Drupal 9 SEO: Tips and Best Practices

24 January, 2014 | Drupal Development | 13 seen

Drupal 9 is the latest version of the popular content management system (CMS), which is known for its flexibility and power. As a website owner, you want your site to be as visible as possible on search engines like Google. Drupal 9 provides a range of features to help you optimize your site for search engines, from built-in SEO tools to third-party modules.

In this article, we'll take a look at some of the best practices for Drupal 9 SEO.

Clean URLs are important for search engine optimization. Drupal 9 allows you to enable clean URLs by default, which is great for SEO. Clean URLs are easy to read and understand, both for humans and search engines. To enable clean URLs in Drupal 9, go to Configuration > Search and metadata > Clean URLs, and check the "Enable clean URLs" box.

The Pathauto module is a must-have for Drupal 9 SEO. It allows you to automatically generate clean URLs for your pages, based on the page title. This means that you don't have to manually create clean URLs for each page on your site. To use Pathauto, simply install and enable the module, and configure the…

How to Use Drupal Web Widgets Module to Embed Custom Content on External Websites

23 January, 2014 | Drupal Development | 12 seen

Drupal is a popular and powerful open-source content management system (CMS) that provides a wide range of tools and features to create and manage content on websites. One of the most useful tools in Drupal is the Widgets module, which allows users to create and embed custom content on their websites and other external sites. In this article, we will explore how to use the Drupal Widgets module to embed content on other websites.

The Drupal Web Widgets module enables site administrators to create custom widgets that can be used to embed content on other websites. These widgets can be customized to match the look and feel of the website they are being embedded on, allowing users to provide a consistent and cohesive user experience.

To get started with the Drupal Web Widgets module, you will need to download and install it on your website. Once installed, you can create a new widget by going to the "Widgets" section in the Drupal dashboard and clicking "Add Widget." This will open a new window where you can select the type of widget you want to create and customize its settings, such as the size and layout of the widget.

After creating the widget, you can…

The First 100 Days of My Blogging Marathon: Insights and Achievements

21 January, 2014 | Blogging | 1 seen

It's been 100 days since I started my quest to blog every day for 365 days straight, and I'm happy to report that I made it through the first 100 days! Even on holidays like Christmas Eve and New Year's Day, I made sure to publish a blog post. Although I'll admit, it's been a challenging and frustrating process, I know I need to keep pushing myself.

So what were the results of my 100-day blogging marathon? In terms of traffic, it's a bit of a mixed bag. While I have a few loyal readers, and even managed to gain around 40 followers on Twitter, I'm most excited about the growth of my Facebook fan page. I now have over 120 fans, mostly from Armenia and Georgia.

But now, I'm faced with a new challenge. Should I continue to focus on building my audience in the Caucasus Region, or should I try to reach a broader audience, like the former USSR? Or perhaps I should keep doing what I'm doing and see where it takes me?

I don't have all the answers yet, but I'm committed to finding them over the next 100 days of blogging. I know it won't be easy, but I'm excited to see where this journey takes me.

Displaying Node Counts in Drupal: How to Show the Number of Nodes Referencing Each Item

20 January, 2014 | Drupal Development | 68 seen

In Drupal, it is common to use the Node Reference field to create relationships between different content types. This field allows you to reference a node from another content type and create a link between the two. However, displaying the number of nodes referencing each item in a node reference field can be challenging.

In this article, we'll explore a few ways to display the node count per node reference field in Drupal.

The most common way to display the node count per node reference field is by using Views. Views is a powerful tool that allows you to create custom queries and display the results in a variety of ways. Here's how you can use Views to display the node count per node reference field:

From Germany to America: Tracing the Life of Albert Einstein in 'Equation of Life and Death'

19 January, 2014 | Documentaries | 5 seen

Albert Einstein is one of the most famous physicists of all time. He is known for his theory of relativity, which revolutionized the way we think about time and space. The documentary "Albert Einstein: Equation of Life and Death" tells the story of Einstein's life and his contributions to science.

In this article, we will review the documentary and discuss its main themes and insights.

The documentary "Albert Einstein: Equation of Life and Death" is a fascinating exploration of the life and work of one of the greatest scientists in history. The film is structured around three key periods in Einstein's life: his early years in Germany, his time in Zurich and Berlin, and his later years in America. Throughout the film, we see rare footage and photographs of Einstein, as well as interviews with his friends, family, and colleagues.

