This is the third part of the new Drupal for Web Designers series written by Idan Arbel of Arbel Designs. The first two segments discussed the design and functionality of website, now we’re moving into the content.

You’ve spent many hours designing your website, and configuring it to do exactly what you want, it works and looks amazing but there’s one thing you mustn’t forget: SEO – Search Engine Optimization. In order for you website to be a success you need people to actually see it. One of the most effective ways of doing this is by allowing people to find your websites through search engines, and the big one everyone is focusing on is Google of course. SEO deals with making you website easier for Google to understand, read, remember, and get direct user who search to it.

When I think of SEO I usually split it into three parts:

1. Content is king! The goal of a search engine is to find you what you’re looking for. You’re looking for content so when you type in a search phrase in google, you want Google to find the most relevant page for your search. The better and more relevant the content on your website to the search phrase the higher you should rank in the results. The best way to drive users to your website is to have interesting unique content – This is something Drupal can’t help you with, so let’s move on.
2. Link Building. Google’s algorithms are pretty complex but what is easy to understand is the “Recommendation” system Google uses. If a very popular websites that has a million visitors a day “recommends” your site, then your website must have relevant, unique, quality content that might interested those million visitors. Google takes this into account and places your website higher up in the search results. The way websites “recommend” other websites is simply by linking to them. The more incoming links from high quality websites you have, the higher you will appear in Google’s search results. Again this is something Drupal can’t really help you with….moving on.
3. The last part is the structure and meta data of your website. This is the more technical aspect and this is where Drupal does all the heavy lifting and pretty much makes this a non-issue for you. I’ll go over a few critical modules that help you out with this part.

Node Words

You’ve probably heard of meta tags, these are html tags that hold Meta Data. I like to think of meta data as more information about a certain item, in our case a webpage. The easiest example of meta data I can think of is information that is stored on a digital photo you take. The main item is the Photo, but attached to that photo there is additional information – what camera was used, the date it was taken, shutter speed, apature, location etc.. these bits of information add more info and help categorize the photo, the same applies for web pages. Webpage meta data is added to the website inside the <META> tag, and can include:

1. Keywords – words or phrases that describe the page.
2. Description – a short paragraph that summarizes the content.
3. Abstract – short sentence describing the page.
4. Copyright – copyright statement
5. There are more but we won’t get into them…

The Nodewords module allows you to automatically insert meta tags onto your site, taking content from predefined settings, or based on the content of the page.

Page Titles

The page titles that I’m referring to here are those placed between the <TITLE> tags. These appear in the “top blue bar” in the browser on the tab. This is one of the key factors in your ranking in the search engine results, as search engines rely a lot on the title in order to understand if the page is relevant to the key words.

This module allows you to set the html page titles independently from the actual title displayed to the user, great for optimizing the html page titles specifically for search engines while keeping the actual titles optimized and clear for users.

Clear URLs + Path + Pathauto

Have you ever seen sites with urls like this http://www.mysite.com?q=page1;b=3432432; ?
Well using clear urls which is actually a core drupal setting and not a module you get nice urls that look something like: http://www.mysite.com/articles/drupal/idan-arbel/introduction-to-web-design – isn’t this much more clearer? In addition to being very clear it can contain keywords that help search engines identify and categorize your webpage in order to fit well with the keyword search. So If I have a Webdesign website with a url like this: http://www.mydesignsite.com/website-design/chicago/e-commerce/website-name then I can include a ton of relevant keywords in the url and they actually make sense. When someone will search for E-commerce web design in Chicago, having a url like that will surely help. The Path core module allows you to set custom urls for any page. Let take it up a notch with the Pathauto module – this module allows you to define URL templates to user for different pages. So if I create a new “Portfolio Website” item in my website, and give it the E-commerce category, and Chicago, I can have an automatic URL  generated like so: [my-website-base-path]/[content-type]/[category]/[location]/[title]. That’s it, don’t have to write any custom URLs anymore because Pathauto does all the work for me.

