September has been packed with exciting WordPress developments, from new plugin features to major events like WordCamp US 2024. Whether you’re a website owner, developer, or WordPress enthusiast, there’s something here for you.
In this issue, we will cover everything from AIOSEO’s new Google keyword tracking feature to Automattic’s plan to migrate millions of Tumblr blogs to WordPress. You will also get insights into new plugin launches, security updates, and more.
Let’s dive into the details and explore how these updates could impact your WordPress experience.
WPBeginner Spotlight is our monthly series where we highlight the latest updates from the WordPress community.
If you have any big WordPress news—like a brand acquisition, a merger, or the launch of an important feature—that you’d like us to cover in next month’s edition, feel free to reach out via our contact form.
All in One SEO Brings Keyword Rank Tracking to WordPress
All in One SEO has released a new Keyword Rank Tracking feature in their new update. It allows users to manage and track their keyword rankings within the WordPress admin area.
Users can import the keywords they want to track from Focus keywords or upload a CSV file. They can also manually enter them.
This new tool enables users to group keywords and monitor the performance of entire clusters. It is part of the Search Statistics tool in All One SEO and integrates directly with the post/page editor.
Ben Rojas, President of AIOSEO, highlighted the impact of this new feature in the official announcement. He said:
“This powerful new addition to the Search Statistics module will make it super easy to track your keyword performance—right inside your WordPress dashboard. As a result, you can create laser-focused SEO campaigns.”
Keyword Rank Tracker also appears in the AIOSEO meta box below the post editor. This lets users easily add and track ‘Focus Keyphrase’ rankings with one click.
Syed Balkhi, CEO of Awesome Motive, recently Tweeted his excitement about the new feature. He said, “Now you can stop paying for expensive SaaS keyword rank tracking tools!”
Note: The keyword ranking feature is available in the paid version of All in One SEO.
Takeaways From WordCamp US 2024 in Portland, Oregon
WordCamp US 2024, held in Portland, Oregon, brought together 1500+ WordPress enthusiasts, developers, and contributors from around the globe.
It featured over 45 sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities aimed at exploring the future of WordPress and open-source web development.
On this occasion, WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg wrote an excellent article on Ecosystem Thinking and giving back. He praised companies like Awesome Motive and the WPBeginner family of products for doing the right thing in open-source contributions.
This year’s new highlight was Showcase Day, which was dedicated to spotlighting innovative WordPress projects. Attendees saw how WordPress powers large-scale implementations for major brands like Disney Experiences, The New York Post, CNN Brazil, Vox Media, and Amnesty International.
And as you would expect, AI-powered tools within the WordPress ecosystem were one of the most discussed topics. From AI-assisted content creation to smart plugin recommendations, AI is becoming a central part of the WordPress platform’s evolution.
In addition to the official sessions, numerous side events offered further opportunities for networking and community building.
MemberPress Courses Launches Assignments, Gradebooks, and Course Dripping
MemberPress, a top WordPress membership plugin, released major updates for their Courses addon. These updates added new features like Assignments and Gradebooks and Course Dripping.
The Assignment feature will enable instructors to create tasks that students submit directly through their course dashboards. These could be quizzes, essays, multimedia content, and more.
The same update also introduced the Gradebooks feature, which allows course creators to track student progress by recording grades for assignments or quizzes.
In another update, they added Course Dripping.
Course creators are often concerned that users may not follow the course plan as they intended. The drip feature allows content to be released gradually over time, helping students progress through the course at a measured pace.
These changes provide more powerful tools to online course creators and membership websites, further strengthening MemberPess’s position as a top WordPress LMS plugin.
Automattic to Migrate Millions of Tumblr Blogs to WordPress Backend
Automattic has announced plans to migrate millions of Tumblr blogs to the WordPress platform. Tumblr’s backend will now run on and be hosted on WordPress.com, while the front-end experience remains unchanged.
Automattic explained the migration in the following words: “We’re not turning Tumblr into WordPress. That would defeat the purpose. We acquired Tumblr to benefit from its differences and strengths, not to water it down.”
