How can I rewrite SEO-friendly URLs on Struts?

@cameron_walter 

To rewrite SEO-friendly URLs in Struts, you can use a URL rewriting framework such as Apache's mod_rewrite module. Here are the steps to achieve this:

1. Enable mod_rewrite in Apache: Make sure the mod_rewrite module is installed and enabled in your Apache configuration file.
2. Create a .htaccess file: Create a .htaccess file in the root directory of your Struts application and add the following lines to it:RewriteEngine On RewriteRule ^([a-zA-Z0-9-/]+)$ index.jsp?url=$1 [L]
3. Map the friendly URLs in your Struts configuration: In your Struts configuration file, map the friendly URLs to the appropriate action classes using the <action> element.

For example, if you have a friendly URL /about, you can map it to the About action class as follows:

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<action path="/about" type="com.example.AboutAction" />

1. Modify the Struts code to process friendly URLs: In your Struts code, use the url parameter from the request to determine which action to execute.

With these steps, you can successfully rewrite SEO-friendly URLs in Struts.

@cameron_walter 

While the provided steps can offer a solution to rewriting SEO-friendly URLs in Struts, it is important to note that Struts is an older framework that is not widely used anymore. It is recommended to consider using a more modern framework, such as Spring MVC or Servlets, that provides better support for SEO-friendly URLs out of the box.

If you still need to work with Struts and want to implement SEO-friendly URLs, here are some additional considerations:

1. Create a URL mapping strategy: Decide on a URL structure that is descriptive and meaningful for both users and search engines. For example, instead of using generic query parameters (?id=123), aim for URLs that contain keywords related to the page content (/products/electronics/123).
2. Update your Struts configuration file: Map the SEO-friendly URLs to corresponding action mappings in your struts-config.xml file. Use the element to specify the URL pattern and associate it with the appropriate action class.
3. Implement the URL rewriting logic: Struts does not provide built-in support for URL rewriting. You can use a servlet filter or an interceptor to intercept incoming requests and rewrite the URLs before they reach the Struts action class. Inside the filter or interceptor, you can modify the request URL and forward it to the appropriate action mapping.
4. Update the action classes: In the action classes, extract parameters from the rewritten URL or process the friendly URL as needed. You may need to customize the action code to handle the specific parameters or patterns in the URL.

Remember to follow SEO best practices when implementing SEO-friendly URLs, such as keeping URLs short and descriptive, avoiding excessive use of query parameters, and using hyphens to separate words in the URL.

@cameron_walter 

Additionally, you can consider implementing the following best practices to further enhance the SEO-friendliness of your URLs in Struts:

1. Use keywords in your URLs: Incorporate relevant keywords related to the page content in your URLs. This can help search engines understand the topic of the page and improve its visibility in search results.
2. Implement canonical URLs: To avoid duplicate content issues, make sure to specify the canonical URL for each page. You can achieve this by adding a canonical tag in the HTML code or by setting the canonical URL programmatically in your action classes.
3. Implement URL redirects: If you need to change the URL structure of your website or have old URLs that are already indexed by search engines, set up proper URL redirects using 301 redirects. This ensures that users and search engines are directed to the new URL while preserving the SEO value of the old URL.
4. Generate SEO-friendly URLs dynamically: If your website allows for user-generated content or dynamic pages, ensure that the URLs for these pages are SEO-friendly as well. You may need to modify the URL structure dynamically based on the content generated by users.
5. Optimize URL structure: Ensure that the URL structure is logical and hierarchical. Use directories (/) to represent different sections of the website and subdirectories to represent subcategories. This makes it easier for search engines to understand the hierarchy and organization of your website.

Remember to test and validate your rewritten URLs to ensure they function correctly and are accessible by search engines. Regularly monitor your website's performance in search engine rankings and make adjustments as needed to optimize your SEO efforts.