There are few things you should do right away if you want to rank Drupal blogs and websites higher on Google search result pages in 2018 and beyond. and they’re simple!
You probably have read countless tutorials online about optimizing websites and blogs using Drupal CMS. there are some really good ones and some really bad ones. This post is going to show students and new users how to and what to do when starting a new Drupal blog or website in 2018 and beyond to rank successfully.
As you may already know, Google is the king of search and what they recommend, you should probably follow and do them. To to rank better, follow Google’s recommended practices.Below are some steps that when taken will better rank in Google search result pages.
So, follow these steps in 2018 to rank successfully.
Step 1: Select a Better Host
There are many web hosts out there and some are better than others. how do you pick a good host and what type of host to select might be the first key.
Drupal has listed a few hosts that you can select from. check this page to see a recommended list selected by Drupal team.
After selecting a host from the list, be sure to select a dedicated host or virtual dedicated hosting type with full SSH and root access. I’d probably not recommend a shared hosting for someone looking to rank better than the rest.
Step 2: Install Drupal with SSL/TLS Certificates
Now that you’ve selected a dedicated / virtual dedicated host, make sure to choose a Ubuntu Linux OS to install on the host. the steps below are documented on a Ubuntu host.
The best Drupal setup for 2018 should be the one below. It shows you how to install Drupal with MariaDB, PHP 7.2 and Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS Certificates.
Follow the link below to setup Drupal on a Ubuntu host.
Step 3: Setup Drupal
If you followed the link above and did everything, you should have a working Drupal website with Nginx, MariaDB, PHP and Let’s Encrypt SSL/TLS Certificates.
To ensure your pages are ranking better with Google, enable HTTPS on all your pages. To do that install the module below:
After installing and activating the plugin, go to Configuration –> Secure Login… then check the box to redirect all pages to secure URL… including all forms
Step 4: Install Recommended Plugins
Now that Drupal is setup, go and install these recommended modules. They will help you rank better with Google search engine. Google is the king of search. so ranking better in Google you’ll probably dominate your competitors.
This will help you speed up Drupal pages and Google loves it. So install Drupal AMP plugin
This will help you generate and optimize your sitemap for better ranking.
The Metatag module allows you to automatically provide structured metadata, aka “meta tags”, about a website.
Back up and restore your Drupal MySQL database, code, and files or migrate a site between environments.
If you’re going to be uploading lots of images to your website, make sure to install this or similar plugin. it will help reduce the size of your images before saving.
The Drupal SEO Checklist uses best practices to check your website for proper search engine optimization.
Step 5: Sign up for Google Analytics and Search Console
Now that you blog is functioning, you probably should signup for Google Analytics and install its tracking code to your pages. It’s a great service and helps you analyze your blog pages and performance.
Google Search Console helps you optimize analyze your pages and provides tips on optimizing them to rank better. Both are free.
Sign up for their free service above
Following and implementing the above steps should help you rank better with Google and other search engine providers. there is no magic anyone can do it. moreover, they’re mostly free to use and implement.
So, to rank better, use a good host, install Drupal with SSL/TLS certificates, install AMP plugin and sign up for Google Analytics and Search Console. After that everything will fall in place.
Enjoy!
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