Ryan Dennis presented on automating the provisioning of complete, branded SharePoint sites using PowerShell. He demonstrated how to create a web application, site collection, configure features, apply branding, configure search, create subsites and pages, add content, and apply SEO meta tags using PowerShell code. The presentation emphasized that SharePoint can be used to build attractive public websites when designers and developers work together to leverage its capabilities while designing for its limitations.

1. Build your
SharePoint Saturday
Louisville, Kentucky
July 28, 2012
SharePoint
Internet presence
Ryan Dennis
with PowerShell

2. About The Speaker
Ryan Dennis, MCTS, MCITP
Senior SharePoint Engineer @ ICC
Microsoft Virtual Technology Specialist (vTSP)
www.SharePointRyan.com
@SharePointRyan
linkedin.com/in/ryandennis
ryan@sharepointryan.com

3. What is a VTS?
The Microsoft Virtual Technology Specialist Program
(VTSP) is…
• a select group chosen from the elite in Microsoft’s partner community
• their primary role is to communicate the value of Microsoft Solutions to
customers and to provide architectural guidance for Enterprise Integration
solutions
VTSPs also:
• have guest access to information on the Microsoft corporate network such
as knowledge bases, technical articles, training materials, and other
resources
• guest access to Microsoft facilities
• priority for participating in Microsoft marketing events

4. General Information
• Tweet it Out!!
– Hashtag for this event: #SPSLouisville
– Follow us: @SPSLouisville
– Include your presenters
• Check out SPTV
– Man on the street interviews…
– Footage will be shown at http://mysp.tv

5. Clean-Up Items
• Fill out your evaluation forms!
• Visit the Dugout for a sneak
peak of SharePoint 2013 and
Networking.
• See you back at Home Plate for
the Closing and Raffles!!

6. Tonight’s SharePint is generously sponsored by
SharePint is being held right here at the Marriott
immediately following the event. Visit the
Rackspace booth for your ticket.
For each unused drink ticket turned back in, a $5
donation will be made to charity.

7. SharePoint Saturday Louisville has been
made possible because of a generous
sponsorship from the following friends…

8. Agenda
• What is SharePoint 2010 FIS?
• Quick intro to Windows PowerShell
• Implementing SEO tagging for high search rankings
• Designing with SharePoint in mind (it CAN be pretty!)
• Developing from a design
• How WCM sites are MUCH improved in SP2013
• Using a spectacular set of PowerShell code to automate
the provisioning of complete, branded sites
• Q&A

9. What is SharePoint 2010 FIS?
• FIS = For Internet Sites
• The license which allows you to build public-facing sites
without paying for lots of CALs 
• Fundamentally it is no different than the standard
SharePoint version, it’s all about the licensing…
• For license specific questions, ask someone smarter than
me…

10. Agenda
• What is SharePoint 2010 FIS?
• Quick intro to Windows PowerShell
• Implementing SEO tagging for high search rankings
• Designing for SharePoint (it CAN be pretty!)
• Developing from a design
• How WCM sites are MUCH improved in SP2013
• Using a spectacular set of PowerShell code to automate
the provisioning of complete, branded sites
• Q&A

11. Intro to Windows PowerShell
PowerShell
…is a task-based command-line shell and scripting
language designed especially for Windows system
administration
…has a task-based scripting language
…includes powerful object manipulation capabilities
…is built on the .NET Framework

12. Verb-Noun
PowerShell uses a Verb-Noun syntax for its Cmdlets
• Get-Something
• Set-Something
• New-Something
• Remove-Something

13. SharePoint 2010 Cmdlets
• 500+ Cmdlets…
• MUCH better than STSADM.exe…
• Can automate complete installations and
configurations…
• Still doesn’t answer every scenario, leaving
gaps in functionality…
– Example: Get, New and Remove SharePoint Groups – no
cmdlet, easy to write a custom function though…

14. Agenda
• What is SharePoint 2010 FIS?
• Quick intro to Windows PowerShell
• Implementing SEO tagging for high
search rankings
• Designing for SharePoint (it CAN be pretty!)
• Developing from a design
• How WCM sites are MUCH improved in SP2013
• Using a spectacular set of PowerShell code to automate
the provisioning of complete, branded sites
• Q&A

15. Search Engine Optimization
• Follow SEO Best Practices/Tips
– Use meaningful site & page names
– Great page titles
– Accurate Meta Elements
– Up-to-date Sitemap and Robots
– Search-friendly redirects
– Search-friendly menus/navigation
– Faster response times
– Better anchor text
– Provide text content for rich media
– Use Webmaster Tools to submit
sitemap and monitor Analytics

16. Search Engine Optimization
• SharePoint 2010 does not include SEO tools out of the box, but
there are good options…
– Mavention (http://mavention.nl)
• Meta Fields
• Robots
• Page Not Found
• Site Map XML Generator
– IIS 7.0 SEO Toolkit
– Custom…

17. DEMONSTRATIO
N
IMPLEMENTING SEO TAGGING

18. Demo Recap
• We looked at the Mavention Meta Fields
feature…
• Edited some meta tags…
• Viewed the page source to see them in action…
• Had some fun?!

