If you are considering using either of these free solutions for building websites locally, this guide will tell you everything you need know before making a decision. We’ll talk about what Local and XAMPP offer, laying out their features, advantages, and differences. Get ready for a detailed rundown.

Local vs XAMPP: Setup

Local and XAMPP are both powerful tools that share some common ground. Both are free to use, making them accessible to a wide range of developers. And, they both provide environments for local testing and development. 

Despite these similarities, Local and XAMPP differ significantly in their feature sets and approach. So let’s get started with a closer look at how the setup process compares. 

Local

To get started with Local, you’ll need to first visit the Local website and download the version compatible with your operating system.

Run the installer and follow the prompts. The process is intuitive, similar to installing any standard software.

Once installed, open Local. The initial setup involves a few basic configurations, like selecting your preferred language and agreeing to terms and conditions.

XAMPP 

Getting started with XAMPP is a similar process. Go to the XAMPP official website and choose the appropriate version for your operating system.

During the installation, you’ll select components like Apache, MySQL, PHP, and Perl.

After installation, use the XAMPP control panel to start Apache and MySQL services and set up your local server environment.

Local offers an easier, more streamlined setup process, ideal for beginners or those who prefer simplicity. XAMPP, while still accessible, requires a bit more technical involvement and is suited to those who want more control over their server environment.

Local vs XAMPP: Creating Development Sites

Once installation and setup is complete, you can move forward with creating your first development site. Here’s a brief rundown of how that works on both platforms.

Local

In Local, click on the button that says Create a New Site.

Enter the name and specify the local domain and path.

Choose between Preferred or Custom environments. The Preferred setup is quicker, while Custom offers more control.

Local automatically installs WordPress. You’ll just enter admin credentials to access your WordPress dashboard.

XAMPP

The process to set up a new site is completely manual in XAMPP. You start by launching the XAMPP Control Panel to activate Apache and MySQL. 

Then, you manually download WordPress and place it in the htdocs folder of your XAMPP installation. 

You also have to set up a database for the installation just like you would on a remote server. In XAMPP, this happens under http://localhost/phpmyadmin inside your browser.

Finally, to complete the setup, you navigate to localhost/your_site_name and run through the WordPress installation wizard. 

This process gives you full control over every step but requires more technical involvement compared to Local.

Local vs XAMPP: Importing an Existing Site 

Importing an existing site into Local and XAMPP involves distinct processes as well. 

Local

Importing a site into Local is straightforward and you have basically two options for doing so.

Using the Connect Feature

For WP Engine or Flywheel users, Local’s Connect feature lets you easily manage your site. Simply log into your account and upload or download your site directly from Local’s interface.

There’s also a MagicSync tool that helps you synchronize only the modified files instead of the entire site, streamlining updates.

Manual Import

For non-WP Engine or Flywheel users, manually importing a site into Local is simple, too. You’ll need a zip file containing your site’s SQL database file and wp-content folder. Drag and drop this file into Local, or use the Import option, and Local will handle the rest, including setting up the WordPress environment.

For more detailed instructions, check our Local import and export guide.

XAMPP

For XAMPP, the process is more manual and involves several steps.

You’ll need to prepare your WordPress site for migration. This typically involves exporting your WordPress database and compressing your WordPress files (especially the wp-content directory) into a ZIP file.

Once XAMPP is installed, you’ll need to set up a database for your WordPress site using phpMyAdmin and import your SQL database file.

Then, extract your WordPress site’s ZIP file into the htdocs folder of your XAMPP installation. You’ll then need to edit the wp-config.php file to match your database name, user, and password as set in XAMPP.

After moving your files and database, you may need to update the site URL and home URL in the database to reflect the local setup. This can be done either through phpMyAdmin or using a database database search-and-replace tool.

This method requires a more hands-on approach and is suitable for users comfortable with manual server and database management.

Alternatively, you can use a WordPress migration plugin to complete this task. A couple of options include All-in-One WP Migration and Duplicator, which simplify the process by handling the migration of files and databases automatically. They are particularly useful for seamlessly updating URLs and other settings without manual interventions. 

Local vs XAMPP: User Interface and Experience

When comparing the user interfaces and overall user experiences of Local and XAMPP, there are distinct differences worth noting.

Local

Local features an intuitive user interface that is neatly divided into three primary sections: Sites, Blueprints, and Add-ons.

• Sites – Here, you can easily manage your WordPress websites. The interface allows for quick creation, starting, and stopping of sites. You can also view each site’s details, including its URL, SSL status, and PHP version.
• Blueprints – This section allows you to save site configurations, including themes and plugins, which can be reused to create new sites quickly.
• Add-ons – This area provides access to additional features that can be integrated into your Local environment to enhance your development workflow.

Local’s interface goes beyond basic server management, providing a comprehensive tool set for site-specific actions, from easy access to the WordPress admin and database, to utilities for debugging and site performance.

XAMPP

XAMPP offers a more traditional user interface centered around its control panel.

• Control Panel – The main interface in XAMPP is the control panel where you can manage server services like Apache and MySQL. It’s functional and straightforward, mainly focusing on starting and stopping services, and checking server statuses.
• Server settings and configurations – XAMPP’s control panel provides detailed control over server settings and configurations. However, it doesn’t have an integrated interface for site-specific management like Local. Instead, you often have to edit system files manually.

XAMPP’s interface is less about website management and more about managing the server environment itself. It’s more suitable for users with a technical background who prefer direct control over server components.

Local vs XAMPP: Features and Functionality

Next, let’s compare the features Local and XAMPP offer.

Local

Local has the ability to switch between Apache and NGINX server environments with a click, accommodating various PHP versions. This flexibility is beneficial for testing your site under different server settings.

Setting up a new WordPress site is streamlined in Local as well thanks to one-click installation, making the process quick and efficient. This feature is particularly handy for developers looking to rapidly deploy WordPress sites.

Local includes SSL certificates, which allow for secure HTTPS connections for testing purposes. While they don’t secure the site in the same way as a certificate from a trusted authority would for a live site, they do allow you to simulate a secure HTTPS connection.

Another included feature is Live Link, which makes it so you can share your work effortlessly with clients or collaborators using shareable URLs. This feature eliminates the need for setting up staging servers, allowing real-time presentation of your local WordPress sites.

Additional Features of Local

Other notable features include: 

• HTTP/HTTPS tunneling – Enabled by ngrok, this allows your WordPress site to be accessed from any device with an internet connection, aiding in browser compatibility and responsiveness testing.
• Mailcatcher – Integrated into Local, it handles outgoing emails from PHP sendmail, useful for email debugging without overwhelming your inbox.
• Blueprints, clones, and exports – These features let you save your site as a template, clone sites easily, and export or import them with all configurations.
• Dev Mode and new site defaults – You can customize your environment (like PHP and MySQL versions) and use Dev Mode to prevent aggressive caching.
• Database connectivity and MailHog tool – These allow easy connection to your site’s database and the use of MailHog for testing transactional emails, streamlining processes for e-commerce sites.

For more details, check our comprehensive list of Local features.

XAMPP

XAMPP is a versatile option as well. It runs on multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and Solaris, providing flexibility for various user environments.

It includes Apache, MySQL (now MariaDB), PHP, and Perl, making it a comprehensive web server solution. XAMPP also uses phpMyAdmin as a web-based utility for easy administration of MySQL databases.

Other features include: 

• Supports various CMS platforms – This includes WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, and Magento. 
• Application prototyping – Suitable for rapid prototyping of web applications in a local setting.
• Security features – Provides options for encrypting MySQL databases and setting passwords, enhancing data protection.

Local vs XAMPP: Site Management

As you might expect, managing sites varies between these solutions as well. 

Local

Local streamlines the site management process, particularly for WordPress users. You can easily navigate to the site’s folder or open a command shell with a single click. Quick access buttons are also available for the WordPress backend and the live site.

In addition, while in the Overview section, you can perform the following tasks: 

• Modify the site domain.
• Trust SSL certificates for browser safety.
• Change web server type and PHP version.
• Enable one-click admin login.
• Turn on Xdebug for PHP debugging.
• Update WordPress directly from Local.

The Database tab provides essential database details and a link to Adminer for management.

And the Tools tab is where you can set up and manage MailHog for email testing and use Live Links for external site access.

Right-clicking on a site offers more functionalities like starting/stopping servers, cloning, exporting sites, and saving as blueprints.

The hamburger menu in the upper left corner leads to settings, software updates, and log access.

XAMPP

XAMPP, being more manual, doesn’t offer too much in terms of site management. It basically consists of the aforementioned control panel where you can manage its different services. The panel also provides direct access to key components like phpMyAdmin for database management and it’s where you can configure and monitor logs and access settings for each service. 

However, that’s about it. Anything else you want to do always happens directly on the websites and their CMSs themselves.

Local vs XAMPP: Support

When it comes to support and community resources, both Local and XAMPP have unique support options.

Local

Local has a strong community and support system around it, making it an attractive choice for those who might need assistance or want to connect with other users. Here’s what you can expect:

• Community support – Local has a dedicated community forum where users can engage in discussions, ask questions, and find answers to frequently asked questions. This active community is a valuable resource for both new and experienced users.
• Documentation – On the Local website, you can find detailed help documents, providing immediate help for common issues and questions.
• Opportunities to get involved – Local also offers opportunities for Local users to give back to the community by writing a tutorial, building an add-on, or even speaking at a WordCamp.

You also get access to all of these support routes from inside the Local user interface.

XAMPP

​​XAMPP, while not having as centralized a support system as Local, does still have easy-to-find help resourced.

There is the Apache Friends forum, supported by users worldwide, with sections in various languages, including English. This forum is a valuable resource for troubleshooting and gaining insights from other users.

Here, the diverse, global user base surrounding XAMPP contributes to a wide range of discussions, covering various aspects of using XAMPP for different development needs.