Global Redirect

This is a really technical module which deals with how other sites or pages in your own site link to other pages in your site. Making all the links end up the same so search engines doesn’t think that there is any duplicate content – which is a big no no. So what does it do you ask…a few things:

1. Removes trailing slashes – change www.mysite.com/ to www.mysite.com
2. Redirects drupal URLs like node/213 to the alias set using the path module category/title..etc

Path Redirect

If you’re in the process of redesigning a website, and you’re don’t really want to keep the old URL structure, path redirect allows you to redirect old pages to the new ones using 301 code which means this is a permanent redirect and search engines should use the new path from now on. Very useful in preventing broken links when rebuilding websites.

XML Sitemap

In order to have good ranking in search engines, you first need the search engine to actually find your webpages. XML sitemaps are files that include the structure of your site and are used by search engines to find and index all the pages on your site.

Google Analytics

Integration with great Google Analytics service. The module allows you to track different users, roles, file downloads, site search and simply the easiest way to add the Google Analytics code to your site.

There are many more modules but these are the basic modules, to get the job done, and done right.

That’s it for the introduction, the next article in the Drupal for webdesigner series will be “Drupal Terminology”

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Drupal for Web Designers – Part III SEO

Every webdesigner needs attractive business card because you never know when you’ll meet a potential client or web partner. Despite their small size, business cards are one of the most handiest and powerful marketing tools. Here are several totally free templates that you could use to make your own business cards. So have a look on the Business Cards Templates listed below and choose the best among them.

Download: Carbon Business Card Template

Download: Bokeh Business Card

Download: Zebra Business Card

Download: Freelance Business Cards

Download: Business Card for Designers

Download: Business Card Template for Webmaster

Download: Jeans Business Card Template

Download: Lawyer Business Cards

Download: Art Business Card

Download: Splatter Business Card Template

Download: Noise Business Card

Download: Dark Business Card

Download: Smoke Business Card Template

Download: Black Modern Biz Card

Download: Modern Red Business Card

Download: Women Business Card

Download: Poker Business Card

Download: Space Business Card

Download: Dark Modern Business Card

Download: Black Stylish Business Card

Download: Slums Business Card

Download: Business Card Template with Cat

Download: Splatter Business Cards

Download: White Business Card Template

Download: Delicate Business Card Template

Download: Minimalistic Business Card Template

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26+ Attractive Business Card Templates

Our friends from Mojo Themes introduced yesterday the very first collaboration program which will finally unite designers and developers! It’s called Joint Forces and basically allows you to collaborate with your favorite designer or programmer to offer the best template evah!

In Their Own Words

You Programming Ninjas and Design Rockstars have been clamoring for a way to collaborate and put out the hottest designs built on the best platforms. WE LISTENED and starting today JOINT FORCES allows you to COLLABORATE with your favorite designer or programmer to offer the best solutions to the MOJO Nation. And the really cool thing is that MOJO takes care of all the logistics for a seamless allocation that is defined by you and your joint development partner. You and your partner control the process and MOJO makes it easy!

How it Works

After signing into your Mojo account, you will notice a new upload form that has been built custom for each category. Within each category you will see an area near the bottom of the form where you can “Join Forces”. The Joint Forces area has two required fields: (1) Your partners USERNAME and (2) their registered email. Something important to remember, the account that uploads the item is the manager of the partnership of that item.

More Details

For more details about the Mojo Themes template marketplace and about the new Joint Forces program, head over to their website, read the blog release, and follow them on Twitter & Facebook.

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Collaboration Between Designers and Developers Reaches New Heights

We know there are quite a few freelancers and small business owners out there and this one is for you 100%. We selected the most customizable, good looking, sexy, sleek, affordable, and fresh themes on the market.

