Intro
Ranking Factors, WordPress Security and Speed
Welcome to the 9th Issue of the weekly newsletter. This week has been particularly tough as I was down with Covid. Then it spread to my wife and 8 month old son. My apologies for the delay.
In this issue, we look at interesting topics such as ranking factors, website security and speed. The Semrush study is long and you might not agree with. But it also sheds some light on where to focus your SEO efforts.
Calvin of Snicco has written an interesting follow up article to WeWatchYourWebsite's article in the previous issue. This includes some proof of concepts (POC) to show how attackers can steal WordPress authentication cookies. I hope the other WordPress security players will take note if needed.
We also cover ways to speed up your site in some of the curated articles this week. As speed is a major ranking factor, implementing the recommended changes will help your site rank better.
Finally, there are three software that's worth considering if you haven't. Bricks Builder, Automatic.css and Cwicly. Bricks and Cwicly will increase their prices in a few days.
Leokoo.com Weekly Digest
News
Navigating Google’s and Yahoo’s New Sender Requirements: What Email Marketers Need to Know - MailPoet
Are you using email marketing as part of your digital marketing? If yes, Google and Yahoo has new sender requirements kicking in soon. Read what you need to do to keep your email marketing efforts, effective.
mailpoet.com
Recommended Articles
Semrush Study: Ranking Factors 2024
If you were wondering what ranking factors will affect your site's SEO, read this interesting and controversial study that was produced after analyzing 300k results.
semrush.com
AI and Writing: Can It Actually Produce High-Quality Content? - Single Grain
AI tools can help a company’s content marketing and SEO campaigns. But when it comes to AI and writing, is the content high quality?
singlegrain.com
21 WordPress Optimizations To Boost Speed and Search Rankings
Are slow load times hurting your WordPress site? Implement these 21 optimizations to improve speed and search rankings. Don't let your site fall behind.
quicksprout.com
How WordPress uses Authentication Cookies & Sessions: A technical Deep-Dive
Authentication Cookies / Sessions is easily one of the most misunderstood and badly documented topics in WordPress security. At the end of this, you'll exactly know how the WordPress Authentication & Session Management system works and what its weaknesses are.
snicco.io
Dos & Don'ts for the WordPress Block Editor
As Gutenberg becomes more prominent in WordPress sites, having a guide on what not to do is helpful.
speckyboy.com
How to Fix “Avoid an Excessive DOM Size” in WordPress
Excessive DOM Size is one of the reasons WordPress sites are slow. Read how to fix this issue with some simple steps.
cloudways.com
Reviews & Comparisons
Fluent Forms Review: Is This WordPress Form Builder the Pinnacle of Flexibility and Efficiency?
While there are dozens of form plugins for WordPress, Fluent Form stands out with its performance and speed. Read a detailed review that does Fluent Form justice.
wpmayor.com
Profitable Tools & Resources
Bricks Builder's Prices Are Going Up on the 15th of January
Bricks Builder, one of the best and fastest WordPress website builders is seeing a price increase on the 15th of January. Having used Bricks Builder, it was intimidating at first, but over time, I've grown to love the software.
If you are considering to build websites for yourself or for your agency, getting a license before the price hike will be good.
bricksbuilder.io
Automatic.css is back on lifetime for the next few months
While Bricks Builder is a great website builder, it is made great by the ecosystem of supporting plugins. Personally, I find Automatic.css a gem as it helps cut down on workflow and improve productivity.
Automatic.css (or ACSS) is back on lifetime for several months. Grab this and the Frames LTD for best results.
leokoo.com
Cwicly Annual Prices Going Up on 12th January
If you are into Gutenberg, Cwicly is a plugin you should consider. Cwicly provides clean output, ensuring you don't suffer from excessive DOM issues. It is also one of the leading Gutenberg plugins out there. Prices are going up tomorrow.
cwicly.com