Make sure to read until the conclusion to discover a Halloween costume that will leave you in fits of laughter.
In this edition:
- Spoke the counterfeit plugin malware, “Aw, Snap!”
- The Monster’s Award celebration is underway, and it’s set to be a graveyard hit.
- Practical insights for seeking out zombie pages on your WordPress platform.
Extra! Extra! What’s Happening?
Warning! That Pop-Up Might Not Be What It Appears
Once, during a dreary midnight, as I coded, weary and weak
Over countless quaint blogs of forgotten lore –
While I nodded, nearly dozing, suddenly there came a popping
of some error softly clotting, jumping on my screen
“‘Tis a quick fix,” I murmured, “popping up on my screen –
Only this and nothing more….”
But, IS IT?
The plugin, universal-popup-plugin-vXXX, produces shape-shifting pop-ups that imitate your browser’s design and adapt to your local language, making it even trickier to identify the malevolent imposters.
Opting to “fix” the faux error in the pop-up results in executing a PowerShell script that downloads and activates a Trojan virus, which could lead to rather alarming outcomes.
The lesson of the story? And I say: there’s never a more critical time to scrutinize your plugins and keep an eye on your sites for dubious activity.
They Did the Mash! They Did the TemplateMonster Mash!
Cue Wolf-Man, Dracula, and the Crypt-Kicker Five… it’s time to cast your vote for the Monster’s Award 2024.
This yearly non-commercial event created by TemplateMonster honors the most powerfully crafted WordPress products by their categories, from builders to plugins to hosting services and more.
What’s truly impressive about the Monster’s Awards is how straightforward the selection process is. Voting is free, paid advertising is absolutely banned, and candidates are assessed based on their merits in a fair manner, preventing outside interference. They take this quite seriously, folks.
The outcome is an unbiased tribute to the finest in the WordPress realm – and the winners get to revel in glory, attention, and a frightfully-cool Monster badge for their site.
You can cast your vote for your favorite product across all 25 categories by clicking here. Or, should your preferred tool be missing from the list, you can nominate it here.
The cutoff date for voting is November 20th, so don’t let this opportunity slip away!
“It’s alive! It’s ALIVE!”
“In the fading glow of the computer screen, my heart surged as I saw the thing I had brought to life.
Crafted from the pale substances of WordPress plugins, apps, and third-party services, the automation began to shine with a luminous glow…
I witnessed its heart start to pulse.
An indescribable creature composed of simple actions and triggers that were dull and lifeless on their own… yet ignited by an extraordinary force.
I cried in wonder. I chuckled with delight.
Vivid and animated, the automation took form, crawled, and began to run, accomplishing tasks at a shocking, super-human rate.
With the power to forge connections between plugins and bring automations to life, I could bridge Forminator to Groundhogg, ClickUp, and even LearnDash! My imagination was awash with possibilities!
What secret enables me to create such creations automations?
None other than Uncanny Automator.”
Mind-Bending Facts & Stats
- As per statistics from the Pew Research Center, 38% of the web pages that existed in 2013 are now defunct. RIP. (Source)
- A shocking 90% of mobile time is spent on apps rather than browsing websites. (Source)
- 81% of businesses believe that avoiding a headless WordPress strategy could risk falling behind their competitors. That’s not the only headless concern to be wary of… (Source)
- Pedestrian-related car incidents are twice as likely on Halloween night compared to any other evening of the year. So, be cautious and look both ways while you’re out trick-or-treating, everyone! (Source)
Deep Dive: 
A Guide to Eradicating Zombie Pages on Your WordPress Site
Do you hear that shuffling? Those low, eerie groans? Sniff the sour odor of undead flesh?
They’re on their way.
Zombie pages—those worthless, neglected URLs shambling across your site, dragging SEO, server resources, and user experience down alongside them.
Grab your shotgun, aim for the head, and keep your site sleek and unnervingly fast.
How to Detect and Eradicate Zombie Pages:
Scan Your Site for Dead URLs
Zombie pages won’t just announce themselves. They linger in the shadows like that one guy who got bitten but is still hiding it from everyone else. Use tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to scan your site and expose the undead. Look for thin content, orphaned pages (lacking internal links), or anything with lifeless traffic or engagement.
Examine for SEO Cannibalization
Having multiple pages targeting the same keywords? That’s SEO cannibalization—a classic zombie tactic. Use Ahrefs or SEMrush to identify these duplicates, then consolidate content to prevent them from competing for rank and devouring each other’s brains.
Redirect Intentionally
Found a corpse page? Don’t just delete it and hope for the best. Use 301 redirects to guide visitors and search engines to living, healthy content. Nobody enjoys wandering into a 404 graveyard.
De-index Thin Content
Some pages may be too minor to delete but aren’t worth keeping in search results. Apply noindex in your robots.txt or meta tags to remove these low-value pages from Google’s attention.
Handle WooCommerce Product Graveyards
Managing WooCommerce? You might have abandoned products haunting your store. Disable out-of-stock products from displaying in your catalog and redirect expired product pages to category archives.
Don’t Rush
Take your time and assess each page carefully as it approaches you. Merge, redirect, or optimize when possible—delete only as a final option.
Zombie pages may appear harmless, but they quietly threaten your site’s performance and SEO. Regular audits help prevent link decay and ensure your site never starts resembling the music video for Thriller.
Must-See Blogs & Resources
Jetpack just fixed a vulnerability that has lingered since 2016. Remain cautious of outdated installations that could leave an entry point for an intruder.
If the idea of crafting a Halloween marketing campaign for your WordPress product fills you with pumpkin-spice anxiety, WPBean has some useful ideas to kickstart your creativity.
In for a genuine scare? Tune into these spooky web dev horror tales shared by Scott and Wes at Syntax.
On the October episode of One Footer in the Grave, Paul, Andy, John, and Marcus determine whether each other’s improbable stories are truthful.
Vampires and werewolves aside, what truly jolts you awake in a panic at 3am is the anxiety of your site disappearing without a backup. This episode of the Post Status Happiness Hour featuring David Johnson from Backups Next Gen discusses how to steer clear of that nightmare.
Coffee Break Diversions
Killed by Google is a haunting memorial of discontinued Google services, devices, and apps.
And, as promised, here’s an Olympic-worthy Halloween costume – sure to cause contagious laughter.
Recent Comments