Levitation | $35 | Details | Demo

Levitation is a WordPress Template, best suited for Business and Portfolio sites. It comes with 5 sleek skins and 2 different front page designs

Concept WordPress | $30 | Details | Demo

This theme is a complete WordPress Theme, designed from the ground up to function as a comprehensive WordPress theme that can be used for just about any site that needs a beautiful layout

Pandora | $30 | Details | Demo

Pandora is a WordPress Template, designed to promote anything from a corporate business to a portfolio site. More than 10 professionally-designed and easy customisable themes comes as standard: Aqua, Crimson, Eco, Egypt, Modern, Mystery, Nebula, Ocean, Olive, Parquet, Podium and Startup

Octofirst | $30 | Details | Demo

Octofirst is a best selling corporate theme with many updates: new option in admin panel to sort the homepage slides, fixed styling for strong tag, alignleft, alignright and aligncenter classes

Unique Light Edition | $25 | Details | Demo

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This theme is best suitable for the freelancers, business portfolios and suitable for many more other categories

CloserLook Business & Portfolio | $30 | Details | Demo

Amazing business theme with 3 color schemes, a jQuery powered AJAZ contact form, dropdown pages & auto image resizing

BVD | $35 | Details | Demo

Finally it is here! The WP version of the very popular BVD – Beautiful Website Design – template. Perfect for business websites!

Web Explorer | $30 | Details | Demo

Web Explorer is a simple and elegant premium business WordPress theme. It’s great for any business and personal sitesBizFolio

BizFolio | $25 | Details | Demo

BizFolio is a professional business theme with creative portfolio layout and included blog layout

NewSense | $30 | Details | Demo

NewSense is a aimple and clean business WordPress theme. It’s great for any business and is designed in corporative and modern style. The home page is designed to emphasize your product

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10 Outstanding Corporate WordPress Themes for Freelancers and Small Business Owners

September was a very prolific month in terms or WordPress themes! We’ve chosen the slickest 30 examples of great graphics and functionality, for all the minimal lovers, grunge freaks, mag-style experts, or small niche pundits!

Liquid Magazine | $25 | Details | Demo

Liquid Mag is one of a kind theme, there are no analogs around. It will suits best for the blog with creative posts. Different thumbnails height is giving a special “style” to the template, your visitors will love it!

Levitation | $35 | Details | Demo

Levitation is a WordPress Template, best suited for Business and Portfolio sites. It comes with 5 sleek skins and 2 different front page designs

Platform | $50 | Details | Demo

Platform is a theme for people who pack a huge amount of content on their site. The main inspiration for the design of Platform came from sites such as CNN, Porfolio and New Yorker

Simplified 2 | $30 | Details | Demo

Clean and appealing portfolio / corporate Worpress theme. Features: easy to setup, theme options page, ads support with enable / disable option, JQuery homepage slider

Antisocial | $70 | Details | Demo

Antisocial is one of the Woo Themes most anticipated releases. Designed by Tim Van Damme Antisocial is the perfect online business card and personal blog theme to aggregate all your online profiles in a beautiful slick and unique design

RT Theme | $25 | Details | Demo

A 5 in 1 WordPress theme, RT3 is best suited for business, corporate and service websites

7 Lifes | $25 | Details | Demo

7Lifes is a professional and modern WordPress template available in 3 colors range (Violet, Green, Blue) with custom admin panel

Time for Food | $25 | Details | Demo

Time for Food is a beautifully designed WordPress Theme for all you foodies. It can be used to share recipes or just write articles based about food

Press | $100 | Details | Demo

Press is a minimalist blog theme which can serve many different purposes. The nature of its design means the scope for modifications are endless and the boundaries for content are only determined by you

Monte Cristo | $25 | Details | Demo

Monte Cristo is a unique and professional theme created for the traditional WordPress site. Its sharp edges, fine gradients, and crisp shades are sure to spice up your everyday blog

Filthy | $30 | Details | Demo

Filthy is a personal blog theme that’s been through the ringer. This thing is just down right dirty! And best of all, it comes it 2 shades of filth – brown and black

