dashboard, and you have found a plugin that can fix that error.
Luckily, WordPress stores the active plugins information in your WordPress database. This means you can manually enter this information directly in the database and tell WordPress to activate a plugin.
The only condition is that the plugin must be installed on your WordPress site. Which means that it should be present in the plugins folder on your WordPress website.
With that being said, let’s see how you can easily enable/activate a plugin using the database.
Step 1. Find Your Database Name Using the Hosting Control Panel
To activate your WordPress plugins using phpMyAdmin, first, you need to find out your WordPress database’s name.
Now, to find the name of your database, you need to log in to your web hosting dashboard. For this tutorial, we will be using Bluehost.
If you are using a different hosting company, then your WordPress hosting dashboard may look slightly different.
Once you are on the cPanel, scroll down to the ‘Files’ section and click the ‘File Manager’ option.
This will open up the File Manager in a new window. Here you simply need to locate and click the public_html folder from the left column.
This will open up all the files that are stored in the public_html folder. Now, you simply need to locate and click the folder with your site’s name on it present under the ‘Name’ column.
Some users may instead see their WordPress files and folders installed inside public_html folder.
After you have opened up your WordPress site’s file, locate the wp-config.php file under the ‘Name’ section and right-click on it.
This will open up a menu where you need to select the ‘View’ option.
This will open up the wp-config.php file in a new window where you can locate your database details.
We recommend that you copy and paste your database details including username and password into a notepad on your computer.
Now you’ve successfully found your database’s name, let’s move to our next step.
Step 2. Locate Active Plugins Option via PhpMyAdmin
After you have found out the name of your database, you need to go back to your WordPress hosting control panel.
Once there, scroll down to the ‘Databases’ section and click the ‘phpMyAdmin’ option.
This will launch the phpMyAdmin app in a new browser tab.
Note: Before you make any kind of changes, please make sure to create a complete backup of your database. It will come in handy if anything goes wrong with the process.
Next, you simply need to click the ‘Database’ tab from the navigation menu present at the top of the page.
Now, simply locate your WordPress database and click on the browse button to expand it.
This will show your WordPress database tables.
Here, you will simply need to locate wp_options table and click browse next to it.
Note: By default, WordPress uses wp_ as the prefix for table names. Your WordPress database table may have a different table prefix.
Inside the wp_options table, you’ll need to find the row where option_name is set toactive_plugins.
After that, click on the Edit link next to it.
This will open up a box where you can manually enter details to activate a plugin.
Step 3. Activate a Plugin Using phpMyAdmin
WordPress stores the active plugins information in a special format so that it can be programatically accessed by the software.
In order to tell WordPress which plugins to activate, we’ll need to use that same format.
First, we’ll start by entering the option_value as a:1: and then open up the curly bracket ({).
We are entering this value as 1 because we only want to activate one plugin. You have to change the value to the number of plugins you plan on activating.
Next, we will be entering i:0; after the curly bracket. Here we are essentially assigning a serial number to our plugin.
Remember to always assign numbers starting from 0 instead of 1.
Next, we will be entering the number of characters present in the plugin’s name and the php file name of the plugin that we’re about to activate.
For that, we will type s:24: in the box. Keep in mind that the number of characters will differ for each plugin based on the characters in the plugin directory and file name.
For instance, we are activating WPForms in this tutorial which has 24 characters in its name including the file name of the plugin as stored in our file manager.
Next, you just need to type the plugin’s directory name. You can find it by visiting the /wp-content/plugins/ folder using the File Manager app.
Don’t forget to add quotation marks before typing the plugin’s directory name.
After the /, you need to enter the plugin’s file name. This is usually the file with similar name inside the plugin folder.
Now, go back to phpMyAdmin and type the name of the plugin and then close the quotation marks.
After that, simply add a semi-colon (;) and close the curly brackets (}). The final value in this example would look like this:
a:1:{i:0;s:24:"wpforms-lite/wpforms.php";}
This is how it will look once you’re done.
Next, simply click the ‘Go’ button to execute the command.
Now go visit your WordPress dashboard and head over to Plugins » Installed Plugins.
Your plugin has been successfully activated.
Now let’s say you want to activate two more plugins.
