Are you considering using Ghost as the platform for your blog or website? One of the key considerations when choosing a content management system (CMS) is whether it is SEO-friendly.
In this blog, we’ll explore what is Ghost SEO, and provide some tips and best practices for maximizing your efforts on the platform. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced blogger, we’ll help you determine if Ghost is the right choice for your blog’s SEO needs.
Table of Contents
Introduction to Ghost CMS
Ghost is an open-source content management system (CMS) designed for publishing and blogging. It was created in 2013 as a lightweight alternative to traditional CMS platforms like WordPress. Ghost is known for its simplicity, speed, and customizable design options, making it a popular choice for bloggers and online publishers.
Ghost is a powerful platform that can help you build a successful business around your content. As a new-media creator, you can use Ghost to create a professional website, publish and share your content, send newsletters to your audience, and even offer paid subscriptions to members.
Ghost comes with all the modern tools you need to grow your business and reach your goals. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re an experienced content creator, Ghost is a great choice for anyone looking to take their content to the next level.
Highlights of Ghost CMS
- Ghost is an open-source CMS that was launched in 2013.
- As of 2021, Ghost had over 400,000 downloads and over 100,000 active installations.
- Ghost is used by a range of companies and organizations, including The New York Times, Unsplash, and NASA.
- Ghost is known for its simplicity, speed, and customizable design options, making it a popular choice for bloggers and online publishers.
- Ghost is available as a self-hosted solution or as a managed service through Ghost’s hosting platform, Ghost(Pro).
- Ghost is powered by a modern technology stack and has a clean and simple code base, which can help improve page loading times and overall performance.
One of the key features of Ghost is its clean and simple code base, which can help improve page loading times and overall performance. It also includes a range of built-in SEO features, such as customizable meta tags and sitemap generation, which can help improve a website’s visibility in search results.
In addition to its blogging and publishing capabilities, Ghost also offers a range of design and customization options, allowing users to create a unique and professional-looking website. It is available as a self-hosted solution or as a managed service through Ghost’s hosting platform, Ghost(Pro).
What is Ghost SEO?
Ghost SEO refers to the search engine optimization (SEO) efforts made on a website or blog powered by the Ghost content management system (CMS). SEO is the process of improving a website’s visibility and ranking in search engine results, with the goal of driving more organic (non-paid) traffic to the site.
Optimizing a Ghost site for SEO involves a range of tactics, including:
On-page optimization: This involves optimizing the content and structure of a website to improve its relevance and quality for search engines. This can include using relevant and targeted keywords, optimizing images and videos, and improving the user experience.
Off-page optimization: This involves building high-quality backlinks to a website from other reputable websites. This can help improve the site’s authority and visibility in search results.
Technical SEO: This involves optimizing the technical aspects of a website, such as its code, structure, and performance, to improve its visibility and ranking in search results.
As a Ghost user, you don’t have to worry about setting up all the technical pieces required for SEO. Ghost takes care of it all for you out of the box, without the need for additional plugins or downloads.
For example, your Ghost site will automatically have an updated XML sitemap that Googlebot can use to crawl your website.
Just type yoursite.com/sitemap.xml into your browser to see it.
You can also add custom meta data to your posts to encourage searchers to click on your website from the search results page, even if Google doesn’t always choose to use it.
Ghost also automatically adds a rel=canonical tag to every original piece of content you publish, telling Google that your URL is the original source.
And with Ghost’s modern technology stack and clean semantic markup, your site is likely to perform very well in terms of site speed. In fact, independent tests have found Ghost to be up to 1,900% faster than WordPress.
Finally, Ghost automatically implements structured data on your publication to help Google understand the content on your page. Just make sure to use a well-designed theme and keep the number of external scripts and large files to a minimum to benefit from great site speeds.
Audit and optimize your Ghost site for search engines
Use an online SEO tool: There are also a number of online SEO tools that can help you audit your Ghost site for SEO. Some options include Google’s PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, and WebPageTest. These tools can help you identify issues with site performance, such as slow loading times, and provide recommendations for improvement.
Consult with an SEO expert: If you’re serious about improving your Ghost site’s SEO, you may want to consider working with an SEO expert. An SEO expert can provide a comprehensive audit of your site and offer personalized recommendations for improvement.
Ultimately, the best way to optimize your Ghost site for SEO is to follow best practices for on-page optimization, build high-quality backlinks, and track and analyze your efforts using tools like Google Analytics.
WordPress vs Ghost vs Wix
| Feature | WordPress | Ghost | Wix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open source | Yes | Yes | No |
| Built-in SEO features | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Customization options | High | High | High |
| Ease of use | Moderate | Easy | Easy |
| Page loading times | Moderate | Fast | Fast |
| Plugin compatibility | High | High | High |
| Mobile-friendliness | Good | Good | Good |
| Support and documentation | High | High | High |
Overall, all three platforms offer a range of features and capabilities for creating and managing a website or blog.
WordPress is the most popular and widely used CMS, with a vast plugin ecosystem and high customization options.
Ghost is a lightweight and fast platform with strong built-in SEO features and high customization options.
Wix is a drag-and-drop website builder with a range of design options and built-in SEO features, but it is not open source. The best platform for you will depend on your specific needs and goals.
How can we help with Ghost SEO
Are you curious about how your Ghost site is performing in terms of SEO? Our instant SEO audit tool can help you get a better understanding of your site’s strengths and weaknesses. Or, if you’d like a more in-depth analysis and personalized recommendations, you can schedule a free consultation with our team of SEO experts.
We’ve helped numerous clients boost their search traffic revenue by up to 500% through targeted SEO strategies. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to take your site’s performance to the next level.
Try our SEO audit or book a consultation today!
