What is PHP?

PHP, an acronym for “PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor”, is a widely used open-source scripting language that was built specifically for web development and can be embedded in HTML. Originally developed by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994, PHP is today one of the most frequently used languages for web development. What makes PHP special is its ability to generate dynamic content in real time. When a visitor opens a page that runs on PHP, the PHP script is executed on the server and the result is sent to the browser as regular HTML.

PHP explained: the open-source scripting language that generates dynamic web pages on the server

Which content management systems run on PHP?

Many of the best known content management systems (CMS) in the world run on PHP. A CMS makes it easier for people to create and manage content for websites without any programming knowledge. These are some of the best known PHP-based systems:

WordPress: probably the best known CMS built on PHP. Originally developed as a simple blogging platform, WordPress has grown into a powerful CMS with countless plugins and themes that suits every kind of website, which is why it carries most of our web development projects.
Joomla: another popular PHP-based CMS, known for its flexibility and extensibility.
Drupal: although it is somewhat more complex to handle than WordPress or Joomla, Drupal is known for its robustness and scalability and works well for larger websites and applications.
Magento: a PHP-based e-commerce system built specifically for online shops. It offers a wide range of functions and extensions for e-commerce.

Why are PHP updates important for SEO?

PHP updates matter not only for the security and performance of a website, they can also have a considerable effect on search engine optimization (SEO). Here is why:

Security: search engines such as Google put a lot of weight on the security of websites. Sites with known vulnerabilities can be pushed down in the search results. Because new vulnerabilities are found regularly, updating PHP regularly is what closes those gaps.
Performance: the loading speed of a website is an important ranking factor for search engines. Newer PHP versions often deliver better performance and shorter loading times, which pays into PageSpeed and into your SEO.
New functions: every update usually introduces new functions and optimizations that make web development more efficient and more comfortable.
Compatibility: updates to a CMS and to other web applications often require a certain PHP version to work properly. An outdated PHP version leads to compatibility problems that hurt website performance and, with it, your SEO.