Search Engine Optimization

Buz offers numerous different tools to increase the searchability of your website. They are described below. Using these tools will improve how easy your page is to find with a standard web search engine.

Note: Even with these tools, there is not a magical formula that will bring any site to the top of Google's search list. They will improve the likelihood of your listing appearing higher on the list, as the search parameters match more closely.

Note: Search Engine Optimization only effects public pages of any website, not member pages as they are secured with a password, and are therefore unsearchable.

Google Sitemap SupportThis tool allows you to provide Google with a sitemap for your website's public pages, which they then index. For more information on Google Integration see Buz CMS > General Admin > Google Integration in the Reference Guide.

Site Profile Keywords and Descriptions: Site profiles determine the default look and settings associated with certain settings of your website. In the site profiles list, or when creating a site profile, enter Keywords and Descriptions under the Default Settings to provide Search Engines with searchable references for this website. For more information on Site Profile Default Settings see Buz CMS > Site Design > Site Profiles > Default Settings in the Reference Guide.

To reach the Default Settings list from the Site Profile List, simply click on the name of the desired profile, and select Default Settings from the Browser Tabs at the top of the menu.

Per Page Keywords and Descriptions: During the creation of any web page there is the option to enter Keywords or a Description, as seen on BuzCMS > Web page Management > New Page in the Reference Guide. This option is also accessible when editing a page under the "Search Engines" tab at the top of the Editor. See BuzCMS > Web Page Management > Editing a Page in the Reference Guide for more information on this Search Engine Optimization tool.

Image Alt Text: When inserting an image into a webpage you are offered the option to enter "Alternative Text", as discussed in The Editor > Creating Rich Text > Inserting Images in the Reference Guide.

This alternative text should be descriptive of the image itself. The Alt. text is used for three purposes, the first being the most relevant to our purposes: Search Engines read this text in their image search to find images relevant to someone's search parameters, screen readers and tools such as this read these tags to describe the image to visually impaired users, and people who choose not to view images can read the alt. text in order to know what the image is. 

Link Title Text: Within the creation of a link there is an option similar to the Image Alt Text to describe the landing page.  This Advisory Title is found under the Advanced Options within the creation of a link. It should contain a simple description of where the link lands, in order to enhance search optimization.

If you need further information on creating a link, see The Editor  CREATING RICH TEXT  Links, Email Links, Anchors in the Reference Guide.

Search Friendly Page Names: Buz provides the option to select the URL associated with any given web page. This allows you to replace the numbers and special characters usually associated with a created page (eg: http://vip.buzsoftware.com/buzdocs/admin/submaster.cfm?aPage=pagetext.cfm&EditText=Yes&InterestGroup=Yes&IDGroup=1&ID=506) and replace it with something simply, easy to remember and easy to search (eg: http://vip.buzsoftware.com/buzdemo/activities). 

To see if a desired URL is available, open the Page Manager, click either on the name of the page or on the Edit button, select the "Search Engines" tab and enter the desired URL in the space provided. Buz dynamically verifies if this URL is available and allows you to apply it to your site. For more information on this section of the Page Manager, see Buz CMS > Web Page Management > Editing a Page in the Reference Guide.

HINT: Search Engine Optimization is easiest to do well while you are creating your website. Otherwise, you will have to go back through every page that you wish to be searchable and make changes after-the-fact to your entire website, which is much more of a hassle.