Advanced Jekyll Features

Explore advanced features in Jekyll including plugins, RSS feeds, and SEO best practices.

By Kevin McAleer,    2 Minutes

Introduction

In this lesson, we’ll dive into some of the more advanced features of Jekyll. These features can help you enhance your site’s functionality, improve content reach, and optimize for search engines.

Part 1: Plugins and Extensions

Plugins are a powerful way to extend the capabilities of Jekyll.

Using Plugins

• Jekyll supports various plugins for additional functionality like SEO, image optimization, and more.
• Check the Jekyll directory for a list of available plugins.

Installing a Plugin

• Add the plugin to your site’s _config.yml.
• Some plugins might require additional configuration.

Plugin Example

plugins:
  - jekyll-feed

Part 2: Generating RSS Feeds

RSS feeds are crucial for content distribution and keeping your audience updated.

Setting Up an RSS Feed

• Use a plugin like jekyll-feed to generate RSS feeds.
• Once installed, it automatically generates a feed at /feed.xml.

Part 3: SEO Best Practices

Implementing SEO best practices is essential for making your site more visible to search engines.

SEO Techniques in Jekyll

• Utilize plugins like jekyll-seo-tag for meta tags and site descriptions.
• Ensure your site has a sitemap and proper permalink structure.

Conclusion

By leveraging these advanced features, you can significantly enhance the functionality and discoverability of your Jekyll site.

Additional Resources

• Jekyll Plugins Directory
• SEO Techniques for Jekyll

Assignment

Install the jekyll-feed and jekyll-seo-tag plugins. Configure them on your site and check the RSS feed and SEO tags implementation.