- Compatible with XF versions
- XF 2.2; 2.3
1. Basic SEO SettingsFundamental SEO configurations that can be managed directly through XenForo's default settings.
Setting Area | Recommended Value / Description |
Board Title | Write a title that is short, concise, and contains your main keywords. |
Meta Description | A 150-160 character description introducing your site to search engines. |
URL Structure | Ensure URLs are short, readable, and keyword-rich. |
Forum URLs | Structures like /forum/topic-title are generally preferred for hierarchy. |
XenForo comes with SEO-friendly URL capabilities by default. However, you must verify the following settings:
Setting | Location | Description |
Friendly URLs | Admin Panel > Options | "Use Full Friendly URLs" must be checked/enabled. |
.htaccess Configuration | FTP / File Manager | The .htaccess file (for Apache/LiteSpeed) or Nginx config must be correctly set up to handle rewrites. |
An XML sitemap is crucial for Google and other search engines to crawl your content efficiently.
Feature | Description |
Sitemap URL | yoursite.com/sitemap.xml |
Update Frequency | Weekly is recommended for most forums (or daily for high activity). |
Google Search Console | You must manually submit your sitemap URL to GSC to ensure indexing. |
While XenForo is powerful out of the box, the following add-on types can enhance SEO performance:
Add-on Type | Function |
Advanced SEO Suites | (e.g., XenForo SEO by ThemeHouse) For advanced meta tag management and canonical URL control. |
Sitemap Enhancers | To create more detailed sitemaps including tags, attachments, or member profiles. |
Structured Data (Schema) | Enhances Schema.org markup to achieve "Rich Results" (stars, snippets) in Google search. |
SEO is not just technical settings; quality content remains the most important ranking factor.
Content Type | SEO Benefit |
FAQ Sections | Provides keyword-rich content that answers specific user queries. |
Long-form Threads | Increases "Time on Site" (Dwell Time), signaling quality to Google. |
Images & Video | Rich media content positively affects engagement and SEO rankings. |
Google uses mobile-first indexing, making mobile compatibility and page speed critical.
Feature | Suggestion |
Mobile Friendliness | Use a fully responsive theme that adapts to all screen sizes. |
Page Speed | Implement lazy loading, serve optimized images (WebP), and use a caching add-on. |
CDN Usage | Utilize services like Cloudflare to serve assets from servers closer to the user. |
While social signals are not a direct ranking factor, they drive traffic which indirectly boosts SEO authority.
Platform | Usage Suggestion |
Twitter & Facebook | Use auto-posting tools to distribute new threads immediately. |
Open Graph Settings | Ensure your forum logo and descriptions appear correctly in link previews. |
Boost your XenForo forum to the top of Google rankings with this SEO guide. Learn step-by-step about URL structures, sitemaps, SEO add-ons, speed optimization, and mobile compatibility.
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