Visser Labs

Update WordPress default Permalink structure

Ensuring WordPress URL’s contain key words from the post name go hand in hand with on-page SEO optimisation efforts.

• For blogging sites I like to set the root page to /blog/%postname%
• For commercial sites I prefer /news/%postname%

I have experimented adding the post’s category (%category%) after /news/ and inbetween %postname% to little advantage, all it ends up doing is making the URL longer and less accessible to site visitors.

1. Open WordPress Administrator > Settings > Permalinks
2. Check the radio button Custom Structure and fill the field with /blog/%postname%/
3. Press Save Changes

Update General Settings

After a clean install of WordPress a few of the default settings need to be personalised, this is done within Options > General Settings.

• Blog Title – This is the title that appears wherever bloginfo('name') is used within your theme template
• Tagline – This is the sub-title that regularly appears alongside the Blog Title and wherever bloginfo('description') is used within your theme template
• Membership – Will you allow site visitors to register for regular post updates and be able to maintain their user profile? For commercial sites I ensure this option is unchecked.
• Timezone – Set this to the local timezone of your client