Book Review: Drupal 6 Search Engine Optimization

I don't get asked to review books often, so I was delighted when I got asked to review Drupal 6 Search Engine Optimization by Ben Finklea, it being top of my list of Drupal books to buy. Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is all about improving your site's position in search results. It's part science, part art, and involves a lot of small, but simple, improvements to your website. An important SEO skill is knowing what keywords to use for your site and how to avoid common mistakes that could have a detrimental effect on your site's ranking. This book does an excellent job at explaining just that and includes great advice and step by step instructions.

The book assumes you're a Drupal newbie, which I was a bit surprised by at first. I wasn't really expecting to see instructions on how to install a Drupal module, but this approach is used throughout the book and is a strong selling point. It takes the magic out of SEO so everyone, regardless of skill level or familiarity with Drupal, can achieve the most from their site.

It includes a long list of SEO related Drupal modules, some of which I already knew about but some of which, like Taxonomy Title, I didn't. It has some great advice on choosing keywords for your site and tips on writing good content. It also covers the top 10 most common SEO errors and how to fix them.

I already knew a fair bit of what the book covered, and I did find myself quickly scanning or skimming through some sections of the book. However I did still learn new stuff. Not only did I learn about some Drupal modules I was previously unaware of, but also keyword research tools such as Google Trends and Keyword Discovery, and a few other hidden gems.

Given that the book assumes the reader has no knowledge of SEO, I was expecting a small section or paragraph on what exactly SEO is and why you should care about it. I was also disappointed that it didn't really cover how to optimize URL paths. For example, how long is too long? When should they include the date? What's the recommended maximum depth or number of directories?

Admittedly, the book is aimed at beginners, and you may know some of the material already. However, regardless of your Drupal expertise or skill level, you probably will get something out of it. If nothing else, it should increase your awareness of SEO concerns when building websites or developing Drupal modules - it certainly has for me. Overall it's a decent book, and it would make a good addition to any Drupal bookshelf.

Title: Drupal 6 Search Engine Optimization
Author: Ben Finklea
Link: http://www.packtpub.com/drupal-6-search-engine-optimization-seo/book?utm...