First you will need to change the number of plugins. After you will adjust each entry for the plugin that you want to activate.
Note: We have added line breaks here to make the code look more readable. You need to make sure that there are no line breaks or spaces in your code. Otherwise, it wouldn’t work.
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Schema markup is essential to SEO, providing search engines with data about your website and its content that is structured appropriately for search engines. With the right schema plugin, you can help search engines understand your content better, which can improve your website’s visibility in search results. In this post, we’ll be looking at some of the best WordPress schema plugins on the market, to help you find the right solution for your website.
Whether you’re looking for a comprehensive SEO solution or just want to add schema markup to a couple of pages, we’ve got you covered.
Quick Overview of Schema Markup and Rich Snippets
Schema markup is a type of structured data that helps search engines better understand the content on a website. It provides additional information about the website, such as its type, its content, and its structure, to help search engines display this information in a rich snippet. Using Schema markup on your site is one of the best SEO techniques to improve rankings in the SERPs.
Image by BestForBest / shutterstock.com
A Rich Snippet is a search result listing in the SERPs that provides more useful information to the user. This snippet can include things like images, ratings, deep links, and prices. By using schema markup, website owners can help search engines display their website’s content as a rich snippet, making it stand out and potentially increasing click-through rates. Rich snippets appear on page one, making them very effective.
Image by BestForBest / shutterstock.com
The 10 Best Schema Markup Plugins for WordPress
There are a lot of schema markup and structured data plugins for WordPress out there. We’ve done the hard work to narrow it down to these top plugins.
If you are looking for more SEO solutions beyond schema, check out these best WordPress SEO plugins.
1. Schema Pro
Schema Pro is a powerful WordPress plugin that makes it easy to add schema markup to your website. With Schema Pro, you can add the right structured data for videos, phone numbers, recipes, or anything else. The best part about Schema Pro is that you don’t need to know how to code to use it. The plugin takes care of adding the correct code across your site, so you can focus on creating great content.
With Schema Pro, you can be sure that you’re using the correct schema for your website. Whether you’re a blogger or marketer, this plugin makes it easy to add schema markup to your site so that it is indexed for search engines like Google.
Key Features for Schema Pro:
Makes it easy to map default data like page title, featured image, and author
Integrates with the Google Structured Data Testing Tool and has built-in field validation
Provides 16 types of schema markup to use on your WordPress website
Adds code in the backend with no impact on frontend design
The plugin generates schema structured data automatically. And this can have a significant impact on your search engine rankings for pages across your site. It will even map repeatable data such as page titles, featured images, content author, and date, which you can manually edit for each page/post if needed. This can lead to higher clickthrough rates in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Schema Pro is for you if you…
Create consistent types of content with consistent schema applications
Need automated systems for markup
Can only rely on one of the best plugins on the market
Rank Math Rank Math is at top of our list of all-around best SEO plugins for WordPress. It has a powerful suite of features for all your website SEO needs, including Schema. We like Rank Math (especially Pro) because of the number of schema types it can help you create. The fact that you can input a competitor’s URL and use their schema as a starting point is also brilliant.
Rank Math automates the process of adding schema markup for you behind the scenes. This makes your website easy for search bots to index your content with little effort. As a result, your listing in the SERPs will rank higher as a Rich Snippet. This is done by adding assets like star ratings, business info cards, or video detail markup.
Whether you’re running a WooCommerce store, a review site, or a blog, Rank Math can create the schema markup needed for optimal results.
Key Features for Rank Math:
Extensive schema support with 32 types in Pro and 21 in Free
Effortless schema analysis using competitor URL import
Speakable schema for voice assistant support (Alexa, Siri)
Speedy JSON LD validation with Google’s Rich Results tool
AIOSEO is a comprehensive SEO plugin for WordPress that also takes care of all your schema needs. It allows you to quickly and easily establish your website’s schema, enabling search engines to access and show your content to the right people. You establish the proper SEO + Schema foundations for your website in less than 10 minutes. Plus, it includes all the SEO features you may need to climb in the rankings.
Key Features for AIOSEO:
Full support for Google Knowledge Graph and local business Schema.org markup
A customizable setup wizard with personalized SEO settings and checklists
Built-in validation for Schema markup to ensure your website is correctly optimized
Comes with a full suite of SEO features in addition to schema tools.