Local vs XAMPP: Which is Better Overall?

After comparing Local and XAMPP, it becomes clear that each tool has strengths tailored to different user needs. However, if we were to lean towards one, Local is the favorable option for most people, particularly those working with WordPress.

Local excels with its user-friendly interface and simplified workflows, making it a standout choice for both beginners and experienced WordPress developers. Its one-click WordPress installation, comprehensive SSL support, and seamless integration with WP Engine and Flywheel enhance its appeal. And the supportive community and extensive documentation behind it offer valuable resources for troubleshooting and learning.

While XAMPP offers greater flexibility and control for diverse web development projects, its technical nature and manual setup process can be more challenging, especially for those new to web development or specific to WordPress.

That’s why Local presents itself as a more accessible tool, especially for those prioritizing ease of use, efficiency, and a WordPress-centric development environment. 

When it comes to Local vs XAMPP, which do you prefer? Please let us know (and why) in the comments below! 

The post Local vs XAMPP: Which Should You Use for Local Development? appeared first on Torque.

SEO has become a lot more complex over time. By now, it consists of many different aspects and it can be difficult to cover them all by manually doing the work yourself. Thankfully, there are also loads of software solutions that can assist you. They can help you optimize your site more quickly and automate parts of your SEO efforts.

To show you how, in the following, we have compiled a list of tools for all areas of search engine optimization. From the best general SEO tools over analytics, keyword research, content creation and on-page optimization, to link building, local SEO, and beyond.

It’s going to be a long one, so let’s dive right in.

1. Best All-in-One SEO Tools

We are starting off with all-round SEO solutions. These are instruments that offer a wide range of functionality covering different areas of search engine optimization.

SEMrush

SEMrush is one of the most popular SEO tools out there, even among professionals, and for good reason. It offers a lot of functionality to help your site rank better, such as:

• Keyword research
• Backlink analytics
• Rank tracking
• Competitor research
• Site audit and on-page SEO check

For WordPress users there is also the SEO Writing Assistant, which gives you input on the readability, tone, optimization, originality, and more of your online content.

SEMrush offers a free plan with limited functionality. After that, prices for their paid offers begin at $108.33/month for annual plans.

Ahrefs

Ahrefs is very similar to SEMrush and offers mostly the same functionality such as keyword suggestions and analysis, site audits, etc.

However, where it stands out is backlink analysis. Ahrefs allows you to see which sites are linking to your competitors and the content that they rank for and you don’t. That way, it makes the tool easier to emulate and beat your competitors’ linking strategy. The tool also warns you of duplicate content and keyword cannibalization.

You can get free access to a limited version of their webmaster tools. The cheapest paid plan is $99/month and you get two free months if you pay for a year ahead.

Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest allows you to analyze websites (both your own and your competitors’), track where you rank for keywords, do keyword research, and analyze backlinks. It also gives you keyword suggestions. In addition, Ubersuggest has an AI writing tool that can help you create content for the keywords you found.

There is a free limited version and a 7-day free trial for the paid plans, which start at $29/month. However, it also has a lifetime deal where you can buy the forever version starting at $290. In addition, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee. Overall much more affordable than the other big names.

2. Site Analysis and Analytics

An important part of SEO is to make sure your site’s technical optimization is on point and that you track what your visitors are doing on your site. Here are some of the best SEO tools to do that.

Google Search Console

This is a free webmaster suite that Google provides. It helps you monitor your website, check if the search engine is indexing your pages correctly, lets you spot issues, learn about Core Web Vitals, and make improvements if something is wrong.

In addition, it shows the keywords that others find you in Google for, where you rank, your click-through rate, and more. This is invaluable information to help your site rank and perform better. To get the most out of it, don’t miss our detailed Google Search Console tutorial.

Alternative: Bing Webmaster Tools

Google Analytics

Google Analytics allows you to monitor what visitors are doing on your website. It shows you the pages they visit, how long they stay, how they found you, the countries they are from, and much more.

Basically, it allows you to understand which of your online content is doing it’s job well and which isn’t. You can use this information to make better decisions about your content strategy.

We have a Google Analytics 4 tutorial for you and also Google Analytics alternatives if you want to check some other SEO tools.

3. Best SEO Tools for Keyword Research

One of the most crucial parts of search engine optimization is keyword research. It helps you find topics that your audience is interested in and that you have a chance to rank for. There are also some excellent solutions to assist you in doing so.

Google Keyword Planner

Google has its own tool for this purpose. Though originally meant for picking keywords for paid ads, you can use the data it provides for organic keywords as well. This is especially good for local businesses because you can limit search to very specific localities.

While Google Keyword Planner provides relatively basic data, you can cross reference it with other tools to get a more comprehensive idea. It’s also free, you only need to create an account and a property but you don’t have to pay anything.

Google Trends

Another tool Google provides for keyword research is Google Trends. However, instead of focusing on a snapshot of how popular topics and keywords are at the moment, it shows you how they develop over time broken down by geography.

Simply enter a topic or keyword you are interested in and Google Trends will tell you how the rest of the world feels about it. It’s also possible to compare different topics and keywords to each other to see what trend to jump on and which to ignore. In addition, it gives you related keywords and phrases to your topic that are also en vogue.

Finally, it’s free as well and we have a detailed article how to use Google Trends for SEO.

KeywordTool.io

This is a great free keyword research tool. It mines the autosuggest function from sites like Google, Bing, YouTube, and Amazon to collect keywords related to your search. Simply enter a seed keyword, choose your language and search engine, then hit start.

You will receive a list of long-tail keywords, phrases, and questions that you can use to better plan your content, come up with additional article topics, or simply find keyword ideas. On paid plans you also get information about search volume, CPC, and other data. Highly recommended!

Alternative: Answer the Public, Mangools KWFinder

Keywords Everywhere

The last of our best SEO tools for keyword research is Keywords Everywhere. It is an add-on you can install in Chrome or Firefox. When you do, it provides you with keyword data on the fly.

For example, Keywords Everywhere shows key phrases related to what you type into Google, historical search data (from Google Trends), and keywords any website or web page ranks for as well as estimated traffic.

It’s also super affordable. The paid edition starts at just $1/month.

4. Solutions for Content Creation

Content is one of main signals that Google judges websites by. In order to use it to your advantage, you need to make sure that yours is of high quality and well-optimized. Here is some helpful software to assist you in that.

Surfer

AI is all the rage now (so much so that people are wondering if AI will replace us all) and it’s finding more and more application in all walks of life.

Surfer uses artificial intelligence for creating SEO-friendly content. It helps with keyword research, analyzes your existing content, and then helps you create relevant articles for your topics. The tool breaks down the content creation workflow into manageable pieces and helps you write articles quicker and easier.

It also has a WordPress integration and plans start at $69/month.

GrowthBar

This is a similar tool as the previous one. It, too, uses AI for scanning your existing content for keyword ideas and providing you with article outlines, including headings, internal links, and more. It can also optimize your articles already on your site and comes with other AI tools such as for writing product descriptions.

You can have all of the above starting at $29/month. There is a free trial.

Clearscope

While Clearscope is also AI-powered and helps you with content creation, it doesn’t do the writing for you. Instead, it creates reports for your target keyword by analyzing the existing SERPs. The tool then lists must-have and related keywords in its editor so that you know what topics and key phrases to include to beat the competition.

It also analyzes readability, can create content briefs, and do keyword research. Plus, Clearscope integrates into your workflow with a WordPress plugin.

However, it has its price. The lowest tier plan is $170/month.

Grammarly

If you are one of those people who doesn’t want to outsource all of content creation to AI, there is Grammarly. Yes, it too uses artificial intelligence. Yes, it also offers generative AI for writing texts. However, Grammarly’s main function is to help you polish your content and check it for errors.

The tool can check spelling and grammar, make suggestions for style, clarity, and tone, and even do complete sentence rewrites. It also integrates with a lot of common tools such as WordPress and Google Docs. Plus, there is a free version for basic error checking and premium plans can be as cheap as $12/month.

5. Best WordPress SEO Plugins for On-Page Optimization

Part of content creation is optimizing what you have written for search engine performance. That means, making sure you have the right keyword density, keywords are in the right places, and everything else that is part of on-page optimization. Luckily, the WordPress sphere offers a number of excellent tools for that purpose.

Yoast SEO

You say WordPress SEO, you think Yoast. It is the gold standard of WordPress SEO plugins.

If you just install and activate Yoast SEO, it already improves your website. In addition, it allows you to configure everything about how your site appears in search results. You can also use it to set SEO titles and descriptions for your content as well as metadata for social media.

The highlight is the on-page optimization guide. Just enter your main keyword and the plugin tells you how well optimized each piece of content is. It also comes with a readability analysis, XML sitemaps, and a lot more.

The free version is enough for most sites, however, there is also a paid version with additional features.

Rank Math

Rank Math is a plugin similar to Yoast SEO and has a lot of overlap in functionality. That includes the ability to set SEO titles and meta descriptions, create an XML sitemap, etc.

However, Rank Math also comes with an AI assistant for creating optimized content. Plus, you get full control over what user roles on your site can do what in terms of SEO and it integrates with Google Search Console so that you can see your keyword rankings in the WordPress back end. Finally you get a 404 monitor, redirection, and a lot more.

SEOPress

Another great WordPress SEO plugin. Of course, it does similar things as Yoast and Rank Math. Yet, its standout features is the clean and easy-to-use interface, which is completely free of ads. It also has heatmaps and session recordings and can automatically set image ALT tags and other data for image optimization.

The premium version is also cheaper than many of the other SEO plugins out there, so if you want to splurge for extra functionality, it’s the most affordable option.

6. Great Options for Image Optimization

Speaking of optimizing images for SEO, that’s also an important area where tools can help your site perform at its best. The most important consideration here is performance since images can slow down page loading time due to their size. It’s something that Google deeply cares about for user experience reasons and take into account when ranking websites.

