As a follow up to my earlier post on how to create your own wordpress widget, I have compiled a list of wordpress plugins that everyone should have. You don’t necessarily have to use them all the time; however, they should be installed and ready to go. The list is in no particular order.

1. WP Google Analytics – Easily integrate your Google Analytics code into your wordpress blog and start gaining insights into your traffic.
2. FeedBurner FeedSmith – Easily redirect all your feed traffic to your feedburner account.
3. WP-Polls – Add polls to your sidebar or any post with this easy to use poll plugin.
4. WP-PostRatings – Allow readers to vote on and rate your posts. Easy to use and integrate ajax implementation.
5. WP-PostViews – Track and display how many times your post has been viewed.
6. Sociable – Allow readers to add your post to the major social networks in the click of a button.
7. Google Sitemaps Generator – Recommended for serious bloggers. This plugin generates sitemaps to Google’s specifications for better SEO.
8. CForms – Great contact form; easily allows visitors to contact you through a form instead of an email address.
9. Search-Highlighter – Seeing my search keyword highlighted in a post makes my life a lot easier.
10. All in One SEO Pack – This is the most advanced plugin on the list. It helps get your SEO rankings higher, but may take a little tweaking.

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What plugins do you use and find helpful? Let us know in the comments.