Website owners want to know that every aspect of their on-page SEO is being handled. Having a complete SEO solution with schema markup ensures your SEO content is set up for success with all the tools they need in one place. It reduces the need for additional plugins to get the best results.
AIOSEO is for you if you…
Only have time to learn one plugin
Need the schema plugin to analyze the markup on your site’s backend (instead of using an external tool)
Schema & Structured Data for WP & AMP is one of the most comprehensive freemium schema plugins for WordPress. It supports more than 35 schema types that meet Schema.org guidelines. Use it to create Google rich snippet markup for any type of content on your site with easy-to-use settings. There are a ton of great features out of the box. It supports Google review schema in the free version but a premium version lets you fetch reviews from over 75 platforms. And some of the schema types (like WooCommerce and Classifieds) are paid add-ons that you can purchase individually or in a premium bundle.
Key Features:
Over 35 schema types (Blog Posting, Local Business, Recipe, Product, and more)
Easy to set up with an installation wizard
Conditional display options for where schema markup is placed throughout your site
AMP compatible
Compatible with other plugins such as bbPress and kk Star Ratings
Advanced schema options for displaying reviews from 75+ platforms
Built-in Gutenberg schema blocks for adding schema markup to your own content
Priority support available to premium users
The installation wizard is a nice touch. It makes the onboarding process super simple to add the right schema markup throughout your site in minutes.
Plus you can add new schema types and assign their placement using conditional logic. This is great for adding site-wide schema markup to the pages and posts you want with a few clicks.
Schema & Structured Data for WP & AMP is for you if you…
Have a blog or small business that needs an affordable schema plugin to boost SEO.
Want an easy way to display multiple schema types in SERPs according to Schema.org guidelines.
Would like the option to add reviews from multiple platforms
WP SEO Structured Data Schema is a freemium WordPress plugin that provides comprehensive support for schema markup and rich snippets. This plugin has over 40,000 active installs and 45 5-star ratings, making it a popular choice for WordPress users.
If you’re looking for more control over your schema markup, WP SEO Structured Data Schema is a great option. This plugin is flexible and allows for more manual adjustments. For example, you can add schema in JSON-LD format on a per-page basis. While it does require a bit more setup, it gives you the freedom to fine-tune your schema and make it truly unique to your website.
The plugin contains all the basics you need for schema markup and rich snippets and offers some site-wide settings. However, if you’re more familiar with schema markup, it will give you the flexibility you need.
Key Features for WP SEO Structured Data Schema:
Dedicated Schema plugin with a standalone focus
11 supported Schema types
User-friendly interface for ease of use
Additional Schema types available in the Pro version
We like this plugin because it allows website owners to add schema markup no matter what other SEO plugins they may or may not be using. It supports the minimum number of needed schema types in the free version with more options in their paid plans.
WP SEO Structured Data Schema is for you if you…
Have an SEO plugin that does not have schema capabilities
Need a solution that focuses on page-by-page schema creation (sites with vastly varying content types)
6. WordPress Review and Structured Data Schema Plugin
WordPress Review & Structure Data Schema Plugin is a comprehensive review schema plugin that offers a structured data schema solution for WordPress sites. It is included in our list because it expertly handles schema with sites focused on reviews.
With this plugin, you can collect user ratings for custom post types, pages, and posts, as well as manage your WooCommerce ratings and reviews with ease. The plugin provides a flexible and user-friendly panel for managing all your ratings and reviews.
Key Features for WordPress Review and Structured Data Schema Plugin:
Pro and con review system
Flexible review and rating options for pages, posts, and WooCommerce products
Automatic (Pro) or manual structured data schema generation using JSON-LD
Shortcode support for affiliate marketing and product reviews
With this WordPress review plugin, you can collect and showcase your customer reviews and ratings for maximum impact. The plugin offers sorting options for reviews. Criteria include highest-rated, most recent, reviews with images, and text-only reviews. This helps you show off the best feedback from your customers.
WordPress Review and Structured Data Schema Plugin is for you if you…
Need a powerful review schema plugin that works with WooCommerce
Promote affiliate products in your own review content
WP Review is a versatile plugin designed to help you showcase your outstanding reviews in a structured and eye-catching way. It is perfect for review websites, eCommerce sites, and even bloggers.
