SharePoint sites, while powerful platforms for internal collaboration and content management, require specific optimization strategies to achieve visibility in Internet search results. The data indicates that while SharePoint has evolved to include more SEO-friendly features, successful ranking depends on deliberate implementation of on-page and technical SEO practices. This article details strategies for optimizing SharePoint websites, based on available documentation.
Specifying SEO Properties on Publishing Pages
A foundational step in SharePoint SEO involves defining SEO properties for each publishing page. This process allows control over elements that directly influence search engine indexing and display. According to the source materials, this is accomplished by navigating to the PAGE tab, selecting Edit Properties, and then Edit SEO Properties. Within this section, businesses can specify the following:
- Browser Title: This functions as the equivalent of the HTML
<title>tag. - Meta Description: A brief summary of the page’s content.
- Meta Keywords: While the utility of meta keywords has diminished, the option remains available within SharePoint.
- Search Indexing Status: A setting to exclude pages from search results, similar in function to
robots.txt.
Utilizing Canonical URLs
The data highlights the importance of canonical URLs for SharePoint sites. When the same webpage is accessible under multiple URLs—a common occurrence with dynamic pages—search engines may struggle to determine the preferred version. This can dilute ranking signals and negatively impact SEO efforts. The solution, as presented in the source materials, is to implement canonical URLs, ensuring each page is indexed under a single, unique URL.
SharePoint URL Structure Best Practices
Optimizing the URL structure of a SharePoint site is crucial for both search engine crawlers and user experience. The source materials recommend adhering to the following principles:
- Keep URLs short and concise.
- Use consistent naming conventions throughout the site.
- Organize content hierarchically using folders and subsites.
SharePoint features that support these best practices include:
- Site Columns: Allow for the definition of custom metadata attributes.
- Content Types: Enable the classification and organization of content.
- Metadata: Provides additional context about content.
- Site Hierarchy: Facilitates logical organization using subsites and folders.
- Search Configuration: Enables indexing of metadata attributes.
Additional tips for URL optimization include using descriptive file names and maintaining URL consistency across all subsites. Regular monitoring and adjustment of the URL structure are also recommended.
Managed Navigation and SEO-Friendly URLs
The use of Managed Navigation, leveraging the SharePoint Managed Metadata Service, offers a method for modeling a website’s navigation hierarchy using taxonomy terms. Each term can be assigned a search engine optimized title and URL, contributing to improved SEO.
Tools for SharePoint SEO
Several tools are mentioned in the source materials to assist with SharePoint SEO:
- Imtech SharePoint SEO slugs: A tool for managing SEO slugs.
- Imtech SharePoint XM sitemaps: A tool for generating sitemaps.
- KWizCom SharePoint SEO Toolkit: A comprehensive toolkit including tools for setting title tags and generating sitemaps, but noted as being expensive.
- Sitemap generator for SharePoint: A tool developed by Tim Dobrinski and Chris Prime for generating sitemaps.
Technical SEO Considerations
The source materials emphasize the importance of technical SEO for SharePoint sites. This includes generating sitemaps to help search engines discover and crawl content. The data also points to the need to configure SharePoint’s search settings to index metadata attributes, ensuring relevant content is found by search engines. A white paper on optimizing SharePoint Server 2016 websites for Internet search engines details SEO activities applicable to the planning phase of a new website, new SEO features in SharePoint Server 2016, SEO for cross-site publishing, and handling common SEO challenges.
On-Page SEO Strategies
Beyond specifying SEO properties, the source materials reiterate the fundamental importance of on-page SEO principles. This includes writing quality content and employing link-building strategies, similar to those used for other platforms like WordPress. However, the unique aspects of SharePoint lie in the on-page strategies related to title tags, meta tags, URL formatting, sitemap generation, and site architecture.
SharePoint 2016 SEO Features
SharePoint Server 2016 introduced new SEO features. The white paper referenced in the source materials details these features and how they can be utilized to improve search engine rankings. The document also covers SEO activities during website planning and strategies for cross-site publishing.
Conclusion
The available data indicates that optimizing SharePoint websites for search engines requires a multifaceted approach. Key strategies include specifying SEO properties on publishing pages, utilizing canonical URLs, implementing a well-structured URL hierarchy, leveraging Managed Navigation, and employing appropriate technical SEO tools. While SharePoint has evolved to offer more SEO-friendly features, successful implementation relies on a deliberate and informed strategy. The white paper on optimizing SharePoint Server 2016 websites provides further guidance on planning, utilizing new features, and addressing common SEO challenges.