Deploying Laravel on shared hosting is a common task for developers. Laravel is a popular PHP framework that provides an efficient way of developing web applications. It has many features such as Eloquent ORM, dependency injection, and security measures that make it ideal for building complex web applications. In this article, we will discuss how to deploy Laravel on shared hosting while optimizing it for search engines (SEO).

Choosing the Right Shared Hosting Provider

Before we dive into deploying Laravel on shared hosting, it’s essential to choose the right provider. When selecting a shared hosting provider, you need to consider factors such as server performance, security features, and customer support. Some popular shared hosting providers include Bluehost, HostGator, and DreamHost. These providers offer excellent performance and reliable uptime, which is crucial for Laravel applications.

Optimizing Laravel for SEO

Once you have chosen the right shared hosting provider, the next step is to optimize Laravel for search engines. SEO optimization involves several steps, including optimizing meta tags, creating a sitemap, and using alt tags for images. The following are some tips on how to optimize Laravel for SEO:

1. Optimize Meta Tags

The meta tags are essential in SEO optimization as they provide search engines with information about your webpage. To optimize meta tags in Laravel, you need to modify the view files where the meta tags are located. You can use the following code snippet to optimize the title and description meta tags:

php

description) }}”>

1. Create a Sitemap

A sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website. It helps search engines to crawl and index all the pages on your site, which can improve your SEO. To create a sitemap in Laravel, you can use the following code snippet:

php
$sitemap = new Sitemap;
// Add all routes to the sitemap
Route::middleware([‘auth’])->group(function () {
Route::get(‘/’, [‘HomeController@index’])->name(‘home’);
// Add all other routes here
});
// Return the sitemap URL
return route(‘sitemap’);

1. Use Alt Tags for Images

Images are an essential part of web pages, and using alt tags can improve your SEO by providing search engines with information about the images. To use alt tags in Laravel, you need to modify the view files where the images are located. You can use the following code snippet to add alt tags:

php

Deploying Laravel on Shared Hosting

Now that we have optimized Laravel for SEO, the next step is to deploy Laravel on shared hosting. Deployment involves several steps, including installing Composer dependencies, creating a virtual environment, and configuring the web server. The following are some tips on how to deploy Laravel on shared hosting:

1. Install Composer Dependencies

Composer is a dependency manager that allows you to install third-party libraries required by Laravel. To install Composer dependencies, you need to run the following command in your terminal:

composer require

1. Create a Virtual Environment

A virtual environment is a separate PHP installation that isolates your Laravel application from other applications on the server. Creating a virtual environment can improve performance and security. To create a virtual environment, you need to run the following command in your terminal:

php -r "eval(file_get_contents(‘http://install.php‘));"

1. Configure the Web Server

Once you have installed Composer dependencies and created a virtual environment, the next step is to configure the web server. The web server configuration file is typically located in the /etc/apache2/sites-available directory. You need to create a new configuration file for your Laravel application and copy it to the /etc/apache2/sites-enabled directory. To configure the web server, you can use the following code snippet:

php
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName example.com
DocumentRoot /var/www/html/laravel/public
<Directory /var/www/html/laravel/public>
AllowOverride All
Order allow,deny
Allow from all

1. Install Laravel and Its Dependencies

Once you have configured the web server, the next step is to install Laravel and its dependencies. To install Laravel, you need to run the following command in your terminal:

bash
laravel new example –databasemysql:hostlocalhost;dbnamelaravel_app

Case Study: Deploying Laravel on Shared Hosting

In this case study, we will deploy Laravel on a shared hosting environment provided by Bluehost. Bluehost is a popular hosting provider that offers reliable uptime and excellent performance. We will use the following steps to deploy Laravel on Bluehost:

1. Choose a Domain Name and Hosting Plan
2. Install PHP and MySQL
3. Create a New Database
4. Configure MySQL
5. Install Laravel and Its Dependencies
6. Create a New Laravel Application
   

   Conclusion

   In conclusion, deploying Laravel on shared hosting involves several steps, including installing Composer dependencies, creating a virtual environment, and configuring the web server. By following these steps, you can deploy Laravel on a shared hosting environment and optimize it for SEO.