Magento SEO: Guide to Better Optimize Your Magento Website

Magento is an outstanding e-Commerce platform with inbuilt SEO. Initially, during its release there were no written rules or step-by-step guide for Search Engine Optimization in Magento. It was basically developed as a search engine friendly platform and the updated current release is 1.2.1. To implement it properly, first the most recent version should be employed followed by the enabling of Server URL rewrites, which is found under System-Configuration-Web-Search Engines Optimization. The following are the Magento SEO tips that can guide to better optimize Magento websites. 

WWW vs. non-WWW version: WWW is known as the secure version and non-WWW is the unsecure version. Below the secure or unsecure options you can locate the base URL and position the preferred domain. This function will permit you to choose among WWW and non-WWW versions. At this moment you can set the favored thing without altering the redirect from WWW to non-WWW or either way. After which you can produce a 310 redirect through .htaccess with mode_rewrite. This action will also check Magneto from accumulating the SID query to your URLs. Always confirm that the Base URL matches the redirect. Put in the index.php to the root when you are editing the .htaccess file. Just about line 119 use the following code: 

Use the following code if your Magento install is not found in the root, conversely in the sub-directory http://www.mydomain.com/magento/: 

Header Settings: The default title of the Magento install is "Magento Commerce" always. Are you looking for augmenting quality traffic to your Magento platform? Then you need to remember the following steps: 

* It is advisable to keep your keywords next to your page title as Search engines lay emphasis on the early words or the words that are nearer to the page title. This will increase the chances of more likely clicks by people who search for result pages. 

* Initially you should eliminate the default title "Magento Commerce". To get rid of the default title, go to Configuration => Design => HTML Head. 

* Choose a comprehensive & pertinent title for your site. This particular title will be employed by many non-content pages without any custom title. Few such pages are "Contact Us" page, "Popular Search Terms" and more. 

* You also have an option of using “Title Suffix” to include the name of your store to all the page titles, products and categories. It is advisable to keep the Prefix empty for the above stated reasons. 

* Following which you should keep “Default Description” and “Default Keywords” empty. For all applications ensure that “INDEX, FOLLOW” is set up and for other non-production environment set “Default Robots” to “NOINDEX, NOFOLLOW” to avoid indexing of the site. 

* This is the right time to add new canonical tag for optimizing your web-store pages. For developing your Magento SEO, you can fix the Canonical URL’s for Magento Module to adjoin them to your head. 

* It is also desirable to take away the empty Meta’s from your code by installing Yoast MetaRobots Module. At times Magento converts non-set Meta robots into a Meta tag in the following style: . This might end up in certain strange behavior in the search engines. 

CMS Pages: CMS (Content Management System) is an exceptional management tool for your business and it lets you to make content alterations. CMS pages are fixed pages such as About Us page, Home Page and Customer Service pages that give information about your web store and these pages are generally managed through the backend panel. These pages are complete pages that are accessible through their own URL address. 

Category optimization: Magento grants you the power to add the name of categories to path for product URL’s. As Magento do not support this functionality well, it forms duplicate content issues and it is a good thought to disable this function. For implementing this, go to System => Configuration => Catalog => Search Engine Optimization and set up "Use categories path for product URL's to "no". 

This is the right time to set the particulars for each category. Go to Catalog => Manage Categories. The most imperative fields are: 

Meta Description: Place an eye-catching description here. Remember that your visitors will see the explanation in the result listings of the search engines. 

Page Title: It is good to keep this empty for using the category name including parents’ categories. At the time of customizing it, the title will look exactly like your input, without the presence of the parent category.. 

URL Key: Strive to keep a small but keyword rich URL. It is good to eliminate stop words like "the", "and", "for" etc. Make a note that you can put this only for all store views and for a multi-language store, you are required to keep it language independent. 

For each and every store view you can denote the Name, Page Title, Description, and Meta data. This is a special feature for multi-language stores. 

Products optimization: Products pages optimization is similar to Categories. You can put the Meta Information for each "Store View" and the "Default Values". Also notice that the "Meta Title", will overwrite the whole page title including categories except title prefix/suffix, and not only the name of the product. Generally, the images will be renamed to the product title, alt tags and titles by default. You can change the alt tags and titles for each and every product image. This can be done for every specific store view also. 

Magento Template Optimization: 

Optimized Blank Template: The default Magento coats like "Modern Theme”,"Default Theme", and "Blue Skin" do not perform well in the use of headings. From the view of SEO there is a lot of scope for development. A Blank Magento SEO Theme, depending on the core Magento Blank Theme is developed for your ease. 