Smush

This is probably the most popular WordPress image optimization plugin. Smush can do the following things:

• Compress images so they take up less space without altering their quality, both automatically during image upload and in bulk for existing visuals
• Set images to lazy load so only those visible in the browser window actually load
• Resize images and convert them to the WebP format.

All of this aims at making images, and your site, load as quickly as possible and keep users and search engines happy.

Alternative: EWWW Image Optimizer

ShortPixel Image Optimizer

Shortpixel is an an alternative to the above with similar functionality. However, it can also handle PDFs, convert images into WebP and AVIF format, has WP-CLI support, AI-powered smart cropping, and a whole lot of other features. Worth checking out.

TinyPNG

This is an external tool for optimizing images before uploading them to your site. Simply drag and drop files into the upload field and download your optimized images in bulk.

TinyPNG is free to use up to 20 images of 5MB or less (however, you can also use it several times in a row). If you end up taking advantage of it a lot, there is paid plan for $39/year. Plus, they even have a WordPress plugin if you want to integrate it directly on your website.

7. Schema Structured Data

Structured data allows you to add extra information to your web content such as images, price, rating. This can result in rich snippets being displayed in search results that include this information, which can lead to better click-through rates.

Many of the all-in-one WordPress SEO plugins above offer this functionality out of the box. However, you can also implement it manually using one of the plugins below. For more information, read our article on Schema.org structured data.

Schema & Structured Data for WP & AMP

This is one of the most popular WordPress plugins for implementing structured data. It supports more than 35 schema types from Blog Post over News Article to Recipe, Product, and more. The tool is also compatible with Google AMP plugins as well as easy to use.

Structured Content (JSON-LD)

This is an alternative for the above. While it doesn’t support as many schema types currently (FAQPage, JobPosting, LocalBusiness, Person, Event, and Course), Structured Content is Gutenberg optimized and allows you to configure Schema markup right in the block editor.

8. Link Building and Link Analysis Tools

If the Internet had an official currency, it would be links. They are a coveted resource since they represent a very strong ranking signal for search engines. Therefore, most successful SEO campaigns also involve a link building strategy. You can make this easier on yourself by using tools for this purpose.

Moz Link Explorer

First up is this semi-free tool to analyze any site’s link profile – yours or your competitors’. It allows you to see the number of links to a site, find broken links, check the link spam score, find new opportunities to earn links, see won and lost links, and a lot more. Plus, Moz can do keyword research.

There is a free plan with limited queries per month. Paid accounts with additional features start at $79/month for yearly and $99/month for monthly plans.

Majestic

Majestic is a link analysis tool. It shows you the number of inbound links and domains, gained and lost backlinks, and other data similar to Moz.

Unfortunately, the free plan is even more limited than its competitor. On the other hand, premium plans are more affordable, starting at $49.99 per month.

Internal Link Juicer

Links are not just important in terms of incoming links, also when it comes to links between pages on your website. Internal linking not only helps search engines and visitors navigate your site and find relevant content (notice all the internal links in this post), it also clarifies the relative importance of different pages on your site and their topics. For that reason, it should definitely be a habit of yours.

Internal Link Juicer helps you with that by automatically inserting internal links and using anchor text according to keywords. If you struggle with adding internal links to your content, give this plugin a try.

9. Solutions for Local SEO

Local search optimization is especially important for businesses with brick-and-mortar locations who want to show up for local searches in Google.

BrightLocal

BrightLocal is a complete SEO suite for local visibility. It reports search ranking in search results and Google Maps and helps you rank for the right local keywords.

In addition, it provides audits for your website and Google My Business listing and tools for taking care of your local business profiles. For example, it can help you generate reviews and answer them faster.

There is a 14-day free trial, after that you need to pay $35/month for the entire suite.

10. Best SEO Tools for Competitor Research

Ranking number one in search results could be so easy, if it weren’t for all the other websites trying to do the same. Sometimes SEO doesn’t just come down to doing your best but also to beating the competition. In those cases, it’s good to know what you are up against.

Besides the general SEO tools at the beginning of the page, here are some specialized solutions to spy on your contenders.

SpyFu

SpyFu offers a lot of the same functionality as your SEMrushs and Ahrefs. That includes things like rank tracking, keyword research, etc.

However, what it does best is help you with competitor analysis. Spyfu helps you figure out what your competition is doing better than you, understand, emulate, and beat their backlink strategies, learn their PPC keywords, do backlink outreach, see historical SEO data, and much more. This is invaluable knowledge to leave competitors in the dust.

SpyFu plans start at $16/month and there is a 7-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee.

SEOQuake

SEOQuake is a browser extension that provides an entire SEO toolbox. It’s free to use and available for Firefox and Chrome. Simply install and activate, then go to any web page that you are interested in, and it will provide your with SEO data about any website.

What kind of data? Anything from links and backlinks over estimated traffic and social shares to indexed pages and a lot more. The extension also displays this kind of information in Google search results. Great for quick overview of your own site or that of competitors.

Similarweb Browser Extension

Another browser extension that provides a lot of information about any website. Rank, visits, traffic sources, visitor locations – you name it. Another great option to spy on your competitors.

11. Performance Plugins and Tools

As mentioned, website speed is one of the factors that search engines like Google look at to determine website rank. For that reason, using tools that help you improve website performance is also best for SEO.

PageSpeed Insights

PageSpeed Insights is a free software made by Google to speed test your website. It shows different Core Web Vitals markers for the mobile and desktop version of your website. In addition, it gives detailed input on how to best fix any issues it finds and also checks for accessibility and SEO problems in the same way.

Alternatives: GTmetrix

WP Rocket

There are many free performance plugins for WordPress out there (see below), however, WP Rocket is often considered the best one, even though it is a paid extension. Simply install, activate, and you have a faster website right away. The plugin offers multiple caching layers, Gzip compression, deferring JavaScript, removing unused CSS, lazy loading and many more features.

A single-site license is $59/year. If that is too steep for you, can also achieve great results with the alternatives below.

Alternatives: W3 Total Cache, Autoptimize, LiteSpeed Cache, Jetpack Boost

12. SEO Utilities

Finally, here are some of the best random SEO tools that didn’t quite fit any of the categories above.

Redirection

Redirecting your pages is an important tool to help your website run properly. It allows you to eliminate 404 errors for pages that no longer exist by sending people trying to visit them to other relevant parts of your site.

This plugin not only monitors whenever someone tries to access a non-existent page on your site, it also provides you with a simple interface to create relevant redirect rules.

Broken Link Checker

In order to fix your broken links, you first need to find them. Doing so manually can be very tedious, especially if you have a very big website. That’s where this plugin comes in.

Broken Link Checker automatically scans your site for links that are going nowhere and reports them to you so you can solve the issues.

Alternatives: Screaming Frog SEO Spider (free up to 500 scanned URLs)

Really Simple SSL

Running your site on HTTPS is something that visitors increasingly expect for security reasons and it’s also something that search engines take into account when ranking your pages. If your hosting provider does not offer it out of the box or you are having trouble implementing it, this plugin can help you switch your WordPress site to SSL encryption.

XML Sitemap Generator for Google

If you don’t use any of the SEO plugins mentioned above, which automatically create XML sitemaps for your website, you can also use a dedicated solution just for that. Doing so allows you to submit your sitemap to Google Search Console and other webmaster tools in order to give search engines a better idea about what pages exist on your site so they can index them.

What Are Your Best SEO Tools?

With organic search continuing to be one of the main sources of website traffic, search engine optimization remains a central tool for any website that wants to be successful. Luckily, by now there are many tools to help you ace this part of running a website.

Above, we have discussed some of the best tools for different areas of SEO. As you could probably see, there are free tools, free limited plans, and free trials for most parts. Consequently, you don’t necessarily have to spend money to bring in traffic. We hope you find some good solutions for yourself!

What do you consider the best SEO tools for WordPress websites and beyond? Tell us about your favorites in the comments!

The post 40+ Best SEO Tools of 2023 (For WordPress and Beyond) appeared first on Torque.

However, a new in-depth study by the WordPress Performance Team indicates that translations could slow your site down. Testing showed that localized websites, or websites that  are tailored to specific target audiences and languages in different regions, can load up to 50 percent slower than non-localized sites. 

According to WordPress Contributor Pascal Birchler, “In addition to core itself, each plugin and theme has its own translation file, which has to be loaded and parsed on every request. Loading and parsing all these translation files is an expensive task.”

The blog post goes on to discuss a number of ways to speed up sites with translations. One option is to use a different file format. When downloading translation packs from translate.worpress.org, they are in .mo file format. Converting them to .php may help speed up your site. To do this you’ll have to use an external tool like GlotPress.

Another option is to cache the translations on a disk or database, this will definitely free up space on your site. This isn’t the most realistic option for most people because it requires disk or database space.

A third way to speed up your site is to use the gettext PHP extension. Because the extension is not as commonly available, most sites are using the built-in .mo parser. Installing gettext has shown significant performance improvements. 

The blog went on to detail three more solutions, though all require developer experience. 

Suffice to say, the conversation around translations in WordPress is taking on a language of its own. While there have been no decisions made about how the Performance Team will move forward to fix the issue, they are collecting feedback, which you can submit here starting Aug. 6.

The fourth phase of Gutenberg, is slated to include Core implementation for multilingual sites, but because we are just ending Phase 2, that could take some time. 

Because this is such an important issue to the community, we’ve provided a few additional ways you can continue to translate your site without slowing it down.

Why You Want Translations on Your Site

As we stated above, WordPress is an increasingly global CMS. Just last year alone, there were WordPress community events in every continent. Only displaying information in English automatically excludes a huge part of the population, not to mention large segments of the WordPress community. 

