Re-Naming Images

[Willowtree]

Good Morning

I wonder if any of you kind people would be able to help please.

We want to optimise our exsiting website and need ot rename some of our product images. We have thumbnail, medium and large size images on there. Where do we rename the images within the back end of Zencart? If we rename the original image will this then automatically rename all the images for that product?

I have had a look in the back end and came accross the image handler, however I cant see where we can actually rename the actual image within that area. Im stumped at the moment. In hindsight we should have renames all our images at the time of setting it up as now we have a lot of work to do towards further SEO.

Many thanks

[fairestcape]

I'll describe quickly the principle behind the database's reference to images, and how this relates to the ACTUAL images themselves.

The database contains the NAMES of the images that are associated with your products - so in the dbase tables, you will see the references to such names:

eg:
product1.jpg
product2.jpg
product3.jpg

...etc

Then, in your images FOLDERS, you house the actual image files, and each image will itself be called an appropriate name:-

product1.jpg
product2.jpg
product3.jpg

Using the php code inherent in zencart, an ASSOCIATION is made between the information in the database, and the images in the images folder(s), when a page is "cobbled together" for display in the browser.

If the data in the database cannot correspond with the actual file name, then it cannot associate the two, and no image will be rendered.

So, in short, the NAME of the image in the image folder, MUST BE identical to it's associated reference in the database.

There are ways to automate the renaming of images, but this cannot be done via the ZC admin panel.

You will have to do this on your local computer. I use a program called Ulead Photo Explorer, that can do a lot of "batch" processes with image files - including re-naming them.

Once your images are re-named, however, you will have to alter their associated reference in the database too! The best way to do this is to use easypopulate to "compile" your product data as a spreadsheet (which you then port to your local drive) - after which you manually edit each image name. When complete, you use Easypopulate to "overwrite" the database, thereby inserting all the new names - essential if the association feature is to work.

------------------------

I always recommend that images are given identical names to the product codes (the latter should be designed according to accepted SKU principles, and be alphanumeric...)

... so if I have a product where the product code (model number) is:-

9984537

... then its corresponding image will be

9984537.jpg

In this way, I can immediately see if an image is relating to the correct product, as the SKU number is the "bible" reference.

Additionally, if you have additional images for that product, it's then also very easy to invoke ZC's associated image feature:-

9984537_01.jpg
9984537_02.jpg

Hope this helps.

PS: If you are using IH2 (Image Handler) there's no need to have MED and LRG images - just put all full-size product images into the main images folder... IH2 will do the rest automatically!

[fairestcape]

I see you also talk about SEO here...

Bear in mind that the image filename has no influence on SEO (despite what some people may tell you) and that it is the image ALT TEXT that is crucial for SEO.

Thankfully, the brilliant people who write ZC have thought of that, and the image ALT TXT is cobbled from the product name data.

[Willowtree]

Wow....thank you so much for taking the time to point me in the right direction. I very much appreciate it.

I have been told by a third party that the image name is crucial for SEO as this helps the search engines pick up another aspect of the site. After reading your reply. I take it this is not the case and I have been misinformed. At the moment my product file names have a batch number following the actual product description. Since being informed that this is may be hampereing the seo, Ive gone into panic mode thinking that the whole lot will need to be changed.

I think I may be a little thick here so forgive me but what is the difference between the image file name and image alt text

Thank you so much

[fairestcape]

Search engines cannot "analyse" images - only plain old text, and this is why web pages that are full of well-written TEXT stand a better chance of getting indexed and ranked better on search engines.

Search engines analyse the basic HTML of a web page. (You can see this html if you right-click on a web page, and select VIEW PAGE SOURCE (Firefox), or VIEW SOURCE (MS Internet Explorer).

If the HTML is properly configured, then all images will be accompanied by their relevant <alt txt> tags in the core code. As this is TEXT, Search Engines are able to interpret it, and analyse it for SERP ranking purposes.

The ALT TXT should be a verbal description of the image it is "tagged onto".

Here's one from one of my sites:-
<img src="bmz_cache/f/fe66b742fdf283d35c3a553e3c64286e.image.280x211.jpg" alt="Cosmopolitan Make-Up Bag - Black" title=" Cosmopolitan Make-Up Bag - Black " width="280" height="211" />

Here you see my images have an ALT and a TITLE tag in the html code.

This enables the search engine to assign the text to the image's filename, which in the example above, is fe66b742fdf283d35c3a553e3c64286e.image.280x211.jpg

(I use Image Handler, so the name of the image is nothing like the original pic in the image folder! As will be the case with yours too, as you also use IH2.)

There is a lot of junk written about SEO - most of what you need to know are in Google's help files on the subject.

[fairestcape]

PS: There's a fair bit more to this - I do agree - but you can trust that if you're using zencart, and you take time to describe your products accurately, configure your meta tags properly, and concentrate on RELEVANCE, then google will like you (or rather, will not penalise you).

Zencart was built by very clever people, who built much of this SEO "compliance" into the programming - so you're well on the way anyway!

For SEO, XML sitemaps are also important, and there is a module that will create XML sitemaps of your zenshop.

You should also register with Google (click the link that says "Sign In" at the top-right of the google screen - then click "Create an account now"), and administer your domain's relationship with Google via the "dashboard". Other search engines have similar facilities.

(In order to take advantage of XML sitemaps (and more), you'll need to register in the above manner anyway).

PS: If your current SEO consultant hasn't spent time explaining this to you, then dump him/her, and find someone else!

[Willowtree]

Fairestcape

Thank you very much for taking the rime to reply to my worries. I know how precious time is and I appreciate your replies. You have been very helpful.

I am going to throw myself into updating the contents of the site, take on board all you have told me and also start a blog.

Hopefully one day my site will be succesful.

Many thanks.

[fairestcape]

A pleasure to be of assistance...

Spend time using the inherent features of ZC to "optimize" your site - particularly with regard to being accurate with product names and descriptions, setting the META descriptions via the admin panel, and making sure your images are of good quality (well-taken photographs that your customers will enjoy looking at), etc...

Tens of thousands of zencart shops are highly successful, so there's absolutey no reason yours won't be just as successful.

This forum helped me hundreds of times over the years - come back to it often, and also consider getting a copy of the book (click the banner ad at the top right of this screen!)

[Willowtree]

Hi Fairestcape, Ive got a copy of the book on order

When I set the site up I didnt know about the meta tags and key words you can allocate to each category and sub category. Ive only just learnt what that little white and black button was for!!! Im going to be a busy bee adding all the descriptions etc to the categories.

Thanks

[s_p_ike]

Hello I disagree. Filename may be very important from SEO point of view. In effect I must analyze the way IH create the filename to find a way to use the original name.

If you want an example, here it is: one of my clients sell, among many other products, holy icons. Before using Zen Cart (and IH) they had many visits (and orders) from people searching icons on google image. Now there aren't visits coming from google image.

So: some kinds of shops don't want to have visists coming from google image, but for other kinds of shops they're vital! And of course for your images to be find with google image, they've to be named in a right way.