Top Wordpress Plugins

This is my list of top wordpress plugins that are absolutely must have, and I generally install on every single blog I setup.

wp-db-backup – A plugin that automatically backs up a wordpress database.
Breadcrumb NavXT – A wordpress plugin that adds some nifty navigation/link hierarchy thats useful for SEO and usability.
Topsy Retweet Button – This button retweets your post, much like the more common tweetmeme variety. This one, however, adds in a nifty post ranking (top 10k, top 5k, etc.) that is generated by topsy’s specialized algorithm. In all other respects functions identically to the tweetmeme retweet button.
WP-to-Twitter – This plugin allows you to setup wordpress to tweet either a default or custom tweet to an account of your choice, complete with bit.ly shortening, at post time.
TwiBadge – This plugin enables a widget that can be dropped onto a sidebar that shows a twitter stream. I like this particular one because it looks really cool, and has a few different color options. There’s a million different plugins that serve this same feature, however.
Facebook Fan Box – This plugin adds a facebook fan box widget letting you advertise your faceboo fanpage with ease.
Google XML Sitemaps – This outputs an xml file to be given to google to increase indexability of the website. Presumably a boon to SEO.
Contextual Related Posts – This inserts a short bulleted link list of “related posts” to the end of every post. Good for SEO, and giving people more to read about automatically.
DISQUS Comment System – This plugin integrates the Disqus comment system into the blog. Disqus adds really cool features like avatar import from and posting to facebook, and twitter. Additionally at allows for subscription to posts, and inserts the comments into the actual wordpress database for easy removal if you later decide Disqus isn’t for you.
Digg Digg – This plugin enables share buttons from almost every web2.0, or social bookmarking service in existence in a few different style formats. Contrary to what the plugin name might suggest, it doesn’t *ONLY* add a digg.com button.
PubSubHubbub – Helps your website integrate with PubSubHubbub.com to introduce push notification, and conceivably speed up search engine indexing.
EzineArticles Plugin – This allows you to submit EzineArticles directly from your blog, as well as monitor their status from the administrative panel.

.. and I’ve saved the best for last…

Thesis Openhook – This plugin is specialized for the popular SEO theme known as “Thesis.” It makes customization very easy by adding an “Openhook” panel to your wp-admin control menu where you can then insert custom code or CSS to change the look of your site. If you decide to do any thesis customization make sure to also check out this “hook map.”
WP Super Cache – This plugin is so important it’s actually automatically included in all wordpress blogs setup at my webhost provider, Dreamhost. It can prevent a website from crashing when suddenly receiving a large number of hits (like those sent from a story going popular on Digg).