I have assembled a list of the very best WordPress plugins, some of which I use on my own blogs (*), and some of which I don’t.

Try them out yourself, and see if they work with and improve your blog.

Optimizing Your Blog Site

Ultimate Google Analytics*
Google Analytics is an amazing free web site tracking service. This plugin allows you to add your tracking code to your entire WordPress site in one easy step.

DB Backup*
Your entire WordPress database is backed up and sent to your email, or you can download the file.

WP-SpamFree
This amazingly powerful anti-spam plugin eliminates all automated spam.

All in One SEO Pack*
This universally useful plugin optimizes your meta tags for the search engines.

Google XML Sitemaps*
This Google XML Sitemaps plugin generates an XML-Sitemap compliant sitemap of your blog. XML-Sitemap is supported by Google, Yahoo, MSN Search and Ask.com.

Social Networking Support

Lifestream
Your activity from many different social sites can by channeled by Lifestream. Facebook, Friendster, Flikr, YouTube, Twitter as well as any other RSS feed are all supported.

Twitter Tools
You can pull your Twitter tweets onto your blog, both as posts and digests, as well as create tweets from within your WordPress blog.

Facebook Connect Community
Facebook Connect Community allows your blog’s users to sign in with their Facebook login info.

Spreading the Word

Sociable*
Automatically add links to your favorite social bookmarking sites on your posts, pages and in your RSS feed. You can choose from 99 different social bookmarking sites includ ing Digg, Reddit, SU, Mixx, Propeller. You can also add e-mail and print buttons. It also supports TwitThis, but the plugin can be made easier by using TinyURL (or another URL shortening service) and automatically logging the user into Twitter with the URL and Title already shown.

Digg Digg
Dig Digg adds Digg, Reddit, Yahoo Buzz (and Stumble Upon coming soon) buttons with counters allowing your readers to vote for your posts directly on your page.

Visitor Interaction Tools

IntenseDebate
This plugin replaces the comment boxes with an advanced comment system, which includes karma points, RSS, threaded replies, and the ability to comment via email.

Disqus Commenting System
This plugin replaces the comment boxes with an advanced comment system, which includes Facebook Connect, RSS, Gravatars, comment karma threaded comments. Additionally, Discus features top commenters, recent comments, and video comments.

WP Greet Box
New visitors to your blog receive a greeting tailored to the site they were referred by: Google, Facebook, Mixx, StumbleUpon, Digg, Reddit, etc. Customizing a message for anyone coming from any specific site is a breeze.

Popularity Contest
Your readers will be able to see which of your posts are most popular based on views, comments and pingbacks, etc. You are able to weight the value of each type of feedback.

WP Since Last Visit
This very cool widget reveals to your blog’s visitors which posts and comments are new since their last visit.

WP-PostRatings
This plugin allows your readers to rate your posts, and allows you to display the ratings on the sidebar.

WP-PostViews
This plugin allows you to display how many times a post has been viewed.

Subscribe-Remind
Inserts below each post an invitation for your readers to subscribe via RSS.

Yet Another Related Posts Plugin
Yet Another Related Posts Plugin introduces your readers to other relevant content on your blog site.

Video Support

Smart YouTube
You can easily insert YouTube videos into your posts, comments and RSS feeds with this plugin.

Video Widget
You can easily display videos from video sharing websites on your blog. Supported formats include Quicktime, Windows Media Player, YouTube, Google Video, MySpace, Daily Motion, MetaCafe, Reever, Blip.tv, and others.

Miscellaneous Cool and Useful Stuff

Category Posts Widget
This widget will display any number of posts in your sidebar from any category you specify.

PHP Contact Form
Your readers can contact you easily and securely when you use this custom fields contact form generator

WP Page Numbers
This plugin adds pagination to your blog.

Front Page Excluded Categories
This plugin allows you to select categories you don’t want to appear on your front page, and block them.

DropCap First Character
This plugin makes the first character of a post larger, like in a magazine.

Wordpress Download Monitor
This plugin allows you to manage and track uploads to and downloads from your blog.

AdSense Manager
This plugin allows you to insert AdSense, Yahoo, AdBrite (and other) advertising to your sidebar (and anywhere else on your blog).

