I got your back!
You’re new to blogging and need to know about the best tools.
In all these years of blogging, I’ve found some GREAT, good-enough, and awful tools.
Some tools I never touched and some that I still use.
The 19 tools I’m going to mention today are among the best I’ve found; among these, I use most of them.
You don’t have to use all these 19 tools, but I’m sure you’ll have to use them at least once in your blogging journey.
Let’s dive in…🤩
Google Site Kit
Installing Google’s services on your newly created blog is a hassle.
It’s worse when you’re a new blogger and don’t want to mess with code.
Google Analytics is one service you’ll have to install on your website to track visitors and other factors.
Though Google Site Kit is dissed by most WordPress professionals, it’s one of the most convenient tools to connect Google Analytics and other Google services.
You won’t have to insert code in your site’s header and footer section.
Your new blog will run Google Analytics in just 3-steps:
- Make a Google Analytics 4 Property
- Install Google Site Kit and login with the same email you did to create GA-4 Property
- The plugin will detect and automatically insert code in your site.
And that’s it!
I used Google Site Kit to insert Analytics code on my first blog. In fact, I still use it for some of my microblogs.
Since Google listens to their customers, they have been working to improve it better than before. Google regularly update this plugin and makes a step better than before.
Grammarly
Hands down, this is the BEST writing assistant you can find right now. I’ve tried Quillbot and other so-called AI software tools as writing assistants, but none beats Grammarly.
If you are reluctant to spend money immediately, they also have a free plan. Which is far better than any writing service you’ll find today.
What makes Grammarly better than other writing assistance services is how easy it is to use and how fast it is.
You’ll feel more confident after you’ve written a blog post on Grammarly.
Grammarly is fantastic for someone who is not a seasoned content writer and just learning to construct words.
Canva
If Grammarly is the BEST software for writing engaging content, Canva is THE service for artistic purposes.
See? I just wrote “artistic purpose” and not social media images. It’s because Canva can do anything you can think of!
Heck, you can even create a working website in it.
Canva has become the go-to software service for artists. Doesn’t matter whether you’re just learning art or a seasoned professional; Canva is a no-brainer when you want to make almost anything related to art.
In fact, every design on this website, from the site logo to a featured image, has been created on Canva. But one place where Canva has found its place is Pinterest and YouTube thumbnails.
The Guys at Canva were generous enough to make their services accessible to everyone. You can pay for extra features if you want.
Which is absolutely worth it!
Canva, unlike other software services, has a 1-day plan.
Unique!!
Forget Spam Comment
Ugh, I was getting so fed up with all those spam comments about s*x and poker bots cluttering up my blog.
I had to manually delete thousands of spam comments.
As frustrating it was, I also accidentally deleted comments from real people who asked genuine questions.
That’s when I found Forget Spam Comment.
This simple plugin was created by one guy and has great reviews on WordPress plugin market.
There’s no complex settings involved. Just install it and activate.
I really have forgotten any spam or bot generate comments landing on my page after installing this plugin.
You may not receive hundreds of comments, but who knows when you blog goes viral and your comment section gets bombarded by these spam bots.
Forget Spam Comment is not a famous WordPress plugin, but the reviews say for itself how good it is.
Ultimate Blocks
As the name suggests, Ultimate Blocks is THE one plugin you’ll need for your blog.
Be it a unique table of contents, lists or a button, Ultimate Blocks plugin has everything in it.
Even the free version of the plugin has enough features for most bloggers.
But if you want to go pro with every feature unlocked, you can check out their premium option.
I’ve tried and tested a number of so-called blocks plugin, but none beat Ultimate Blocks.
ChatGPT
In today’s world having ChatGPT is a no brainer.
ChatGPT started the AI revolution and I don’t think it’s going to slowdown anytime soon.
Unfortunately, what most bloggers are doing is copy-pasting ChatGPTs reply to a question.
Please don’t do that! Google is not stupid. They know what we bloggers are up to.
And they will do everything in their power to stop misuse.
You can ask ChatGPT for simple suggestions like “suggest me catchy YouTube titles,” “suggest me 5 productive habits.”
I use ChatGPT to verify whether my content sounds friendly, and for grammatical errors.
I’ll heavily recommend you to use ChatGPT for these purposes…
Give Marketmuse a try. You’ll love it!!
Marketmuse
Marketmuse will gear your blog content SEO on steroids!
While Grammarly only checks your content writing style and grammatical error, Marketmuse suggests keywords you can target for a better SERP score.
With better SERP (Search Engine Results Page) score your blog gets more visitors, which in turn produces more revenue.
Though Marketmuse is pretty expensive, they have a free option if you can provide them a custom email.
I’ve used, and still use Marketmuse to prune, and refresh my contents.
It’s fun when you see those visitors number go up.
Uptime Robot
I stumbled upon Uptime Robot when one of my blog went down after a freaking 6 hours outage.
I was just sitting ducks when this happened and could do nothing to check whether the downtime happened again!
I never made the mistake of just “sitting duck,” and started using Uptime Robot to monitor all my blogs.
I heavily rely on Uptime Robot to monitor all my websites for performance issues.
It gives me peace of mind and helps me talk to my hosting provider about any problems
Believe me, you’ll need this in future when you have a handful of websites.
Uptime Robot is free, and the free version does a great job.
