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

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AFTER THE INSTALL
…but before that first post
+ Change the default admin + Activate Google Analytics
+ Edit the permalinks + Upload and install your theme
+ Add categories, and change the default + Change your blog tagline
category
+ Activate Akismet + Install a backup plugin
+ Install Google XML Sitemaps + Install SEO plugin
AL DAVIS WWW.WPTEACH.COM

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DELETE THE DEFAULT ADMIN
„cuz who is this “admin” guy anyway?
Change the
admin 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
AL DAVIS WWW.WPTEACH.COM

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CHANGE THE PERMALINKS
And not just „cuz you want them to look pretty!
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%/
AL DAVIS WWW.WPTEACH.COM

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ADD CATEGORIES AND CHANGE THE DEFAULT
Can „Uncategorized‟ really be a category anyway?
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
AL DAVIS WWW.WPTEACH.COM

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Activate Akismet
Spambots are evil. That is all.
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’
AL DAVIS WWW.WPTEACH.COM

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Install Google XML Sitemaps
Because, after all, you want to be found
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
AL DAVIS WWW.WPTEACH.COM

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Activate Google Analytics
„Cuz you want to know how many times you have been found
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
AL DAVIS WWW.WPTEACH.COM

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Upload and install a theme
It‟s all about the pretty things
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
AL DAVIS WWW.WPTEACH.COM

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Change your blog tagline
You‟re special, and so is your site
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!
AL DAVIS WWW.WPTEACH.COM

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Install a Backup Plugin
„Cuz starting over is never easy
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 $)
AL DAVIS WWW.WPTEACH.COM

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Install an SEO Plugin
Make your words count
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
AL DAVIS WWW.WPTEACH.COM

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CONTACT
I think I‟m all out of clever sub headings
E-mail: al@Wpteach.com
Websitte: www.wpteach.com
Twitter: @adavis3105
Facebook: Search for WPTeach page
AL DAVIS WWW.WPTEACH.COM

14. THANKSFOR
COMING
AL DAVIS WWW.WPTEACH.COM