At ENGINYRING, we are dedicated to empowering you with the technical knowledge needed to take control of your online presence. In this comprehensive, step-by-step tutorial, we will show you how to install SEOPanel—a powerful open-source SEO management tool—on your Virtual Private Server (VPS) running a Debian-based or RHEL-based Linux distribution. This guide is designed for complete beginners, with clear instructions and explanations at every step, so you can confidently set up and use SEOPanel to manage your SEO campaigns.

Overview

SEOPanel provides a centralized platform for tracking keywords, monitoring competitor activity, and generating detailed performance reports. By installing SEOPanel on your VPS, you gain full control over your SEO tools in a secure and customizable environment. This tutorial covers every aspect of the installation process, including:

  • Preparing your VPS
  • Installing required software (Apache, MySQL/MariaDB, PHP, and necessary extensions)
  • Securing your database server
  • Downloading and extracting SEOPanel files
  • Configuring Apache to serve your SEOPanel site
  • Setting up a database and configuring SEOPanel to use it
  • Completing the installation via your web browser
  • Troubleshooting common issues
  • Post-installation tips and further resources

Throughout this guide, we use clear commands and plain language to help you understand what you are doing and why. Let’s get started!

What You Will Need

Before you begin the installation, please ensure you have the following:

  • A VPS: Your VPS should run a Debian-based (Debian or Ubuntu) or RHEL-based (CentOS or RHEL) Linux operating system. If you need a robust and scalable environment, check out our VPS hosting solutions.
  • SSH Access: You will need to connect to your VPS via SSH. If you are new to SSH, there are many beginner-friendly resources available online that explain how to connect using a terminal or SSH client.
  • Root or Sudo Privileges: Ensure you have permission to execute commands as the root user or using sudo.
  • Basic Command Line Knowledge: This tutorial is written for beginners. Don’t worry if you are new to the command line—we explain every step.
  • A Domain Name (Optional): Although not required, having a domain name pointed to your VPS makes accessing your site easier. You can also use your VPS’s IP address.

Step 1: Preparing Your VPS

Before installing SEOPanel, it is essential to update your system and install the necessary software. Follow the instructions based on your Linux distribution.

For Debian/Ubuntu Systems

1. Open your terminal and log in to your VPS using SSH.

2. Run the following commands to update your package lists and upgrade installed packages:

# Update the package list
sudo apt-get update

# Upgrade all installed packages
sudo apt-get upgrade -y

3. Install Apache, MySQL, PHP, and required PHP extensions:

# Install Apache web server
sudo apt-get install apache2 -y

# Install MySQL server (MariaDB can also be used)
sudo apt-get install mysql-server -y

# Install PHP and necessary extensions for SEOPanel
sudo apt-get install php php-mysql php-curl php-gd php-mbstring php-xml -y

# Install additional tools: wget and unzip
sudo apt-get install wget unzip -y

For RHEL/CentOS Systems

1. Log in to your VPS using SSH.

2. Run the following commands to update your system packages:

# Update system packages
sudo yum update -y

3. Install Apache (called httpd on RHEL/CentOS), MariaDB, PHP, and required extensions:

# Install Apache web server
sudo yum install httpd -y

# Install MariaDB server
sudo yum install mariadb-server -y

# Install PHP and necessary extensions
sudo yum install php php-mysql php-curl php-gd php-mbstring php-xml -y

# Install wget and unzip
sudo yum install wget unzip -y

# Start and enable Apache and MariaDB services
sudo systemctl start httpd
sudo systemctl enable httpd
sudo systemctl start mariadb
sudo systemctl enable mariadb

After executing these commands, your VPS is ready with all the essential software installed.

Step 2: Securing Your Database Server

It is important to secure your MySQL/MariaDB installation to protect your data. Run the following command and answer the prompts to set a strong root password and remove unnecessary defaults:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

This script will guide you through securing your database server by asking you to:

  • Set a root password (if not already set)
  • Remove anonymous users
  • Disallow remote root login
  • Remove the test database

Answer “yes” to these options for improved security.

Step 3: Downloading SEOPanel

Now that your VPS is updated and secure, it’s time to download SEOPanel. We will use the wget command to download the latest ZIP file of SEOPanel. (Please verify the download link on the official SEOPanel website.)

# Change to the temporary directory
cd /tmp

# Download the SEOPanel ZIP file
wget http://www.seopanel.org/downloads/seopanel_latest.zip

This command downloads the file to the /tmp directory. You should see a progress indicator while the file is downloading.

Step 4: Extracting SEOPanel Files

After the download is complete, extract the SEOPanel files to a directory that Apache will serve. We will create a directory called seopanel inside Apache’s web root.

# Create a directory for SEOPanel in the web root
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/html/seopanel

# Extract the downloaded ZIP file to the SEOPanel directory
sudo unzip seopanel_latest.zip -d /var/www/html/seopanel

If the extraction is successful, your SEOPanel files will be located in /var/www/html/seopanel.

Step 5: Setting Correct File Permissions

For Apache to serve your files properly, you must set the correct file permissions. Adjust ownership and permissions as follows:

For Debian/Ubuntu Systems

# Change ownership to the Apache user (www-data)
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/seopanel

# Set file permissions so that files are readable and executable
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/seopanel

For RHEL/CentOS Systems

# Change ownership to the Apache user (apache)
sudo chown -R apache:apache /var/www/html/seopanel

# Set file permissions
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/seopanel

Step 6: Configuring Apache to Serve SEOPanel

To make SEOPanel accessible via a web browser, you need to configure Apache with a Virtual Host. Create a new configuration file as follows:

For Debian/Ubuntu Systems

Create and open the file using nano:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/seopanel.conf

Copy and paste the configuration below into the file. This setup tells Apache where to find your SEOPanel files and how to serve them:


<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin webmaster@yourdomain.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/seopanel
    ServerName yourdomain.com
    ServerAlias www.yourdomain.com

    <Directory /var/www/html/seopanel>
        Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/seopanel_error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/seopanel_access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain or your VPS’s IP address if you do not have a domain. Save the file (in nano, press Ctrl+O to write and Ctrl+X to exit).