19. Agenda
• What is SharePoint 2010 FIS?
• Quick intro to Windows PowerShell
• Implementing SEO tagging for high search rankings
• Designing for SharePoint (it CAN be
pretty!)
• Developing from a design
• How WCM sites are MUCH improved in SP2013
• Using a spectacular set of PowerShell code to automate
the provisioning of complete, branded sites
• Q&A

20. Designing for SharePoint
(SharePoint CAN be pretty!)

21. Designing for SharePoint
• Design teams should…
– know enough about SharePoint to design around it’s strengths
(and weaknesses)…
– build list-based solutions so that content authors can easily and
efficiently update and manage content…
– work with development teams to ensure that their ideas can be
implemented…

22. Designing for SharePoint
Clutch Interactive, a division of Information
Control Corporation, is an interactive
marketing agency. We create innovative user-
centric digital experiences rooted in
exceptional design and technical expertise.

25. Agenda
• What is SharePoint 2010 FIS?
• Quick intro to Windows PowerShell
• Implementing SEO tagging for high search rankings
• Designing for SharePoint (it CAN be pretty!)
• Developing from a design
• How WCM sites are MUCH improved in SP2013
• Using a spectacular set of PowerShell code to automate
the provisioning of complete, branded sites
• Q&A

26. Developing the solution
• By working with design teams, development teams can
produce accurate, “pixel perfect” solutions in SharePoint
2010
• SharePoint doesn’t have to look like SharePoint
• By leveraging the SharePoint list model, content authors
can easily populate data which can be leveraged in
custom branded web parts
• SharePoint CAN be a best-in-class Web Content
Management (WCM) solution

27. How WCM sites are MUCH
improved in SP2013
• SP2013 will include native SEO capabilities including:
– Meta Fields
• Title
• Browser Title
• Meta Description
• Keywords
• Sitemap Priority
• Sitemap Change Frequency
• Exclude from Internet Search Engines
– XML Sitemap
– Friendly URLs
• No longer have to include /Pages or .ASPX in the page URL!!!

28. How PowerShell makes it all
happen
• Using PowerShell, we can automate:
– Creating the Web Application
– Creating the Site Collection(s)
– Configuring Caching
– Activating Features for Branding, SEO Tagging, etc.
– Creating the Enterprise Search Center
– Configuring Search Scopes and Target Results Page
– Creating Subsites
– Creating Pages
– Adding Content to Pages
– Making Dinner (OK, maybe not – but I’m sure V3 will)

29. Agenda
• What is SharePoint 2010 FIS?
• Quick intro to Windows PowerShell
• Implementing SEO tagging for high search rankings
• Designing for SharePoint (it CAN be pretty!)
• Developing from a design
• How WCM sites are MUCH improved in SP2013
• Using a spectacular set of PowerShell
code to automate the provisioning of
complete, branded sites
• Q&A

30. DEMONSTRATIO
N
USING A SPECTACULAR SET OF
POWERSHELL CODE TO AUTOMATE
THE PROVISIONING OF
COMPLETE, BRANDED SITES

31. Demo Recap
• Used PowerShell to automate:
– Creation of the Web Application
– Creation of the Site Collection(s)
– Configuration of caching (BLOB, Output)
– Feature activation
– Application of custom branding
– Search configuration
– Subsite creation
– Page creation
– Content addition
– SEO Meta Tag creation
– Creation of custom footer list from list template
– Warming up/caching of the sites for our viewing pleasure

32. Presentation Recap
• SharePoint CAN be pretty
• Designers and Developers should work
together throughout the entire project
lifecycle to ensure success
• PowerShell is an awesome way to
automate the building of entire, content
filled, branded, SharePoint-based websites

33. Got-Questions?
Ryan Dennis, MCTS, MCITP
Senior SharePoint Engineer @ ICC
Microsoft Virtual Technology Specialist (vTSP)
www.SharePointRyan.com
@SharePointRyan
linkedin.com/in/ryandennis
ryan@sharepointryan.com