5 WordPress Plugins That Are Worth Removing

As you know that now Google considers site speed as an important ranking factor so today I am going to give you a list of some plugins that you must not install if you are using WordPress as your blogging platform. I’ve also given manual methods you can use to give the same effect as is given by the plugin. Lets start:

1. Smooth Scroll Plugin

I’ve seen many blog, using a plugin called SmoothScroll. Installing this plugin, puts the icons below a web page and it appears when we scroll down a web page. This plugin will give special smooth scroll effect to your BACK TO TOP, TOP TO BOTTOM like links.

Alternative to this plugin : If you consider site speed, there is no need to install this plugin and if you want to use Back to Top feature you can use this simple jQuery Scroll to Top control V1.1

When user will click on it, it will be taken to top of the web page.

2. Social websites bookmarking plugin

You might have seen different plugins like SexyBookmarks or similar plugins that helps you to put social icons on your blog. Actually there is no need to install play plugin for put social icons on your WordPress blog, you can do it manually also.

Code to add Digg link

<a href=”http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=<?php the_permalink() ?>” rel=”nofollow”><img src=”<?php bloginfo(‘template_directory’); ?>/images/digg.png” alt=”Add this Article to Digg” /></a>

Code to add Delicious link

<a href=”http://del.icio.us/post?url=<?php the_permalink() ?>&title=<?php the_title(); ?>” rel=”nofollow”><img src=”<?php bloginfo(‘template_directory’); ?>/images/delicious.png” alt=”Add this Article to Del.icio.us” /></a>

Code to add Facebook share

<a href=”http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=<?php the_permalink(); ?>&t=<?php the_title(); ?>” target=”blank”><img src=”<?php bloginfo(‘template_directory’); ?>/images/facebook.png” alt=”Share this article on Facebook” /></a>

Code to add StumbleUpon link

<a href=”http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=<?php the_permalink() ?>&title=<?php the_title(); ?>” rel=”nofollow”><img src=”<?php bloginfo(‘template_directory’); ?>/images/stumble.png” alt=”Add this Article to Stumbleupon” /></a>

3. Tweetmeme plugin

Do you know that you can add TweetMeme button on your blog without any plugin, here is a tutorial, just copy the code below and paste it in single.php where you want the re-tweet button.

For large button use the code below:

For small button, use the following code:

4. Adsense plugins

There are a lot of plugins out there which helps you you to add Google ads automatically in your blog. Why to use any plugin when you can do the task manually. Follow the tutorial below:

Display Google ads in between post title and post body

Open single.php file on your template and search for :

and put your Adsense code below it and save your work.

Display Google ads after post ends

Open single.php file on your template and search for :

<?php the_content(); ?>

and put your Adsense code below it and save your work.

Display Google ads in between post

Open functions.php file and put the following code at the end:

function adsense() {
return ‘/*Paste your adsense code here!*/’;
}
add_shortcode(‘adsense-block’, ‘adsense’);

Now, in your post simply copy and paste the following code where you want to display Google Ads.

[adsense-block]

5. BreadCrumb Plugin

If you are using any plugin to display breadcrumb on your blog, just deactivate it and use this method to put breadcrumb on your WordPress blog manually. Click here to read the tutorial on How to: Breadcrumb function for WordPress

These are few alternate methods you can use and remove plugins, so as to make blog fast. I hope you like my article.

This article is written by Gagan. He gives SEO Training in Chandigarh.

20 thoughts on “5 WordPress Plugins That Are Worth Removing”

Now i'm using Addthis plugin, but i want it to add manually.
Where i paste sharing buttons code. Help me to add this manually.

Interesting post Gagan. I like it. For all its virtues, WordPress spits out some rather untidy html once multiple plugins are installed. I congratulate you on making a stand in the name of efficiency.

Thank god , I do not any one of them in my wordpress blog. Each of these feature i have already embedded inside my theme. Thanks for reminder.

these are the best tricks i ever know not to use some not-so-usefull plugins. 🙂
you rock!
thanks a lot.

i used Smooth Scroll Plugin, but removed now, thanks for the suggestion…

after read this articles i think no need for me to remove that plugin because i never install all of them…lol

Hello Gagan, it's really excellent post about word press plug-ins.Will try out ad sense plug-ins to my blog.

Nice tips but all the modification to a theme will be lost if you decide to upgrade the theme at a later time. I prefer to use plugins and widgets as much as possible and leave the theme alone. Then I can switch themes or upgrade without worrying about losing code.