An English-only site could limit new contributors and users, and it might prevent potential customers from finding you. On the other hand, enabling translations can set you apart from your competitors. If a customer can read a product description in their preferred language, they’re more likely to engage with it. 

Finally, translations give you more search engine visibility, automatically increasing your SEO. Different languages can present unique keyword opportunities and search patterns. By conducting keyword research in each target language, you can optimize your content for those specific search terms and rank higher in local search results. 

Translations also make it possible to receive backlinks from other websites in those languages, expanding your reach. You also have the opportunity to localize your content to different regions. 

Translation Plugins

If you’re still looking to translate your website, using a plugin can be a great way to do just that without slowing down your site. 

While there are a wide array of choices when it comes to translation plugins, they ultimately break out into two categories: automatic and manual. 

Automatic translation plugins will, as the name indicates, automatically translate everything to your visitor’s preferred language. These plugins are less time intensive but can be less accurate. 

Manual plugins require you to manually translate all your content. Though this can be incredibly time consuming, you are less likely to make errors. 

All of them will allow users of all languages to enjoy your content. Here are five of our favorites:

Weglot

Weglot is incredibly easy to set up and has a big focus on SEO. It automatically translates all content on your site and updates in real time so you don’t have to continue updating anytime you add an article, though you can edit translations when you need to.

It detects your visitor’s preferred language through your browser and displays that language. If for some reason they want to view another language, the convenient Language Switcher allows for quick and easy language changes. 

TranslatePress

TranslatePress supports both manual and automatic translating, integrating with Google Translate for machine translations and is compatible with various themes and plugins, including certain page builders and WooCommerce. 

A nice plus with this plugin is you can translate metadata, URLs, and create separate sitemaps for each language. The free version allows you to translate your site into one language though the premium version has support for unlimited languages. 

GTranslate

GTranslate uses Google Translate to automatically translate your website content into multiple languages. The plugin uses a cloud-based approach keeping your website light and focuses on SEO. Like Weglot, it also offers a customizable language switcher which can be added as a widget, shortcode, or menu item.

There is both a free and premium version but unlike most premium plugins, it uses a monthly subscription rather than a yearly license. 

WPML

WPML or The WordPress Multilingual Plugin is the only one on the list that doesn’t offer a free version, but it is incredibly powerful. The plugin supports manual translations but also integration with professional translation services, giving you options.

It supports translating custom post types, custom fields, menus and widgets. And of course it is incredibly SEO friendly, allowing you to translate your metadata, permalinks, and more. As we mentioned, WPML isn’t free but it’s a full-featured option. 

Polylang

Polylang is a manual language translation plugin. You can translate in as many languages as you want, use a different domain per language, and the ability to language switch via widget. 

The plugin also allows you to translate custom taxonomies, sticky posts, RSS feeds, custom post types, and more. 

Conclusion

Translating your site opens you up to a wide range of new users. While the WordPress Performance Team works on ways to speed up local translations, these plugins will keep you going. Make your site more accessible, enhance your SEO, and reach people you wouldn’t have otherwise. 

Whether you choose manual or automatic translations, your future fans from across the globe will thank you. 

The post Translations May Slow Down Your WordPress Site, Plugins Can Help appeared first on Torque.

Fortunately, you can easily find project management tools designed specifically for development. Options like Wrike, Monday.com, and Zoho Projects can help you centralize team-wide communication and streamline your development projects.

In this post, we’ll discuss the benefits of using project management software. Then, we’ll show you three of the best options for developers. Let’s get started!

The Benefits of Using Project Management Software

As a developer, you might rely on your technical skills to succeed in your profession. However, it’s important to stay organized as well. That’s where project management tools come in.

Put simply, project management software helps track, organize, and execute professional work projects. In this type of workspace, teams can collaborate on tasks and execute work more efficiently.

As a result, you can optimize your workflow and complete projects faster (and better). That means you’ll likely be able to increase your client base.

One of the key benefits of using project management software is its communication channels. Instead of relying on multiple third-party tools, your entire team can discuss projects in one place. This can help you clearly establish your project expectations and increase transparency.

Whether you’re a part of a freelance development team or an agency, you can benefit from a project management tool. Here are some features developers should look for:

• Project planning
• Task management
• File sharing
• Invoicing
• Bug and error tracking
• Time tracking
• Analytics

Keep in mind that each developer and team will have a unique set of needs, but these are just the essentials you’ll probably want to look for. Crucially, your project management tool should give you access to organized records of your work. So, when you need to refer to a previous task, you can easily browse through stored information.

3 Best Project Management Tools for Developers

Now that you’re familiar with project management software for developers, let’s discuss some of the best options available. This way, you can make an informed decision, and start optimizing your projects!

1. Wrike

One of the best project management tools for developers is Wrike. It is used by over 20,000 organizations, including Google and Lyft. Wrike’s universal work management process includes everything you need to create and structure development tasks.

What’s more, with Wrike, you can use pre-built templates to instantly add work requests, weekly to-do lists, project risk analyses, and much more. Then, Wrike enables you to structure work with Gantt charts and calendar views.

Furthermore, as you develop your projects, you’ll receive real-time reports that help keep track of your budget, resources, and digital performance. Plus, Wrike will secure your workspace with Single Sign On (SSO) and Two-Factor Authentication (2FA).

Key features:

• Shared team calendars
• Visual workload views
• Instant file access
• Cross-channel insights
• Real-time reports
• Integrates with Bitbucket, MySQL, and other developer tools

Pricing: Wrike has a completely free starter plan that supports task management, custom work views, and email integrations. If you’d like to create unlimited projects with custom workflows, the premium subscriptions start at $9.80 per user every month.

2. Monday.com

Next up on our list is – Monday.com. This is a versatile project management software well-suited for marketing, sales, and development teams. No matter your goals, Monday.com can help you centralize projects all in one place. Using visual boards, views, and dashboards, this software makes it easy to manage and customize your work.

In addition to basic project management, Monday.com has features for developers. For example, it enables you to create a visual timeline for product development projects. Then, you can plan sprints to streamline changes using Monday.com’s scrum framework.

Key features:

• Calendar, timeline, and chart views
• 200+ templates
• Bug tracking
• Backlogs
• Product roadmaps
• Integrates with software development tools like GitHub, Jira, and PagerDuty

Pricing: Like Wrike, you can start using Monday.com for free. However, this plan is best for smaller teams. To access Gantt views, time tracking, and multi-level permissions, each team member’s seat starts at $8 per month.

3. Zoho Projects

Last up on our list is Zoho Projects. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly but feature-packed project management tool, you can’t go wrong with this option. This cloud-based tool is used by Stanford University, Airbus, and other major companies.

With Zoho, you can record new issues and assign them to your team members as you’re working on projects. Additionally, you’ll be able to create dependencies and track your progress with Gantt charts. Plus, Zoho includes user-friendly communication tools to optimize team collaboration.

Even better, using Zoho Projects, you can access the entirety of the Zoho app suite. Along with some third-party integrations, you’ll be able to use Zoho’s software for Customer Relationship Management (CRM), invoicing, analytics, and much more.

Key features:

• Portfolio dashboard

• Custom templates for projects, tasks, and task lists
• Document sharing
• Task timers, timesheets, and invoicing
• Issue reports
• Integrates with GitHub, Bitbucket, Basecamp, and more

Pricing: Zoho Projects is free for up to 3 users. To start building unlimited projects, the premium subscriptions start at $5 per user per month.

Conclusion

Currently, your development team could be wasting time better spent onboarding new clients. Therefore, you may want to consider using project management software to make sure your projects are set up for success. These tools should include features to manage tasks, share files, track errors, and more.

To review, here are some of the best project management tools for developers:

1. Wrike: A popular tool for tracking work requests, budgeting, resources, and team-wide performance.
2. Monday.com: A versatile project management software with custom visual timelines and sprints.
3. Zoho Projects: A budget-friendly and cloud-based tool with a full suite of built-in apps.

Do you have any questions about which project management software you should use? Ask us in the comments section below!

The post 3 Best Project Management Tools for Developers appeared first on Torque.

How popular?

Well, the news recently dropped that Twitter now officially blocks links to Mastodon (and other social platforms) and flags them as malware. So, if Twitter’s new owner takes Mastodon seriously, maybe the rest of us should as well?

All snark aside, after users started quitting Twitter in droves and looking for a new home, Mastodon is one of the biggest winners of this exodus. If, like me, you don’t yet know much about this alternative social network other than its name, this is the right post for you. In this beginner’s guide to Mastodon, we will cover everything you need to know to decide whether it’s worth switching to and how to do it.

What is Mastodon?

So, what is Mastodon? The short answer to that question is that it is an open-source, decentralized microblogging platform that lets its users communicate with each other in a fashion similar to Twitter. Founded in 2016 by Eugen Rochko, the platforms has seen a huge surge in popularity in recent months.

To better understand it, let’s clear up two of the terms above first:

• Open source — If you are working in the WordPress sphere, you should already be familiar with this. It means that Mastodon does not belong to any one company but is produced by volunteers to make it available for free.
• Decentralized — In contrast to most established social networks, Mastodon is not one monolithic provider. Instead, similar to WordPress, the software allows anyone to host their own installation of it. Users can sign up at each node and use the entire network. Therefore, Mastodon is less one cohesive platform as more a collection of servers that all have the ability to talk to each other. This type of decentralization is one of the main ideas behind web3.

What Can You Do With Mastodon?

Mastodon is very similar to other microblogging platforms. In fact, it comes across as a bit of a combination of Twitter and Tumblr.

You can post content and share what others have published (called reblogging or boosting instead of retweeting). There are hashtags and lists, you are able to add GIFs, images, and videos to your posts, and do everything else you have come to expect from social networks.

You can also edit your posts out of the box, something that Twitter users waited a long time for. In addition, verification is easy, you simply need to add a special link to a website that belongs to you (more on that below).