It allows you to increase consumer interaction with product and service ratings and reviews by presenting your review data in a structured box with the correct schema. This encourages search engines to include the information in their search results, improving your website’s visibility and click-through rates. Whether you’re selling digital downloads, physical products, or delivering services online, WP Review makes it easy to create rich snippets with review schema for your website.
Key Features for WP Review:
Multiple rating options: Star, Point, Percentage, Circle, and Thumbs
Support for 19 types of rich snippets
Seamless integration with popular review platforms: Google, Yelp, and Facebook
Comparison table feature for easy comparison of products or services
Up to 16 content templates for creating schema markup content
One of the best parts of WP Review is that it is for content creators and eCommerce store owners. It gives tools for collecting user reviews and then displaying them effortlessly. It also lets content creators create beautiful content that is sure to rank with proper schema.
WP Review is for you if …
You run an eCommerce website and want user reviews
You are a content creator looking to create rich content
You want a trusted plugin by a trusted WordPress company
WPSSO Core is a comprehensive plugin that offers a comprehensive solution for your SEO and schema markup needs. The free version is available on WordPress.org and is the perfect solution for website owners looking to improve their SEO and social media presence.
Key Features for WPSSO Core:
Supports 500 schema types and sub-types
Provides structured data markup for social media sites
Integrates with popular SEO plugins
Reads data from remote service APIs
WPSSO supports an impressive 500 schema types and sub-types, making it one of the most comprehensive schema plugins available. In addition to helping you get rich snippets in Google search results, it also provides structured data markup for social media sites like Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Twitter, and WhatsApp.
WPSSO Core is for you if you…
Need advanced access to hundreds of schema sub-types
Are focusing as much on Social Schema as Search
Want to buy one license and use it forever
Pricing: Free; Paid plans start at $59 (lifetime).
Five-Star Business Profile and Schema is a WordPress plugin specifically designed for local businesses. It allows you to add your business information with schema markup, including a Google Maps, hours of operation, phone numbers, and more.
Key Features for Five-Star Business Profile and Schema:
Create an SEO-friendly contact card with ease
Option to add via WordPress block or shortcode
Automatically adds a dropdown menu for multiple locations
Can be added to any page, post, or widget-ready area
Five-Star Business Profile and Schema is for you if…
You are a local business owner trying to gain visibility
You want an easy yet properly marked-up way to add essential business details to contact and about pages
You need something that does not conflict with your SEO plugin of choice
Pricing: Free; Paid plan starts at $39 (lifetime).
The Divi Schema Plugin is a robust tool that can help boost your website’s search engine ranking. This plugin can enhance your website’s search visibility by rapidly incorporating JSON-LD schema into new Divi modules while using the robust Divi page builder to design your website.
Key Features for Divi Schema Plugin:
Sitewide article and organization schema implementation
Reusable FAQ and How to Post Types
The Divi Schema Plugin supports a variety of content types, including FAQs, special announcements, how-to guides, local business information, store locators, and more. It does this through a mixed use of custom post types and new Divi modules.
Divi Schema Plugin is for you if you…
Use the Divi Theme
Want to add Schema in a familiar editing environment
WP Rich Snippets is a premium schema plugin for WordPress that offers a unique set of core features for adding multiple schema types to your site. What makes this plugin unique is the option for creating custom reviews. It has different ways to rate and review your content including rating, percentage, votes, and user aggregate rating. Additional add-ons, like their WooCommerce Reviews, are particularly useful for companies looking to boost product reviews and create rich snippets at the same time.
RankRanger Schema Markup Generator is a free tool that makes it simple to create structured data that follows Schema.org standards. It offers support for a variety of schema types, including FAQ pages, articles, job postings, local businesses, products, events, and people. You can copy the generated schema markup and add it to your site manually.
What Is the Best Schema Plugin for WordPress?
There are many great WordPress schema plugins available to help you improve your SEO. Here is a list of all the plugins we covered, along with their prices for easy comparison.
If you’re looking for a tool that combines both SEO and schema functionality, then Rank Math is a fantastic option. With its user-friendly interface and support for 11 different schema types, it’s the perfect choice for anyone looking to improve their website’s visibility in search results.
