Clickable Artwork Titles with SEO-Friendly Links - Final Implementation

Overview

Successfully implemented clickable artwork titles in the Home page collection items that navigate to SEO-friendly URLs for artwork details. This enhancement improves both user experience and search engine optimization by making artwork titles interactive and using clean, descriptive URLs.

Implementation Details

Changes Made

1. Home Page View Updates (Views/Home/Index.cshtml)

• Made artwork titles clickable: Wrapped artwork titles in anchor tags linking to SEO-friendly collection item URLs
• Updated View Details button: Changed from artwork-specific URLs to collection item URLs for consistency
• Added hover effects: Enhanced UX with CSS transitions and visual feedback

Before:

<h5 class="card-title text-body-emphasis mb-2">
    @(artwork.CollectionCustomTitle ?? artwork.Title)
</h5>
<!-- Non-SEO button -->
<a href="@Url.Action("Details", "Artwork", new { id = artwork.ArtworkId, returnUrl = Context.Request.Path + Context.Request.QueryString })"
   class="btn btn-outline-primary">
    <i class="bi bi-eye me-1"></i>View Details
</a>

After:

<h5 class="card-title text-body-emphasis mb-2">
    <a href="/collection/@Model.Collection.Slug/item/@artwork.Slug"
       class="text-decoration-none text-dark">
        @(artwork.CollectionCustomTitle ?? artwork.Title)
    </a>
</h5>
<!-- SEO-friendly button -->
<a href="/collection/@Model.Collection.Slug/item/@artwork.Slug"
   class="btn btn-outline-primary">
    <i class="bi bi-eye me-1"></i>View Details
</a>

2. Enhanced User Experience

Added CSS styling for better visual feedback:

.card-title a:hover {
    color: var(--bs-primary) !important;
    transition: color 0.3s ease;
}

.card:hover {
    transform: translateY(-2px);
    transition: transform 0.3s ease;
    box-shadow: 0 0.5rem 1rem rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) !important;
}

URL Structure

The implementation uses the existing SEO-friendly URL pattern:

• Pattern: /collection/{collectionSlug}/item/{itemSlug}
• Example: /collection/american-art/item/nighthawks-edward-hopper

Technical Architecture

Existing Infrastructure Utilized

1. UrlHelper Class: Provides utility methods for generating SEO-friendly URLs
2. EnrichedArtworkViewModel: Contains Slug property for SEO-friendly URLs
3. PublicCollectionDetailsViewModel: Model used by Home page with collection and artwork data
4. Routing System: Existing routes handle SEO-friendly collection item URLs

Model Properties Used

• Model.Collection.Slug: Collection identifier for URL
• artwork.Slug: Artwork identifier for URL
• artwork.CollectionCustomTitle: Custom title if available
• artwork.Title: Fallback artwork title

Benefits Achieved

SEO Benefits

• Clean URLs: Human-readable, descriptive URLs improve search rankings
• Keyword-rich paths: Collection and artwork names in URLs enhance SEO
• Consistent linking: All paths use the same SEO-friendly pattern

User Experience Benefits

• Clickable titles: Users can click artwork titles directly (common web pattern)
• Visual feedback: Hover effects indicate interactive elements
• Consistent navigation: Both title and button lead to the same destination

Development Benefits

• Maintainable code: Consistent URL generation across the application
• Future-proof: Uses existing infrastructure and patterns
• Clean implementation: Minimal code changes with maximum impact

Testing Results

• ✅ Build successful with no errors
• ✅ Application starts without issues
• ✅ SEO-friendly URLs generated correctly
• ✅ Clickable artwork titles work as expected
• ✅ Hover effects provide good visual feedback
• ✅ Both title and button navigate to the same SEO-friendly URL

Files Modified

1. WebSpark.ArtSpark.Demo\Views\Home\Index.cshtml
   • Added clickable links to artwork titles
   • Updated View Details button to use SEO-friendly URLs
   • Added CSS for enhanced hover effects

Consistency with Existing Implementation

The Home page now uses the same pattern as the working CollectionDetails view:

• Same URL structure: /collection/{collectionSlug}/item/{itemSlug}
• Same link styling: text-decoration-none text-dark
• Same title logic: CollectionCustomTitle ?? Title

Future Considerations

• Analytics: Can track which titles vs buttons users click more
• A/B Testing: Could test different visual treatments for clickable titles
• Accessibility: Current implementation maintains good accessibility standards
• Mobile: Hover effects work well on touch devices

Conclusion

The implementation successfully makes artwork titles clickable with SEO-friendly URLs while maintaining visual consistency and user experience standards. The solution leverages existing infrastructure and follows established patterns throughout the application.