Good SEO helps your Joomla website rank higher in Google. In this guide, we cover all essential SEO settings and best practices.

Why SEO Matters for Joomla

  • Visibility: Get found by potential visitors
  • Free traffic: Organic search is free
  • Credibility: High rankings build trust
  • Long-term: SEO benefits compound over time

Basic SEO Configuration

Global Configuration

  1. Go to System > Global Configuration
  2. Click Site tab
  3. Configure SEO Settings

Enable SEF URLs

Search Engine Friendly URLs:

  • Search Engine Friendly URLs: Yes
  • Use Apache mod_rewrite: Yes
  • Add Suffix to URL: Optional
  • Unicode Aliases: If using non-Latin

Rename htaccess

For mod_rewrite:

  1. Rename htaccess.txt to .htaccess
  2. Verify site still works
  3. Check SEF URLs function

Meta Information

Global Meta

  1. Go to Global Configuration > Site
  2. Fill in:
    • Meta Description (150-160 chars)
    • Meta Keywords (less important now)
    • Show Author Meta Tag
    • Show Joomla Version: No

Article Meta

Each article can have:

  1. Open article editor
  2. Click Publishing tab
  3. Fill in:
    • Meta Description
    • Meta Keywords
    • Robots instructions
  1. Edit menu item
  2. Go to Metadata Options
  3. Enter custom meta for page

URL Optimization

SEF URL Structure

Good URL: example.com/category/article-name

Bad URL: example.com/index.php?option=com_content&id=123

URL Aliases

Set custom aliases:

  1. Edit article/category/menu
  2. Find Alias field
  3. Enter SEO-friendly alias
  4. Use hyphens, not underscores

Router Configuration

  1. Go to System > Global Configuration > Site
  2. Configure routing options

Content Optimization

Page Titles

  • Unique title per page
  • Include main keyword
  • 50-60 characters
  • Compelling and descriptive

Headings

  • One H1 per page (usually title)
  • H2 for main sections
  • H3-H6 for subsections
  • Include keywords naturally

Content Quality

  • Minimum 300 words
  • Original content
  • Answer user questions
  • Update regularly

Images

  • Descriptive file names
  • Alt text for all images
  • Compress for speed
  • Use modern formats

Technical SEO

XML Sitemap

Options:

  • OSMap (free/pro)
  • JSitemap
  • Joomla native (4.x)

Setup:

  1. Install sitemap extension
  2. Configure included content
  3. Submit to Google Search Console

Robots.txt

Control crawler access:

  1. Create/edit robots.txt in root
  2. Allow important pages
  3. Block admin and duplicates

Canonical URLs

Prevent duplicate content:

  • Set via SEO extensions
  • Specify preferred URL version
  • Handle www/non-www

Internal Linking

  • Link related content
  • Use descriptive anchor text
  • Create content clusters
  • Natural linking patterns
  • Clear menu structure
  • Breadcrumbs enabled
  • Related articles module
  • Search functionality

Schema Markup

What is Schema?

Structured data for search engines:

  • Rich snippets in results
  • Better understanding of content
  • Enhanced visibility

Implementation

Use plugins or manual:

  • Organization schema
  • Article schema
  • Product schema
  • FAQ schema

Page Speed

Why Speed Matters

Google considers speed:

  • Better rankings
  • Lower bounce rate
  • Better user experience

Optimization

  1. Enable Joomla cache
  2. Compress images
  3. Enable GZIP
  4. Minimize extensions
  5. Use CDN

Testing

  • Google PageSpeed Insights
  • GTmetrix
  • WebPageTest

Mobile Optimization

Mobile-First

Google uses mobile-first indexing:

  • Responsive template required
  • Mobile-friendly content
  • Touch-friendly navigation

Testing

  • Google Mobile-Friendly Test
  • Real device testing
  • Browser DevTools

SEO Extensions

Free:

  • JEASY SEO
  • 4SEF

Premium:

  • sh404SEF
  • RSSeo
  • JSitemap Pro

Extension Features

  • Advanced URL management
  • Meta tag automation
  • Analytics integration
  • Social optimization

Local SEO

For Local Businesses

  1. Google Business Profile
  2. Local keywords
  3. NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone)
  4. Local schema markup

Implementation

  • Add location to content
  • Create location pages
  • Get local backlinks
  • Encourage reviews

Monitoring

Google Search Console

  1. Create account
  2. Verify site ownership
  3. Submit sitemap
  4. Monitor:
    • Search performance
    • Coverage issues
    • Mobile usability

Google Analytics

Track visitors:

  • Traffic sources
  • Popular pages
  • User behavior
  • Conversions

SEO Checklist

For every page:

  • Unique title (50-60 chars)
  • Meta description (150-160 chars)
  • SEO-friendly URL
  • H1 with keyword
  • Alt text on images
  • Internal links
  • Quality content (300+ words)

Need Help?

We are here for you! If you run into any issues or have questions, our support team is happy to help you personally. Send us a message through the ticket system - we usually respond within a few hours and are happy to assist you.