Another way the platform differs from other social networks is in the topic of content moderation. Because Mastodon operates decentralized, it doesn’t have network-wide content rules. Instead, each server has their own policy that is enforced by the users who are running it. They also decide which other servers you can communicate with.

How to Sign Up to Mastodon

Because of how Mastodon works, you can’t just create a username and start publishing, you first need to find a server (called instance in Mastodon parlance) for yourself first. That server will also be part of your username.

However, don’t worry, you are not limiting yourself to your original instance. No matter which you use to sign up to Mastodon, you can always talk to users on other servers as well.

1. Find a Server

Alright, so your first step is to look for a server you want to join. You can find a list of available instances here. The page will also ask you for some initial information (language preference, whether you’d like a big or small instance, moderation rules) in order to give you relevant recommendations.

Pro tip: Use the Advanced mode. It allows you to sort instances by number of users and more.

If you are unsure which one to pick, here are some tips:

• Find your old audience — Use Debirdify to find where members of your existing Twitter audience hang out on Mastodon. That way, you can move to where there are already familiar faces.
• Check the most active instances — This list shows what servers are most active, so you can be sure that there is an actual conversation going on that you want to join.

When picking an instance, it’s important to note that, since the Twitter exodus started, many of the more popular servers have been overrun and are currently not accepting new members. Therefore, it might be better to join a smaller instance for the moment.

As mentioned, that does not limit you to only the members of that server. Also, you can always move to another server if you don’t like the one you joined initially. At the same time, make sure to read the rules of your instance beforehand so you don’t violate them and get banned.

2. Join Your Chosen Instance

Once you have figured out which instance you would like to become a part of and that it is currently accepting members, it’s time to hit the Create account button.

After a list of your server’s policies, you should eventually land on the sign-up form.

Input the required information. The fields are pretty self-explanatory. For the username, it makes sense to use the same as your other social handles if it is available. Agree to the privacy policy and hit Sign up.

Mastodon will send you a message to verify your email address. Click the verification link and you are done. Congratulations, you have successfully signed up to Mastodon!

As already mentioned, your handle always consists of both your username and server, e.g. @username@mastodon.social. So, be sure to remember which instance you joined. You also need the full name to sign in to Mastodon from another browser or app. It only changes when you move servers.

3. Complete Your Profile

Like other social platforms, Mastodon gives you many different ways to share more information about yourself. You can do so using the Edit profile link in the upper left corner or when viewing your profile while logged in.

You can edit your display name, add a bio, as well as change your header and profile picture (called Avatar here).

You also have the possibility to make selections for your findability and follows, e.g. whether you want to manually approve follow requests, make your account discoverable for others, or hide who you follow or who follows you.

In addition, you can put additional metainformation to your profile using labels and content.

This is perfect for things like adding your website address or other Internet presences you think your visitors and followers should know about. Finally, there is an example link if you want to verify your Mastodon profile through your website.

You might also want to check out the menu item Featured hashtags.

Here, you are able to input some hashtags that you use a lot. They will appear clickable on your profile and show visitors your public posts under that tag.

4. Learn How to Use the Mastodon Interface

Once your account has been established and you are logged in, you land on the main Mastodon interface.

It should look somewhat familiar and a lot of it is self-explanatory but let’s still go over it step by step.

Search Field, Profile, and Post Field

In the top-left corner you find the aforementioned search field. Here, you can enter hashtags, usernames (including the instance name!) and look for users or posts by URL. Below that, there is a link to your profile and one to edit it.

More importantly, you find the input field to create your posts. Simply start typing. There is a character counter (the number of available characters depends on your instance) and icon to add emojis in the upper right corner. In the bottom bar, you find options to add an image, change your privacy settings, add a content warning, or change the language. You can also mark media as sensitive and add an ALT description for visually impaired users.

Mastodon can even detect text from an image and automatically add it as a description (up to 1500 characters). The big Publish! button sends your message out to the world.

Main Feed

In the middle of the screen on your homepage you, of course, find the main feed. Here, you see posts from people you follow with the option to reply to, boost, favorite, or bookmark them at the bottom. You can also click the three-dot icon for more options.

At top of the feed there is a loudspeaker icon for announcements from your server and some filter options to enable or disable boosts and replies to appear in your feed.

Mastodon’s Main Menu

On the right, you have the main menu. This, too, should look relatively familiar. Here is what you find unter the different menu items:

• Home — The link to your Mastodon homepage.
• Notifications — Here, you learn about new follows, mentions, and other things happening with your profile.
• Explore — Posts, hashtags, and news that are trending across the Mastodon universe as well as recommended profiles for you. Note that you can also find trending hashtags at the bottom right of the screen.
• Local — The most recent posts of the instance you are on.
• Federated — A live feed of posts being published in the Mastodon network.
• Direct messages — Here, you take care of your direct messages. Side note: It’s easy to mistake private and public messages when composing, so be mindful about that. PMs are also not encrypted and visible to server admins, therefore, they are not suitable for sensitive information or business dealings.
• Favourites — A list of posts you have favorited.
• Bookmarks — Posts that you have bookmarked.
• Lists — Gives you the ability to set up lists and add accounts to them to create custom feeds.

Pro tip: For even more options, go to the Preferences menu and tick the box where it says Enable advanced web interface.

This changes the interface to something very reminiscent of Tweetdeck, which I am quite partial to.

5. Find Your Friends and People to Follow

Of course, what makes social networks most exciting and useful are the people you are connected to. So, if you miss all the friends you made along the way on Twitter, you probably want to see if you can reconnect to them on Mastodon. You have several options for that:

• Manually — If you know the handles of people that you are interested in, you can simply use the Mastodon search function. Type in their name or username and follow them from the results list.
• Using tools — Use the aforementioned Debirdify or Fedifinder to find people you follow on Twitter or that you have added to a list, then connect with them all at once. In addition, check the hashtag #TwitterMigration and filter it using “People you Follow”.

6. Start Posting

Now that you’ve got your bearings, you can properly start posting on Mastodon. Your first post can be a bit of background information on you, your interests, business or what else makes you tick. Post it, then pin it to the top of your feed. That way, visitors can get a good introduction to you and what to expect if they want to follow you.

Aside from that, do the same stuff that you do on Twitter. Share your thoughts and links, add hashtags and images, and engage with others.

Side note: Since Mastodon has seen growth only recently, it is not part of any of the social media scheduling tools yet. However, the program has a native scheduler that you can use to create posts in advance and have them go out at a later time.

7. Check Your Preferences

You find the preferences under a menu item of the same name.

It’s generally a good idea to go through them as there is a lot to discover, such as:

• Accessibility settings, such as slowing down animations
• What events you get e-mail notifications for
• Filter which languages you want to see content in
• Move your account to another server
• Filter and manage your followers and people you follow
• Settings to hide certain content
• Enable automatic post deletion
• Set up two-factor authentication

Again, have a look for yourself, there is more to discover.

Are You Planning to Move to Mastodon?

Twitter alternatives are clearly having a moment. The mismanagement over at the original platform leads to lots of users looking for a new home and Mastodon is one that can quickly feel familiar. It’s free, open source, and quite easy to use. While some things, like its decenetralized nature, take some getting used to, the overall functionality is very similar to what you are used to from Twitter.

So, should you make the complete jump over to Mastodon?

That’s a bit up to you. Twitter is not going anywhere for the foreseeable future. It’s up to you if you want to use Mastodon as a replacement or addendum to your existing presence. Whatever you decide, be sure to look me up! I’d love to connect.

Did you sign up to Mastodon and would like to share your experience and tips? Please do so in the comments below!

The post How to Use Mastodon: A Step-by-Step Beginner’s Guide (2023) appeared first on Torque.

Fortunately, when you leverage information gained from eCommerce analytics, you can refine your strategy to maximize your profits. You can learn a lot from just a few simple data points, from tracking cart abandonment to successful conversions.

In this guide, we’ll introduce you to the basics of eCommerce analytics. Then, we’ll share eight key metrics to track and show you a few of the best tools for the job. Let’s dive right in!

An Introduction to eCommerce Analytics (And The Benefits of Tracking Them)

In a nutshell, ‘analytics’ involves collecting and then assessing data for a specific purpose. Typically, this is done using advanced online software. However, some metrics can be determined by completing simple calculations.

When it comes to eCommerce, the goal is to use insights gained from this data to continuously improve your marketing and sales strategies. Here are a few potential benefits you can gain when tracking eCommerce analytics:

• Better understand your audience
• Improve the User Experience (UX)
• Increase customer loyalty
• Refine marketing tactics
• Boost conversions and sales

In order to meet certain goals, online companies usually decide on a specific set of metrics to track. Each one can illuminate something different about customer behavior, web page performance, sales, and more.

8 Key eCommerce Analytics Metrics to Follow

Now that you know a bit about the benefits of tracking eCommerce analytics, we’re going to introduce you to eight key metrics you can follow!

1. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is one of the simplest metrics you can track. Yet it’s highly useful.

As the name suggests, CAC tells you how much it costs to land a new customer. It’s fairly simple to calculate this metric, as long as you know how much you’re spending on marketing and how many new customers you earn.

For example, you can start with your monthly marketing budget and divide that number by how many new customers you attract each month. This will give you your CAC.

You’ll want to keep your customer acquisition cost as low as possible, in order to optimize your business model. It’s a good idea to check this metric periodically to ensure that it’s staying at a sustainable rate.

2. Sales Conversion Rates

One of the most important eCommerce metrics you can track is your sales conversion rates. You can calculate this by taking your total number of sales conversions, and dividing it by the amount of visitors who had the opportunity to complete that conversion.

Here’s an example. Let’s say you’re tracking the sales of a new product. Within the first month, you find that 100 people viewed the product page. There were also 30 sales for that specific item. This would make your sales conversion rate 30 percent.

