This package contains various middleware classes that can be uses with Laravel 5.1 and above to easily add various SEO benefits to your site / web application.

• Redirecting production HTTP requests to HTTPS
• Removal of www. from requests and redirecting
• Middleware classes can be applied global or to specific routes

1. Run composer require jord-jd/seo-middleware.
2. In the $middleware array in your app/Http/Kernel.php file:

• For HTTP to HTTPS redirects, add \JordJD\SeoMiddleware\Http\Middleware\HttpsOnly::class.
• For removal of www. from requests, add \JordJD\SeoMiddleware\Http\Middleware\RemoveWww::class.

3. Remember to set the APP_ENV variable to prod (in the project's .env file) when the application is running in production. Some middleware will only function when this is set to allow for easier local development.

Any of these middleware classes can be used globally, by adding them to the $middleware array in apps/Http/Kernel.php file. They can also be used on a per route basis, by adding them to the $routeMiddleware array in the same file and then associated them with a route in your apps/Http/routes.php file.

The HttpsOnly middleware will redirect any HTTP request to their HTTPS equivalents. The security of websites is becoming an ever increasing ranking signal for search engine rankings.

The HTTP to HTTPS redirect will only take place if the application environment is set to prod (production), to aid with local development environments in the setup of HTTPS can be difficult and in many cases unnecessary. Changing this setting can be set in your project's .env file, as shown in the example extracts below.

APP_ENV=local # Local development (redirect disabled) 

APP_ENV=prod # Production use (redirect enabled) 

The RemoveWww middleware will check for www. within the URL of any requests made to your web application and then redirect them to a version of the URL without the www. removed. This can be beneficial for SEO purposes by the potential for similar URLs to be indexed with the same content.

This redirect will occur regardless of the application environment (APP_ENV) setting.