Simple SEO URL (OLD version) [support thread]

[pe1234ter]

Dear yellow

I have little problem with the Simple SEO URL

I have some products with manufacturers name contain "&" and "-"
for example "X&Y" and "X-game"
if using the manufacturer side box to sort those items, the url display like this:

For manufacturer "X&Y" will display: www.mydomain.com/shop/x
how to change it back to www.mydomain.com/shop/manufacturer/x-y

For manufacturer "X-game" will display: www.mydomain.com/shop/game

how to change it back to www.mydomain.com/shop/manufacturer/x-game

thx

[llynix]

Recently ran into a problem with Google Analytics and SSU. We did an email campaign where we wanted our links tracked. We added the conversion code but nothing was showing up on our stats.

Turns out SSU was mangling the links. The fix was easy. Go into configuration -> Simple SEO URL and add:
utm_source,utm_medium,utm_campaign,utm_content
to Set Query Key's Exclude List.

Then I reset the cache and the links weren't mangled anymore.

Just thought I'd point this out to anyone doing Google campaigns.

[bobthemolder]

I figured out why my URLs were not re-written internally. It looks like I somehow missed some installation instructions. Most likely this is because the read-me with the file is dependant on external links, and somehow I didn't end up on the right link/ or didn't get the right information.

So if you are re-directing to the right page, with simple SEO url like me, but internal links were not re-written, the answer is here:
SSU Installation Instructions

global $request_type, $session_started, $http_domain, $https_domain;

//bof simple seo url
    global $ssu;
    if(is_object($ssu) && ($link = $ssu->ssu_link($page, $parameters, $connection, $add_session_id, $search_engine_safe, $static, $use_dir_ws_catalog))!= false) return $link;
//eof simple seo url

Also, make sure you edit the RIGHT html_output.php file, this one:
/includes/functions/html_output.php

Of course, don't bother changing the admin panel version of html_output.php (we don't want redirects in there).

I hope that helps anyone that had the same issue as me.

I just wanted to let you know, that... I love you.

Seriously thank you for posting this. I haven't been able to figure out what was wrong for months, I guess I missed this step too

[bobthemolder]

I haven't been able to figure out how to work this in with the rewriting going on in the .htaccess - how do you rewrite the URL to always add the "www." to the front?

[bobthemolder]

I haven't been able to figure out how to work this in with the rewriting going on in the .htaccess - how do you rewrite the URL to always add the "www." to the front?

Found it: includes/configure.php

Mind you, this only changes the internal links, is there something that can be added to the .htaccess?

[psychicpet]

Has there been any updates to setting canonical links? I have found that since using SSU my SEO has actually dropped. I am not sure what the cause but I have a sneaking suspicion that the duplicate content is to blame.

Could the mod include a rel="canonical" link in the product page headers that always equals the SSU output?

[mprough]

Hi Everyone,

Have used these forums a lot to help me learn Zen Cart and I have done 3 customized carts so far with great success. Since I have gotten so much help from the info here I wanted to share a tweak for SSU I figured out to help with the issue of having multiple URLs for the same product when that product is in multiple categories.

I would wait for Raine to verify if he thinks there are any implications of doing this, but so far it is working as I need it for me. Perhaps this can be added in the future as an option, ill detail my idea more below.

So basically almost all my products belong to two categories, so if you are browsing the 1st category with product A, you have one link, and if you are in the 2nd category with product A, you have another link, since links are formatted with the category name in them.

What I did was modify the product parser to pull back only the master category id when formulating the product URL. So no matter what category page I am on, the links to the product are using the path containing the master category id.

Location the following file:
/includes/classes/ssu/plugins/parsers/product.php and go to about line 121 to find this code:

static function getProductPath($products_id, $cPath) {    
        global $db;
        $categories_id = self::getID($cPath, '_');
        
        $category_query = "select p2c.categories_id, p.master_categories_id
                           from " . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p, " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_TO_CATEGORIES . " p2c
                           where p.products_id = '" . $products_id . "'
                           and p.products_id = p2c.products_id 
                           and (p.master_categories_id = '$categories_id' or p2c.categories_id='$categories_id') limit 1";
        
        $category = $db->Execute($category_query);
        
        // fall back if needed to
        if ($category->RecordCount() == 0){
             $category_query = "select p.master_categories_id
                                 from " . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p 
                                 where p.products_id = '" . $products_id . "' limit 1";
             $category = $db->Execute($category_query);
             if ($category->RecordCount() > 0)
                 $categories_id = $category->fields['master_categories_id'];
        }
        
        $cPath = ""; 

now, comment out the first query section so that the code is forced to use the fallback code which pulls back the master category id only. the resulting code should look like the following:

static function getProductPath($products_id, $cPath) {    
        global $db;
        $categories_id = self::getID($cPath, '_');
        /*
        $category_query = "select p2c.categories_id, p.master_categories_id
                           from " . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p, " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_TO_CATEGORIES . " p2c
                           where p.products_id = '" . $products_id . "'
                           and p.products_id = p2c.products_id 
                           and (p.master_categories_id = '$categories_id' or p2c.categories_id='$categories_id') limit 1";
        
        $category = $db->Execute($category_query);
        */
        // fall back if needed to
        //if ($category->RecordCount() == 0){
             $category_query = "select p.master_categories_id
                                 from " . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p 
                                 where p.products_id = '" . $products_id . "' limit 1";
             $category = $db->Execute($category_query);
             if ($category->RecordCount() > 0)
                 $categories_id = $category->fields['master_categories_id'];
        //}
        
        $cPath = ""; 

This is the only code change necessary. Upload the file (make sure you saved the original just in case) and then go into the SEO URL Manager in Admin under Extras and clear out the cache for the products. You may need to clear out all cache but im not sure of the overall impact, maybe Raine can comment.