One common way eCommerce software keeps tabs on sales is by automatically inserting tracking code in confirmation or thank you pages:

While sales are perhaps the most significant conversion metric to follow, there are certainly others. For instance, you can track how many people are signing up for your newsletter, downloading a free digital product, or even joining your loyalty program.

3. Cart Abandonment

Cart abandonment is one of the biggest issues in nearly every online industry. From fashion to car rentals, shoppers often leave items in their carts repurchased.

There are many reasons for cart abandonment, but high shipping costs and a lengthy checkout process are at the top of the list. Furthermore, cart abandonment is especially common among mobile users.

If you track this metric and discover it’s an issue in your online store, you can make an effort to reduce cart abandoment. You might try some of the following tactics:

• Offer free shipping
• Redesign your checkout page
• Implement one-click checkout

If you can optimize the checkout process so it has a straightforward design and minimal requirements, you’re likely to land more sales.

4. Average Order Value (AOV)

Average order vale (AOV) illustrates the average dollar amount that users are spending on each order. Again, you can calculate this using simple division. You’ll need to know your total profit and your total number of orders.

Ideally, you’ll want your AOV to be as high as possible. However, it’s not uncommon for users to buy just a few products, especially if they are new to your store.

If your shop has a low AOV, here are some strategies you can use to encourage larger orders:

• Implement upselling/cross-selling
• Offer free shipping on large orders
• Provide discounts

Upselling and cross-selling can be particularly effective ways to increase your AOV. You can do this by advertising similar, complementary, or superior items on your product pages:

These are typically displayed in sidebars or at the bottom of the page, under a heading like “Complete the Look” or “Frequently Bought Together.” If you’d like to try out this tactic in your WordPress store, you can use a plugin like WPC Frequently Bought Together for WooCommerce.

5. Repeat Customers

Repeat customers are shoppers who return to your store for additional purchases. This is another key metric to follow.

You’ll want to encourage repeat buyers as much as possible. However, with so much competition, it can be difficult to retain eCommerce customers.

One great way to gain repeat purchases is with a loyalty program:

You’ll want to provide users with significant rewards. This way, they are incentivized to come back time and time again.

6. Bounce Rate and Time On Page

It’s crucial to know how users are interacting with your website and its individual pages. Therefore, two of the most useful metrics you can track are bounce rate and time on page. ‘Bounce rate’ is the number of users who land on your website and leave without clicking through to another page on your site.

Meanwhile, ‘time on page’ refers to how long users are spending on your web pages. When you first launch an eCommerce site, it’s not uncommon to have a high bounce rate and low time on page, but you’ll want to make every effort to combat this.

Improving page loading times and overall site performance is key when it comes to reducing your bounce rate. Additionally, prioritizing the user experience is vital to increase time on page.

Here are some other tactics you can try to improve both of these metrics:

• Improve your internal linking
• Install a plugin that targets website performance
• Enhance your navigation menus
• Add a search bar on every page

Each of these strategies will make it easier for users to navigate around your site seamlessly.

7. Click-Through Rate (CTR)

In Pay Per Click (PPC) marketing, you can pay to have your advertisements featured on certain pages. With Search Engine Marketing (SEM), you can pay or ‘bid’ on certain search terms. Depending on your bid, the relevancy of your content, and your page’s overall quality, your content can get boosted to the top of relevant search results.

Meanwhile, organic search results display web pages based on algorithms designed to provide users with the most relevant content – no payment required:

In all of these scenarios, Click-Through Rate (CTR) refers to the percentage of ‘impressions’ (or views) that result in a click. Therefore, you’ll want your CTR to be as high as possible.

With both classic PPC advertising and organic marketing, you can improve your CTRs by creating concise headlines and useful meta descriptions. It’s also smart to do some keyword research so you can target terms your audience is already looking for.

8. Audience Demographics

Last but not least, audience demographics can be extremely helpful when it comes to eCommerce analytics. Here are some data points you may want to track:

• Type of device
• Location
• Age
• Income level

You can use sign-up forms to collect some of this information from new users. Alternatively, you can create a survey to learn more about pre-existing customers.

This data can help you better understand your target audience. This way, you can shape your content marketing strategies, prices, and page designs around their specific needs.

How to Track eCommerce Analytics

Now that you’re familiar with some of the most important eCommerce metrics, you’ll need to know how to track them. As we mentioned earlier, you can calculate some eCommerce analytics metrics manually. However, this can be tedious and time-consuming.

Fortunately, there are plenty of analytical and marketing tools that can automatically track and calculate many eCommerce metrics for you. You’ll want to thoroughly research them to determine which is best for your business.

If you’re not sure where to start, Semrush and Google Analytics are two of the most popular and reliable tools you can use:

Both are user-friendly and straightforward. Plus, they both integrate seamlessly with WordPress.

Conclusion

As eCommerce becomes increasingly popular, it may be difficult for your online store to stand out in the crowd. By leveraging eCommerce analytics, you’ll be better prepared to serve your customers and increase sales.

You can get started by tracking simple eCommerce metrics like your customer acquisition costs, sales conversion rates, and average order values. Then, you can use a tool such as Google Analytics or Semrush to assess website and ad performance metrics like bounce rates and click-through rates.

Do you have any questions about getting started with an eCommerce analytics strategy? Let us know in the comments section below!

The post A Complete Guide to eCommerce Analytics appeared first on Torque.

It’s true. Google Trends can help you understand what people are searching for, and how that changes over time. This information can be incredibly valuable when it comes to creating content people actually want to read.

So if you’re looking for a way to boost your web traffic, or simply want to ensure that your content is relevant and searchable, then keep reading. We’ll show you how to use Google Trends to your advantage.

But first, a definition.

What is Google Trends?

Google Trends is a tool that allows users to see how often people search for particular terms on the internet. It also shows how these searches have changed over time.

You can use this for both personal and commercial purposes. For example, you might use Google Trends to track the popularity of a new product. Or, you could use it to see how interest in a certain topic develops over time.

You can also use Google Trends to compare the popularity of two or more terms. This can be useful for understanding how the public receives different products or topics.

All of this information is useful when trying to understand what people are interested in. Knowing that helps to create content that they are more likely to read and share.

Now let’s explore how you can use Google Trends for SEO and improving your web content.

1. Use Keyword Data to Create Relevant Content

One of the most valuable things that you can get from Google Trends is keyword data. This information helps ensure that your content contains the words and phrases that people are actually searching for.

To start, simply enter a keyword or phrase into the Google Trends search bar. You’ll then be presented with a graph that shows the interest in this keyword over time, its popularity in various subregions, as well as a list of related terms and how popular they are.

This data is a great indicator to determine which keywords and phrases you should be using in your content. For example, if you see that a particular keyword is becoming increasingly popular, you may want to consider including it more often in your articles. On the contrary, if you see that a certain phrase is losing popularity, you may want to avoid it altogether. Likewise, your searched keyword can spawn numerous related keywords you may wish to optimize for.

2. Follow How Search Trends Change Over Time

In addition to showing you how popular a particular keyword or phrase is, Google Trends can also let you know how search demand fluctuates over time. This information is valuable when you’re trying to understand why certain topics are becoming more or less popular.

To view this data, simply search for a keyword or phrase then view the Interest Over Time graph. It will also tell you which countries are searching for these terms the most.

For instance, when searching for “pencils,” interest increases around the back-to-school shopping season from July – September then tapers off for the rest of the year in the United States.

At the same time, it is relatively flat year-round when opened up to a worldwide search.

3. Monitor Your Competitors

In addition to understanding people’s interests, you can also use Google Trends to keep tabs on your competition. Monitoring competitors is essential for any business, and Google Trends can give you unique insights into what they’re up to.

To do so, simply enter the name of your competitor into the Google Trends search bar. You’ll then be able to see how popular their brand is, as well as the historical trend.

Use this data to understand whether or not your competitor is gaining or losing popularity. Or, use it to see if there are any sudden spikes in interest, which could indicate that they’re running a new marketing campaign.

A good example of putting this into practice would be if you saw that a competitor’s brand was suddenly trending for a specific keyword set. You could then look at that keyword set and see if there were any opportunities for you to create content around those same keywords.

4. Stay Up-to-Date on Current Trends

Another great way to use Google Trends for SEO is to stay up-to-date on what’s popular. This can be useful for a variety of different purposes, such as understanding what people are talking about on social media, or keeping tabs on the latest newsworthy events.

First, simply enter the name of a current trend into the Google Trends search bar. You’ll then be able to see how popular that trend is, as well as where it creates the most buzz.

Content creators and marketers alike can make use of this information. If you notice that a certain type of content tends to perform better in one region than another, you can localize your content strategy to focus on producing more pieces like it for the former region.

Or, if you see that a trend is losing popularity, you may want to avoid creating content around that topic.

Basically, using this tool can give you insights into what’s hot at the moment, even if you don’t regularly follow the news or top hashtags. Going to the daily search trends can be illuminating as well, since you can view what is currently trending and whether or not you may be able to capitalize on that.

5. Make Full Use of Google Correlate 

Google Correlate was a Google Labs tool that has now been discontinued. It worked by uncovering topics people were interested in, and assisting you in deciding what to write about. It also helped with discovering new related topics that were currently trendy. 

Though the official tool is no longer available, its features are a part of Google Trends. Within Trends, you can find relationships between different search trends or any other data point. This is an underutilized aspect because many people are unaware of its existence.

Simply enter a phrase into Google Trends and you’ll see other search terms linked to it. For example, if you type in “backpacks,” you will see results like “cool backpacks for kids” and “carhartt backpack”.

Researching new content topics is essential to maintaining a high-traffic website. These terms can help you identify potential gold mines for topic ideas that are both relevant to your target audience and have a high bar of quality. For example, the suggested keywords make it easy to come up with new content topics. “Cool Backpacks for Kids” is pretty much already a blog post title. For the other keyword you could do something like “Carhartt Backpack Review.”

