Though in many ways search engines are really smart, they dislike the normal Joomla URL because it does not describe any details regarding the web page or its contents. In a way it is Search Optimization Stunted (SOS). SEF URL changing components help by taking the normal Joomla URL and changing it so that it has some meaning to the search engines as well as the internet users. JoomSEF and OpenSEF are two of the best of all the SEF URLs available. The only problem with JomSEF is the hidden advert that lays in the code. However this can be overcome with the ?Joomsef patch? that is available on the internet. The OpenSEF was great when it was introduced, but with no updates since then, the project has lagged behind. Though Joomla URL's can still be converted using OpenSEF, the problem was it duplicated too many URL's.



After downloading any one of these components, you can now install it using the interface of the Joomla Administration and following the user-friendly instructions. When that is done, just turn it on and check it out!

Now for the next step, which is installation of a sitemap component. The best available one is Joomap, but even that does not give a decent XML file for the purpose of Google, so it is advisable to do a search for ?joomap patch?, which would help you to edit the Joomap component. This component is also installed through the interface of Joomla Administration. The installation is direct and there is no other configuration necessary. Now you can go ahead and select the menus to be included in the sitemap. Besides the two existing main and top menus, a new menu needs to be created and linked to a selected component, which is Joomap. That's all you need to do as the rest follows automatically.

Joomap offers you the added advantage of letting you plug in to Google Sitemaps. The Google Sitemap URL is provided on the admin interface. All that is needed to be done for generating a Google sitemap that is dynamic is to copy and paste the URL into the interface of Google webmaster so that Google obtains a dynamic version whenever it requires to download your entire website sitemap. This is certainly a far better alternative rather than just hoping and wishing that Google would somehow find all your required pages. This sitemap helps by telling Google which are your pages as well as where they can be found so that they be more effectively scanned.

These are essentially the very first steps to be taken in Search Engine Optimization for the purpose of Joomla Content Management System. Every Web Developer and Web Designer should take these steps when they want to start the process of Search Optimize Joomla.