One of the main themes of the documentary is Einstein's love of science and his desire to understand the mysteries of the universe. From a young age, Einstein was fascinated by math and physics. He was a brilliant student, but he struggled with authority and traditional education. Despite this, he continued to…

Custom Drupal Search Built with Search API + Database Search + Views

18 January, 2014 | Drupal Development | 117 seen

The default Drupal search function is pretty much OK, but if you are looking for ways to control and extend search behavior  - you are stuck with the default out-of-the-box search. 

I'll show you how you can boost your search functionality, by using just two (OK, three modules)

Download the following modules:

• Search API module
• Search API DB

Download and extract them into the sites/all/modules folder

Enable Database search,  Search API, and Search views

Now we must add a search server and search index.

Let's start with Search server.

• Go to admin/config/search/search_api

• Click on Add server link

• Give it a name - I prefer to call it as DB Server, if you wish, you can enter the Server description. Under the dropdown from Service, the class chose Database service. Click Create Server.
…

How to Use Facebook to Promote Your Blog and Grow Your Audience

18 January, 2014 | Blogging | 13 seen

Managing a successful Facebook page is crucial for bloggers who want to build a strong online presence and attract a wider audience. With over 2 billion monthly active users, Facebook provides a powerful platform for promoting your blog and engaging with your readers. In this article, we'll explore the key strategies for managing a successful Facebook page for bloggers and how you can optimize your page for maximum engagement and reach.

The first step in building a successful Facebook page for your blog is to create a professional profile that accurately reflects your brand and your blog's identity. Choose a profile picture and cover photo that are visually appealing and represent your blog's niche. Write a clear and concise bio that tells your readers who you are, what you do, and what your blog is about.

Posting engaging content is essential for building an active community on Facebook. This includes a mix of informative and entertaining posts that are relevant to your target audience. You can share links to your latest blog posts, behind-the-scenes…

Etchmiadzin Cathedral in Armenia

16 January, 2014 | Churches and Monasteries | 39 seen

Etchmiadzin Cathedral is considered the oldest cathedral in the world. The original church was built in the early fourth century between 301 and 303 according to tradition by Armenia's patron saint Gregory the Illuminator, following the adoption of Christianity as a state religion by King Tiridates III. 

I had a chance to visit this holy site at start of 2014, a harsh winter was in Yerevan and affected photos listed bellow. I would love to return here and re-photograph in Summer. 

At the main entrance gates

On our trip to Yerevan, Armenia, we met a cool Taxi driver Tom, and asked him, what is the most must have to see tourist attraction in Yerevan, he told that we must visit Etchmiadzin Cathedral which is located outside of capital Yerevan.

We negotiated with Tom to drive us there. At start he told it would cost about 5.000 Drams, but later it turned out to be 7000 Drams with stops at Yerevan Market and local kabab tasting.

The same entrance gates from the inside

I was impressed - It's the oldest…

Plan your trip to Georgia (country)? Here is what you will need

15 January, 2014 | Living in Georgia | 3 seen

Georgia is an amazing country located in South Caucasus. If you are planing your trip here, or like I am looking to stay a bit longer, here I have created a few, but as I guess really useful guides in Georgia.

• 16 Places To Visit In Georgia And Tbilisi
• 5 Days In Georgia Itinerary List - Make Most Of Your Trip
• Gudauri - Georgian Winter Capital for skiing, snowboarding, paragliding and heli-skiing

Boutique hotel Meg - Yerevan, Armenia

13 January, 2014 | Hotel reviews | 20 seen

We stayed at this boutique hotel in Yerevan for 2 nights at the start of January 2014. This hotel is one of the best I have visited lately. It's truly a boutique hotel - apartments are clean and warm. The King size bed is awesome and Sateliite TV with more than 200 Russian (and not only) channels is all the traveler needs.

The hotel offers a really nice feature - breakfast in the room. Fruits and water are for free + plus in your fridge, you 'll find soda and wine + that's for small extra money.

King size bed at hotel Meg in Yerevan

Centrally located in the heart of the capital, Hotel Meg, Yerevan’s only boutique hotel is within minutes’ walk from the famous Matenadaran, the Cascade and the Opera.

This small hotel of only seven spacious one and two-room suites have been designed based on the simple concept of doing everything possible to make our guests feel at home.

Whether for business or pleasure, our stylish rooms, comfortable luxurious beds, modern facilities along with our friendly, courteous and professional staff, promise to make your stay in Yerevan a memorable one.