So you can see how taking this approach can yield extremely helpful results for generating new content ideas as well as exploring the raltions between key terms. 

6. Create a Content Calendar for the Coming Months

Once you’ve used Google Trends to understand what people are interested in and which keywords and phrases they’re using, you can use this information not just for SEO but also to create a content calendar.

This will help you to plan and organize your content and make it more readable and shareable. First, simply enter the keywords and phrases that you want to write about into a spreadsheet.

Then, use the data from Google Trends to determine when these terms are most popular and plan your content accordingly. This will help ensure that your articles come out at the time when their popularity is at its peak. For example, below you can see that interest in “weight loss” peaks both around New Year’s (all those resolutions kicking in) and then again shortly before summer season.

Or, you can use a content planning tool to keep your keyword research, potential titles, and to-be-published data organized and in one place. A few great options that are compatible with WordPress include CoSchedule, Editorial Calendar, and Strive.

Each of these tools will help you to better plan and organize your content. This, in turn, can lead to more traffic and engagement.

7. Create a More Cohesive Brand

Google Trends can help you create a more cohesive brand as well. To do this, simply enter your brand name into the search bar and see what frequently associated terms come up. This data is really helpful in understanding how people perceive your brand. It shows which keywords and phrases you should use in your marketing initiatives.

For example, if you see that a particular keyword often comes up in relation with your brand, you may want to use it in your social media posts or on your website. Doing so could help you to reach a wider audience and attract more attention to your brand.

An even more effective approach is to use local trends to create content that is timely and relevant to those interested in your product or service type. For example, a coffee shop could use local search data to target those who are interested in iced coffee during the summer months.

With a clearer idea of these local search trends, you can build a brand that is more in touch with the needs and wants of your target audience.

Now if your brand doesn’t have a huge reach and doesn’t produce Google Trends results, not to worry. You can still make use of this tool to aid in the task of brand building. You will just need to center your searches on competitor’s brand names or more general, industry-specific keywords.

8. Increase Your Chances of Going Viral

Finally, using Google Trends can increase your chances of going viral. Understanding what people are in interested in and which keywords and phrases they’re using is a great basis for creating popular content. Enhancing that with country or location-specific information to make the content more useful to a niche audience makes it more likely that it will hit a nerve and go viral.

In addition, you can use potential keywords from social media and input them into Google Trends. This can help you unlock content ideas that will go viral both in search and in social.

Conclusion: Use Google Trends for Content Creation and SEO

By now it should be clear: Google Trends is a powerful tool to improve your web content. By understanding trends and popular keywords and phrases, you can more easily give people what they are looking for.

This, in turn, can lead to more traffic and engagement for your website. So, if you’re struggling in these areas, be sure to give Google Trends a try.

Do you have any additional tips for using Google Trends for your SEO and content efforts? Any secret strategies we missed? Share them with us in the comments below.

The post How to Use Google Trends for SEO and Better Web Content appeared first on Torque.

Fortunately, we’ve gathered all the information you need about the new analytics system. Google Analytics 4 (GA4) comes with new ways of measuring website performance and engagement. You can leverage it to gain better insights into user engagement on your site. 

In this post, we’ll introduce you to Google Analytics 4 and its advantages. Then, we’ll walk you through the setup process and explain the different parts of its analytics dashboard. Let’s get to work!

An Introduction to Google Analytics 4

Google Analytics was created back in 2005. Although the system has evolved, its core purpose of serving as an analytics tool has remained the same:

Google Analytics is a platform that tracks and measures traffic and performance on your website. However, on July 1, 2023, the current system (Universal Analytics) will no longer process data, and Google Analytics 4 (GA4) will take over.

If you’re currently using this tool, you might have already seen the banner on your Google Analytics dashboard recommending you switch over to the new version:

There are numerous ways that Google is updating its core analytics system. The key differences include the following:

• Insights and predictions powered by AI: The new platform has AI insights to help you track user behavior. An example could look like data on increased user interest in a particular product.
• A new data model: GA4 gathers data as “events”, each with a unique name to help identify it. These events include page views and transactions.
• Spam prevention: Whereas previous versions of Google Analytics were more vulnerable to spam, the new platform has enhanced measures to protect your website data.

In short, Google Analytics 4 will still perform the same role as its earlier counterpart. However, the new version is built to help you better track and understand your website’s events and visitor interactions.

Why It’s Time to Consider Using Google Analytics 4

Although the transition won’t be fully mandatory until July 2023, you might consider switching to Google Analytics 4 sooner rather than later. That way, you can get a head-start on the new setup and begin reaping its benefits.

Google Analytics 4 comes with an abundance of advanced updates. One of these stand-out features is its increased emphasis on user privacy.

GA4 doesn’t store IP addresses and comes with granular data collection and usage controls. These features will help you to better comply with international data protection regulations like the GDPR.

Event tracking is another crucial difference between Universal Analytics and GA4. Before, measuring numerous metrics involved a complex manual setup. Now, the new platform automatically tags events.

GA4 can also recognize and measure different kinds of human interaction events, including:

• In-site searches
• File downloads
• Page views
• Scrolls
• Outbound clicks
• Video engagement metrics

Furthermore, the new system lets you track customer lifecycle reporting. You can see the channels driving users to your website, their actions, and if they remain on the page after converting. This data provides a more comprehensive overview of how visitors engage with your website across various channels.

Ultimately, you’ll have to make the switch by July 2023. If you don’t transition now and learn the new platform, you might find yourself scrambling at the last minute. By switching over now, you’ll have time to familiarize yourself with GA4 and get the most out of its new features.

How to Implement Google Analytics 4 (In 3 Easy Steps)

Now that you know some of the new features and benefits of GA4, let’s explore how to make the switch from a Universal Analytics account.

Step 1: Create a Google Analytics 4 Property

The first thing to do is to ensure that you’re not already using Google Analytics 4. You probably already use the new system if you set up your site after October 14, 2020.

To verify this, you can access your Google Analytics account and look at your list of properties. Properties currently using Universal Analytics will have a UA at the start of their analytics IDs:

If your property displays UA, you can go ahead and start the transition. First, choose the property using Universal Analytics and navigate to its Admin settings. Then select G4A Setup Assistant:

After that, click the Get Started button under I want to create a new Google Analytics 4 property:

You’ll need to click on Create Property, and Google Analytics will link your two accounts (Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4):

You can now start measuring more complex events. Click on Create property and follow the steps for naming your property and choosing the data you wish to record:

Hit Save when you’re happy with your settings. You’ll then be taken immediately to Data Streams.

Step 2: Configure Your Google Analytics 4 Property

To begin using Google Analytics 4, you’ll have to configure at least one data stream. This can be a Web, Android app, or iOS app:

If you choose Web, you’ll be prompted to enter your website’s URL. You can also select which data streams you want to track:

From here, Google Analytics will ask you to add a tag to your website to verify that you own it. You can do this through Google Tag Manager. We recommend following this handy guide on how to set up the tags:

Google Analytics 4 will begin to collect data as soon as you verify that you own your website.

Step 3: Explore Google Analytics 4 Reports

You will now be able to track all data from your dashboard, just like the old system:

As you begin to set up custom insights, you’ll be able to explore all of the new reports you have access to. You can get an overview of all your reports in the Reports snapshot tab:

This will give you a zoomed-out perspective of your data, including new user counts and average engagement period. You can also explore the lifecycle subcategories of customer engagement, acquisition, monetization, and more.

To get a full rundown of the different features of GA4, the platform has provided a demo account. It allows you to analyze and experiment with accurate business data before making the switch.

Conclusion

Changing to Google Analytics 4 may seem scary at first. However, by following this guide, you’ll be able to make the switch and reap the benefits of this new system, including increased privacy for users and more comprehensive insights. Mastering GA4 helps you use analytics information to your advantage in the long run.

To recap, here’s how to implement Google Analytics 4:

1. Use the Google Analytics 4 Setup Assistant to transition your Universal Analytics property.
2. Create and configure your Google Analytics 4 property using your website (or app) information.
3. Explore the new reports you now have access to using GA4.

Do you have any questions about using Google Analytics 4? Let us know in the comments section below!

The post How (And Why) to Start Using Google Analytics 4 appeared first on Torque.

Fortunately, you can put your website into maintenance mode. This way, you can work on it in private while preserving your User Experience (UX).

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at maintenance mode and discuss when you might use it. Then, we’ll show you how to enable it in WordPress. Let’s get started!

When to Enable Maintenance Mode in WordPress

Maintenance mode enables you to present a message that informs visitors that your website is currently unavailable. As a result, users won’t be able to view or engage with your content. You can also let them know when you’ll have your website up and running again.

Without putting your site into maintenance mode, visitors can encounter broken links, redirects, and 404 errors. This can make you look unprofessional.

By putting your site into maintenance mode, you can create a positive reputation and preserve your UX. Here are a few scenarios when it would make sense to use it:

1. When you’re switching to a new theme or redesigning your site
2. When you’re fixing WordPress errors and bugs
3. When you’re testing out new plugins

You can also modify your maintenance mode page to generate leads. For instance, you can redirect traffic to your social media accounts or include your contact details.

How to Enable Maintenance Mode in WordPress

The easiest way to enable maintenance mode in WordPress is to use a plugin. In this tutorial, we’re going to use WP Maintenance Mode & Coming Soon. With over 900,000 installs, this is a trusted and reliable tool. Plus, it’s highly customizable, enabling you to add countdown timers and contact forms to your maintenance page.

Step 1: Install and Configure the Plugin

You can install the plugin directly from your WordPress dashboard. Once activated on your site, you can configure the plugin by navigating to Settings > WP Maintenance Mode.

Then, enable maintenance mode by checking the Activated box:

You can also choose whether you’d like search engines to display your website while it’s in maintenance mode. Simply use the Bypass for Search Bots dropdown menu to select your preference.

