infaweb - mobile internet, search engine optimisation


Step by Step Guide to optimise (SEO) a Content Management System (CMS) for the Search Engines

It is key to make sure the search engines (mainly Google, Yahoo and Bing) can read, find and ignore what you want them to on your website. Content management systems (CMS) automatically create URL's for functionality purposes and for navigational purposes. It is crucial to make sure these are all cleaned up in line with the design and structure of you website.

If you need assistance with SEO on your content management system please contact Jon Harrison for assistance. If you require a new content management system (high end or budget) please contact our support team.

When launching a new website two things normally happen, you purchase / install a content management system such as Microsoft SharePoint or Drupal and then look to optimise it for the search engines. But where do you start and what is important?

Where do you start?

  1. Get the website graphically designed
    • Design for the user not the search engine
  2. Get your keyword research done
    • Relevant keywords
    • Realistic keywords with the resource and finances you have available
    • Keywords that are searched for regularly
  3. Design your websites architecture / navigational structure
    • Please see website architecture
    • Text links in HTML are always the best
  4. Decide on pages and how you will optimise them
    • Title
    • Description
    • URL
    • H1, H2, H3
    • Keyword density in the content body
    • Internal links
    • Image alt tags
    • External links
    • Keyword in bold/italic
  5. Build the home page, one or two content pages and get the main functionality working
    • It will be the functionality that adds the SEO problems to the website so get this done first
  6. Do all your onsite optimisation on the pages you have created
  7. Check your URL's for canonical issues
    • mywebsite.com/, www.mywebsite.com, www.mywebsite.com/home.aspx and so on
    • use the canonical link element
  8. Check the source code for URL's or file paths that lead to nothing or are incorrect
  9. Check the source code for large chunks of script before the content as this can stop the search engines reaching the content
  10. Make sure content and links are not hidden in anything other than HTML
  11. Check the CSS files for incorrect file paths and URLs
  12. There are free tools available to help with these checks - run a tool like Microsoft IIS SEO tool box and check all the violations
  13. Check W3C validation tool to make sure you have valid code on every page
  14. Once this is all complete use the pages you have created as master pages and create the rest of your website
  15. again use the tools and check the website
  16. optimise all your keyword pages onsite
  17. Do one last sense check for duplicate content bad links, badly optimised pages etc
  18. Create a robot.txt to stop the search engines getting to pages you don't want them to
  19. create a sitemap and submit it to the search engines
  20. Put the website live, continue to add content and go forth and build links to your website
  21. Create webmaster accounts with Google and Bing, check regularly on the states for errors and problems
  22. Create a Google analytics account and take advantage of its functionality

In summary

This won't generate all the results you need but you will struggle to get the results without doing this. Once this is complete build links, get going with social media and before you know it you will be listed in the search engine results above your competitors.

Just one last note - this is not an extensive list, more a guide so please contact us for detailed assistance with your project.

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