Guidelines to setup Miva 5.5 SEO, Short-link, Site-map features?

[PicturesqueWeb]

Re: Guidelines to setup Miva 5.5 SEO, Short-link, Site-map features?

To save server processes, instruct the search spiders not to index the search page. You can use nofollow in all links to it and/or use tags so spiders won't index or follow links. I'd do the same with login, basket, checkout and other function screens that really have no content worth indexing. This puts the focus on category, product and any informational pages you create.

[Jim Cockerham]

Re: Guidelines to setup Miva 5.5 SEO, Short-link, Site-map features?

Thanks, now that I look at it , it looks like there are more problems with duplicate content..... for example any related products on the "product screen" can create a duplicate page for that item if it is listed in another category. So, for one product in the store that is only listed in one category, it would be possible to have this.... should I no-follow all but one?

This link in the category screen:

http://www.firstaiddiscounts.com/PROD/ice-pack/3300.html

and this from a related product:

http://www.firstaiddiscounts.com/PROD/First-aid-cabinet/3300.html

and this from the search page:

http://www.firstaiddiscounts.com/PROD//3300.html

[Jim Cockerham]

Re: Guidelines to setup Miva 5.5 SEO, Short-link, Site-map features?

Ok, sorry...I figured it out. Probably a dumb mistake on my part, but just in case someone else does the same thing.
To get the product links consistant throught the site you have to eliminate the category from the link.

SO using Miva's Short links with the standard "PROD" identifier use this:

<a href="http://&mvt:global:domain:name;/PROD/&mvta:product:code;.html">

on all pages except the Basket Page, where you need to use this:

<a href="http://&mvt:global:domain:name;/PROD/&mvt:item:code;.html">

[PicturesqueWeb]

Re: Guidelines to setup Miva 5.5 SEO, Short-link, Site-map features?

Don't over worry about duplicate content. There can be advantages to having the category code as part of the link. Duplicate content is far more serious when you have the same content on different sites. Search engine programmers are smart people and understand that a product can be in multiple categories. I have never seen any penalties as a result of having an item in many categories. This doesn't mean you should ignore the issue totally, but just don't lose sleep over it. Minimize it, but build the site first for the customer and second for the spiders.

Having the category code there allows you to do breadcrumbs, previous and next within a category so people can scroll through the products without hitting back, and other cute cheap features.

[bcannon]

Re: Guidelines to setup Miva 5.5 SEO, Short-link, Site-map features?

OK, I am going to re-name this post "WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE".

On 5/10/08 daniellim asked...
Are there any on-line documentations or detail guidelines on how to setup/use the new SEO features of Miva 5.5?

imnotinsane replied...
"I believe the team at Miva are working on documentation".

Pete McNamara replied...
"I'll try to update that tutorial in the next week or so for 5.5 (no promises though)"
------------------------------------------------------

Before I go on a rampage here about ALL THE CONFLICTING INFORMATION on how to do this properly, I am simply going to ask, (one year later) have the boys at Miva put something together to help us out with this?

It would be real nice to have all the information in one place. I have changed my links 3 times now, and guess what, they all work.

I keep seeing people say "have you read the tutorial"?
As far as I could see, the tutorial is outdated. I used that method and it worked fine but I was told that the /PC/ thing that is added by this method is bad.

So I then used the method described earlier in the post by imnotinsane, and it works as well and I didn't need to change my htaccess file to make it happen.

I guess my problem is that I am a bit a-nal and if there is a better way, or if I can improve on something, I need to know.

Right now I just want to know, what is the best possible solution for completing the Short link activation process once you have activated the SEO settings in Miva?

Thanks for the support
BC

[Joeten5]

Re: Guidelines to setup Miva 5.5 SEO, Short-link, Site-map features?

OK, I am going to re-name this post "WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE".

On 5/10/08 daniellim asked...
Are there any on-line documentations or detail guidelines on how to setup/use the new SEO features of Miva 5.5?

imnotinsane replied...
"I believe the team at Miva are working on documentation".

Pete McNamara replied...
"I'll try to update that tutorial in the next week or so for 5.5 (no promises though)"
------------------------------------------------------

Before I go on a rampage here about ALL THE CONFLICTING INFORMATION on how to do this properly, I am simply going to ask, (one year later) have the boys at Miva put something together to help us out with this?

It would be real nice to have all the information in one place. I have changed my links 3 times now, and guess what, they all work.

I keep seeing people say "have you read the tutorial"?
As far as I could see, the tutorial is outdated. I used that method and it worked fine but I was told that the /PC/ thing that is added by this method is bad.

So I then used the method described earlier in the post by imnotinsane, and it works as well and I didn't need to change my htaccess file to make it happen.

I guess my problem is that I am a bit a-nal and if there is a better way, or if I can improve on something, I need to know.

Right now I just want to know, what is the best possible solution for completing the Short link activation process once you have activated the SEO settings in Miva?

Thanks for the support
BC

Bumping an old thread.

I have set up my SEO Short Links in Miva Merchant. I followed Pete's tutorial and added the .htaccess file into the http folder.
I screwed up. BIG time. My entire site went down. I'm now waiting for a full restore of my website.

In the meantime, could someone explain to me how to get all my links on my website to use SEO short links?
I managed to to the category tree links perfectly, however every other link on the site still uses the standard miva links.

