Initial commit — SEO Guidelines & SmartCrawl reference

SmartCrawl plugin reference (11 docs): - Overview, configuration, titles & meta, schema, sitemaps, social/OG, redirects, breadcrumbs, content analysis, hooks/filters, known issues SEO strategy playbook (6 docs): - Keyword research, per-page-type selection, on-page optimization, local SEO, technical SEO, content strategy Reusable templates (3): - Site audit checklist, keyword research worksheet, page optimization checklist Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-04-17 13:32:17 -05:00
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+# Titles & Meta Descriptions
+
+SmartCrawl's Titles & Meta module controls how every page on your site appears in search results and browser tabs. It uses a macro/variable system for global templates with per-post overrides.
+
+## Template Macros
+
+SmartCrawl uses `%%variable%%` syntax. The full list is accessible via the **"Browse Macros"** button in the Titles & Meta admin screen.
+
+### Core Macros
+
+| Macro | Output |
+|-------|--------|
+| `%%title%%` | Post/page title |
+| `%%sitename%%` | Site name (from Settings > General) |
+| `%%sep%%` | Separator character (configurable) |
+| `%%excerpt%%` | Post excerpt (auto-generated if not set) |
+| `%%excerpt_only%%` | Excerpt only — no auto-generation fallback |
+| `%%category%%` | Post primary category |
+| `%%tag%%` | Post tags |
+| `%%term_title%%` | Term/taxonomy title |
+| `%%term_description%%` | Term description |
+
+### Date & Time Macros
+
+| Macro | Output |
+|-------|--------|
+| `%%date%%` | Post published date |
+| `%%modified%%` | Post last modified date |
+| `%%currenttime%%` | Current time |
+| `%%currentdate%%` | Current date |
+| `%%currentday%%` | Current day |
+| `%%currentmonth%%` | Current month |
+| `%%currentyear%%` | Current year |
+
+### Pagination Macros
+
+| Macro | Output |
+|-------|--------|
+| `%%page%%` | Page number |
+| `%%pagenumber%%` | Current page number |
+| `%%pagetotal%%` | Total pages |
+| `%%spell_pagenumber%%` | Page number in words ("Page Two of Five") |
+| `%%spell_pagetotal%%` | Total pages in words |
+
+### Author & Post Macros
+
+| Macro | Output |
+|-------|--------|
+| `%%name%%` | Author display name |
+| `%%userid%%` | Author user ID |
+| `%%id%%` | Post ID |
+| `%%pt_single%%` | Post type singular name |
+| `%%pt_plural%%` | Post type plural name |
+
+### Special Macros
+
+| Macro | Output |
+|-------|--------|
+| `%%searchphrase%%` | Search query (for search results page) |
+| Custom field macros | Supported with uppercase (v3.11.0+) |
+
+> Additional "dynamic macros" exist for edge cases that do not appear in the Browse Macros list. These are documented in the WPMU DEV support forums.
+
+## Global vs Per-Post Settings
+
+| Level | Scope | How It Works |
+|-------|-------|-------------|
+| **Global template** | Per post type, per taxonomy, archives, special pages | Set once, applies everywhere via macros |
+| **Per-post override** | Individual post/page | Entered in the SmartCrawl meta box in the editor — overrides the global template |
+
+### When to Use Each
+
+- **Global template:** Set it and forget it. Works well for blogs, archives, and consistent content types.
+- **Per-post override:** Use for every important page. Homepage, service pages, key landing pages, and high-value blog posts should all have hand-crafted titles and descriptions.
+
+## Recommended Title Templates
+
+### Homepage
+```
+%%sitename%% %%sep%% [Your primary value proposition]
+```
+Example output: `Alaska Safe Riders | Motorcycle Safety Courses in Anchorage, AK`
+
+### Posts (Blog)
+```
+%%title%% %%sep%% %%sitename%%
+```
+Example output: `What to Wear to a Motorcycle Safety Course | Alaska Safe Riders`
+
+### Pages
+```
+%%title%% %%sep%% %%sitename%%
+```
+Override per-page for service pages with keyword-optimized titles.
