SEO Settings

[Mark Johnson]

Re: SEO Settings

The big plus for using category codes in the product links is to provide breadcrumbs back to the main category. When you don't know the category they came from, you can't make a link to send them back.

Here are the 4 types of short links that will be recognized with the new SEO feature. This assumes a delimiter of '/' and that this is a single store setup and not a mall.

http://storedomain.com/product/<product-code>.html
http://storedomain.com/category/< category-code>.html
http://storedomain.com/< screen-code>.html
http://storedomain.com/< category-code>/<product-code>.html

That last one should cover the bread crumb case. It does have a limitation in that it won't be recognized for a category code of either 'product' or 'category'.

And for completeness here are how the same links look in the case of a mall.

http://storedomain.com/<store-code>/product/<product-code>.html
http://storedomain.com/<store-code>/category/< category-code>.html
http://storedomain.com/<store-code>/< screen-code>.html
http://storedomain.com/<store-code>/< category-code>/<product-code>.html

[wcw]

Re: SEO Settings

This htaccess would assume that every page in the domain is inside merchant.mvc, right?

[Barrett]

Re: SEO Settings

Here are the 4 types of short links that will be recognized with the new SEO feature. This assumes a delimiter of '/' and that this is a single store setup and not a mall.

http://storedomain.com/product/<product-code>.html
http://storedomain.com/category/< category-code>.html
http://storedomain.com/< screen-code>.html
http://storedomain.com/< category-code>/<product-code>.html

That last one should cover the bread crumb case. It does have a limitation in that it won't be recognized for a category code of either 'product' or 'category'.

And for completeness here are how the same links look in the case of a mall.

http://storedomain.com/<store-code>/product/<product-code>.html
http://storedomain.com/<store-code>/category/< category-code>.html
http://storedomain.com/<store-code>/< screen-code>.html
http://storedomain.com/<store-code>/< category-code>/<product-code>.html

Those are great, but what about supporting the many 4.xx stores that had been using the CBS styled SFL's that need to migrate as cleanly as possible to 5.5x ?
The directory styled urls are like this:

http://storedomain.com/page/storecode/CTGY/catcode

http://storedomain.com/page/storecod...ecode/prodcode

http://storedomain.com/page/storecode/PROD/prodcode

[Barrett]

Re: SEO Settings

One more thing I'm able to append the urls for additional tracking webstats like:
http://storedomain.com/page/storecode/CTGY/catcode/adwords

and still calls
http://storedomain.com/page/storecode/CTGY/catcode
properly

[HostMySite]

Re: SEO Settings

I too have a problem with the SEO settings. We use the path of http://store.domain.tld/merchant2/merchant.mvc but the SEO settings assume I am using mm5. Can this be generated based on the actual URL we are under?

[Brandon MUS]

Re: SEO Settings

I don't see the problem that you refer to. Can you elaborate?

As for the redirect, unfortunately I am not an SEO expert but as I understand it the whole reason for the SEO friendly store front is to avoid them because the search engines give big negative ratings when they find them.

I'm not sure if I am reading your post correctly, but I have NEVER heard of a search engine giving a negative rating for a redirect. Yahoo! and Google both outline the correct and recommended ways to use redirects. A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect that should be used when a page has been moved and will never be back. A 302 redirect is a temporary redirect that should be used when a page has moved only for a short while.
MM5.5 adds a directory index for the SEO store front. I have never seen that being used in this way, so I don't know how search engines will see that. I believe it will be ok in this case, I'm just not 100% sure.

Those are great, but what about supporting the many 4.xx stores that had been using the CBS styled SFL's that need to migrate as cleanly as possible to 5.5x ?
The directory styled urls are like this:

http://storedomain.com/page/storecode/CTGY/catcode

http://storedomain.com/page/storecod...ecode/prodcode

http://storedomain.com/page/storecode/PROD/prodcode

The default SEO settings are optional. If they don't match your required URL structure, make your own. As Mark Johnson said earlier in the thread, this feature doesn't change the links for you, it only writes a couple rules in your .htaccess file.

