Search Engine Optimization with PHP and MySQL
Relational Database Design doesn't have to be used for the singular purpose of storing data in a server somewhere in your office so you can use proprietary applications to look up account data. In fact, MySQL back-ends with a Microsoft Access front end and a little bit of PHP thrown in can really open up a world of possibilities when it comes to interacting with data on the web.
This article is going to take a slight departure from our general discussions about Microsoft Access being used solely as a desktop database, and instead we're going to look at a few different ways you can use Access in conjunction with MySQL and PHP to boost web-page rankings, and get a real good handle on live, dynamic content for a webpage.
This won't give you an in-depth study of what it takes to get fantastic rankings for your own web-page - to do that I would highly recommend a fantastic eBook by Sean Burns, the man is a rankings genius. Instead, we'll take a look at how technology can help make your life easier - and make your web pages better - with just a little work!
Step 1: Search Engine Rankings
Search Engine Rankings, particularly Google, depend on a ton of different factors. First and foremost, you need quality content on your site. Without quality content you're just another one of the countless millions of pages that people will simply not see using a search tool like Google.
Other important factors are the page titles (this page's title, "PHP and MySQL Search Engine Optimization" is used for this page only on this site), links, headings, and fresh content.
If you take a moment to think about some of these items, they can all be changed dynamically using a website that takes advantage of a web-based database like MySQL and a little bit of PHP programming on the page itself.
Step 2: How Does Microsoft Access Fit In?
Right now, I'm typing this article into a small Access form I've created in a database that resides right on my desktop. With a cable-modem connection, I can simply and easily type in an article at any time, press a button to "refresh" it, and instantly it is updated on the Davidbase web site.
I'm an Access addict. I can use databases for just about anything (and I do), though this is probably one of the coolest ways to manipuate web data that I've stumbled across. There's no need to open my browser to change content on my site. I don't need to log in anywhere, and there's no FTP'ing involved. Ever. I could have a thousand articles on this page, but there would still be only a handful of actual web pages involved in the site (actually, about 10 to 20).
I created this simple system with the help of a MySQL database. The MySQL database stores an Article ID, Date, Page Title, Article Title, which page it should be on, and a "publish" field so I can determine with a simple check box which articles I want to appear on the site and which I don't (in the case that I'm either still working on them, or wanted to pull them to change them).
Using a fantastic tool called MyODBC in conjunction with the MySQL database hosted on my site and this small Microsoft Access database, I've essentially created a pipeline directly to my web server located somewhere across the country. When I want to update the page, I open Access, make my changes, and the database is updated!
Step 3: How Does PHP Fit In?
PHP comes into play on the actual pages themselves. This is the web language you use to communicate with the database through a web page. PHP is a server-side language, which means that it executes commands before your browser actually views it. This is why you can't click on View, then Source, and see PHP code.
Through simple SQL queries and the use of PHP embedded within HTML, you create a dynamic structure with which to provide fresh content. You may notice that the links on the left side of this page point to an "Article ID". This link is created dynamically (by querying the database and seeing which articles are available). When you click the link, the resulting page is passed an "Article ID" as a sort of variable, and brings up the appropriate article to match. Really, it's not that much different than a simple Access form, there's only a different language involved.
Once the PHP is in place, any changes to the articles, or new articles, are automatically put in their proper place and updated on the page within a mere second or so of being changed. The database updates quickly, and PHP only shows you what's current in the database. The result is a very dynamic system of pages and links that you don't have to constantly edit, format, and change.
Step 4: How Does This Impact Rankings?
A dynamic system using a back-end database like MySQL, PHP pages, and an Access front-end works wonders for Search Engine Rankings and Optimization. Being able to on-the-fly change page titles, article titles, and content quickly means that you can gear your content for certain keywords and easily adjust your titles and links to match. It's simple to use a system like this because it's just a matter of opening up a database locally, making all of your edits and changes, and essentially managing your entire website from an interface that you can create in a matter of minutes.
Technology can't give you great rankings on Google, but you can use technology to make creating great pages faster and easier. The end result is a quality, usable website with articles that people are looking for and much less time spent fiddling with HTML, formatting, and programming. By spending a few extra hours before you launch your own web page - whether it's dedicated to Microsoft Access or not - you come out ahead in the rankings game, as well as compared to your competitors!
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