1. AL DAVIS WWW.TELUS.COM/SHAREDHOSTING WWW.WPTEACH.COM 10 THINGS TO DO AFTER THE INSTALL

3. PAGE 3 AL DAVIS WWW.TELUS.COM/SHAREDHOSTING WWW.WPTEACH.COM Why? Because you want to publish your content under a more user friendly name. And no one is actually named admin… How? Go to Users > Add new Add a new user with admin rights Log out of WordPress and log back in as your newly created Admin user Delete default admin user ‘ cuz who is this “ admin ” guy anyway? DELETE THE DEFAULT ADMIN

4. PAGE 4 AL DAVIS WWW.TELUS.COM/SHAREDHOSTING WWW.WPTEACH.COM Why? Because www.yoursite.com/page name is much more SEO friendly than www.yoursite.com/?p=200 How? Go to Settings> Permalinks As of WP version 3.3 you can click on button labelled ‘Post Name’ Or you can use a custom structure such as /%category%/%postname%/ And not just ‘ cuz you want them to look pretty! CHANGE THE PERMALINKS

5. PAGE 5 AL DAVIS WWW.TELUS.COM/SHAREDHOSTING WWW.WPTEACH.COM Why? The out-of-the-box category is ‘Uncategorized,’ which, if it is a true reflection of your content, means you might want to rethink your strategy. How? Go to Posts > Categories Click ‘Edit ‘ under the Uncategorized category Change the name to something appropriate for your site Add more categories if you like Set the default category Go to Settings > Writing Set Default Post Category Can ‘Uncategorized’ really be a category anyway? ADD CATEGORIES AND CHANGE THE DEFAULT

6. PAGE 6 AL DAVIS WWW.TELUS.COM/SHAREDHOSTING WWW.WPTEACH.COM Why? Akismet comes bundled in with WordPress and is a great front line defense against the spambot How? Go to Plugins > Installed plugins Activate Akismet Click on Link labeled ‘Sign up for an Akismet API Key’ Follow instructions – feel free to donate at the same time Once done, check email for API key From inside your WP Dashboard, click on the Akismet configuration page ( Plugins> installed plugins> Akismet Enter API key where prompted, click on ‘ Update options’ Spambots are evil. That is all. Activate Akismet

7. PAGE 7 AL DAVIS WWW.TELUS.COM/SHAREDHOSTING WWW.WPTEACH.COM Why? This plugin creates a sitemap that helps search engines index you quicker and How? Go to Plugins > Add New Search for ‘ Google XMl Sitemaps’ and install Plugin Go to Settings> XML Sitemap and follow instructions and choose options to create your sitemap and the frequency of updates Because, after all, you want to be found Install Google XML Sitemaps

8. PAGE 8 AL DAVIS WWW.TELUS.COM/SHAREDHOSTING WWW.WPTEACH.COM Why? You’ll be able to measure the effectiveness of different posts on your site and generally get a good feeling about what your doing How? Go to Plugins > Add New Search for ‘ Google Analytics’ and install Plugin Go to Google analytics and sign up for an account http://www.google.com/analytics/ Upon confirmation, you will receive a Web property ID ( starts with UA) copy that number into the plugin setting page and save changes. Google Analytics is set up! The Bonus Install Google Analytics Dashboard plugin for Google analytics right in Your WP dashboard ‘ Cuz you want to know how many times you have been found Activate Google Analytics

9. PAGE 9 AL DAVIS WWW.TELUS.COM/SHAREDHOSTING WWW.WPTEACH.COM Why? You want a look and feel that represents you as a business or an individual…and we all like good-looking websites How? Go to Wordpress.org/extend/themes Browse through the thousands of themes and find one that works for you..make note of the name or download it directly to your computer From inside your WP dashboard go to Appearance>Themes> Install Themes and either upload the theme directly or search for it by name and install Make sure you activate the theme after you install it It’s all about the pretty things Upload and install a theme

10. PAGE 10 AL DAVIS WWW.TELUS.COM/SHAREDHOSTING WWW.WPTEACH.COM Why? WordPress defaults to the tagline ‘Just Another WordPress Site’ and your site is not just another site. How? Go to Setting> General Browse through the thousands of themes and Change the tagline in the text box provided Remember to save your changes! You’re special, and so is your site Change your blog tagline

11. PAGE 11 AL DAVIS WWW.TELUS.COM/SHAREDHOSTING WWW.WPTEACH.COM Why? A backup plugin will at the very least give you peace of mind when the time comes that something bad happens How? Find a plugin you like Install the plugin in the usual manner Plugins> Add New Make sure you do a backup and schedule a backup to happen at a regular interval ( if that option is available) I’m a fan of Backup Buddy by iThemes ( premium plugin but well worth the $) ‘ Cuz starting over is never easy Install a Backup Plugin

12. PAGE 12 AL DAVIS WWW.TELUS.COM/SHAREDHOSTING WWW.WPTEACH.COM Why? Make sure your content is optimized and easily searchable. The whole idea is to attract visitors and grow your traffic right? How? Find a plugin you like Install the plugin in the usual manner Plugins> Add New>Search I am a BIG fan of Yoast SEO Plugin ( and not just because it’s free!) Once installed view the options for the plugin you chose and start to get familiar with how it works Make your words count Install an SEO Plugin

13. I think I’m all out of clever sub headings PAGE 13 AL DAVIS WWW.TELUS.COM/SHAREDHOSTING WWW.WPTEACH.COM E-mail: al@Wpteach.com Website: www.telushosting.com/sharedhosting www.wpteach.com Twitter: @adavis3105 Facebook: Search for WPTeach page CONTACT

14. AL DAVIS WWW.TELUS.COM/SHAREDHOSTING WWW.WPTEACH.COM THANKS FOR COMING