TV set

If you take a Taxi - tell him to…

A Simple Workaround to Display AdSense Ads in Drupal Views

11 January, 2014 | Drupal Development | 21 seen

Google AdSense is a popular platform for publishers to monetize their websites by displaying ads to their visitors. If you have a Drupal website and want to display Google AdSense ads in your views, there is a simple workaround that can help you achieve this goal.

In this article, we'll guide you through the steps to display Google AdSense ads in your Drupal views. 

The first step in displaying Google AdSense ads in your Drupal views is to install and configure the AdSense module. This module is available for free in the Drupal module repository, and it allows you to add AdSense ads to your Drupal website in a few simple steps.

Once you've installed and configured the AdSense module, the next step is to create a view in Drupal. This can be done by navigating to the Views section of your Drupal administration dashboard and clicking the "Add new view" button.

After you've created your view, you can add an AdSense block to it by clicking the "Add" button in the "Blocks" section of your view's configuration page. This will open a…

Record numbers of visitors visit Georgia - hoax or true?

9 January, 2014 | Living in Georgia | 7 seen

Today and yesterday I was reading some articles, claiming that record number of foreigners have visited Georgia in 2013. 

According to Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia - 5 365 356 foreigners crossed Georgian border in 2013.

Why I dont like this data?

Well in 2013, I have crossed Georgian border for some 6 times I guess. 3 times leaving and 3 times entering. So one me accounts for at least 3 times, right? It depends how to count.

Ok, lets dig deeper:

Georgian side have canceled VISA regime for Russian citizens, by knowing fact that many, I will not name the number, Georgians live in Russia, and obtains Russian passport, and since Mikheil Saakashvili is no more in office, are visiting their homeland country. By the way, Russian citizens entering Georgia, have the 4th highest rate. Turkey, Armenia, and Azarbaijan, ranking 1st. 

About Turkey side I have more questions, Sarpi - the Turkey/Georgia border some 18 km of Batumi - many Georgians do some smaller trade by entering Turkey, purchasing some goods and returning to Georgia. How many times they have been counted, and maybe as Turkish citizens…

GEL continues to be weak against USD - is it time to start get worried?

7 January, 2014 | Living in Georgia | 6 seen

At the end of December I made post about that Georgian lari continues to be weak agains USD. Today I decided to see what exchange rates are for today (07.01.2014)

And for my surprise GEL CONTINUES to be weak against USD, so much, that for me it seems like hidden devaluation of national currency of Georgia - Lari.  

In last 14 days - Georgian lari has lost 0.0299 from it's value.

Here is the screenshot from National bank of Georgia for exchange rates for GEL to USD (23.12.13-07.01.2014)

So, is it time to start get worried?

Browser wars - Google Chome 55%, IE 3%

6 January, 2014 | Blogging | 6 seen

Remember the Mosaic, early days of Netscape browser? I actually don't, but have heard of them a lot.

For many years my default choice has been Google Chrome browser - I even sometimes was so lazy, that didn't the cross-browser testing for smaller web projects I'm working with - who needs cross-browser testing - everyone uses Chrome, right? Right!

Browser Wars / Screen Resolutions 2019

I will not dig deeper in the overall use of browsers - searching the internet - you may find various data, some claim Internet Explorer still rules, but the majority will tell you that Google Chrome dominates. Hard to tell for others, but today looking into Google Analytics for one of the web projects I maintain - I found a scene like this:

Pretty impressive, right? So let's take a closer look on January 4th. As you can see from the picture above - in total there were 714 visits, of them:

• Chrome:393
• Firefox:71
• Opera:35
• Internet Explorer:23
• Other: 192

Let's convert this to percents. If 714 visits are 100%, then

• Chrome: 55%
• Firefox: 9.94%…

Blog statistics December 2013

2 January, 2014 | Blogging | 5 seen

December was quite a busy month  - I managed to post everyday, but my enthusiasm has gone away.

Top 10 blog posts according to Google Analytics:

• Christmas Charity Fair In Tbilisi
• Drupal views taxonomy map
• Ukraine vs Poland by GDP 1990-2012
• Best spent $ 5 this year
• Estonia to catch up Scandinavia in next 10-15 years
• Baltic's vs Caucasus by GDP 2012
• Fast way to acquire new fans to your Facebook fan page
• Image hover effects - how to change background on mouse over
• Transnistria - the western outpost of Russia
• CIS, Baltics and Georgia GDP 2018