In a blog post last month, I showed you how to configure the Meta tags module for Drupal SEO - where we walked through how to download and configure the Meta tags module properly. Now we are ready to specify meta tags for all the content that you currently have or will be creating. There are three ways to specify content with meta tags: taxonomy, node, and views. Let’s walk through all three types and how to configure each one.
Taxonomy Meta Tags
Since taxonomy is a very broad kind of content on your website, it is a great idea to use broad, category-like keywords on this page.
What is Taxonomy?
Taxonomy is how to classify something in Drupal. Many sites’ first taxonomy is category. Taxonomy can have subsections, or subcategories, called terms.
Terms can have subterms, etc. In Drupal it’s very simple to see all the content that is in a certain category by visiting the taxonomy list for that term. Let’s say you’ve created a taxonomy called products and a term called televisions.
The URL for the taxonomy list should read something like this:
http://www.yourDrupalsite.com/category/products/televisions.
How to Specify Taxonomy Meta tags
1. Go to http://www.yourDrupalsite.com/admin/content/taxonomy or click on Administer | Content Management | Taxonomy.
2. If you would like to edit an existing vocabulary, click edit vocabulary next to the one you’d like to edit. To create a new one, click Add vocabulary. You should see a screen similar to this:
3. Enter in the details you wish. Further down, you’ll notice some new fields:
4. Enter the description in the Description field and the keywords in the Keywords field, which you want for this taxonomy.
5. Click on Save. You can do this process for each taxonomy term too.
Since terms are a more specific kind of content on your website, use specific categories for the keywords on this page.
1. Go to http://www.yourDrupalsite.com/admin/content/taxonomy or click on Administer | Content Management | Taxonomy.
2. Next to the taxonomies, click on List. You’ll see a list of your terms shown in the a screenshot similar to this:
3. Click on the edit link. You'll see the meta tags fields listed near the bottom of the edit screen. 4. Enter your meta tags into the fields provided. 5. Click on Save.
Node Meta Tags
The basic form of content in your Drupal site is a node. Every node is a page of its own but can also be used in other ways, like a list or a block. The Meta tags that you specify for a node will only be displayed when that node, and that node alone, is on the page.
Since a node is the most specific kind of content on your web site, it is a great idea to use very specific, long-tail keywords on this page.
1. To edit an existing node, navigate to that node and click the Edit link.
To create a new node, go to http://www.yourDrupalsite.com/node/add or navigate to Administer | Content management | Create Content and select the type of node you'd like to create.
2. You’ll see the Meta tags fields listed near the bottom of the edit screen.
3. Enter your Meta tags into the fields provided.
4. Click on Save.
Views Meta Tags
Views is the single most commonly installed module in Drupal. So, it's important enough to cover Meta tags for Views here.
1. Meta tags can only be added to existing Views. If the View that you need doesn't exist yet, create it and then edit it.
2. To edit an existing View, visit the following link, http://www.yourDrupalsite.com/admin/build/views/list, or navigate to Administer | Site building | Views and click on the Edit link next to the View that you wish to edit.
You should see a screen similar to the following screenshot:
3. You’ll see the meta tags fields listed near the bottom of the edit screen.
4. Enter your meta tags into the fields provided.
5. Click on Save. Once you have completed these steps, you’re site’s meta tags should be all nice and search engine optimized.
Now it’s time to tell the whole world about it by getting all your content uploaded to Google and other search engine with your sitemap.
And that, my Drupal SEO friend, is another topic entirely, and one that you can read more in our SEO Guide for the Drupal XML Module.
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