+
+### Categories
+```
+%%term_title%% %%sep%% %%sitename%%
+```
+
+### Author Archives
+```
+Posts by %%name%% %%sep%% %%sitename%%
+```
+(Consider noindexing author archives on single-author sites)
+
+### Search Results
+```
+Search Results for "%%searchphrase%%" %%sep%% %%sitename%%
+```
+(Always noindex search results pages)
+
+### 404 Page
+```
+Page Not Found %%sep%% %%sitename%%
+```
+
+## Title Tag Best Practices
+
+- **Length:** 50-60 characters (Google truncates at ~580px pixel width)
+- **Primary keyword placement:** As close to the beginning as possible
+- **Every page must have a unique title** — duplicates confuse Google
+- **Include brand name** at the end (builds brand recognition in SERPs)
+- **Do not keyword-stuff** — one primary keyword is enough
+- **Use power words for CTR:** "Best", "Guide", "Free", numbers, parentheses
+
+### Good vs Bad Examples
+
+| Bad | Good |
+|-----|------|
+| `Home - My Website` | `Motorcycle Safety Courses Anchorage, AK \| Alaska Safe Riders` |
+| `Services` | `Event Management & Roster Tracking \| ASR Events Manager` |
+| `Blog Post Title Here \| Category \| Website Name` | `What to Expect at a Basic Rider Course \| Alaska Safe Riders` |
+
+## Meta Description Best Practices
+
+- **Length:** 150-160 characters (Google truncates unpredictably above this)
+- **Include primary keyword** naturally (Google bolds matching terms)
+- **Include a call to action:** "Register today", "Learn more", "Contact us"
+- **Include differentiators:** Pricing, location, certifications, experience
+- **Hand-craft descriptions** for important pages — auto-generated ones rarely perform well
+- **Google rewrites ~60% of meta descriptions** but good ones are kept and improve CTR
+
+### Quality Indicators in SmartCrawl
+
+SmartCrawl's SEO status column on post/page lists uses color-coded indicators:
+
+| Color | Meaning |
+|-------|---------|
+| Green | Description is 120-160 characters, hand-crafted |
+| Yellow | Description exists but is outside optimal range or auto-generated |
+| Red | No description set |
+
+## Separator Character
+
+Set in Titles & Meta > General. Common choices:
+
+| Separator | Look |
+|-----------|------|
+| `\|` (pipe) | `Page Title \| Site Name` |
+| `—` (em dash) | `Page Title — Site Name` |
+| `-` (hyphen) | `Page Title - Site Name` |
+| `»` | `Page Title » Site Name` |
+
+**Recommendation:** Use `|` or `—` for a clean, modern appearance.
+
+## Noindex Recommendations
+
+Set these in the Titles & Meta module per post type/taxonomy:
+
+| Content Type | Recommendation | Reason |
+|--------------|---------------|--------|
+| Tag archives | Noindex | Usually thin content, duplicate of category archives |
+| Author archives | Noindex (single-author sites) | Duplicate of main blog page |
+| Date archives | Noindex | Thin content, duplicate |
+| Search results | Noindex | Dynamic, no SEO value |
+| Paginated archives | Noindex | Thin duplicate content |
+| Media attachment pages | Noindex | Single image on a page, no value |
+| Thank you pages | Noindex | No search value |
+
+## Post Type Configuration
+
+Check **Settings > Advanced > Post Types** to ensure all relevant content types are enabled:
+
+- Posts and Pages (default)
+- WooCommerce Products (if applicable)
+- Portfolio items
+- Any custom post types
+
+**If a post type is not enabled, its pages will not appear in sitemaps and will not get SmartCrawl meta box in the editor.**