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How to Host an Obsidian Markdown Website on Netlify Using Hugo and the SEO-Optimized Hugo Theme

Hosting a website using Obsidian, Hugo, and Netlify offers a streamlined, efficient way to build a web presence with excellent SEO capabilities. This guide will take you through the steps of setting up a Markdown-based website using the highly SEO-optimized Hugo theme available at vvmspace/hugo-seo-theme . This theme is specifically designed to handle Markdown files seamlessly, either with or without additional Hugo markup, making it ideal for both beginners and advanced users who aim for top-notch SEO performance. Additionally, it supports tags that enhance page interlinking, crucial for building a robust semantic core.

1: Extracting Markdown Files from Obsidian

To use your Markdown files from Obsidian for your website, follow these simple steps to access them via your file explorer:

  1. Open Obsidian and Locate Your Vault:

    • Launch Obsidian and open the vault you want to use.
    • Click on the vault icon in the bottom left corner to open the settings menu.
    • In the settings menu, go to Files & Links and find the path to your vault directory.

  2. Open the Vault Folder in Your File Explorer:

    • Once you have the path to your vault, open your file explorer (Finder on macOS, Files on Ubuntu).
    • Navigate to the path where your vault is stored.
    • Open the vault folder. Inside, you will find all your notes saved as .md (Markdown) files. These files are ready to be used for your website content.

By opening your vault folder in the file explorer, you can easily manage and utilize your Markdown files for your website.

2: Creating a Hugo Site

1: Install Hugo on your system

Mac:

brew install hugo

Windows:

choco install hugo -confirm

Linux:

snap install hugo --channel=extended

2. Check the Hugo version by running:

hugo version

3. Create a new site by running:

hugo new site my-obsidian-website

Replace my-obsidian-website with your preferred site name. This command sets up the basic structure of your Hugo site.

3: Copying Markdown Files to Hugo Content Directory

Copy the Markdown files extracted from Obsidian to the content directory of your Hugo site. This ensures that your website content is populated with the Markdown notes from Obsidian.

cp -r /path/to/obsidian/vault/*.md /path/to/hugo/site/content/

How to start writing in Markdown

4: Setting Up a GitHub Repository for Your Obsidian / Hugo Website

Hosting your site’s code on GitHub is a crucial for deploying your Hugo website on Netlify. Here’s how to set up your GitHub repository:

  1. Create a New GitHub Repository:

    • Go to GitHub and log in to your account.
    • Click on the + icon in the top-right corner and select New repository.
    • Enter a name for your repository (e.g., my-hugo-website).
    • Optionally, add a description for your repository.
    • Ensure the repository is set to Public to leverage Netlify’s free hosting service.
    • Click Create repository.

  2. Initialize the Repository Locally:

    • Open your terminal (or Git Bash on Windows) and navigate to your Hugo site’s directory.
    • Initialize a new Git repository by running: 
      git init
    • Add your files to the repository: 
      git add .
    • Commit the files: 
      git commit -m "Initial commit"

  3. Connect the Local Repository to GitHub:

    • Go back to your GitHub repository page.
    • Copy and paste the commands provided under …or push an existing repository from the command line into your terminal. 
      git remote add origin https://github.com/yourusername/my-hugo-website.git
git push -u origin master

By following these steps, you’ll have your Hugo website’s code hosted on GitHub, making it ready for deployment on Netlify.

5: Using Tags and Other Hugo Markup for Enhanced SEO

Utilizing tags and other Hugo markup is essential for improving SEO and enhancing the overall connectivity and discoverability of your website. The vvmspace Hugo theme supports various SEO features out of the box, including tags, descriptions, and content embedding like YouTube videos. Here’s how you can leverage these features:

Adding Tags to Your Markdown Files

Tags help search engines understand the context of your content and improve the interlinking between your pages, forming a robust semantic core. Here’s how to add tags in your Markdown files:

  1. Open your Markdown file in any text editor.
  2. At the top of the file, add the following front matter: 
    ---
title: "Your Post Title"
date: 2024-06-03
tags: ["tag1", "tag2", "tag3"]
---
  3. Save the file. Hugo will automatically recognize and use these tags to improve SEO and content connectivity.

Adding Descriptions for SEO

Descriptions are another crucial SEO element. They provide search engines with a summary of your content, which can be displayed in search results. Add a description in the front matter like this:

---
title: "Your Post Title"
date: 2024-06-03
description: "A brief description of your post for SEO purposes."
tags: ["tag1", "tag2", "tag3"]
---

Embedding YouTube Videos

Embedding videos can enhance your content and improve user engagement. Here’s how to embed a YouTube video in your Markdown files using Hugo’s shortcode:

{< youtube "Video-ID" >}

Replace Video-ID with the actual ID of the YouTube video you want to embed. Use {{ and }} instead of { and } in the actual shortcode.

By utilizing tags, descriptions, and other Hugo markup, you can significantly enhance the SEO and user engagement of your website.

6: Deploying on Netlify

1. Hugo version:

Your Hugo version can be specified in the netlify.toml file to ensure consistency between your local environment and the Netlify build environment. Here’s how to set up your Hugo version for Netlify deployment:

[build]
  publish = "public"
  command = "hugo"

[context.production.environment]
  HUGO_VERSION = "0.126.1"

Replace 0.126.1 with your local Hugo version. This configuration ensures that Netlify uses the same Hugo version as your local environment.

2. Push your code to GitHub:

git add netlify.toml
git commit -m "Specify Hugo version for Netlify build"
git push
  1. Log in to Netlify and select ‘New Site from Git’.
  2. Choose GitHub as the source for your site.
  3. Select your repository and configure the build settings:
    • Build command: hugo
    • Publish directory: public/

Netlify will automatically deploy your site and update it on each commit to your repository.

7: Connecting a Domain

Connecting your custom domain to your Netlify-hosted Hugo website enhances your brand and makes it easier for visitors to find your site. Follow these steps to connect a custom domain through Netlify:

1. Add Your Domain in Netlify

2. Verify Your Domain

Before configuring your DNS settings, you need to verify your domain with Netlify to prove ownership.

3. Configure DNS Settings with Your Domain Registrar

To point your domain to Netlify, you need to update your DNS settings with your domain registrar (the service where you purchased your domain).

4. Verify DNS Configuration

5. Enable HTTPS

By following these steps, you will successfully connect your custom domain to your Netlify-hosted Hugo website, ensuring a professional appearance and improved accessibility for your visitors.

Key Takeaways By following these steps, you can easily set up a Markdown-based website with excellent SEO potential. The vvmspace Hugo theme is particularly advantageous for SEO, allowing you to focus on creating quality content without worrying about technical SEO intricacies.

By the end of this process, not only will you have a fully functional, SEO-optimized website, but you will also have gained valuable skills in website deployment and management on modern platforms like Hugo and Netlify. Whether you’re looking to share personal projects, professional portfolios, or engaging blogs, this setup ensures your site is built on a solid foundation, ready to attract and engage visitors.

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