Additionally, for those looking for a standalone schema plugin, Schema Pro and Schema & Structured Data for WP & AMP are the best options on the list. They support a wide range of schema types and both have an easy-to-use interface. Hopefully, they are an ideal solution for generating a schema for your WordPress website.
Many of our readers ask us how to write better content for SEO. Some ask whether or not they should focus on Yoast SEO’s green light.
Well, when it comes to SEO content optimization, we use a different SEO writing assistant. It helps us optimize our content for SEO, so we can rank higher in search engines.
In this article, we will show you how to use the SEO Writing Assistant in WordPress to improve SEO and create better content for your website.
What is SEO Writing Assistant?
The SEO Writing Assistant is a content optimization tool created by Semrush, one of the best SEO tools on the market. It allows you to check your content in real-time for SEO suggestions and improve the overall SEO score of the content on your WordPress website.
Here is how it works:
You enter your focus keywords to generate content templates based on the top 10 results for that phrase.
You instantly get semantically-related keywords to include in your article.
You improve your content with a readability score based on rival results.
You optimize your article headline for SEO.
You adjust the article length based on the average length of top results.
You check for plagiarism without leaving your website.
You check the content’s tone to make it sure sounds natural and casual.
It is an extremely useful tool and can help you improve the SEO as well as writing style across your website. If you manage a multi-author site, then it allows authors to follow the same SEO best practices across all content.
Having said that, let’s take a look at how to use the SEO Writing Assistant to improve your SEO and get more search traffic to your website.
Setting Up Semrush’s SEO Writing Assistant in WordPress
The first thing you need to do is visit the Semrush SEO Writing Assistant website and click on ‘Create new template’ button.
You will be now asked to log in or create a free account.
Semrush offers a basic free account with just 1 free content recommendation.
You will need to sign up for or upgrade to a paid Semrush subscription to get all features. This is totally worth it, and a free 7-day trial is available for paid plans.
Once you log in, you will be able to use the SEO Writing Assistant from Semrush’s website.
You can type your content or import it from the web, provide target keywords, and select the language and location of your target audience.
When you press the ‘Get recommendations’ button, Semrush will analyze the content and make suggestions.
However, you can also use the SEO Writing Assistant inside your WordPress dashboard. You simply need to connect the SEO Writing Assistant tool to your WordPress site.
Upon activation, you need to edit an article that you want to optimize for SEO. On the post edit screen, scroll down until you see the new ‘Semrush SEO Writing Assistant’ section below the content editor.
It will show you basic readability and SEO score. To get the full picture, you need to click the ‘Log in’ link and sign in to your Semrush account.
Once signed in, you’ll be asked to give permission. Click the ‘Approve’ button to continue.
Now that you have connected the plugin to your Semrush account, you can generate SEO recommendations for our article.
You can enter your target keywords by typing them into the ‘Keywords’ field or by clicking the ‘Extract from text’ button. If you need help finding the right keywords, then see our beginner’s guide on how to do keyword research for your WordPress site.
After that, you should click the ‘Get recommendations’ button and Semrush will analyze your content.
It will start by giving the post an overall score.
By default, the following sections offer simple summaries. You can switch to a more detailed report by clicking the hamburger icon at the top right of the Semrush SEO Writing Assistant, and then selecting ‘Switch layout’ from the menu.
Checking Target Keywords Using Semrush SEO Writing Assistant
You can now scroll down to the SEO report. Semrush will check the top 10 results for the given keywords to generate a list of semantically related keywords that you can include in your content.
Keywords already included in your article will appear with a green background. You can go ahead and start adding missing keywords to your existing content where applicable or expanding your content to add new sections when necessary.
As you write, the tool will also adjust the readability and article length scores to match the average scores of top results.
Checking Tone of Voice Using Semrush SEO Writing Assistant
All SEO experts and marketers advise using a casual tone for all your articles. Search engines consider this conversational tone to be more engaging and useful for most audiences.
Now the problem is that sometimes it becomes harder to maintain a casual tone throughout the article.
SEO Writing Assistant comes with a ‘Tone of Voice’ checker. This AI-powered tool checks your content’s tone and gives it a score ranging from formal to casual.