So going forward, I propose to Raine to add a flag in the admin for "Use Master Category Always". When this is set to true, it will force the master category to be used in the link at all times and bypass that first part of the code like I have done here. This would be the more formal approach for your own release and would be a lot easier for you to do than me, I am sure!

Again I thank you for this mod as well as the community for all the info I have gained here!

Jason

This worked for me.

~Melanie

[pisco]

Hello yellow,

I prepare a uppgrade for zencart, so a set up a playground with latest zencart and simple seo. So far Simple SEO works fine but the the link for the button to delte a article from shopping cart does't work if simple seo is enabled:

original link

http://example.org/index.php?main_page=shopping_cart&action=remove_product&product_id=1981:830d09ce3f787c08a88dc8e7bc52d136

but with simple seo enabled

http://example.org/shopping_cart/product_id/1981%3A830d09ce3f787c08a88dc8e7bc52d136?action=remove_product

I already played with enabled

'pages_excluded_list'   =>  explode(',', SSU_EXCLUDE_LIST),
'queries_excluded_list' =>  explode(',', SSU_QUERY_EXCLUDE_LIST)

in the config.conf and Exclude stuff at the admin interface to whitelist 'action', but i didn't got it tor work.

any hints?

BTW: I use the version from eazy templates (September 2009)

Thank you very much.

[countrycharm]

Hi Everyone,

Have used these forums a lot to help me learn Zen Cart and I have done 3 customized carts so far with great success. Since I have gotten so much help from the info here I wanted to share a tweak for SSU I figured out to help with the issue of having multiple URLs for the same product when that product is in multiple categories.

I would wait for Raine to verify if he thinks there are any implications of doing this, but so far it is working as I need it for me. Perhaps this can be added in the future as an option, ill detail my idea more below.

So basically almost all my products belong to two categories, so if you are browsing the 1st category with product A, you have one link, and if you are in the 2nd category with product A, you have another link, since links are formatted with the category name in them.

What I did was modify the product parser to pull back only the master category id when formulating the product URL. So no matter what category page I am on, the links to the product are using the path containing the master category id.

Location the following file:
/includes/classes/ssu/plugins/parsers/product.php and go to about line 121 to find this code:

static function getProductPath($products_id, $cPath) {    
        global $db;
        $categories_id = self::getID($cPath, '_');
        
        $category_query = "select p2c.categories_id, p.master_categories_id
                           from " . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p, " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_TO_CATEGORIES . " p2c
                           where p.products_id = '" . $products_id . "'
                           and p.products_id = p2c.products_id 
                           and (p.master_categories_id = '$categories_id' or p2c.categories_id='$categories_id') limit 1";
        
        $category = $db->Execute($category_query);
        
        // fall back if needed to
        if ($category->RecordCount() == 0){
             $category_query = "select p.master_categories_id
                                 from " . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p 
                                 where p.products_id = '" . $products_id . "' limit 1";
             $category = $db->Execute($category_query);
             if ($category->RecordCount() > 0)
                 $categories_id = $category->fields['master_categories_id'];
        }
        
        $cPath = ""; 

now, comment out the first query section so that the code is forced to use the fallback code which pulls back the master category id only. the resulting code should look like the following:

static function getProductPath($products_id, $cPath) {    
        global $db;
        $categories_id = self::getID($cPath, '_');
        /*
        $category_query = "select p2c.categories_id, p.master_categories_id
                           from " . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p, " . TABLE_PRODUCTS_TO_CATEGORIES . " p2c
                           where p.products_id = '" . $products_id . "'
                           and p.products_id = p2c.products_id 
                           and (p.master_categories_id = '$categories_id' or p2c.categories_id='$categories_id') limit 1";
        
        $category = $db->Execute($category_query);
        */
        // fall back if needed to
        //if ($category->RecordCount() == 0){
             $category_query = "select p.master_categories_id
                                 from " . TABLE_PRODUCTS . " p 
                                 where p.products_id = '" . $products_id . "' limit 1";
             $category = $db->Execute($category_query);
             if ($category->RecordCount() > 0)
                 $categories_id = $category->fields['master_categories_id'];
        //}
        
        $cPath = ""; 

This is the only code change necessary. Upload the file (make sure you saved the original just in case) and then go into the SEO URL Manager in Admin under Extras and clear out the cache for the products. You may need to clear out all cache but im not sure of the overall impact, maybe Raine can comment.

So going forward, I propose to Raine to add a flag in the admin for "Use Master Category Always". When this is set to true, it will force the master category to be used in the link at all times and bypass that first part of the code like I have done here. This would be the more formal approach for your own release and would be a lot easier for you to do than me, I am sure!

Again I thank you for this mod as well as the community for all the info I have gained here!

Jason

Hi Jason I just wanted to say thank you for this fix. I was having trouble with this too, and this seems to work quite nicely. Maybe yellow can includes it in admin. Thanks again.

[xwq19870217]

lol very useful 。 thank you share with us 。 best regards