[Mark Johnson]

Re: SEO Settings

I too have a problem with the SEO settings. We use the path of http://store.domain.tld/merchant2/merchant.mvc but the SEO settings assume I am using mm5. Can this be generated based on the actual URL we are under?

Great catch, thanks. This will be fixed in the next round.

[Barrett]

Re: SEO Settings

I too have a problem with the SEO settings. We use the path of http://store.domain.tld/merchant2/merchant.mvc but the SEO settings assume I am using mm5. Can this be generated based on the actual URL we are under?

We changed the name of the directory and the paths under site config to "Merchant2"

[Barrett]

Re: SEO Settings

The default SEO settings are optional. If they don't match your required URL structure, make your own. As Mark Johnson said earlier in the thread, this feature doesn't change the links for you, it only writes a couple rules in your .htaccess file.

I somehow developed the misperception the SEO Settings being built in were going to do some sort of magic internally removing the htaccess from the forefront of handling all that.
I was actually expecting a more robust and featured filled admin screen to achieve all the aforementioned url goals in this thread with very limited manual edits to the htaccess file just like CBS SFL links mod used to do.
With what I see now kinda leaves me scratching my head wondering what it actually accomplishes.

[Barrett]

Re: SEO Settings

We changed the name of the directory and the paths under site config to "Merchant2"

[forum won't let me edit my post...]

Ok I give this seo feature a try with our Merchant2 edits in place.
Edited also the htaccess file

I do not see a change in the urls of any kind.

Do I assume then this will not work till recoded internally by miva dev before the path edit will work ?

###DirectoryIndex /Merchant2/merchant.mvc
### Begin - Inserted by Miva Merchant
###Manually edited directory index below to see what happens less mm5
DirectoryIndex /Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT

RewriteEngine On

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !-s
RewriteRule ^product/([^/]+)/html /Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_code=$1 [L]

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !-s
RewriteRule ^category/([^/]+)/html /Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_code=$1 [L]

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !-s
RewriteRule ^([^/]+)/html /Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=$1 [L]

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !-s
RewriteRule ^([^/]+)/([^/]+)/html /Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Category_code=$1&Product_ code=$2 [L]

### End - Inserted by Miva Merchant

[Brandon MUS]

Re: SEO Settings

I agree completely. About the only thing that I see this doing for the Miva Merchant community is develop a "standard" SEO link structure. Unfortunately, many people (myself included) will have other opinions on what the structure should look like, and there are no real benefits from using Miva's over your own.

[Rick Wilson]

Re: SEO Settings

There will be a number of changes in this module and it's admin in RC1. Hopefully they'll address all the needs mentioned here.

[wcw]

Re: SEO Settings

It would be nice if some of the folks who've spent lots of time studying the optimum short links would chime in.

[Dan - Glendale Designs]

Re: SEO Settings

It would be nice if some of the folks who've spent lots of time studying the optimum short links would chime in.

I have pretty much tried every combination of SEO link and by far the best method to date is the most simple:

http://www.domain.com/category-code.html
http://www.domain.com/product-code.html

In cases where the category code needs to be passed to the product display for proper breadcrumb navigation:

http://www.domain.com/product-code/category-code.html

*these methods using keyword rich product and category codes using dashes or underscores for spaces of course

In situations where the product code is not very keyword rich, ie. a sku or part number, I like to insert the product name. (replacing spaces with dashes or underscores)

http://www.domain.com/product-code/product-name.html


My personal opinions on SEO link usage:
1. The deeper the url, the less affective they are.
2. No one method works for every store.
3. SEO links are HEAVILY misunderstood and mis-used.

My two cents... let the floggings begin! :)

[wcw]

Re: SEO Settings

That DOES look interesting.

What about misc screens, eg PLST? Is it
http://www.domain.com/screen-PLST.html