But of course, if you want to go overboard, they offer a paid version.
Squoosh
Google is pretty itchy about server response times and how quickly a website opens.
When you run a Google Pagespeed Insights test on your blog, you’ll see an issue of “decrease image sizes.”
You can ignore if your posts/pages don’t use a lot of images, but it’s a real issue when it does.
Heavily and uncompressed images can put your hosting server on load and eat-up bandwidth before you know it.
So, the best thing to do is compress those images without losing too much quality.
That’s were Squoosh comes in!
I’ve tried several image compression tools, but Squoosh is way too easy to use.
Heck, you can even transform an image from PNG to JPG or vice-versa. You get other image file options as well.
You’ll love it!!
Annotely
Annotely is particularly useful when you’re writing a review of something similar.
In the simplest words, with Annotely you can add certain marks on your image.
You can use it to blur out parts of an image, add arrows to point out stuff, and all sorts of other things.
Honestly, I think the coolest thing about it is being able to blur stuff out.
Quicktools
Quicktools is a nifty little tool from the guys who created Picsart.
While I primarily use Quicktools for emojis, you can use it for various other purposes.
One of them is to generate awesome fonts, AI writing, compress images, and convert image files from PNG to JPG and other formats. And the list goes on…
In fact, I’m slowly switching to Quicktools for most of the small tasks for my blog.
WP Rocket
WP Rocket is hands-down the BEST caching plugin available for WordPress.
Why so? Because WP Rocket makes caching your website content a child’s play.
I hope you never have to face issues with caching plugins because of how tedious the settings are. Primarily if you use W3 Total Cache.
WP Rocket takes care of all caching automatically, just with the switch of a button.
As it’s with most plugins, ease comes with a price tag. But honestly, the value you get from WP Rocket is well worth it.
Yet, suppose you’re reluctant to spend money on a paid plugin. In that case, you can use W3 Total Cache or Litespeed Cache (if your hosting runs on Litespeed Web Server).
Keep in mind that they may not be as user-friendly as WP Rocket.
Iconscout
While Canva will cover all your artistic needs, if you want to take a big jump, that’s when Iconscout comes in.
Nowadays, there’s a massive demand for 3D and 2D illustrations. Iconscout is leading the pack with its enormous list of 3D and 2D illustrations and lotte animations.
Though I’ve used Iconscout a few times, it’s more geared towards dedicated artists like graphic designers, theme makers, and asset designers.
But, if your entire career is based on UI/UX design or theme design, Iconscout is going to be a lifesaver.
Pexels
I started using Pexels when I got my first computer. Back then, I only used it for desktop wallpapers.
Over the years, Pexels has developed even more.
I still use Pexels to download copyright-free images for social media and my blog…
But lately, I’ve stopped using it for various purposes. Not because of some issue; I just have moved on with different art styles.
You can use Canva, Iconscout, and Pexels. You’re free to use any three of them as you like.
Pinterest is one tool I cannot live without! I literally spend hours scrolling on Pinterest as most people do with Instagram and TikTok.
I firmly believe that Pinterest is an S-tier platform that will surely reward you for your hard work.
Pinterest is the ultimate search engine for pictures. You can find anything and everything, especially when it comes to art.
You gotta try using Pinterest to drive traffic to your website. It’s seriously worth all the effort. I’m convinced that Pinterest is one of the best platforms out there, and it’ll totally pay off in the end.
Snipboard
Snipboard is an online screenshot-sharing tool.
I regularly use it to share a screenshot of something I can only see.
Snipboard is particularly helpful when you’re chatting with your team and want to share a snapshot of what’s happening on your side.
In my case, I use it while chatting with customer support. I simply take a screen snapshot and share with them what’s going on.
Notion
Productivity is the new rage right now! Everybody wants to be productive.
But things are confusing when you begin to take charge of your life.
That’s when Notion comes in.
To put it simply, Notion is a more advanced note-taking app that is not limited to just note-taking.
You can plan your day, design your college project, collab with your teammate, and more.
You can also set a reminder of all the progress you’ve made.
I have the Notion app installed on my computer and phone. Whenever I need to know something or note down an idea, I dive into Notion.
Not gonna lie; Notion really has made me more productive than before.
Notion is like having a personal assistant who’s always on top of things. Give it a try!
Pomofocus
Now that you have Notion installed on your phone and computer, it’s time for another cute little free service, Pomofocus.
You might have heard about the Pomodoro Technique. This technique has been around for more than three decades now.
But it’s been only a few years since people are loving it.
Pomodoro Technique is a simple technique where you take a break after continuously working for a period of time.
Pomofocus is a web-based timer that’ll remind you to take those much-needed breaks after a long work session.
It’s important to take breaks you know… Don’t let the burn-out bugs bite.
Envato Elements
If you want your blog to look different and are okay with spending a few bucks, Envato Elements is THE site you should visit.
You can find everything for your blog, whether it’s a blog theme, custom fonts, custom plugins, or just some art illustration.
Envato got it all!
I’ve used Envato Elements a few times and still visit it occasionally.
If you’re looking for something and don’t find it anywhere. Try searching for it on Envato Marketplace.
I’m like 80% sure you’ll find it.
Please be aware that Envato Elements and Envato Marketplace are different. Bot the services come under the Envato umbrella.