Using Python for Web Servers

Using Python in combination with .htaccess files is a great way to automate and manage SEO-related tasks, especially when it comes to setting up redirects or optimizing site URLs. The .htaccess file is a configuration file for Apache web servers that allows you to control website behavior, including redirects, URL rewrites, and access control.

Here’s how you can use Python to generate .htaccess rules for various SEO tasks:

1. Redirects

Redirects are important for SEO, especially when URLs change. A 301 redirect informs search engines that a page has permanently moved to a new location, preserving link equity.

Example: Redirecting Old URLs to New URLs

Let’s say you want to automate 301 redirects for several old URLs to new URLs using a Python script.

Python Script to Generate .htaccess Redirect Rules:

import pandas as pd

# Load your old and new URLs from a CSV or Excel file
data = {
    'old_url': ['/old-page1', '/old-page2', '/old-page3'],
    'new_url': ['/new-page1', '/new-page2', '/new-page3']
}

# Convert it into a DataFrame (you can also load from an external file)
df = pd.DataFrame(data)

# Define a function to create redirect rules for htaccess
def create_redirect_rules(row):
    return f"Redirect 301 {row['old_url']} {row['new_url']}"

# Apply the function to each row of the DataFrame
df['htaccess_rule'] = df.apply(create_redirect_rules, axis=1)

# Save the rules into a .htaccess file
with open('.htaccess', 'w') as f:
    f.write("# Redirectsn")
    for rule in df['htaccess_rule']:
        f.write(rule + "n")

print("htaccess file created with the redirect rules.")

Explanation:

• We store the old and new URLs in a DataFrame.
• We then apply a function to each row to generate the redirect rules in .htaccess format.
• Finally, we write these rules to a .htaccess file.

The output in the .htaccess file will look like this:

Redirect 301 /old-page1 /new-page1
Redirect 301 /old-page2 /new-page2
Redirect 301 /old-page3 /new-page3

2. Rewriting URLs for SEO

Another common SEO task is to rewrite URLs to make them more user- and search engine-friendly. For example, converting query string URLs (/page.php?id=123) into clean URLs (/page/123).

Python Script to Generate URL Rewrite Rules:

import pandas as pd

# Example data: list of dynamic URLs and their clean counterparts
data = {
    'dynamic_url': ['/page.php?id=123', '/post.php?id=456', '/article.php?id=789'],
    'clean_url': ['/page/123', '/post/456', '/article/789']
}

# Convert it into a DataFrame
df = pd.DataFrame(data)

# Define a function to create URL rewrite rules
def create_rewrite_rules(row):
    dynamic_url = row['dynamic_url'].replace("?", "\?")
    return f"RewriteRule ^{row['clean_url'][1:]}$ {dynamic_url} [L,QSA]"

# Apply the function to each row of the DataFrame
df['htaccess_rewrite_rule'] = df.apply(create_rewrite_rules, axis=1)

# Save the rewrite rules into a .htaccess file
with open('.htaccess', 'w') as f:
    f.write("# Rewrite Rulesn")
    for rule in df['htaccess_rewrite_rule']:
        f.write(rule + "n")

print("htaccess file created with the rewrite rules.")

Explanation:

• Here, we have dynamic URLs and their clean counterparts.
• The function create_rewrite_rules generates RewriteRule for .htaccess.
• The resulting .htaccess rules will convert clean URLs back into dynamic URLs when accessed.

The output in the .htaccess file will look like this:

RewriteRule ^page/123$ /page.php?id=123 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^post/456$ /post.php?id=456 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^article/789$ /article.php?id=789 [L,QSA]

3. Forcing HTTPS or Removing www for SEO

Enforcing HTTPS and stripping www from URLs are common SEO best practices. You can use Python to automate the creation of these .htaccess rules for multiple domains.

Python Script to Generate HTTPS and www Removal Rules:

# List of domains (for multi-site or multi-domain management)
domains = ['example1.com', 'example2.com']

# Define HTTPS and www removal rules
def create_https_www_rules(domain):
    return f"""
# Force HTTPS and remove www for {domain}
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{{HTTPS}} off
RewriteRule ^ https://{domain}%{{REQUEST_URI}} [L,R=301]
RewriteCond %{{HTTP_HOST}} ^www.{domain} [NC]
RewriteRule ^ https://{domain}%{{REQUEST_URI}} [L,R=301]
"""

# Write the rules to a .htaccess file
with open('.htaccess', 'w') as f:
    for domain in domains:
        f.write(create_https_www_rules(domain))

print("htaccess file created with HTTPS and www removal rules.")

Explanation:

• This script loops through a list of domains and creates rules for forcing HTTPS and removing www from URLs.
• The output .htaccess file will contain rules like:

# Force HTTPS and remove www for example1.com
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^ https://example1.com%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www.example1.com [NC]
RewriteRule ^ https://example1.com%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

# Force HTTPS and remove www for example2.com
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^ https://example2.com%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www.example2.com [NC]
RewriteRule ^ https://example2.com%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

Summary of SEO Uses for Python and .htaccess:

• Automating 301 redirects: Useful when you’re migrating pages or changing URLs.
• URL rewrites: Helps create clean, user-friendly URLs, which is better for SEO.
• Enforcing HTTPS and removing www: Ensures consistent and secure URL formats for SEO.

This combination of Python and .htaccess allows for efficient and scalable management of website SEO optimizations.