WordPress is one of the most popular blogging platforms for most of the people even who have no idea about web design, development etc. People use this platform because they can easily configure it and use it’s all of features. Now-a-days people quit BlogSpot platform and convert to WordPress because WordPress is more SEO friendlier than BlogSpot. Here are 10 essential settings after WordPress Installation.
Essential WordPress Settings You Should To Do.
When you install WordPress first time then you should configure and change some setting for your blog which is very important for your blog. Most of the new blogger do not know what settings they should change and how to change. They also don’t know some configurations which are very important for their blog. Here I tried to put Top 10 Essential Settings after WordPress Installation.
1. Discourage Search Engines from Indexing Your Site/Blog
You might be surprised that how you can discourage search engines from indexing your blog, but it is important when you install WordPress first time. When you install WordPress first time, then there is no proper setting, theme, plugins and content in your blog and your blog also not user friendly. If Google index your blog in this condition they will find nothing to your blog and your blog impression may be hampered.
Just Go to Setting=> Reading=> Search Engine Visibility=> Enable Discourage Search Engines from indexing this site.
When you complete all of setting and publish some page and post with good content, then Allow Search Engine to Index your blog/site by Disable Discourage Search Engines from indexing this site.
2. Change Default Permalink
Permalink is most important fact for a blog/site to get a good SEO score. This is the most important option of off-page search engine optimization. When you install WordPress then the default permalink is like http://www.yourdomain.com/p=1. You should change this permalink to Post Name. When you change it to post name, then it looks like http://www.yourdomain.com/my-first-post. You can also choose a custom structure, but many professional bloggers recommend using the Post Name.
Go to Setting=> Permalink=> Click on Post Name and save.
3. Choosing your Blog/Site URL with WWW or without WWW
There are no major difference between www and non www but you should select www or non www first time and you cannot change it frequently. If you change your blog URL frequently www to non www or non www to www then search engines will index your blog with www and without www. It is a major fact for your site SEO ranking. When search engine index your blog post with and without www then your entire page look like duplicate and its harmful for your site. For BloggingShout.com, we use www.
To choose blog URL, Go to Setting=> General Setting=> Choose WordPress address URL and Website Address URL and then save.
4. Change the Default Admin Account
When you install WordPress then your login ID is admin by default if you do not change when installation. You have to change this default login ID for your blog/site security reason. If you keep this default id, then your site may attack by several security reasons or hacker. So create a new user and give it Admin rights, remember one thing that you should use the mixed character for password like $%blo765@#. When you create a new user then login with the new user id and delete default admin id.
To create a new user Go to Users=> Add New and to Delete default admin ID Go to Users=> All Users.
5. Disable Users Registration
If your blog does not need to register new people, then you should disable user registration. If you want to register new people to participate in your blog comments or guest posting then it may be painful for you because of huge spam. So be careful about new user registration. If you want to give guest posting facility to others, then you can give permission to others by creating a new user and send them user pass.
Go to Setting=> General Setting=> Membership, unchecked Anyone can register and save.
6. Setting Time Zone, Date Format and Time Format
Changing default time zone is important for your blog to keep secure your blog from several security reasons. Change the time zone to your local time. It also helps to publish scheduled blog post at desired time scheduled by you.
Go to Setting=> General Setting=> Time Zone, Date Format and Time Format
7. Updating WordPress Ping List
By default WordPress only two ping service. You can update ping list to notify many site about your blog post.
Go to Setting=> Writing=> Update Services
Here are some ping services you can add your ping list service
http://blogsearch.google.com/ping/RPC2
http://rpc.twingly.com
http://coreblog.org/ping/
http://ping.amagle.com/
http://ping.feedburner.com
http://rpc.blogrolling.com/pinger/
http://rpc.pingomatic.com
http://www.blogoole.com/ping/
http://www.blogshares.com/rpc.php
8. Change Default Avatar
When you install WordPress it show Mystery Man avatar by default. You should change the default avatar to Gravator Logo or Identicon. In BloggingShout I’m using Gravator Logo as default.
Go to Setting=> Discussion=> Default Avatar=> Change it to Gravator Logo and click save.
9. Change the Default Image Location
After installing WordPress your blog/site image location is Organize my uploads into month- and year-based folders by default. You should unchecked this option to make your blog/site image URL is shorter.
Go To Setting=> Media=> Uploading Files=> Uncheck Organize my uploads into month- and year-based folders and save.
10. Active Akismet to Prevent Spam Comments
When you install WordPress then a plug-in named Akismet automatically install by default. You should active it by adding Akismet API key. To get Akismet API Key just register in Akismet official website and get a API Key.
Go to Plugins=> Active Akismet=> Add API Key and Active
To Install, Configure and Get a free Akismet API Key, This post will help you.
Quick Check
- Discourage Search Engines from Indexing Your Site/Blog
- Change Default Permalink
- Choosing your Blog/Site URL with WWW or without WWW
- Change the Default Admin Account
- Disable Users Registration
- Setting Time Zone and Time Format
- Updating WordPress Ping List
- Change Default Avatar
- Change the Default Image Location
- Active Akismet to Prevent Spam Comments
Final Words
So these are essential settings after WordPress installation in first time. There are also some settings you can change to keep your blog up to date. But these are the most important settings you should do. Stay with BloggingShout to get more WordPress tips and trick.
James
Nice article bro. I was looking for this. Thank you for sharing.
shashi
I think you covered everything required but you could have added a list of more plugins and theme customization as well
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Tushar Nagpal
The thing that needs focus is default permalink. It needs to be fixed to avoid further changes and problems.
Tushar Nagpal recently posted…New Year 2015 eCards | Happy New Year eCards 2015
savvas kevrekidis
Thanks for the tips. I did copy the pig list and thank you for sharing that and the informations.
I have to do some changes!
Sanjay Sajeev
I agree with the above settings that one should do after installing WordPress. It is really important to change those settings to make your site up to date. Interesting thing is that it is too easy to make changes in these settings
Sanjay Sajeev recently posted…Essential Settings After Installing WordPress
savvas kevrekidis
5. Disable Users Registration
OOps i’ve mised that.
Nice article, thank you!
Fakharuddin Manik
Hello Savvas,
Disable user registration is most important to protect your blog from spam. So do it now.
Anyway, Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
savvas kevrekidis
I’ did it. Thank you again.
Fakharuddin Manik
Hi Sanjay,
Welcome to Bloggingshout and thanks for your valuable comments.
manish
nice information thanx for Sharing
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Deb
I really liked the point 2. Actually there is no point to let search engines aware about an empty website. It is better to write some quality content and the enable visibility.
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SHRI
Dear Fakharuddin,
Thanks for your these basic but useful tips, it’s help to those people who just newbie in WordPress.