Unleashing the Power of SEO in Modern Content Management Systems

Why is SEO so important?

Creating a successful website is primarily driven by the need to achieve business objectives, with revenue generation being a key focus. To realize these goals, it is essential to generate traffic and attract users to your site. One of the most significant sources of traffic, alongside social media and other channels, is search engines like Google and Bing. The ranking of a web page in search results and the amount of traffic it receives are heavily influenced by how well the website is optimized for SEO.

It's important to understand that SEO optimization is not a one-time task but rather an iterative process. You implement changes and monitor their impact on search rankings. If your content management system (CMS) allows for content editing but lacks the necessary SEO features, you may find yourself relying on a developer or implementer for adjustments, leading to ongoing costs.

Why do you need SEO features in a CMS?

A website that aims to grow and improve its traffic must continuously work on enhancing its technical SEO. This may involve making numerous changes on a monthly basis. If these adjustments require a programmer's assistance, over time—perhaps five or ten years—you could end up spending tens of thousands of zlotys or more on these services.

To mitigate these potential costs, it is advisable to incorporate essential SEO features during the website development phase, particularly for sites that rely on search engine traffic.

Below, we will explore the SEO features that should be integrated into a content management system (CMS), using Drupal as a prime example. This list serves as a practical guide that you can reference when outlining your specifications and requirements for building a website.

1. Managing HTML headers

One of the fundamental technical elements of SEO is the ability to manage HTML headers, such as H1, H2, and H3 tags. Surprisingly, not all CMS platforms provide this functionality. This limitation can even occur within Drupal and other technologies that we encounter.

In Drupal, there are various approaches to content creation:

• Basic: In a standard Drupal setup, you can use CKEditor to set your headers. Below, I will illustrate how this works.
• Content can also be structured using fields, paragraphs, or custom fields, which require specific handling for header settings.
• There are builders like Acquia Site Studio and Drupal Experience Builder, which are still under development. Additionally, there are options like Gutenberg and DXPR Builder.

How to set HTML headers in CKEditor?

In a basic Drupal setup with sample content, the default CKEditor allows you to format text, including setting headers. You simply select the text and choose the desired header level from H2 to H6, as shown in the settings.

To access these settings, navigate to Text Formats and Editors in Drupal.

Here, you can select the H1 header and configure it as needed.

How to set HTML headings in Droopler?

In the case of Droopler, the approach is slightly different due to its component-based system. You can add ready-made components to your website, and as you edit them, they consist of text fields.

It is crucial to set the main title as H1 or H2 for proper SEO structure. At Droptica, we have configured it so that you can easily change the Main title to H1 in the settings.

This is essential because if you have multiple components and wish to rearrange them, following good SEO practices means ensuring that only one H1 header is present on a page, with subsequent headers set as H2 or lower.

2. Adding ALT descriptions

Another vital yet often overlooked SEO feature in CMS development is the ability to add ALT descriptions for images. In Drupal, this functionality is well-integrated into the core system. When inserting an image in CKEditor, a field for entering alternative text is readily available.

The same applies to Droopler, which includes a Media field that allows you to add ALT descriptions when uploading images from your disk.

3. Setting metatags in Drupal

Metatags are another essential SEO feature that should be available in every CMS. Metatags primarily consist of the page's Title and Description, which appear in search results. In Drupal, this can be configured globally for the homepage, error pages, and specific content types.

Additionally, on the content editing page, options related to metatags are conveniently located, allowing for default settings that automatically populate the Title field based on the page title.

4. Building friendly URLs

Implementing friendly URLs is another critical SEO feature in a CMS. In Drupal, the PathAuto module facilitates this process. The configuration page of this module allows you to set URL patterns for different content types, ensuring that your URLs are both user-friendly and SEO-optimized.

5. Creating an XML sitemap

An XML sitemap is essential for informing search engines about which pages should be indexed. In Drupal, there are two modules that handle this effectively: XML Sitemap and Simple XML Sitemap. These modules provide settings for managing the sitemap and monitoring which entities are included.

6. Configuring the Robots.txt file

The Robots.txt file is crucial for controlling what content is indexed by search engines. In Drupal, the RobotsTxt module allows you to easily edit this file directly from the CMS, eliminating the need to access the server manually.

7. Setting up redirects

As websites evolve, changes to URLs and content are inevitable. It is essential to redirect users from outdated URLs to new ones to avoid encountering 404 errors. The Redirect module in Drupal simplifies this process, allowing you to manage redirects efficiently.

8. Fixing 404 errors

Related to redirects, Drupal offers a Fix 404 pages feature that aggregates a list of non-existent pages accessed by users. This allows you to quickly set up redirects for these pages, ensuring a seamless user experience.

9. Checking links with the Link checker module

As content is frequently updated, it is essential to monitor links within your website. The Link checker module in Drupal helps identify broken links, enabling you to maintain a healthy website.

10. Text analysis with Real-time SEO module for Drupal

The final SEO feature to highlight is content analysis during the writing process. The Real-time SEO module provides insights and recommendations to improve your content's SEO effectiveness as you create it.

Bonus: SEO Checklist module in Drupal

As a bonus, the SEO checklist module offers a comprehensive list of actions to enhance your website's SEO. While it doesn't perform tasks automatically, it serves as a valuable guide for improving your site's SEO performance.

10 SEO features in a modern CMS - summary

In summary, here are the essential SEO features that should be included in a modern CMS:

• Management of H1, H2, and H3 headers, along with ALT descriptions for images.
• Integration of metatags.
• Implementation of friendly URLs with automatic generation options.
• Creation of an XML sitemap.
• Configuration of the Robots.txt file from within the CMS.
• Management of redirects and monitoring of 404 errors.
• Link checking and content analysis for optimal SEO.

If you are in the process of building a new website or assessing your current site’s SEO capabilities, this article serves as a helpful resource. Additionally, be sure to check out the YouTube video that outlines these SEO features and provides a complete list of Drupal modules with links.