6 AEM SEO Tips You Need To Know

6 AEM SEO Tips

There are six things every AEM website needs. These six things will form the basis of your Adobe Experience Manager SEO strategy and will put your website in the best position to rank. 

1. Structure Categories and Content

Organising content into well-defined categories within AEM enhances user navigation and search engine optimisation. Logical structuring of your content makes it easier for search engines to comprehend your site structure. This increases the likelihood of indexing your content which can lead to improved search engine rankings. 

You want to maintain a clear hierarchical structure on your website. Categories, or pillar pages, are going to be your main conversion pages. For example, if your category page is about selling laptops, then your subcategory should be everything relevant to laptops. 

Incorporating tags and metadata within these categories is also good SEO practice. Your standard SEO elements, which include keywords and descriptions, can then be strategically aligned with your SEO goals. A well-structured site not only enhances usability but also helps AEM sites to rank higher in the search engine results pages.

2. Make it Mobile Friendly

Optimising for mobile traffic is important with over half of global web traffic originating from mobile devices. Google’s algorithm prioritises mobile-optimised sites so you might be held back if you don’t work on being mobile-friendly.  Managing your Adobe AEM site effectively involves implementing responsive web design to ensure the site adapts to various device screen sizes.

AEM allows you to drag and drop Responsive Grid Layout onto the web pages which means you can adjust the screen for different devices. Responsive design in AEM goes beyond adjusting screen resolutions; it requires a layout that improves usability. 

Ensure that menus, images, and text blocks adjust seamlessly across different devices. Creating touch-friendly elements such as buttons and links should be easy to improve user experience. This in turn supports SEO by minimising bounce rates and increasing user engagement.

3. Improve Page Speed

Improving your page speed is essential as it significantly impacts SEO rankings and user experience. Google suggests that optimal site load times should be under 2-3 seconds to prevent user frustration and high bounce rates. 

Begin by optimising your images, as large files can drastically slow down page loading. Compressing images is easy with AEM’s inbuilt Dynamic Media capabilities. Implementing browser caching is another effective method. It enables the storage of certain page elements in the visitor’s browser, reducing the need to reload them on subsequent visits which speeds up the site for returning users.

If you still have slow load times then take a look at your hosting provider. This may involve optimising your current server setup or upgrading to a more capable hosting service.

Regularly utilising tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights is also recommended. These tools assess your site’s performance and offer specific, actionable insights to further reduce load times. Remember, even a small improvement in page speed can lead to an increase in user engagement and conversion rates.

4. Create SEO-Friendly Pages

AEM allows you to generate URLs based on content properties or parameters dynamically. This can make things easier if you’re an ecommerce site with many product pages. Best SEO practices still apply with keyword-rich titles, meta description and URLs.

On-page SEO is as easy with AEM as any other CMS. Create page titles that are both descriptive of the content and include relevant keywords naturally. Then incorporate keywords throughout your content. Place them in headlines and body text but avoid overstuffing as it could negatively impact your search rankings. The use of keywords should feel organic.

5. Utilise Logical Tagging

Utilising logical tagging in Adobe AEM effectively organises relevant content. By accurately tagging content with relevant keywords and categories it structures content hierarchically and simplifies navigation, 

It’s simple to set up a tag in Adobe Experience Manager. 

1. Access the Tagging Console
2. Create a Tag Namespace (Optional)
3. Create Tags
4. Organize Tags
5. Assign Tags to Content

Tags link related content items, enhancing the relevance of search results. By grouping similar content you can build topical relevance by making sure that you create content on everything related to your topic. This helps to achieve higher search engine rankings as Google can better understand your site hierarchy.

For optimal use of tagging in AEM, ensure each tag is precise and meaningful. Avoid keyword stuffing and consider how tags cohesively group content in ways that are logical to your audience. 

6. Dynamic Media

Dynamic Media in AEM facilitates real-time content updates meaning your website retains its relevance without manual intervention. This maintains fresh content which is something that Google is looking for as part of its search engine ranking algorithm. AEM also simplifies the management of media elements across various devices through its automatic resizing, cropping, and formatting features.

AEM’s Dynamic Media supports streaming video and interactive content. This means that you can enable personalised experiences for your audience. Such personalisation could extend user time on-site which helps SEO performance and allows search engines to see you have a valuable site. 

Leveraging AEM’s Built-in Tools for SEO

AEM incorporates powerful built-in tools to help with your SEO efforts. AEM’s redirection and mapping capabilities are helpful when content is updated or relocated. These tools help avoid 404 errors by redirecting users and search engines to the new pages to maintain site structure and page authority.

Another SEO feature of AEM is its integration with analytical tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console. These integrations offer insights into your website’s traffic and performance, enabling data-driven decisions that optimise SEO strategies. 

Within your AEM you can generate and upload your XML sitemap. This can be found by going to the Digital Asset Manager and following the instructions. XML sitemaps help your content to index, which can be particularly useful for site with high number of web pages. Schema markup (structured data) can also be placed into articles to help search engines better understand your content. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is AEM Good for SEO?

Yes, AEM is good for SEO. It supports customisable URLs, efficient metadata management, and responsive design. Plus, its dynamic content capabilities keep your site fresh and relevant.

How can I improve the loading speed of my AEM website for better SEO?

To improve the loading speed of your AEM website, utilise AEM’s features like responsive image delivery, enable caching mechanisms, minimise the use of heavy scripts and plugins, and optimise the size of images and other media files. 

What are the best practices for using keywords in AEM?

In AEM, best practices for using keywords include incorporating them naturally into high-quality content, ensuring they are present in strategic locations like titles, headings, meta descriptions, and alt texts for images. Avoid keyword stuffing to ensure your site remains credible and useful to visitors.

What tools does AEM offer to help with SEO analysis?

AEM offers integration with various analytics tools and platforms, including Adobe Analytics and Google Analytics. These tools help in tracking website performance and improving online visibility.