Please Follow, Connect with and Friend Me:

I would like to introduce you to Bill Ayers, one of the 4-Hour Academy experts on Muse building. Bill has been assisting individuals with building their online businesses since I’ve known him. He is the creator and owner of Webeneur.com and is a tireless advocate for the Mobile World Citizen lifestyle (MobileWorldCitizen.com).

I conducted an interview with Bill especially for this group: Listen/Stream or Download. Once you’ve listened to the interview, you’ll know why so many people have used Bill as a coach to help them develop and build their Muses.

Bill’s personal coaching program includes:

• One 30 minute one-on-one call per week
• A structured format to accelerate your business
• Direct input from someone who has already created mobile income (Muse)

You can count on receiving:

• Experienced guidance on how to start and/or grow your Muse
• Valuable input on how to move forward quickly to reach your goals
• A 100% Money_Back Guarantee

Some of our programs are very US-centric, and that can be difficult for many members of our group. This program can be utilized from anywhere in the world. Please take advantage of this golden opportunity. To apply to be one of the people to benefit from Bill’s master coaching on the topic of freeing yourself to live the life that you dream of living, click through to his web site and sign up now: Mentoring Program.

On the site look for the “email me” link, and send Bill the information he requests. It’s as simple as that! I look forward to hearing your stellar success stories very soon!

Attracting the dream!

Thubten

********************

Thubten Comerford
Profile: LinkedIn.com/in/thubten
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/thubten

Whether or not you are an entrepreneur at this moment, the only way that you’ll be able to liberate your time is to be one. Whenever I send you an email, I will interact with you as an already successful entrepreneur. I am assuming that you joined the 4-HA group in order to become a member of The New Rich, as described in The 4-Hour Workweek.

The 4-Hour Academy Community
Since I first started this 4-HA community group on LinkedIn I have been at work creating my muses and getting them going. (Remember, Muses are how Tim refers to online automatic internet cash machines.) I have spent a great deal of time studying and implementing internet marketing strategies and tactics that Tim did not go into in his book.

Connecting with me
I request that as part of your participation in the group, that you connect with me directly on LinkedIn. You may find my profile at www.LinkedIn.com/in/thubten. You may use my gmail address to invite me: 4HourGuru@gmail.com. Please mention the 4-HA in your invitation, so I know not to re-invite you to this group on LinkedIn.

I also request that you sign up for an account on twitter.com, if you don’t already have one. Please begin to follow me. Twitter is one place where I regularly post what’s going on in the 4-Hour world. Seeing how people tweet on Twitter will help you prepare to promote yourself and your products online with style. You can follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/thubten.

Connecting with 4-Hour Gurus on LinkedIn
Two other 4-Hour gurus that you should connect directly with are Scott Everson and Bill Ayers. Scott is the lead instructor at the 4-Hour Academy, and you can find his LinkedIn profile at: www.LinkedIn.com/in/scotteverson. Scott’s email address is Scott@Everson.ws.

Bill is the leader of the Webeneurs group in San Francisco, and is a mover in the 4-Hour Workweek world. You can find his LinkedIn profile at: www.LinkedIn.com/in/MobileWorldCitizen. Bill’s email address is Bill@Webeneur.com. You will want to connect with Scott and Bill directly.

Joining Entrepreneurs’ Groups on LinkedIn
I am also involved with several additional groups on LinkedIn and enthusiastically invite you to join these groups. They are groups that you’ll want to join, even if only to expose yourself to some new and interesting
people.

Calling All Angels
Calling All Angels is a group of entrepreneurs who are committed to helping each other raise the funds they need to start and build their businesses. Join this group to learn how to prepare yourself and your project for funding.

Entrepreneurial Standards Forum
The Entrepreneurial Standards Forum is for entrepreneurs seeking to improve their business model, their revenues, and their profits through the sharing of information. Businesses that go through the ES2F benchmarking process are more likely to succeed, and are therefore more attractive to potential investors.

Startup Founders
Startup Founders is a group of startup founders, networking with each other, sharing information, joining others’ teams, building solid new businesses that thrive.

Attracting the dream!

Thubten

********************

Thubten Comerford
Profile: LinkedIn.com/in/thubten
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/thubten