This migration will improve Tumblr’s performance, security, and scalability. By using WordPress.com as the backend, Automattic aims to unify its platforms and offer better content management.
AffiliateWP Introduces Multi-Currency Addon: Seamless Affiliate Commissions in Any Currency
AffiliateWP has launched its new Multi-Currency Addon, which will address the challenges of calculating affiliate commissions for transactions in multiple currencies.
This addon ensures accurate commission calculations for online stores that accept different currencies at checkout, even when those transactions aren’t processed in the affiliate program’s base currency.
The Multi-Currency Addon automatically converts the commission amounts based on the customer’s transaction currency. This eliminates manual conversions and makes sure that affiliates are paid fairly.
This is particularly beneficial for businesses operating globally by simplifying the affiliate management process and ensuring smooth, accurate payouts across borders.
Duplicator Unveils Redesigned UI, Simplifying Backups and Migrations
Duplicator, a popular WordPress plugin for backups and site migrations, has rolled out a complete UI redesign.
The refreshed look aims to make WordPress backups and migrations easier for Duplicator’s more than 1 million users.
The new interface offers a more intuitive layout, improved navigation, and streamlined workflows that guide users through backup creation, storage, and site migration.
This redesign is intended to simplify complex tasks, making it easier for both beginners and experienced users to manage their website data.
OptinMonster & Thrive Themes Design New Holiday Sales Popups
As businesses gear up for the upcoming holiday season, OptinMonster and Thrive Leads (by Thrive Themes) have introduced new Holiday Sales Popups to help maximize lead generation and boost conversions.
These popups are tailored for high-traffic shopping events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas, offering website owners customizable templates that fit the festive theme.
OptinMonster, a leading conversion optimization software, announced their new popups. These include slide-ins, popups, countdown timers, floating banners, and more.
You can see the OptinMonster templates in their announcement.
On the other hand, Thrive Leads also added 24 new popup templates to their growing collection of beautiful designs.
The new templates include Black Friday popups, Autumn/Fall-themed templates, back-to-school, and end-of-summer themes.
See all Thrive Leads templates in their announcement.
In Other News
- WordPress 6.6.2, a maintenance update, was released. It fixes 15 Core issues and 11 Block Editor bugs, as well as theme styling and site performance improvements.
- Smash Balloon has revamped the Reviews Feed plugin, offering a cleaner design and enhanced customization options to display reviews from platforms like Google, Facebook, and Yelp.
- WordPress.com is offering its premium plan to 1000 students for free.
- Wholesale Suite has introduced a new feature called Lifecycle Emails. It allows store owners to receive automated updates on key metrics like orders, revenue, and top customers directly via email.
- BuddyBoss has added polls to its platform. This is one of the most requested features, allowing users to create and engage with polls within their community.
- WordPress.org announced upcoming security changes for plugin and theme authors, aimed at improving the safety and reliability of the WordPress ecosystem.
- HeroicKB has added an integration with Formidable Forms, allowing users to create custom support forms directly within their knowledge base.
- The WordPress 6.7 roadmap has been released, with an expected launch date of November 12, 2024. It outlines upcoming features and improvements.
- Advanced Coupons has introduced a new store credit note feature, allowing WooCommerce store owners to add notes to store credit.
- PushEngage has added attributes to its dashboard, enabling more precise and effective push notifications to better target and engage users.
- Wholesale Suite has processed over 1 million wholesale orders in the past 12 months, highlighting its growth and popularity among WooCommerce store owners.
New Plugins Launched
- Gravatar Enhanced – A new plugin by Automattic that adds improved customization and functionality to WordPress user avatars.
- SnapSection – A plugin that allows you to easily add shareable links to specific headings and sections within your WordPress content.
- Search & Replace Everything – Allows you to easily bulk find and replace text and images on your site.
And that wraps up this edition of WPBeginner Spotlight.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on how we can make this column even better. If you have any news or updates you’d like us to feature next month, don’t hesitate to share them with us.
We’ll be back next month with more WordPress news and updates. Thanks for being a valued member of our community!
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