PHP, SEO, And Spiders

Dynamic database-driven sites became very popular, and comparatively straightforward to set up and administer, through the use of Content Management Systems (CMS) and PHP server-side scripting. It is also doable to form a flowery-trying site with little actual content, or automatically generated code that can hurt your SEO, such as multiple URLs that display identical content.

Search engines are constantly evolving and adapting in response to changes within the way info is presented on the web. Ways that were once necessary to ensure inclusion of PHP pages are now not required.

It was once helpful to generate a static HTML version of a PHP page thus that all the “includes” may be indexed. Currently search spiders “see” all the content on a PHP page, the same means it is viewed in an exceedingly browser.

It was prudent to avoid dynamic URLs containing “? & =” - currently, the search engines list URLs with the dynamic variables. However, it’s best to compose them with no more than 3 variables. Some variable-laden URLs might be listed, but while not any accompanying content/description, in the search results… Stay tuned for any developments as the search engines refine their methods.

With many hosts running the popular Apache server, developers are expanding the employment of PHP by modifying the .htaccess file to allow PHP code processing among HTML documents, and enabling shorter URLs with fewer variables by configuring httpd.conf. Your web hosting supplier’s support team should be in a position to inform you if these features are accessible for your site.

Implementing a common sense approach to SEO for your PHP site requires cooperation and coordination among the developer, webmaster, and web host. Watch out for “SEO Consultants” with “secret methods” and “guaranteed results” - gimmicks that kludge the search spider these days may hurt your ranking tomorrow.

A descriptive and catchy page title is one in all the key parts of SEO - whether or not or not your website uses PHP - since it becomes the linked title of your search engine listing. Use the name of your web site in the title to encourage branding, together with a brief capsule concerning the precise page. Remember {that the} title displays at the high of the browser window and within the menu bar, therefore keep it brief, but one hundred sixty characters. Avoid using identical titles on multiple pages (this will easily happen with dynamically generated titles) as a result of they will not be listed individually, and if they are listed separately, it’s confusing. Meta tags for description and keywords have become less crucial to SEO - but that does not mean you should forget concerning them.

The basic principles of SEO that apply to static HTML sites conjointly apply to dynamic PHP sites:

  • Give participating and valuable content presented in an attractive design.
  • Code ought to be error-free and standards-compliant.
  • Use keywords applicable to your material - don’t be tempted to use “tricks” that may end up hurting your search engine listing.
  • Encourage repeat visits with frequent updates, interactive features, membership sign-up, opt-in newsletters and, if appropriate, “freebies” - contests, giveaways, downloads and alternative resources.
  • Encourage linking to your site with copy & paste code. Reciprocal links build partnerships and enhance page rank, however avoid hosting bulky “link farms” and other venues for worthless web website spam.
  • Build use of tools provided by the search engines, like making a sitemap.
  • Educate yourself by reading the search engine faqs, with by perusing some independent forums for SEO tips and methods.

Here are a few resources for any data:

Optimizing Dynamic Content
http://www.highrankings.com/issue065.htm#seo

Building Dynamic Pages With Search Engines in Mind
http://phpbuilder.com/columns/tim20000526.php3

High Rankings(r) Search Engine Optimization Forum > Technobabble > Dynamically Generated Website Problems
http://www.highrankings.com/forum/index.php?s=c5e371a3bec60ac7e650447c430abfd4&showforum=twenty five

Digital Point Forums > Promoting > Search Engine Optimization > PHP, HTML does it matter?
http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=53280

Parsing PHP in .html Files
http://www.desilva.biz/php/phpinhtml.html