Most articles fall somewhere in between, so don’t worry if it says your article has a neutral tone.
You will also see a list of your most casual sentences. You can consider rewriting these so they are less casual.
Checking Internal LinksUsing Semrush SEO Writing Assistant
Links play a crucial role in SEO and the SEO Writing Assistant helps you keep track of links inside your article.
It will let you know if your article does not have an optimal number of internal links. It will also check for external links and links to your homepage.
This tool comes in handy if you have other authors working on articles. Editors can quickly see if the article includes internal links to other posts on your website.
Checking Plagiarism in WordPress with SEO Writing Assistant
If you are hiring writers to contribute articles to your blog, then you’ll need to make sure that the articles they are submitting are original content.
Normally, editors and website owners use plagiarism checkers like Grammarly, CopyScape, or Google to see if an article is original.
The SEO Writing Assistant makes this easier with a built-in Plagiarism Checker tool.
The downside is that even with the paid plans, you can only perform a limited number of checks.
If you need more, then you can buy additional checks from your subscription page on the Semrush dashboard.
Getting a Perfect SEO Score for Your Article
As you implement suggestions provided by the SEO Writing Assistant tool, your overall score will improve as well.
The overall score bar takes into account all the parameters and suggestions shown by the plugin. You need to make sure that each line on the chart turns green for better SEO rankings.
However, sometimes the plugin may suggest LSI keywords that may not fit in your content. You can safely ignore them instead of stuffing them into your article.
Remember that while these SEO tools provide recommendations, you know your audience better than these tools ever can. Keep your users in mind and make sure that they find your content useful and engaging.
Tracking Your SEO Performance in WordPress
Once you have started using SEO Writing Assistant for a while, you may want to track how it is affecting your website’s positions in search.
You may also want to keep an eye on your top content using Google Analytics. The best way to do this is by using MonsterInsights. It brings your Google Analytics reports into WordPress and displays them in a human-readable format.
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By default, WordPress comes with a lazy load feature, which delays downloads for images and other media to improve page load speed.
However, for some websites, it may affect user experience by not displaying images and media right away.
In this article, we’ll show you how to easily disable lazy load in WordPress both using a code method as well as a plugin method.
What is Lazy Loading?
WordPress first introduced lazy loading images in WordPress 5.5. Later it extended the lazy load feature to iframes embeds (e.g. YouTube videos, Spotify, and other embeds).
A faster website is not just good for users, but it is also good for SEO. Search engines like Google consider speed as an important ranking factor.
Apart from images and embeds, you can also easily lazy load comments and Gravatars to further improve page load speed.
Lazy loading can be seen in action by right-clicking on an image and selecting the Inspect tool in your browser.
This will split your browser screen and show you the HTML source code. From here, you’ll be able to see the “loading=lazy” attribute added to the image.
Now normally, we don’t recommend disabling lazy load due to its overall benefits for your WordPress website. Turning it off can result in slower website speed, lower conversion rates, and lower SEO rankings.
However, sometimes lazy loading can affect the user experience for some websites.
For instance, if you run a photography website where images are the most significant aspect of your content, then lazy loading them may ruin the user experience for your customers.
In other cases, you might be using a different lazy loading solution and just want to turn off the default WordPress lazy load.
That being said, let’s see how you can easily disable lazy load in WordPress.
This is how the code will look after it is pasted in the ‘Code Preview’ box.
After adding the code, scroll down to the ‘Insertion’ section.
Here, simply choose ‘Auto Insert’ as the insertion mode. This will ensure that your custom code is automatically executed everywhere on your website once you activate the snippet.
Next, you need to scroll to the top of the page and simply toggle the ‘Inactive’ switch to ‘Active’.
After that, don’t forget to click the ‘Save Snippet’ button to save and execute your custom snippet.
Once activated, this custom code snippet will disable the lazy loading feature on your WordPress website.
You can test by right-clicking on an image and selecting Inspect from the browser menu.
In the HTML code for the image, the loading=lazy attribute will now disappear.
Method 2. Disable Lazy Load in WordPress Using a Plugin
If you don’t want to add code to your site, then you can use the Disable Lazy Load plugin.
The plugin works out of the box and does not require any configuration. Once activated, it will automatically disable the lazy load feature on your site.
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