1. Auto Social Poster Gold. This is the only plugin I use that is not free; however, it is worth its weight in gold. What Auto Social Poster does is automatically social bookmark each now post as you post it, using the tags you include in the post. If you don’t include any tags, it will automatically use a preset list of tags you enter when you configure the plugin. This plugin works wonders for SEO, especially when combined with a syndication plugin that can automatically populate a blog with new posts from one or more RSS feeds.

2. Datafeedr Random Ads. The Datafeedr Random Ads plugin is a free plugin which allows you to simply and easily show random ads anywhere in your template files or using widgets. Go to Tools > Datafeedr Random Ads to begin using this plugin.

3. Fast and Secure Contact Form. Fast and Secure Contact Form for WordPress. The contact form lets your visitors send you a quick E-mail message. Blocks all common spammer tactics. Spam is no longer a problem. Includes a CAPTCHA and Akismet support. Does not require JavaScript.

4. HeadSpace2. Meta-data manager on steroids, allowing complete control over all SEO needs such as keywords/tags, titles, description, stylesheets, and many many other goodies.

5. NoSpamNX. To protect your Blog from automated spambots, which fill you comments with junk, this plugin adds additional formfields to your comment form, which are checked every time a new comment is posted. NOTE: If the hidden fields are displayed, make sure your theme does load wp_head()! (NOTE: I first tried WP-SpamFree but found NoSpamNX to work better . WP-SpamFree was sending too many legitimate comments to the spam bucket.)

6. Redirection. Manage all your 301 redirects and monitor 404 errors

7. Reveal IDs for WP Admin. Reveals hidden IDs in Admin interface that have been removed with WordPress 2.5 (formerly known as Entry IDs in Manage Posts/Pages View for WP 2.5).

8. Robots Meta. This plugin allows you to add all the appropriate robots meta tags to your pages and feeds, disable unused archives and nofollow unnecessary links.

9. SEO Slugs. Removes common words like ‘a’, ‘the’, ‘in’ from post slugs to improve SEO.

10. ShareThis. Let your visitors share a post/page with others. Supports e-mail and posting to social bookmarking sites.

11. Smart Youtube. Insert YouTube videos in posts, comments and RSS feeds with ease and full customization.

12. Tweet This. Adds a “Tweet This Post” link to every post and page. Shortens URLs. Can automatically tweet new and scheduled blog posts. Highly customizable.

13. WordPress.com Stats. Tracks views, post/page views, referrers, and clicks. Requires a WordPress.com API key.

14. Yoast Breadcrumbs. Outputs a fully customizable breadcrumb path.

StudioPress.com

I recommend getting the Developer Package if you plan to have multiple blogs (and you should!) since it gives you unlimited access to all of the themes for one low price.

Happy blogging!

The best thing about WordPress, to me, is the vast selection of plugins, nearly all of them free, that one can use in a WordPress site. Not to mention all of the themes and templates that are easily added with a few clicks of the mouse, giving you a professional, custom-look site for very little time and money.

Here are my favorite and most recommended WordPress plugins:

Akismet: Akismet checks your comments against the Akismet web service to see if they look like spam or not. You can review the spam it catches under “Comments.”

Fast and Secure Contact Form: Fast and Secure Contact Form for WordPress. The contact form lets your visitors send you a quick E-mail message. Blocks all common spammer tactics. Spam is no longer a problem. Includes a CAPTCHA and Akismet support. Does not require JavaScript.

Google XML Sitemaps: This plugin will generate a sitemaps.org compatible sitemap of your WordPress blog which is supported by Ask.com, Google, MSN Search and YAHOO.

HeadSpace2: Meta-data manager on steroids, allowing complete control over all SEO needs such as keywords/tags, titles, description, stylesheets, and many many other goodies.

Redirection: Manage all your 301 redirects and monitor 404 errors

Reveal IDs for WP Admin: Reveals hidden IDs in Admin interface that have been removed with WordPress 2.5 (formerly known as Entry IDs in Manage Posts/Pages View for WP 2.5).

Robots Meta: This plugin allows you to add all the appropriate robots meta tags to your pages and feeds, disable unused archives and nofollow unnecessary links.

SEO Slugs: Removes common words like ‘a’, ‘the’, ‘in’ from post slugs to improve SEO.

ShareThis: Let your visitors share a post/page with others. Supports e-mail and posting to social bookmarking sites.

Smart YouTube: Insert YouTube videos in posts, comments and RSS feeds with ease and full customization.

WordPress.com Stats: Tracks views, post/page views, referrers, and clicks. Requires a WordPress.com API key.

For themes, I almost exclusive use the StudioPress themes by Brian Gardner (this site uses his Corporate Theme), available here:

StudioPress.com