Enable the new site and necessary modules:

sudo a2ensite seopanel.conf
sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo systemctl restart apache2

For RHEL/CentOS Systems

Create a configuration file in the Apache configuration directory:

sudo nano /etc/httpd/conf.d/seopanel.conf

Paste the same Virtual Host configuration as above, then save the file and restart Apache:

sudo systemctl restart httpd

Step 7: Creating a Database for SEOPanel

SEOPanel requires its own database. We will now create a database and a dedicated user for SEOPanel.

sudo mysql -u root -p

After entering your MySQL root password, at the MySQL prompt run these commands one at a time:

CREATE DATABASE seopanel_db;
CREATE USER 'seopanel_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'YourStrongPassword';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON seopanel_db.* TO 'seopanel_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Remember to replace YourStrongPassword with a secure password. Write down the database name, username, and password for later use.

Step 8: Configuring SEOPanel to Connect to Your Database

Next, you need to configure SEOPanel to connect to the database you just created. Locate the configuration file—commonly named config.php or found inside a config folder in your SEOPanel installation.

Open the file using your preferred text editor:

sudo nano /var/www/html/seopanel/config/sp-config.php

Update the database configuration section to match your settings, as shown below:


<?php
    // Database configuration
    define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');
    define('DB_NAME', 'seopanel_db');
    define('DB_USER', 'seopanel_user');
    define('DB_PASS', 'YourStrongPassword');
?>

Save the file and exit the editor.

Step 9: Completing the Installation Through Your Browser

With the files in place and the database configured, you can now complete the installation using your web browser. Open your browser and navigate to the URL where SEOPanel is hosted. For example, if you are using your domain name, go to:

http://yourdomain.com

You should see the SEOPanel installation wizard. Follow the on-screen instructions, which typically include:

  • Verifying your configuration settings
  • Creating an administrator account
  • Finalizing additional setup options

If you encounter any errors, double-check your configuration files and file permissions. The wizard is designed to guide you through the process step by step.

Step 10: Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you run into any issues during the installation, here are some common problems and their solutions:

Permission Denied Errors

Solution: Ensure the SEOPanel directory and its files are owned by the correct web server user and have the appropriate permissions.

# For Debian/Ubuntu
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/seopanel
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/seopanel

# For RHEL/CentOS (replace www-data with apache)
sudo chown -R apache:apache /var/www/html/seopanel
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/seopanel

Database Connection Problems

Solution: Verify the database credentials in your config.php file. You can test the connection via the command line:

mysql -u seopanel_user -p
# Enter your password, then:
USE seopanel_db;
SHOW TABLES;

Apache Not Serving the Website

Solution: Confirm that your Apache configuration is correct and that you have restarted Apache after making changes. Check the Apache error logs for details:

# For Debian/Ubuntu:
sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/seopanel_error.log

# For RHEL/CentOS:
sudo tail -f /var/log/httpd/seopanel_error.log

Missing PHP Extensions

Solution: Verify that PHP has all the required extensions installed. Create a file named info.php in your web root with the following content:


<?php
phpinfo();
?>

Access it via http://yourdomain.com/info.php to check that extensions like php-curl, php-gd, php-mbstring, and php-xml are enabled.

Step 11: Post-Installation Tips for Beginners

After successfully installing SEOPanel, consider the following tips to maintain and secure your installation:

Secure Your Installation

Remove any installation files or directories that are no longer needed to prevent unauthorized access. Additionally, consider setting up an .htaccess file to further secure your SEOPanel directory.

Keep Your Software Updated

Regularly update your operating system, Apache, PHP, and SEOPanel to ensure you have the latest security patches and improvements.

Set Up Regular Backups

It is crucial to back up your database and configuration files. Use the command below to back up your SEOPanel database:

mysqldump -u seopanel_user -p seopanel_db > seopanel_backup.sql

Create a Maintenance Schedule

Periodically review your VPS performance and check error logs to catch issues early. This proactive approach will help keep your SEOPanel installation running smoothly.

Explore and Learn

Take the time to explore the SEOPanel dashboard and learn about its features. There are many reliable, beginner-friendly resources available online that can provide additional guidance and best practices.

Additional Resources and Support

If you need further help or run into any issues, remember that support is available:

  • Review the official SEOPanel documentation for detailed instructions.
  • Search for reliable beginner-friendly tutorials online that cover similar topics.
  • Contact our dedicated support team at ENGINYRING via our Contact Us page. We are here to assist you every step of the way.

Integrating with Other ENGINYRING Services

Once you have SEOPanel running, consider how you can integrate it with our other services to further enhance your online presence:

Conclusion

Congratulations! By following this super beginner-friendly, step-by-step tutorial, you have successfully installed SEOPanel on your VPS running either a Debian-based or RHEL-based Linux distribution. We guided you through every stage—from preparing your VPS and installing required software, securing your database, downloading and extracting SEOPanel, configuring Apache, setting up your database, to completing the installation through your web browser.

At ENGINYRING, we are committed to supporting your online journey. Our aim is to provide you with robust hosting solutions and clear guidance, so you can confidently manage your digital marketing tools. Enjoy using SEOPanel to enhance your SEO campaigns and boost your online visibility!

If you need any further assistance, please feel free to contact us. We are always here to help you succeed.