Basic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for Joomla

Here is how to do it:

1) This tutorial is for Apache enabled servers only.

2) Open which ever file manager you use to manage your virtual host files. This can be though a FTP Client such as FileZilla or though your hosts file manager.

3) With your file manger make sure to set it to display hidden files which are the files beginning with a dot ".". Because once you change the file name it may become hidden and you many want/need to edit it.

4) Go to the Joomla Root directory. This may vary quite a bit but here are a few options it may be.

.../your-site.com/
.../your-site.com/joomla/
.../public_html/
.../public_html/joomla/
.../public_html/your-site.com/
.../public_html/your-site.com/joomla/
/srv/www/htdocs/
/srv/www/htdocs/joomla/

5) Rename the file htaccess.txt to .htaccess

6) Make sure it has 644 permission.

7) Open .htaccess for editing and verify RewriteEngine On is not commented out.

#
#  mod_rewrite in use

RewriteEngine On

8) Now log into the backend of your Joomla website so we implement the final settings.

9) Select Site->Global Configuration.

10) Go to the Site submenu.

11) Under the SEO Settings select all three items to Yes.

12) Finally save your settings.

13) Your Done. Test out your site and look at the new Beutiful URL's it displays. Note that your old URL's still work, so this will not break any internal links you have within your site. In fact the old links are not really old they are still the proper way of requesting an article from Joomla to be displayed.