Hello, since this is my first post, I'd like to introduce myself first.

This is Jen from Invesp consulting. We are an e-commerce conversion optimization company. I just started with Invesp recently as a marketing coordinator. I think few members from the company might be already active on this forum. I have a lot to learn from everyone so looking forward to it.

Going back to the topic…

The Permalink plugin is used to convert your “http://mysite.com/?p=1” urls to something meaningful, such as “http://mysite.com/spyware-removal-tips”.

An effective strategy is to put your post tile in the URL (and combined with the next tip, this will help your blog seo in several ways). To do this, go to Options (in your WP dashboard / admin panel), then from the sub-menu select „Permalinks‟ (make sure you‟ve activated this plugin first).

On this page, you have the options to create a customized permalink structure – we‟ve used one that just puts the post title as the URL and attaches an .html to the end.

To get this to work, all you have to do is select the „Custom, specify below‟ option and copy/paste this into the text box:

/%postname%.html

That‟s it. Click on „Update Permalink Structure‟ and you‟re good to go.

One thing to note – the .htaccess file your server must be writable. If the Permalink Plugin gives you an error / asks you to update the .htaccess file yourself then you can do one of the following things:

1) CHMOD your .htaccess file to 666 (usually this amounts to locating the file in your root web directory (using your FTP program), right-clicking on the file, selecting CHMOD and setting the value in the textbox to 666).

2) If you can‟t find the .htaccess file, create one yourself using this tutorial (just create the file, don‟t have to follow other steps in the tutorial) and then copy the code given on the Permalink page into the .htaccess file (open it using Notepad or any other text editor). Once the file is updated, you can upload it back to your web server.

Cheers!

Thanks Jen,

I am afraid my WordPress ignorance makes even implementing some of this simple stuff somehat laborious.

I am trying to get my mind around Permalink Structure, Taxonomy, Slugs, Titles, Descriptions, Categories and Tags, at the very least, so I can have a concistent SEO strategy as I build content.

Not to mention duplicate content issues that can apparently be inheirant with WordPress.

Let me ask this, in the Joost de Valk piece I referenced earlier in this thread, he incourages the use of of this Redirection plugin in conjunction with a Permalink strategy.

http://urbangiraffe.com/plugins/redirection/

My WordPress coach seriously questions whether the time it takes to manage that plug-in is worth it. He also questions whether the plugin clutter and possible compatibilty issues are worth it.

Thoughts?

btw, There seem to be several ways to skin the WordPress SEO cat. I am trying to follow Joost de Valk's checklist for concistencies sake.

I would hire somebody - but finding someone that is into BOTH WordPress and the kind of SEO detalied by Joost is tough. 

You know, deep down many developer types think SEO is much ado about nothing.

I hear a lot of this - detailed WordPress SEO work can be important, but not that important. Which of course begs the questions - how do you know where to draw the line? when is the effort not worth the return?

Even Scott Hendison, SEMpdx's most vocal WordPress SEO advocate seems to allude at times that there is a real diminishing rate of return when you get into some of the detailed Wordpress SEO stuff.

I have so wanted for so long for my WordPress site to be SEO “right”, by let's say, SEMpdx standards. It has been a frustrating and humbling experience.

I am tired of comments like, “we know Tom is an AdWords Specialist, and not an SEO guy, just look at his Title Tags”

I do not want to be an SEO guy, but I do not want my site to be embarrassing when viewed by search peers either. And of course, all the time I spend fretting over SEO, is time I am not writing content.

A brief post turned into a rant. 

-Tom Hale

AdWords Specialist