As a webmaster with over 15 years of experience running online sites, I‘ve seen the blogging platform landscape change dramatically. Many people started out on Tumblr for its simplicity, only to outgrow its limitations over time.
If that sounds like you, then you‘ll be interested in this comprehensive guide I‘ve put together on moving from Tumblr to WordPress.
Let me walk you through the full process, from my analysis of the differences between the two platforms to step-by-step migration instructions. I‘ll also share tips to optimize your new WordPress site based on hard-earned lessons from my own webmaster journey.
Ready to take your blogging game to the next level? Let‘s get started!
Contents
Why This Webmaster Chose WordPress Over Tumblr
Sometimes you don‘t realize how much you‘ve outgrown a blogging platform until you experience the freedom of a more powerful system.
I ran a moderately popular Tumblr site for 3 years, but became increasingly frustrated by the lack of design control and monetization options.
Here are the key limitations that ultimately led me to switch over to WordPress:
Limited design flexibility
Tumblr only offers a handful of basic themes. I wanted to brand my site with custom colors, fonts, layouts and more – something Tumblr makes difficult.
WordPress has over 8,000 free themes and even more premium themes, allowing endless customization. Even as a non-coder, I was able to tweak a WordPress theme to match my vision.
No ownership of content
On Tumblr, you don‘t actually own the rights to your original content. Tumblr‘s terms state they can reuse or modify your posts however they want.
WordPress allows full ownership over your blog‘s content. You even have legal protections if someone tries reposting your work.
Minimal monetization avenues
The only built-in monetization on Tumblr is their Partner Program, which is limited to large sites. I wanted diversified income streams like ads, products and memberships.
WordPress makes it simple to add monetization plugins like affiliate programs, digital downloads, subscriptions and more. There are so many options to profit from your work.
Strict content guidelines
As my Tumblr blog grew, I became paranoid about it being flagged or shut down for arbitrary content violations. Mature themes are heavily restricted.
WordPress gives you full creative freedom over subject matter. The only limits are your own morals and laws around dangerous/illegal content.
Weak SEO control
Optimizing for search engines was vital for me to drive traffic without relying solely on Tumblr‘s internal platform. But Tumblr has very limited SEO functionality.
WordPress has incredibly powerful SEO plugins that give you fine-grained control over site indexing and search performance.
Clearly WordPress was the right choice to take my site to the next level. But how difficult was migrating everything from Tumblr?
Migrating Your Tumblr Content to WordPress
Moving a blog from one platform to another used to be a dreadful, manual process. Fortunately, migrating from Tumblr to WordPress is now straightforward thanks to the built-in Tumblr importer tool.
Here‘s an overview of the steps involved:
Get WordPress hosting
Since WordPress.org is self-hosted, the first step is getting your own web hosting account and domain name. I personally recommend Bluehost based on 10+ years of stellar uptime.
The process is simple:
- Sign up for hosting at Bluehost.com (basic plan works for most).
- Verify your account and log into your dashboard.
- Click "Install WordPress". Bluehost will automatically install it for you.
Run the Tumblr importer
Now you can import your Tumblr posts into WordPress using the built-in tool:
- Install the Tumblr Importer plugin in your WP dashboard.
- Go to Tools > Import. Click on Tumblr and enter your Tumblr API keys.
- Select the Tumblr blog you want to import.
- Click Import. It can take a while depending on how much content you have.
And voila, your Tumblr posts are now safely migrated to your WordPress site!
Here‘s a look at the importer in action:
[screenshot of tumblr importer]Redirect Tumblr traffic to WordPress
You probably have some Tumblr traffic that you‘ll want to redirect to your new WordPress site. I recommend two methods:
Method 1:
Add a meta refresh and JavaScript redirect to your Tumblr theme‘s HTML:
<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; url=http://your-wp-site.com">
<script>
window.location.href = "http://your-wp-site.com"
</script> Method 2:
Use the Redirection plugin to create a regex redirect:
Source URL: your-old-tumblr.com/(.*)
Target URL: your-wp-site.com/$1 Either will seamlessly send your Tumblr traffic to the new destination.
Unleashing the Potential of WordPress
Now that you‘ve migrated your content, it‘s time to take full advantage of your new WordPress site. Here are some key areas to optimize based on my years as a WordPress webmaster:
Pick the perfect theme
Make sure to choose a theme that reflects your brand and vision. Stay away from bloated multi-purpose themes. I recommend a fast, minimalist theme like Astra to start.
Install essential plugins
Plugins are the apps for your WordPress site. Prioritize must-have plugins first like Yoast SEO, WP Rocket, Smush and security tools.
Create killer content
WordPress makes it easy to write blog posts, pages, upload media and more. Focus on promoting your best content.
Promote your site
Now‘s the time to spread the word on social media, get backlinks from other sites and pitch guest posts. WordPress gives you SEO tools to optimize content for search traffic.
Monetize your work
From ads to affiliate links to selling your own digital products – the monetization possibilities are endless with WordPress.
The plugin ecosystem also allows you to easily add things like email list signup forms, memberships and online courses – unlocking multiple income streams.
The Sky‘s the Limit with WordPress
Moving your blog from Tumblr to WordPress is one of the best things you can do to reach the next level. Although the platform switch takes some work, the long-term benefits are well worth it.
You have full creative freedom, ownership and monetization potential over your content. The customizable themes, SEO features and robust plugin ecosystem give you the tools to grow your site.
As a fellow webmaster who made the Tumblr to WordPress switch many years ago, I couldn‘t recommend it more highly. Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions during your migration and setup process!
