SEO Improvements for Ethereal Ruby

This document outlines all the SEO improvements implemented on the Ethereal Ruby website to enhance its visibility and ranking in search engines.

1. Meta Tags Optimization

  • Enhanced Title Tag: Updated to use a clean, memorable title: “Ethereal Ruby”
  • Improved Description: Expanded to be more descriptive and keyword-rich, highlighting core services and experience
  • Canonical URLs: Fixed by setting proper URL in _config.yml to ensure search engines recognize the definitive version of each page
  • Language Specification: Added lang attribute to improve international SEO

2. Structured Data Implementation

Added comprehensive structured data using JSON-LD format:

  • ProfessionalService Schema: Details about the business, services, location, and contact information
  • Person Schema: Information about the developer, skills, and experience
  • WebSite Schema: General website information and search functionality
  • BreadcrumbList Schema: Improves navigation representation in search results

3. Social Media Optimization

  • Twitter Card Integration: Added Twitter card metadata for better sharing appearance
  • Open Graph Protocol: Enhanced Open Graph tags for improved Facebook and LinkedIn sharing
  • Social Profile Links: Added structured connections to social profiles to establish entity association

4. Technical SEO Enhancements

  • Sitemap.xml: Added jekyll-sitemap plugin to automatically generate a comprehensive sitemap
  • Robots.txt: Created a robots.txt file with appropriate directives for search engines
  • Performance Optimization:
    • Added preconnect and dns-prefetch directives for external resources
    • Implemented preloading for critical assets
    • Deferred non-critical JavaScript loading
    • Improved resource loading sequence

5. Content and Accessibility Improvements

  • Heading Structure: Verified proper H1-H6 hierarchy across all pages
  • Image Alt Tags: Enhanced with descriptive, keyword-rich alternatives
  • Semantic HTML: Ensured proper semantic structure throughout the site

6. Installation Instructions

To complete the SEO setup:

  1. Run bundle install to install the jekyll-sitemap gem
  2. Run bundle exec jekyll build to generate the site with all SEO improvements
  3. Verify the sitemap.xml file is created at /sitemap.xml
  4. Test the site with Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool and PageSpeed Insights

7. Future SEO Recommendations

  • Implement regular content updates to improve freshness signals
  • Create a blog section with keyword-targeted articles about Ruby on Rails development
  • Set up Google Search Console and submit the sitemap
  • Monitor performance and make ongoing optimizations based on search analytics