WordPress has made it easy for almost anybody to create their own website. But creating is only one part of the puzzle: security and maintenance are something else entirely.
These two issues can greatly impact your website ranking and traffic. What's more, they can seem impossible to stay on top of because WordPress has numerous repeating tasks to take care of every month. You can do it yourself, and we'll tell you how below, or you can opt for a Managed WordPress option from Rebel where we'll do it all for you.
Without further adieu, here are the top 10 most important WordPress website maintenance tasks that you need to be on top of:
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1. Is your site up to speed?
Your page load times should be up to scratch, otherwise you will be penalized by search engines, losing you traffic and sales. Always check that load times are optimal and there’s nothing slowing them down.
2. Weed out broken links
Search engines hate broken links, as they trip up their attempts to index your site. Find and fix them before they drag your ranking down!
3. Busted link? 301 Redirect
Users hate to click on a link and see a 404-error page. It’s much better to set up a 301 redirect to a similar page.
4. Sidebar links and blogrolls
Make sure these are checked frequently to weed out all the broken links and content that’s no longer applicable.
5. Ensure WordPress is the latest version
To get the newest features and the most robust security, you should always make sure that you’re using the latest version of WordPress.
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6. Can the spam from your comments
Spam slows down your website and annoys users, so get rid of it as quickly as you can.
7. Remove unwanted themes
Outdated themes are a common way for hackers gaining entry to your site. So get rid of any unwanted ones from your theme directory.
8. Remove unwanted plugins
Uninstall plug-ins that you no longer use because they can slow your site down and offer a back door for hackers.
9. Get your WordPress plugins up to date
With the plug-ins that are left, make sure that they’re up-to-date to thwart malicious attacks.
10. Update that WordPress theme
Only use the latest version of your WordPress theme, as older versions have security holes that hackers can exploit.
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Believe it or not, there's actually 51 routine tasks you should be performing each month. Our friends at Plesk have helpfully compiled them all for you here.
Seem overwhelming? Don't worry, we've got you covered with our Managed WordPress hosting package. We'll take care of all the updates and maintenance so you can focus on growing your business.
