📝 seo

2025-11-15 15:00:05 +10:00
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@@ -18,6 +18,12 @@ A Flask-based webcomic website with server-side rendering using Jinja2 templates
  - [Testing Accessibility](#testing-accessibility)
  - [Accessibility Best Practices for Comic Creators](#accessibility-best-practices-for-comic-creators)
  - [Accessibility Score](#accessibility-score)
+- [Search Engine Optimization (SEO)](#search-engine-optimization-seo)
+  - [SEO Features](#seo-features)
+  - [Using SEO Features](#using-seo-features)
+  - [SEO Best Practices for Webcomics](#seo-best-practices-for-webcomics)
+  - [SEO Checklist for Launch](#seo-checklist-for-launch)
+  - [Common SEO Questions](#common-seo-questions)
 - [Project Structure](#project-structure)
 - [Setup](#setup)
 - [Environment Variables](#environment-variables)
@@ -159,6 +165,7 @@ Don't have a server? No problem! Here are beginner-friendly options to get your
 - Open Graph and Twitter Card metadata for social sharing
 - Server-side rendering with Jinja2
 - **Comprehensive accessibility features** (WCAG compliant)
+- **Search engine optimized** (sitemap, robots.txt, meta tags, canonical URLs)

 ## Accessibility

@@ -253,6 +260,203 @@ Sunday Comics follows WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines and scores **9.5/10** in acce
 - ARIA attributes ✅
 - Semantic HTML ✅

+## Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
+
+Sunday Comics is built with SEO best practices to help readers discover your webcomic through search engines and social media.
+
+### SEO Features
+
+#### ✅ Sitemap & Crawling
+- **XML Sitemap** - Automatically generated sitemap that includes all comics, archive, and about pages
+- **Robots.txt** - Dynamically generated with correct URLs for your domain
+- **Canonical URLs** - Every page has a canonical URL to prevent duplicate content issues
+- **Semantic HTML** - Proper use of heading hierarchy (h1, h2, h3) for better indexing
+- **Language declaration** - `lang="en"` attribute helps search engines understand your content
+
+#### ✅ Meta Tags & Descriptions
+- **Meta descriptions** - Customizable descriptions for each page
+- **Page titles** - SEO-friendly title format: "Comic Title - Your Comic Name"
+- **RSS feed link** - Included in HTML head for feed discovery
+- **Viewport meta tag** - Mobile-friendly configuration
+
+#### ✅ Social Media Sharing
+- **Open Graph tags** - Optimized previews when sharing on Facebook, LinkedIn, Discord, etc.
+- **Twitter Cards** - Rich media cards with images when sharing on Twitter/X
+- **Custom preview images** - Set comic-specific images for social sharing
+- **Shareable URLs** - Clean, readable URLs like `/comic/1` instead of query parameters
+
+#### ✅ Content Optimization
+- **Alt text requirement** - All comics must have descriptive alt text (helps SEO and accessibility)
+- **Structured data** - Semantic HTML provides context to search engines
+- **Mobile-responsive** - Mobile-friendly design is a ranking factor for Google
+- **Fast loading** - Server-side rendering provides quick initial page loads
+
+### Using SEO Features
+
+#### Generate Your Sitemap
+
+After adding or updating comics, regenerate your sitemap:
+
+```bash
+python scripts/generate_sitemap.py
+```
+
+This creates `static/sitemap.xml` with:
+- Homepage (priority: 1.0, updated weekly)
+- Archive page (priority: 0.9, updated weekly)
+- About page (priority: 0.7, updated monthly)
+- Individual comic pages (priority: 0.8, never updated)
+
+**Submit your sitemap to search engines:**
+- Google Search Console: `https://search.google.com/search-console`
+- Bing Webmaster Tools: `https://www.bing.com/webmasters`
+
+Your sitemap URL will be: `https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml`
+
+#### Configure robots.txt
+
+The robots.txt file is automatically generated at `/robots.txt` with your correct domain from `SITE_URL` in `comics_data.py`. It includes:
+- Sitemap location
+- Allows all search engine crawlers
+- No disallowed paths (everything is indexable)
+
+**Update your domain:**
+```python
+# In comics_data.py
+SITE_URL = 'https://yourcomic.com'  # Update this for production!
+```
+
+#### Customize Meta Descriptions
+
+By default, pages use a generic description. To customize, edit the templates:
+
+**templates/base.html** - Default description (line 9):
+```html
+<meta name="description" content="Your custom description here">
+```
+
+**templates/comic.html** - Comic-specific descriptions:
+```html
+{% block meta_description %}{{ comic.alt_text }}{% endblock %}
+```
+
+**templates/index.html** - Homepage description:
+```html
+{% block meta_description %}Read the latest comic from Your Comic Name{% endblock %}
+```
+
+#### Optimize Social Sharing
+
+**Set a default preview image:**
+
+1. Create a 1200x630px image (recommended size for Open Graph)
+2. Save it in `static/images/` (e.g., `default-preview.png`)
+3. Update `base.html` line 17:
+   ```html
+   <meta property="og:image" content="{{ site_url }}/static/images/your-preview.png">
+   ```
+
+**Comic-specific sharing images:**
+
+The `comic.html` template automatically uses each comic's image for social sharing. When someone shares a comic link, the actual comic image appears in the preview.
+
+#### Generate RSS Feed
+
+RSS feeds help readers subscribe and improve discoverability:
+
+```bash
+python scripts/generate_rss.py
+```
+
+This creates `static/feed.rss` which is automatically linked in the HTML head. Readers can subscribe via:
+- `https://yourdomain.com/static/feed.rss`
+
+RSS feeds also signal to search engines that your site has regularly updated content.
+
+### SEO Best Practices for Webcomics
+
+#### 1. Write Descriptive Alt Text
+Alt text serves dual purpose - accessibility AND SEO:
+- Include character names and actions
+- Describe the scene setting
+- Mention any important dialogue or text
+- Keep it concise but informative (1-3 sentences)
+
+**Good examples:**
+- ✅ "Sarah discovers her cat plotting world domination while reading a mysterious ancient book"
+- ✅ "The hero confronts the villain in a dramatic rooftop battle at sunset"
+- ❌ "Comic" (too vague)
+- ❌ "Comic about a cat" (not descriptive enough)
+
+#### 2. Use Meaningful Comic Titles
+If you set a title for each comic (optional), make it:
+- Descriptive of the comic's content or theme
+- Unique (don't reuse titles)
+- Natural language (avoid "Comic #1" style)
+- Under 60 characters for best search result display
+
+#### 3. Update Regularly
+- Consistent publishing schedule signals quality to search engines
+- Run `generate_sitemap.py` after each new comic
+- Update your about page periodically
+
+#### 4. Build Backlinks
+- List your comic in webcomic directories
+- Use the shareable banner feature to encourage fan sites to link back
+- Engage with other webcomic communities
+- Share on social media regularly
+
+#### 5. Monitor Your SEO
+Free tools to track your webcomic's search performance:
+- **Google Search Console** - See how people find your site, track indexing issues
+- **Bing Webmaster Tools** - Similar to Google, for Bing search
+- **Google Analytics** - Track visitor behavior (requires separate setup)
+
+#### 6. Domain and URL Structure
+- Use a memorable domain name
+- Keep URLs clean: `yourcomic.com/comic/1` ✅ vs `yourcomic.com/?p=1` ❌
+- Sunday Comics uses SEO-friendly URLs by default
+
+#### 7. Page Speed
+- Optimize comic images (use compression, appropriate file formats)
+- Consider creating thumbnails for the archive page
+- Use a CDN for static assets if you have high traffic
+- Sunday Comics uses server-side rendering for fast initial loads
+
+### SEO Checklist for Launch
+
+Before going live with your webcomic:
+
+- [ ] Update `SITE_URL` in `comics_data.py` to your production domain
+- [ ] Generate sitemap: `python scripts/generate_sitemap.py`
+- [ ] Generate RSS feed: `python scripts/generate_rss.py`
+- [ ] Customize meta description in `templates/base.html`
+- [ ] Create a 1200x630px social preview image
+- [ ] Write descriptive alt text for all comics
+- [ ] Set up Google Search Console account
+- [ ] Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console
+- [ ] Submit your sitemap to Bing Webmaster Tools
+- [ ] Test social sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Discord
+- [ ] Update your about page with relevant keywords
+- [ ] Set up RSS feed in Feedly or similar to verify it works
+
+### Common SEO Questions
+
+**Q: How long until my comic appears in Google?**
+A: Typically 1-4 weeks after submitting your sitemap. You can request indexing in Google Search Console to speed this up.
+
+**Q: Should I include keywords in my comic alt text?**
+A: Only naturally. Focus on accurate descriptions first. Keyword stuffing hurts SEO and accessibility.
+
+**Q: Do I need to regenerate the sitemap for every comic?**
+A: Yes, run `python scripts/generate_sitemap.py` after adding new comics so search engines know about them.
+
+**Q: What about social media hashtags?**
+A: Hashtags don't directly affect search engine SEO, but they help social media discoverability. Use relevant community hashtags like #webcomics #comics #indiecomics.
+
+**Q: Should I create a blog for my comic?**
+A: Optional, but regular blog content about your comic's development can improve SEO through fresh content and more keywords.
+
 ## Project Structure

 ```