Next, you can choose which user roles have access to your front and back end while your site’s in maintenance mode. By default, this is set to Administrator.

Once you’re happy with the settings, click on Save changes.

Step 2: Create Your Maintenance Mode Page

At this point, you have enabled maintenance mode on your site. However, you can customize it to encourage users to take action.

To get started, head to the Design tab of the plugin’s settings. Then, use the dropdown box to select the page you want to use for maintenance mode and click on Edit:

You can also use a pre-designed template by Otter Blocks. If you choose one of these templates, the Otter Blocks plugin will automatically be installed. The template will then be imported to a new draft page where you can customize the layout and enable it from the plugin’s settings.

Once you access your maintenance mode page, you can give it a captivating title and add the content that you want to display using blocks:

Additionally, you can make your page look more appealing by applying custom colors to fonts and backgrounds. Once you’re happy with your page design, save your changes.

Step 3: Make Your Maintenance Mode Notice More Engaging

You can go one step further and add elements to your page to boost your UX. For instance, a countdown timer can keep visitors in the know.

Find the Countdown module, then select the date when your website will be ready to launch and hit Reset:

You can adjust how your timer displays and apply custom colors in the Block settings. You could give visitors the option to be notified when your website is available. To do this, you’ll need to embed an opt-in form, or create your own headings and text fields:

Of course, you’ll need to sync this form with your email marketing platform to deliver your messages. If you’re collecting user data on your page, it’s important to make sure it’s GDPR-compliant. It’s also a good idea to add a link to your privacy policy page.

Additionally, you can add links to direct users to your social profiles. All you need to do is add your unique URLs to the appropriate icon:

Then, you can add link labels in the Block settings to make your site more accessible.

Step 4: Set Up Your Chatbot

Lastly, you can set up a pre-programmed live chatbot to interact with your visitors. This can help you drive conversions and grow your mailing list before your site is even active.

To enable this feature, go to Manage Bot. Then, set the status to Activated:

Here, you can choose a bot name and upload an avatar to add a touch of personality to your bot. If you scroll further down, you can customize the messages that your visitors will see.

For example, you can ask them whether they want to be notified when your site is ready. If they say yes, you can ask them to provide their email address:

You can create short, simple message sequences, or build more elaborate ones to keep visitors on your page for longer.

Conclusion

While there are times when you’ll want to tweak your website, certain tasks can break your site or make your pages display oddly. However, you can enable maintenance mode to show a user-friendly notice and preserve your UX.

To recap, here’s how to enable maintenance mode in WordPress:

1. Install and configure WP Maintenance Mode & Coming Soon plugin.
2. Create your maintenance mode page. 
3. Make your maintenance mode notice more engaging by adding a countdown timer and other features.
4. Set up your chatbot.

Do you have any questions about how to enable maintenance mode in WordPress? Let us know in the comments section below!

The post How to Enable Maintenance Mode in WordPress appeared first on Torque.

If you’re not familiar with keyboard shortcuts, they are simply key combinations you can use to perform certain tasks. For example, the shortcut Ctrl/Cmd + S will save a document in most word processors.

While WordPress doesn’t have as many keyboard shortcuts as some other software, there are still a number of them and today, we’ll be offering you 76 of the most useful. But first, let’s pause a moment to discuss why you might make the effort to learn them.

Why Use Keyboard Shortcuts in WordPress?

If you’re running a WordPress website, chances are you’re always looking for ways to save time. After all, time is money! And keyboard shortcuts are a great way to do just that. By using them, you can quickly and easily access the features and functions you need without having to take your hands off the keyboard.

Not only that, but keyboard shortcuts can help you stay organized and productive when working in WordPress. When you know how to use them, they can speed up your workflow and help you get things done more efficiently.

So if you’re looking to save time and boost your productivity, read on for a list of super useful keyboard shortcuts for WordPress website owners. It’s broken up into categories based on where you’d be using the shortcuts as well as whether they are for Windows or Mac operating systems.

Let’s dive in!

General Keyboard Shortcuts for Writing Faster in WordPress

We’ll start off with some useful shortcuts for common text-formatting tasks. The examples below work for both Gutenberg, the WordPress block editor, as well as the Classic Editor.

Formatting Shortcuts for Windows Users

• Ctrl + C – Copy selected text
• Ctrl + V – Paste the text saved in your clipboard
• Ctrl + Shift + V – Paste text without formatting
• Ctrl + X – Cut selected text
• Ctrl + B – Make selected text bold
• Ctrl + I – Italicize selected text
• Ctrl + U – Underline text
• Ctrl + A – Select all text
• Ctrl + Z – Undo last action
• Ctrl + K – Insert/edit a link
• Ctrl + S – Save post or page
• Ctrl + F – Search text on the page you’re currently viewing

Formatting Shortcuts for Mac

• Cmd + C – Copy selected text
• Cmd + V – Paste text saved in your clipboard
• Cmd + Shift + V – Paste text without formatting
• Cmd + X – Cut selected text
• Cmd + B – Bold selected text
• Cmd + I – Set selected text to italic
• Cmd + U – Underline text
• Cmd + A –  Select all text
• Cmd + Z – Undo last action
• Cmd + K – Insert/edit a link
• Cmd + S – Save the current content
• Cmd + F – Find text on the current page

Gutenberg-Specific Keyboard Shortcuts

If you’re using the WordPress block editor, then you’ll want to take advantage of the following keyboard shortcuts. For more, similar tips, check our article on lessser-known Gutenberg features.

Gutenberg Shortcuts for Windows

• / – Pick a block type (use in an empty paragraph)
• Ctrl + Shift + D — Duplicate the block currently selected
• Alt + Shift + Z — Delete a block along with any content it contains
• Ctrl + Alt + T – Insert a block just before the selected block
• Ctrl + Alt + Y – Insert a block just after the selected block
• Ctrl + Shift + Alt + T — Move the selected block upwards
• Ctrl + Shift + Alt + Y — Move the selected block downwards
• Ctrl + Shift+ K — Remove link
• Ctrl + Shift + Z — Redo last undo
• Ctrl + Shift + Alt + M — Switch between the visual and the code editor
• Ctrl + Shift + Alt + F — Toggle full-screen mode on or off
• Ctrl + Shift + , — Switch the settings sidebar on and off
• Shift + Alt + N — Navigate to the next part of the Gutenberg user interface (accessibility feature)
• Shift + Alt + P — Navigate to the previous part of the Gutenberg user interface
• Esc — Clear selection

Mac Users, Use These Shortcuts in Gutenberg

• / – Pick a block type (use in an empty paragraph)
• Cmd + Shift + D — Duplicate the block currently selected
• Ctrl + Opt + Z — Delete a block along with any content it contains
• Cmd + Opt + T – Insert a block just before the selected block
• Cmd + Opt + Y – Insert a block just after the selected block
• Cmd + Shift + Opt + T — Move the selected block upwards
• Cmd + Shift + Opt + Y — Move the selected block downwards
• Cmd + Shift+ K — Remove link
• Cmd + Shift + Z — Redo last undo
• Cmd + Shift + Opt + M — Switch between the visual and the code editor
• Cmd + Shift + Opt + F — Toggle full-screen mode on or off
• Cmd + Shift + , — Switch the settings sidebar on and off
• Ctrl + Opt + N — Navigate to the next part of the Gutenberg user interface (accessibility feature)
• Ctrl + Opt + P — Navigate to the previous part of the Gutenberg user interface
• Esc — Clear selection

You can also find this list in the Gutenberg editor menu under Keyboard shortcuts. Simply click the three-dot icon in the upper right corner to find it (or use Alt + Shift + H in Windows and Cmd + Opt + H on Mac).

Keyboard Shortcuts for the WordPress Classic Editor

Now we are getting to shortcuts that work exclusively for the Classic Editor.

Windows Users

• Alt + Shift + M — Insert an image
• Alt + Shift + S – Remove a link
• Alt + Shift + L — Align selected text left
• Alt + Shift + R — Align selected text right
• Alt + Shift + C – Center align selected text
• Alt + Shift + D – Strikethrough selected text
• Alt + Shift + O — Insert an ordered list
• Alt + Shift + U  — Insert an unordered list
• Alt + Shift + T  – Insert the Read More tag
• Alt + Shift + Q – Insert a blockquote
• Alt + Shift + # — Change highlighted text into the selected heading (2 = h2, 3 = h3, 4 = h4, 5 = h5, 6 = h6

Shortcuts for Mac Users

• Ctrl + Opt + M  — Insert an image
• Ctrl + Opt + S — Remove a link
• Ctrl + Opt + L – Align left
• Ctrl + Opt + R – Align right
• Ctrl + Opt + C — Align center
• Ctrl + Opt + D – Strikethrough selected text
• Ctrl + Opt + O — Insert an ordered list
• Ctrl + Opt + U  — Insert an unordered list
• Ctrl + Opt + T  – Insert the Read More tag
• Ctrl + Opt + Q – Insert a blockquote
• Ctrl + Opt + # — Change highlighted text into the selected heading (2 = h2, 3 = h3, 4 = h4, 5 = h5, 6 = h6

Quick note: In WordPress versions 4.2 and below, you need to use Opt + Shift instead of Ctrl + Opt to make the above work.

Use WordPress Keyboard Shortcuts to Save Your Most Precious Resource — Time

These are just some of the keyboard shortcuts that WordPress users can take advantage of to save time. Whether you’re a Windows user or a Mac user, there’s no reason why you can’t experiment with different shortcuts and see which ones work best for you and your workflow.

And don’t forget, if you’re ever feeling lost, you can always press the Esc key to cancel your current action. Happy shortcutting!

Did you know any of these keyboard shortcuts for WordPress? Did we miss one? Feel free to share in the comments and help your fellow users out below.

The post 76 Essential WordPress Keyboard Shortcuts You Should Know appeared first on Torque.