Desired Folio | $25 | Details | Demo

DesiredFolio is a wordpress theme for a gallery or a portfolio website or anything you would like to showcase with an ajax slider for featured posts/images. All Features can be easily modified/adjusted by the theme options page

Daily Edition | $70 | Details | Demo

Daily Edition is a clean, spacious newspaper/magazine theme designed by Liam McKay. With loads of home page modules to enable/disable and a unique javascript-based featured scroller and video player the theme oozes sophistication

Inspired Blog | $25 | Details | Demo

Inspired Blog is a valid XHTML /CSS Transitional WordPress theme with one and two column design, 3 PSD Files for easy customization (Main layout, logo and navigation), and a jQuery Style switcher separated in two sections (total of 25 color combinations)

Sofa Rooster | $35 | Details | Demo

Sofa Rooster is flat Blog theme but extremely robust one. It uses Plugger system for easy sidebar content management and is fully settable through theme options page integrated into Admin panel

The Blogging Thing | $25 | Details | Demo

The Blogging Thing is a WordPress Theme designed for both aspiring and rock-star bloggers

Motion | $25 | Details | Demo

This theme can be used for a variety of needs from CMS to photography. It requires no hard coding and comes crammed with features so you can simply drag and drop it into your themes folder and be ready to go

Evolutionary Theme | $25 | Details | Demo

Evolutionary is a clean, jQuery animated WordPress theme with four color schemes: Blue (default), Green, Red, and Black

Abandu | $25 | Details | Demo

Abandu is a nice and clean WordPress theme you can use as Magazine Blog or Personal Blog. If you would like to build a strong community then this template is for you. It come with an advanced Theme Options Panel, where you can adjust many aspect of the theme

Boardwalk | $59 | Details | Demo

A cool new theme with Random Header Graphics (rainbows, kites, planes), Random Footer Graphics (beach huts, crabs), Customizable Weather Feed, Two Column Layout, Widget Ready, Adsense Ready and more

Old School | $25 | Details | Demo

Old School is a grungy, flexible, beautiful, magazine-style WordPress theme with lots of options and ad zones, making it easy to build a blog from scratch!

Min | $25 | Details | Demo

A minimal WP theme with many options to make your blogging life easier

Honcerate | $20 | Details | Demo

Honcerate is a nice Community WordPress Theme, that may be used not only for creating your own community theme, but for your own blog / magazine etc

WP Addiction | $25 | Details | Demo

WP-addiction is an Fresh, Stylish and Clean , with a lot of simplicity and perfection. It has been professionally designed to be easily addapted and modified to suit almost any kind of blog

Exexill 2 | $30 | Details | Demo

Exehill 2 is something completely different, reloaded. Probably the most flexible WordPress theme ever! Check out the demo

Traveling | $25 | Details | Demo

Clean and nice looking wordpress theme. Very intuitive Theme Options Page from where you can select the desired header image, insert Google Analytics code or choose those 4 125*125 Ads that will appear in your sidebar

Octofirst | $30 | Details | Demo

This is a WordPress theme which can provide both CMS and Blog functionality. Best for business / corporate / portfolio websites

Benzo | $30 | Details | Demo

Benzo is simple and clean WordPress theme and comes with some nice features, like an image gallery, Youtube gallery, etc

WhiteLite | $25 | Details | Demo

Whitelite is packed with options for simple customization without any knowledge in html or php to make your site exactly the way you want it

Cleanism | $25 | Details | Demo

Cleanism is a clean, minimal and sleek WordPress template made to showcase your portfolio. The design was created to blend into the background and make your work stand out

Minimal WordPress Portfolio | $25 | Details | Demo

This template is packed with great features: custom Fading Taglines, easy to edit, large home promo items, custom admin page: edit colors, options, tagline, footer and much more

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Inspired Guide: The Coolest 30 WordPress Themes Out in September