Content modeling for social media and SEO

When we think about content modeling from a SEO and social media perspective, our goal is to structure content to maximize potential engagement in search results and social media content with minimal effort. In this tutorial, let’s get familiar with some tools and techniques in Drupal CMS designed for SEO optimization, so that you can include these features in your content model.

By the end of this tutorial, you should be able to design a content model that will ensure:

• Improved search rankings through structured data
• Better engagement with attractive content previews
• Efficiency with automatically generated meta tags and sharing links

SEO-optimized content fields

Include fields in the content model specifically designed to improve search engine optimization.

• Meta title (text field): A custom field for SEO-friendly page titles that target keywords and fit within 60 characters.
• Meta description (text field): A brief, compelling summary (under 160 characters) for search engine results.
• URL alias: Each time you create content, a clean, keyword-rich URL alias is automatically created, (e.g., /wine-tours/napa-valley). You can modify it when you edit content. Look under the URL alias section in the right sidebar, where you can view instructions for both overriding the generated alias or setting up URL alias patterns for each type of content on your site.
• Heading structure: Ensure content types include fields for logical heading levels (e.g., H1 for titles, H2 for sections) to boost accessibility and SEO. This is especially important in formatted text fields that content editors use.

Structured data for search engines

Use fields to support schema.org structured data, helping search engines better understand the content:

• Add a Tour type field (e.g., “Private tour,” “Group tour”) to output as schema.org metadata.
• Include fields for business-related information, like price, availability, and location for schema.org’s TouristAttraction or Offer schema.

Example: Wine tour content type for SEO

• Title (H1): "Napa Valley Wine Tour: Explore the Best Wineries"
• Meta title: "Napa Valley Wine Tour | Private and Group Tours"
• Meta description: "Discover the top Napa Valley wine tours. Book private or group wine tastings in California's most famous wine region."
• URL alias: /wine-tours/napa-valley
• Image with alternative text: "A group enjoying wine tasting in Napa Valley."
• Structured data output: Includes fields like Price, Availability Dates, Region, and Tour Type, marked up with schema.org.

Rich media for enhanced engagement

Optimize images, videos, and other media for both SEO and social media:

• Alternative text: When adding or editing an image in the Media library, enter alternative text to improve accessibility and provide descriptive information for search engines.
• Open Graph fields (text/image fields): Define fields for Open Graph metadata, including:
  • og:title (text field): The headline that appears when content is shared.
  • og:description (text field): A short summary for social media previews.
  • og:image (image field): The featured image shown on social platforms.

For example:

• Open Graph title: "Experience the Best Napa Valley Wine Tours"
• Open Graph description: "Join us for a luxurious wine tour in Napa Valley. Book now for unforgettable tastings and stunning vineyard views!"
• Open Graph image: Featured image of a picturesque vineyard or wine glasses.

Keyword-focused taxonomy

Use taxonomy terms for categories and regions that reflect common search phrases:

• Example taxonomy: Wine region (e.g., “Napa Valley,” “Sonoma”) and Tour category (e.g., “Weekend Tours,” “Luxury Tours”).

These terms can be included in URLs, page titles, and filter options for added SEO benefits.

Internal linking

Use Drupal CMS’s reference fields to encourage internal linking:

• Relate tours to specific wineries, regions, or blog posts.
• Use Views to display “Related tours” or “Featured regions” dynamically on content pages.

Best practices for optimizing SEO and social media

Pro tip: Apply the SEO Tools recipe, which provides the SEO Checklist (Configuration > Search and metadata > SEO Checklist). The SEO Checklist will guide you through the process of optimizing your site for search engines.

1. Use dynamic meta tags
   • Apply the SEO Tools recipe to get features that will automatically generate page-specific meta tags using tokens. For example:
     • Title: [node:title] | [site:name]
     • Description: [node:summary]
2. Create landing pages with taxonomy
   • Make use of taxonomy term-based pages to create filterable and SEO-friendly landing pages, e.g., /wine-tours/napa-valley or /wine-tours/weekend-tours.
3. Encourage social sharing
   • Add social media sharing buttons to pages.
   • Use fields for Open Graph metadata to ensure links look appealing when shared.
4. Optimize media for performance
   • Use Drupal CMS’s Responsive image styles to serve appropriately sized images.
   • Compress images and videos to improve page load speed (a key SEO factor).

Example: Content Model for a Blog Post (Social Sharing Focus)

Let’s consider the blog post content type model with social media sharing in mind:

Fields:

• Title (H1): "Top 5 Wine Regions to Visit in 2024"
• Content: The main content of the blog post.
• Featured image: Image for Open Graph.
• Meta title: "Best Wine Regions to Visit in 2024 | Expert Guide"
• Meta description: "Explore the top wine regions to visit in 2024, including Napa, Sonoma, and Willamette Valley. A must-read for wine lovers!"
• Taxonomy terms: "Wine Regions," "Travel Tips."
• Related content: References to Wine tours content.

Wrap-up

By thinking about SEO and social media during content modeling, you can better ensure:

• Improved search rankings: Structured data, optimized fields, and responsive media help search engines better understand and rank the site.
• Better engagement: Attractive previews on social platforms drive more clicks and shares.
• Efficiency: Automating meta tags and sharing settings saves time and ensures consistency.