Apparently I didn’t think this list through…

While I realize the importance of Site Maps (I use normal sitemaps along with XML versions for Google,) I never realized how powerful the Sitemap-generating Wordpress plugins could be!

I just stuck with my regular routine, but from now on I should probably put some more effort into the sitemaps. And for that, this sitemap plugin is great!

Next time I write a ‘best plugins’ list, I’ll include this one instead of mentioning two plugins that do the same thing (i.e. Digg This and Digg That.)

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If you’re running Wordpress like me and many other bloggers, you’ve undoubtedly had to choose which plugins to install. And you’ve probably seen a ton of the same posts out there called “The 10 Best Wordpress Plugins” or something like that.

So what am I going to do?

The same damn thing!

I mean, I have favorite plugins too. So why shouldn’t I have my own list?

Here’s my list of favorite plugins, some of which I use already and some I need to install!

First, two plugins already included in your Wordpress install:

Database backup
Backup your WordPress database without opening PHPMyAdmin. A real timesaver.

Akismet
Probably included, but you’ll need to activate it with a Wordpress API key from a wordpress.com account. It’s a lifesaver when it comes to comment spam.

Now, 19 good ones to add:

Redirect to Feedburner feed
Redirects anyone reading your regular feed to your Feedburner feed. That way you get accurate stats.

Related Posts
Displaying a list of related posts is a great way to keep people reading. If they finish a post and are immediately presented with others they may like, they are less likely to leave.

Favorite Posts
This allows you to mark posts as “classic” and then displays a list of these posts on your sidebar or where ever you wish.

Most Popular Posts
Check this out and look for the “popularity contest” plugin. It displays the most popular posts based on page views, number of comments, etc.

Permalink Redirects and Migration
The plugin from fucoder.com makes sure that each blog entry is only accessed from one URL. The one from deanlee.cn allows you to change your permalink structure without losing visitors at the old URLs. Both are important to keep your link structure search engine friendly.

Random Post
This one does not amaze me, but it can be a neat thing to have somewhere on your blog. Users click a “Random Post” link and go to a random post. (Coolness factor: It is used on TechCrunch.com and JohnChow.com.)

Encourage RSS Subscribers
This is the “What Would Seth Godin Do?” plugin. It allows you to insert a little box in each post reminding new visitors to subscribe to your RSS feed. It’s based on cookies and can be used in different ways, so check it out!

Digg This (and That)
It puts “Digg this” links on each post, and displays a real “Digg this” button once it detects an incoming link from Digg. Digg That was created due to the original “Digg this” being buggy, but now “Digg this” is top-notch.

WP-Cache
Cache your blog for better site performance and faster load times.

Adsense Deluxe
Easily insert Adsense (or similar ads) into each blog post. It even makes sure that a max of 3 ad units are displayed per page.

Subscribe to comments via email
Just like the name implies, it lets visitors subscribe to comments via email (instead of doing a separate RSS feed.)

Reply to specific comments
Lets commentators reply to other commentators. You’ve probably seen this used at ShoeMoney.com and JohnChow.com.

Show recent comments
Place a list of recent comments in your sidebar.

Show top commentators
Shows a list of the people who have commented the most, with a link to their site. A great way to encourage comments.

Let users rate your posts
Will show a rating (out of 5 stars) for each post based on reader votes.

Add ads before or after your posts
Allows you to display ads before or after your posts, even in your feed. Works fine with Adsense and plain html links.

Email your users
Email all your blog’s registered users.

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Looking for more plug-ins?

Try http://wp-plugins.net. It has a wide selection!

[This post originally appeared at InternetMarketingSucks.com]

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If you’re heading out to any Fourth of July picnics in the next couple weeks, feel free to use as much relish as you want. But if you’re blogging, be careful if you get into any Comment Relish.

Comment Relish is a Wordpress plugin that will send a welcome email to any new commenters.

I was considering using it myself, until it crashed John Chow’s blog for two hours!

I guess it’s pretty good for new blogs, but it could crash a blog with lots of comments.

See, it runs through all your comments to see if the current commenter has left a comment before. That way it can dispatch a welcome email to the new guys. Problem is, that query can really take a toll on your MySQL database!!

All is not lost though. The Patchlog made an edited version of Comment Relish you could try.

Hopefully there will be a new version of Comment Relish sometime without these problems.

Until then, stick with sweet relish!

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