This document provides a guide to deploying, optimizing performance, securing, and customizing WordPress for production environments. It discusses effective deployment methods like using the WordPress installer and secure file transfer. Maximizing performance involves caching, minimizing plugins, and offloading content. Optimization focuses on SEO plugins, analytics, and creating high-quality content. Security involves keeping WordPress and plugins updated, restricting access, backing up the database regularly both on and off-site, and being prepared to restore from failures. The document answers common questions about using WordPress in different environments.

1. WordPress in the Wild
Deployment, Performance,
Optimization, and Security
Markku Seguerra / rebelpixel.com

2. It’s a wild world out there!

3. A guide to using WordPress in production
environments, from small blogs to full-
blown sites. Simplify deployment,
optimize performance, and increase
security with the most effective plugins
and tweaks that help you get the most
from your WordPress-powered blog.

4. 4 Questions
???

5. Question #1
What is the most effective way of
deploying WordPress?

6. Question #2
How do you maximize performance
of a WordPress blog?

7. Question #3
How do you optimize your blog for
search and your target readers?

8. Question #4
How do you protect your blog from
malicious users and catastrophic
failure?

9. #1 Deployment
* Simple
* Fast
* Secure

10. Simple & Fast
* Download/wget from wordpress.org
* Copying from existing install is
troublesome
* Use local installer with important
themes and plugins from official
sources

11. Secure
* Use only wordpress.org
* For themes & plugins, inspect code if
from other sources
* Use SSH/SFTP for secure transfer if
available; FTP is a last option

12. #2 Performance
What limits performance?
* WordPress is dynamic
* WordPress is for everyone
* WordPress is too popular

13. WordPress is dynamic
* Every page view uses the
database (and the CPU)
* Use caching; WP Super
Cache works best!

15. WordPress is for everyone
* Some features are built for
the other half of its users
* Stick to what you need and
what works for you!

16. WordPress is too popular
* Almost automatically invites
spam comments
* Akismet takes care of the
spam problem 99% of the time

17. More performance tricks
* Offload content (Amazon
S3, Flickr, YouTube, etc.)
* Use only necessary plugins
* Use 3rd-party comments
(Disqus, Intense Debate, etc.)

18. Beyond WordPress
* Optimize MySQL (MyISAM
only, query_cache tuning, etc.)
* Optimize PHP (limit
extensions, memory allocation,
use memcache, etc.)
* Replace Apache!

19. #3 Optimization
“WordPress takes care of
80-90% of (the mechanics of)
SEO.”
- Matt Cutts, Google

20. Highlight your Content!
Pretty permalinks

21. Highlight your Content!
All in One SEO Pack

22. Highlight your Content!
* Analytics360 + Google Analyticator
* WordPress.com Stats
* Google XML Sitemaps
* FD Feedburner / Feedburner Feedsmith
* Broken Link Checker

23. Content is King!
SEO can only do so much; it
can only be as good as what’s
on your blog.

24. #4 Security
* Content theft
* WordPress vulnerabilities
* Server security
* Database failure
* Server/hosting failure

25. Content theft
RSS Footer
* Blog about it!
* Resume creating good content.
* Report to search engines.
* Report to host/ISP.

26. WordPress vulnerabilities
* More users invites more
discoveries of awed code
* Widespread use attracts more
mischief
* Extensibility opens a back door

27. WordPress Upgrades
WordPress is safe only
when up to date!

28. More WordPress security
* Remove “admin” username
* Change table pre x (wp_)
* Hide WP version
* Secure /wp-admin/ with server
passwords

29. More WordPress security

30. Server security
* Timely upgrades saves you from
pain!
* Use proper le & directory
permissions
* Audit all installed apps

31. Security plugins
WP Security Scan

32. Security plugins
WP Exploit Scanner

33. Database failure
WordPress Database Backup
(or use PhpMyAdmin)

34. Database backups
* Use onsite backups
* Use offsite, online storage
(Gmail is good)

35. Server/hosting failure
* The end?
* Regularly download full
backups to local PC
* Burn full backups to DVD!
* Be prepared to restore from
scratch!

36. Thank you!