9 Steps to Spring Clean Your Blog

It’s time for Spring Cleaning!

Spring clean your blog. Spring is finally here! Before you dive into all the Spring cleaning around the house and the yard, take an hour or two to spring clean your blog or website. The list below will get you started.

9 Steps to Spring Clean Your Blog

1. Run all your updates.
   But first, run a backup. Then update WordPress, Kadence/Genesis, and all your plugins. I know it’s tempting to ignore them because it seems that there are always updates waiting for you. But many times updates are security and bug fixes and you want to have the newest versions to keep your site safe and working its best. Updates don’t take long. If you simply cannot be bothered with updates I do have a maintenance package where I will run your updates once a week, get in touch for more information.
   
2. Remove plugins that you are no longer using.
   Once you’ve decided you don’t need a plugin any longer deactivate and delete. Too many plugins can slow your site down and there is no reason to hang on to them once you’ve decided to break up with a plugin. Just say goodbye. If you change your mind you can always add the plugin again down the road.
   
3. Delete the Admin User.
   If you are using an Admin user account, please, please, please create a new user account with your name. Make sure you use the Administrator permissions. And then delete the Admin user account. WordPress will ask you if you want to move all the posts/pages attributed to the Admin user account, say yes, and move them all to your new username. The Admin user account makes your site vulnerable to hackers since this is the first username they will try.
   
4. Update your Admin email.
   In your dashboard go to Settings and then General. Make sure you have your current email in the Administration Email Address box. If you need to update the email simply change it and click save at the bottom of the page. You will receive an email from WordPress to confirm the change.
   
5. Check for broken links.
   It happens to all of us. If you use outside links inevitably pages will be moved or deleted and your links will be broken. No one wants to have readers land on the 404 page. You can add the Broken Links Checker plugin to help you stay up to date on broken links. It’s free and easy to use, you can even fix or unlink right from the dashboard without visiting each page or post with a broken link. After you install the plugin, go to your dashboard and then go to Tools >> Broken Links. Then hover over any links in the list to see the options (edit URL, unlink, etc).
   
6. Check mobile.
   Grab your phone or tablet and visit your site with a reader’s eyes. How does it look on mobile? Spend some time looking through your posts and pages to ensure they look good on your device. A few things to notice:
   • Is your navigation easy to follow?
   • How do your images look?
   • Is the text easy to read?
   • Are the links big enough to click on with enough space around them?
7. Proofread.
   While you have your reader’s eyes turned on, give everything a good proofreading. Spring cleaning is a great opportunity to give your content another once-over and catch any typos or unclear language that you might have missed previously. I am the typo queen, there’s no shame just fix it and move along. 🙂 I love Grammarly to help me stay on top of typos and grammar (it is a cloud-based typing assistant that reviews spelling, grammar, punctuation, clarity, engagement, and delivery mistakes and it offers appropriate replacements for errors it locates).
   
8. Internal Linking.
   While you are proofreading and checking out your mobile view keep an eye out for any opportunities to add some internal linking. Adding some internal linking will give you an SEO boost and help your readers find more of your awesome content. Win, win!
   
9. Time for a redesign?
   Even if you still love your site there are other (important) reasons to update your WordPress theme to a more current theme. Here are 7 Reasons to Update your WordPress Theme

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