Posted by robertDouglass on May 21, 2006 at 4:17pm
Here is a list of modules that I see as potentially influencing the SEO of your site. I'm not sure that all of them would help... like the Search 404 mod; what is the implication of not ever returning 404s? I'm just making this list to open up the discussion. I'm not and SEO expert, so don't take this as advice!
Comments
Pathauto!
Pathauto!
Not only modules does it ;)
Some ideas (and not yet carefully thought about).
I've listed some below which are missing cause of directly or depending relationship to SEO.
But be aware: SEO ist not done THAT you are using modules. It's done by HOW you are using techniques!
Therefore you have to define some categories for SEO realated stuff, eg.:
- Content
-- Structure
- Design
-- Usability
- Tecnical
-- Static URL (rewrite)
As an example fur URL-rewriting (from bad to better):
/?s=476537657&n=552
/?node=552&session=476537657
/552?session=476537657
/MyNodeTitle?session=476537657
, but really bad would be /mytext/476537657
Another example for META-Tag title http://drupal.org/project/Modules :
"Modules | drupal.org" may be a well designed title for SEO (it isn't). "Drupal: Modules | drupal.org" would be better.
I choose this example, cause this is an important case, where SEO meets usability! If you will bookmark this page you will never find it again, cause the bookmark-title is build from the page title.
So, SEO group should work close with the usability group.
There are some missing:
- Aggregator
- HoF
- Archive
- Profile
- DMoz
- Google Analytics
- Keyword links
- Admin Log Referrer
- Search Keywords
- Similar Entries
- Site map
- Taxonomy Menu
- Taxonomy Similar
- Weekly node listing
This is not:
- Pathauto: It's a interface to userurl ("Mass URL" should be otherwise, too)
Thanks!
Robert, thanks for the list. The company that I work for is just starting to work with a Usability, ROI and SEO person. From this, we hope to create "packages" of modules for SEO, ranging from a basic system to a more advanced systems. We will be looking at these modules and making a guide at some point. I'll be sure to contribute much of it back to this group.
Also, I really like the Search 404 module as well. I submitted a patch that improves usability by giving users a search box if no results were found. Feel free to review it and suggest further improvements.
Cheers,
Rick
not returning 404s
I experienced problems setting up a Google sitemap using the blank googleXXXXXX.html file for a page where I redirected broken links in the Google cache to the start page of the site. Google complained that the 404 code is not returned for non existing pages.
Here is an interesting article that discusses potential risks of using redirects
http://www.mcanerin.com/EN/articles/301-redirect-404-error.asp
Software Development and IT-Consulting Services: ramiro.org (German language)
Search Engine Optimization Blog: seo-expert-blog.com
Here's how I do it
I'm no SEO expert by any stretch, yet I get consistently good placement. I've described the strategy I use in this article: http://devbee.com/drupal_seo
I hope it helps others.
--
Drupal tips, tricks and services
http://devbee.com/ - Effective Drupal
--
Drupal tips, tricks and services
http://devbee.net/ - Effective Drupal
What's worked for OpenConcept
We posted a short article about our experiences here:
http://openconcept.ca/drupal_seo
Blogging is certainly a huge part of what has worked for us. We have been able to get good results by ensuring that we are adding fresh, relevant content all of the time.
Mike
OpenConcept | WLP | FVC | OX | OO
--
OpenConcept | Twitter @mgifford | Drupal Security Guide
Missing some...
I would add global_redirect to that list.
Also, I've used a few others, in instances where simplicity was paramount (no WYSIWYG, very simple admin interface):
related_links - set this up with search items and you have a simple, relatively accurate internal links block
path_redirect - for when you're moving an old site to a new Drupal site, and want to keep your page rank (old url -> new url)
alinks - for when you have no WYSIWYG or other method of adding links; this makes it very easy (needs work, looking into this)
cck node_reference - you can set up very simple back & forth referencing from different node types using this, which is good for internal linking
Taxonomy_context - gives you a nice block of (aliased) internal links, if that's what you need
Web Development in Nottingham, UK by Kineta Systems / Follow me on Twitter! @NikLP