Headings: The default logo is an h1, and this should only appear on the front page, apart from this page, all other pages should be no more than an h3. The significant factor is to obtain the title of the content in an h1 tag. For example a category page should have the category name and for a product page it should have the product name. Next to this you should clean up the excess usage of headings. 

It is recommended to eliminate the usage of header in the side columns. You can also make the text pertinent to the store (ie. include keywords). There is no basis for adding "static" and keyword less titles with an h4. For example it is good to alter all the h4 tags in div class="head" to strong tags. This is the best time for content optimization. Place the category name in an h1 and the product names in an h3 at the category pages and set the product name in an h1 on the On product pages. 

Clean up your code: In general the CSS and JavaScript pages doesn’t contribute anything beneficial to Magento SEO for which the JavaScript and CSS pages located in your template files are to be shifted to external CSS files and JavaScript. This aids in keeping your templates clean and it ensures that your users can acquire those files on the first load and ease the search engines from downloading the same every time. 

Aim for speed: Speed is the most noteworthy factor that directly contributes to visitor’s traffic. The two notable things that can be done to enhance your Magento install’s speed are: 

Facilitate caching. Go to System=> Cache Management and enable the caching features. 

You can significantly increase Magento’s speed by using PHPopcode cache and MySQL. 

These Magento Search Engine Optimization tips will help in optimizing your Magento website.

Feeling Stressed? Try The One Joke Per Day Therapy

There are so many elements today in our lives that make things more and more hectic by the day, and there hardly seems to be any respite from the constantly mounting pressures and tough competition to stay ahead of everybody, plan for the future, etc. However, this has also led to rising stress-related issues, blood pressure, etc. While one cannot simply sit at home to avoid all this, a bit of humour has always helped in bringing cheer to ones day. 

Yes, it is true. Just one good joke in a day can actually relieve a high amount of stress, and make your hormones come to their normal levels despite all the anxiety and pressures of the professional life. Think of it this way, has not there been a day when you were told a joke by a friend or relative on the phone or via SMS, and you kept on thinking about the same throughout the day, and had a great, stress-free working experience. You might also have spread the cheer by telling the joke to your colleagues, thereby also brightening their day and bringing some laughter in their lives. Is not this proof enough of what a great joke can do to your entire day? 

Presently, there are many sources from where one can get funny jokes, with the best one being the internet. Clearly, there are quite a few of those who like to share their humorous side online, which is visible from the great compilation of jokes that are available online. There are many kinds of redhead jokes, lawyer jokes, doctor jokes, and so on, giving you ample variety in terms of choosing the kind of laugh you want to have according to your taste. 

But one thing that must be kept in mind is that these jokes are completely in the spirit of humour, and should be taken sportingly, and not personally. Remember, it takes only 7 muscles to smile, and 32 to frown, and the former always gets a better reaction from the other person.

Does Menopause Increase Risk of Diabetes?

It is an idea that has been hinted at for some time, and its answer is important for all middle-aged women. Does menopause influence one's risk for type 2 diabetes? With the latest health news, it's time to don a smile, because researchers found the answer to be "no." 

Postmenopausal women had no higher risk for diabetes whether they experienced natural menopause or had their ovaries removed,according to the national clinical trial of 1,237 women at high risk for diabetes, ages 40 to 65. 

In other words, menopause had no additional effect on risk for diabetes. Menopause remains one of many small steps in aging and it doesn't mean women's health will be worse after going through this transition. The results are published in the August issue of "Menopause." 

The findings also shed light on the impact of diet and exercise and hormone replacement therapy on the health of postmenopausal women. Previous studies had shown that menopause could speed the progression to diabetes because of the higher levels of testosterone. All the women in the study had "glucose intolerance," meaning their bodies struggled to process blood sugar into energy. 

The researchers have shown that lifestyle interventions can help prevent diabetes in those with glucose intolerance.These interventions work well in women who have gone through menopause. 

According to the new study, for every year 100 women observed, 11.8 premenopausal women developed diabetes, compared to 10.5 among women in natural menopause and 12.9 cases among women who had their ovaries removed. 

But for those who had their ovaries removed and engaged in lifestyle changes, the rate of diabetes plummeted to 1.1. Those changes included losing seven percent of their body weight (that would be 12.6 pounds for a 180-pound woman) and exercising for at least 150 minutes a week. 