If someone could help that would be great.

[lesliekirk]

Re: Guidelines to setup Miva 5.5 SEO, Short-link, Site-map features?

Site go down? Like a 500 Internal Error? If so, roll back your .htaccess file to one before you started making changes.

Leslie

[Brennan]

Re: Guidelines to setup Miva 5.5 SEO, Short-link, Site-map features?

Hey Joe -

If you're on a newer store using CSSUI when you enable SEO settings it will automatically convert the links throughout the site to use the new version.

Im guessing you're on a older MMUI store which is the reason for this question in the first place.

When you turn on Short links under SEO Settings, it will write an .htaccess file for you automatically. This is what allows the short links to work.

However is does not make any of the needed template changes. You will need to do this yourself. There are few places you will need to edit:

Global Header/Footer
SFNT
CTGY
PROD
SRCH
Related Product List Layout (a tab on the PROD)
Category Tree
Navigation Bar

On each of these pages you'll need to find the code where it is printing the full miva link and change it to use the short link.

Here is an example:

This would become
&mvt:global:sessionurl;Screen=PROD&Store_Code=&mvte:store:code&Product_Code=&mvte:product:code;

This
http://www.domain.com/product/&mvte:product:code;.html

The format of the short link depends on what you have configured under SEO settings.

[Joeten5]

Re: Guidelines to setup Miva 5.5 SEO, Short-link, Site-map features?

Hey Joe -

If you're on a newer store using CSSUI when you enable SEO settings it will automatically convert the links throughout the site to use the new version.

Im guessing you're on a older MMUI store which is the reason for this question in the first place.

When you turn on Short links under SEO Settings, it will write an .htaccess file for you automatically. This is what allows the short links to work.

However is does not make any of the needed template changes. You will need to do this yourself. There are few places you will need to edit:

Global Header/Footer
SFNT
CTGY
PROD
SRCH
Related Product List Layout (a tab on the PROD)
Category Tree
Navigation Bar

On each of these pages you'll need to find the code where it is printing the full miva link and change it to use the short link.

Here is an example:

This would become
&mvt:global:sessionurl;Screen=PROD&Store_Code=&mvte:store:code&Product_Code=&mvte:product:code;

This
http://www.domain.com/product/&mvte:product:code;.html

The format of the short link depends on what you have configured under SEO settings.

I really appreciate your help.

I changed the links on the Category tree and on the Global Header just fine. As far as other links, such as links to products through the category pages, I'm still confused as to where I would actually change the code. Should I be changing the templates of these pages?




Edit: Read a bit about transforming to CSSUI. I might stick with MMUi for now

[Joeten5]

Re: Guidelines to setup Miva 5.5 SEO, Short-link, Site-map features?

So I managed to get a good portion of my links converted to SEO Short Links. All my buttons on my Nav bar, my basket buttons, my side bar buttons, and my products in my categories have all been converted. However, I can't seem to figure out how to get my sub categories to changed.

http://www.rosystems.com/RSI/categor...Guest-P_H.html

There is a link to my website. You can see that category link is short link, if you click on a product on that page, it is also short link. However, when you press on a subcategory, it goes back to the long miva links. I can't figure out how to change the subcategory links, the related product links, and the catagory navigation links (the quick navigation links at the top of the category).

I'm using custom templates, so I've been changing the coding in those templates.

[afiumano]

Re: Guidelines to setup Miva 5.5 SEO, Short-link, Site-map features?

What about the links in the pagination links (1, 2, 3, etc) on the category pages? Can those be changed as well? Those are still 'long links' and will be picked up by Google.

[Joeten5]

Re: Guidelines to setup Miva 5.5 SEO, Short-link, Site-map features?

What about the links in the pagination links (1, 2, 3, etc) on the category pages? Can those be changed as well? Those are still 'long links' and will be picked up by Google.

Right on. I edited my post and added that in.

[Dan - Glendale Designs]

Re: Guidelines to setup Miva 5.5 SEO, Short-link, Site-map features?

What about the links in the pagination links (1, 2, 3, etc) on the category pages? Can those be changed as well? Those are still 'long links' and will be picked up by Google.

Properly implemented Canonical Tag can prevent most duplicate content concerns regarding pagination. The original post/responses on this thread being from 2008/2009, a LOT has changed since then.

[Joeten5]

Re: Guidelines to setup Miva 5.5 SEO, Short-link, Site-map features?

Properly implemented Canonical Tag can prevent most duplicate content concerns regarding pagination. The original post/responses on this thread being from 2008/2009, a LOT has changed since then.

Very interesting. I will check this out for sure.

[Joeten5]

Re: Guidelines to setup Miva 5.5 SEO, Short-link, Site-map features?

So I managed to get a good portion of my links converted to SEO Short Links. All my buttons on my Nav bar, my basket buttons, my side bar buttons, and my products in my categories have all been converted. However, I can't seem to figure out how to get my sub categories to changed.

http://www.rosystems.com/RSI/categor...Guest-P_H.html

There is a link to my website. You can see that category link is short link, if you click on a product on that page, it is also short link. However, when you press on a subcategory, it goes back to the long miva links. I can't figure out how to change the subcategory links, the related product links, and the catagory navigation links (the quick navigation links at the top of the category).

I'm using custom templates, so I've been changing the coding in those templates.

Bumping