Optimize Site SEO with Elder.js | Mintbean

Anthony Campolo demonstrates Elder.js, a fast static site generator built on Svelte, by explaining the concepts through creating and deploying a site with custom routing in under 30 minutes.

Episode Summary

In this talk, Anthony Campolo introduces Elder.js, a powerful static site generator built on Svelte, designed for optimizing website SEO. He explains the concept of static site generators and how Elder.js stands out with its speed and efficiency, especially for large sites. Anthony demonstrates the process of setting up an Elder.js project, creating custom routes, and deploying the site to Netlify. He highlights Elder.js’s unique features, including its embedded tutorial, explicit routing system, and fast build times. The presentation covers the basics of Svelte components, the project structure, and how to create and modify routes. Anthony also touches on the benefits of using Svelte and the growing ecosystem around it, encouraging developers to get involved in open-source projects in the Svelte space.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Overview

Anthony Campolo begins by introducing himself and his background, mentioning his previous talks for Mintbean and his current status as a bootcamp student. He sets the stage for the presentation, emphasizing that he will be discussing Svelte and Elder.js for the first time. Anthony explains that he will demonstrate how to set up an Elder.js project, create custom routes, and deploy the site. He encourages audience interaction and questions throughout the presentation, drawing on his experience as a former classroom teacher.

02:56 - Understanding SEO and Static Site Generators

Anthony explains the concept of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and its importance in web development. He explains what static site generators are and why they are beneficial for SEO, particularly focusing on website speed as a crucial factor. Anthony introduces Elder.js as an opinionated static site generator built specifically for SEO optimization. He briefly touches on the advantages of using Svelte, the framework Elder.js is built upon, mentioning its efficiency and ease of use compared to writing plain HTML and CSS.

05:58 - Setting Up an Elder.js Project

This chapter covers the process of setting up an Elder.js project from scratch. Anthony demonstrates how to use the command line to create a new project using a template. He walks through the installation of dependencies and explains the unique setup of Elder.js, which requires running two separate terminals - one for the web server and another for Rollup to watch for changes. Anthony then shows how to start the development server and access the project in a web browser. He highlights the embedded tutorial feature of Elder.js, which provides example routes and explanations within the initial project setup.

11:03 - Creating Custom Routes in Elder.js

Anthony guides the audience through the process of creating a custom route in Elder.js. He explains the project structure, focusing on the source folder and its subdirectories for components, layouts, and routes. Anthony demonstrates how to create a new route by adding the necessary files and code. He walks through the creation of a route.js file, explaining the structure of the all, permalink, and data functions. Anthony then shows how to create the corresponding Svelte component file, detailing the script, style, and markup sections. He emphasizes the explicit routing system of Elder.js and how it differs from other frameworks.

22:30 - Deploying an Elder.js Site to Netlify

In this final chapter, Anthony demonstrates how to deploy the Elder.js site to Netlify. He explains the build process and how Elder.js generates static files in the public folder. Anthony walks through the steps of creating a Git repository, pushing the project to GitHub, and connecting it to Netlify. He discusses the build times on Netlify, explaining why the initial deployment might take longer than expected despite Elder.js’s fast build times. Anthony shows how to set up a custom domain on Netlify and verifies the successful deployment of the site. He concludes by summarizing the key points of the presentation and encouraging developers to explore Svelte and its ecosystem.

33:08 - Conclusion and Q&A

The presentation concludes with a brief Q&A session. Anthony offers to provide links to the GitHub repositories used in the demonstration. He discusses the balance between providing context and hands-on coding in tech talks. The moderator encourages audience questions and inquires about attendees’ familiarity with Svelte. Anthony highlights the growing Svelte community and suggests it as a great place for developers to contribute to open-source projects. The session ends with Anthony sharing his contact information for further questions and discussion.