They found these results surprising, as the women had gone on hormone  replacement therapy, which many fear escalates the risk for many health issues. The message to take away from this is that lifestyle changes to shed pounds could reduce your risk of developing diabetes.

What are Aura Readings?

Aura Readings are meant to look at a person’s spiritual energy system, as demonstrated through the seven layers of one’s aura. Along with colors, the reader doing aura readings sees memory pictures, symbolic images, spiritual beings and energy belonging to others such as family and friends. The readings help identify and release blocks. They also help get in touch with one’ own energy, to help the individual know the truth and make the best possible choices. 

The reader who does aura readings looks for what is the person’s energy, and what is not is energy! In every layer of one’ aura, the reader identifies different colors that represent energies from close quarters. The readings help release all those energies which are completely unwarranted and uncalled for. 

Clairvoyant Readings are meant to help find a fresh perspective to things and give a new direction to life. The readings help reset goals and redevelop psychic strategies. They help infuse a new zeal into life, giving it a new approach altogether. They help rebuild confidence which may have devastated through setbacks in life. 

Clairvoyant Readings are categorically meant to bring about radical changes into one’s life. They may not be of any help in building massive wealth, but are definitely the final resort to amass spiritual wealth which ultimately is the real source of pleasure. 

Aura readings help the reader sense who you really are. The reader gets to find out where you come from, and what path you wish to choose to grow as a spirit. They help look into pat experiences that have affected you. They help get insights into steps you may wish to take in the future. 

At times the readings help make sense of what is happening around you, at times they may seem to be thoroughly meaningless and a waste of time. Some of the best aura related look-ins include healing, empowering and supporting in seeking answers. 

Clairvoyant Studies help seek spirituality. They help understand reasons behind pain, suffering, frustration etc. and the ill-effects they have on one’s metabolism, cardiovascular and pulmonary health. 

The studies help know that both setbacks and successes are a part of the game everyone play in life, and by no means should be taken seriously. Rather, they should be observed with a sense of supreme detachment. 

There is one common thing that goes with both forms of readings, however different they actually might be in nature. They teach that wealth is not the real source of happiness. When the earnings increase, the greed too increases along with it. Negative feelings grow within the system, and one always remains dissatisfied with what one has in the present. 

Another virtue that both propagate is that the present is meant to be enjoyed to the fullest. It is no use fretting about the past for it cannot be undone or overturned and no use pondering too much about the future for it remains unseen. The day being thought about may never dawn on you. The ultimate service however, remains the one done for your fellow men.

A History of Chafing Dishes

Chafing dishes have been around for millennia and are a sort of indoor barbecue set in the form of charcoal-burning braziers and, possibly, the forerunner to the fondue set. Beautifully crafted bronze chafing dishes were found in the ruins of Pompeii, showing they were in during the first century AD. They were highly prized by the Romans at their lavish banquets and later mentioned in historical letters dating to 1520, when the Spanish conquistador, Hernan Cortes, described to Charles V their profuse usage for keeping plates and dishes warm during sumptuous banquets for hundreds of gormandizing noblemen at the height of the Aztec empire. The sixteenth century baroque painter, Diego Velazquez, portrayed a woman preparing a meal of eggs in a chafing dish and Louis XV's kitchens used them to keep the dainty dishes for the epicurean courtiers piping hot. By the seventeenth century this form of cookware was being documented in household inventories in America. 

Velasquez's chafing dish appears to be earthenware, but silver chafing dishes used as plate-warmers were mentioned during the reign of Queen Anne, at the end of the seventeenth century. It was George II, around the middle of the eighteenth century, who had the foresight to put handles on the chafing dishes, which must have made life so much easier for the cooks and scullery maids of the time! The Victoria and Albert Museum in London, exhibits a gleaming copper chafing dish with brass fittings dating to circa 1895. Copper is an ideal metal because it is hard-wearing and conducts heat evenly while the brass handles remain cool enough to lift and move around. 

In the 1950s the hostess trolley was designed. This was essentially a large chafing dish (or series of dishes) on wheels in a wooden surround to imitate a piece of furniture. It was thought to liberate women from the kitchen, enabling her to prepare food in advance and keep it warm, while she entertained the guests along with her husband. These fell out of fashion relatively quickly as the penchant for formal dining declined along with tastes for food left standing on a hot plate for several hours! With the demise in popularity of the hostess trolley came the revival of the chafing dish, more versatile, space-saving, portable and attractive than the great wooden tiered hearse for plates. 

Nowadays a silver chafing dish (or at least, silver plated) is a popular accessory to any dinner table and can cost as little as $15.00 and whether your taste runs to Princess House Fantasia collectibles or traditional silver salver serving trays, there will be a chafing dish out there to match your decor and tastes and make entertaining friends for dinner just that little bit easier for you.

Save the Butterflies

Are you sick of rainy days? This so-called July weather? Is it dampening your spirits and killing the social calendar? Is it threatening your species? If the answer to the last question is yes, then you are one of the butterflies that feature in this article, if not then you're like me - just another malcontent, fed up with British weather. 

Butterflies are one of the few purely decorative insects you can attract and their variety of colours is astonishing, thus making them a welcome addition to any garden, but, due to last year’s wet summer, and the continuing trend this year, Britain has seen a severe decline in several species of butterfly. As most of us know, water and wings don't mix, particularly where insects are concerned. A heavy rainstorm is comparable to a blitzkrieg from a butterfly’s perspective and all this rotten weather has meant they've been less actively pollinating and breeding. 

As such, last week’s article on pond cultivation comes closer to the fore, due to it's role as an insect habitat. The obvious plus is the water source it provides, however, butterflies require peace to flourish, so I'd also suggest a wild patch in your garden that will remain undisturbed by usual garden maintenance and thus provide them with a breeding ground. To this end, you might consider a small nettle patch as this will discourage human contact whilst providing a suitable habitat. 

The primary means of enticing butterflies into the garden depends on your planting, because nectar is primarily what will invite them. To ensure the most hospitable environment, you'll want a variety of plants that will provide nectar year round, so it is advised you have a balance of spring bloomers such as Daisies, Dandelions, Pansies and Primroses and to compensate their loss in late summer and autumn, a healthy dose of Marigolds, Knapweed and Lavender. Other examples to really boost your butterfly potential are full sun perennials such as Helenium, which will provide bold colour and a large bulbous landing pad to your guests, Lathyrus which offers a daintier foliage and the bonus for us of scent, and the towers of Verbascum, which will dominate the sky line of a butterfly garden - the air traffic control on your own living airfield. 

Shrubs that butterflies love include Buddleia, Hebes and Lilac and certain herbs also attract the insect, due to their scent. These include oregano, thyme and mint. 

It is important to remember that your butterfly population will be relative to your gardening variety i.e. the greater the number and mix and plants, the greater the potential for their propagation. 

Due to their erratic behaviour, butterfly spotting is no simple task, however, look out in your own gardens for species like the Common Blue with their lilac veined wings and white trim, the flambouyant Peacock with big blue ‘eyes’ on its wings, or the small Tortoiseshell, tiger striped with segmented blue edging, to know just how much your helping their species. Other, threatened, types to watch out for are the toffee coloured Small Skipper, the Ginger Lulworth Skipper, Chalk Hill Blue and the Wall Brown species.

Make Your Website More Panda Friendly

The recent Google Panda update has raised the bar not only for SEO experts but also for web designers. It’s getting tougher and tougher to rank well and that means that you really have to pay attention to all designing and Google ranking factors. When we do this, search engines rewards us because we are rewarding our audience and providing them with the information and experience they are looking for. The following points will help you to make your website panda proof:- 

1.Content is key:The Panda algorithm update emphasizes providing assurance only on websites that contain unique and useful content. This will help users better find content relevant to their search. If you provide web page content that is unique, relevant, high quality and preferably 1000+ words, your site will likely be rewarded with improved rankings and therefore, increased traffic. 

2.Above the fold design: Narrowing your header images, removing header banner images and pushing more content onto the top of your site will help with Panda. 

3.Web Page indexing: A website with more than 100 web pages and maximum pages indexed by Google would be considered as a Panda friendly website. 

4.Page rank: Page rank is still one of the most important factors. PageRank is an independent measure of Google’s perception of the quality/authority/credibility of an individual web page. It does not depend on any particular search phrase. Google conveniently reports this as a number from 0-10 (10 being the best). 

5.Check your Domain registration: Domain registration for five years helps to enhance authority points. This is a small tip, but every little bit helps. 

6.Webmaster tools: It enables webmasters to get a better idea of what Google “thinks” about their web sites, how the Google “spider” sees them, and what improvements could be made. 

7.Social media proof: Google Panda takes social media trends seriously and content that is loved by social media sites like Twitter and Facebook gets better position in search engines. 

8.Optimize for Fast Load Times: Avoid flash, single background images in the website. Google tends to favor sites that are snappy, quick, and fast.