Few Questions On SEO and Sitemap.xml

[theorangegrove]

Hi

Looking for some help and advice on my website (www.orangegrovecrafts.com), the only way I can see to find the website through Google is with the keywords orange grove crafts, take for example this page (http://www.orangegrovecrafts.com//in...roducts_id=265) If I search for all the words used on that page ( Three Drawer Blue And Cream Wooden Bathroom Chest Orange Grove Crafts) on Google i don't see my website at all, or any other search terms which are used throughout my site.
Take Amazon for example if I searched "Bathroom Chest Amazon" then it links me to Amazons website with all their bathroom cabinets.

I did some research and I think the problem is that only my homepage is indexed in Google and not any other pages with products on them, does anyone know if this is correct? Also is it recommended that I should create a sitemap.xml and upload it to Google to help index more pages?

I would appreciate any advice or tips on how to improve SEO, also there seems to be conflicting views on whether customising the page url's helps with SEO for example instead of http://www.orangegrovecrafts.com//in...roducts_id=265 to www.orangegrovecrafts.com/products/BeachCabinet

Thanks!

[lat9]

You might want to take a peek at your /includes/configure.php file. You've got an extra '/' somewhere because each of your links show as //index.php?main_page=whatever. Maybe that's why Google isn't indexing your pages (although you didn't mention how long you've been up) ...

There's a Sitemap XML generator in the plugins area that's excellent!

[theorangegrove]

Hi

Thanks for the reply , website has been up for around a year, I had a look in the configure.php file as you suggested but not sure what im looking for? Do you know what line i might have added an extra / in to cause that.

Thanks!

[DivaVocals]

Here's a great article which will cover your questions.. If you haven't done so on your site (can't see it since our corporate firewalls block the site), pay particular attention to items 6-8..

http://pro-webs.net/blog/2009/09/10/...-seo-12-steps/

[kobra]

I had a look in the configure.php file as you suggested but not sure what im looking for?

Post the contents of your configure.php files here - - x'ing out your db details

[theorangegrove]

Post the contents of your configure.php files here - - x'ing out your db details

<?php
/**
* @package Configuration Settings circa 1.5.0
* @copyright Copyright 2003-2011 Zen Cart Development Team
* @copyright Portions Copyright 2003 osCommerce
* @license http://www.zen-cart.com/license/2_0.txt GNU Public License V2.0
* File Built by zc_install on 2012-01-16 09:42:52
*/


/*************** NOTE: This file is similar, but DIFFERENT from the "store" version of configure.php. ***********/
/*************** The 2 files should be kept separate and not used to overwrite each other. ***********/

/**
* WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU USE SSL PROTECTION FOR YOUR ENTIRE ADMIN:
* To do that, make sure you use a "https:" URL for BOTH the HTTP_SERVER and HTTPS_SERVER entries:
*/
define('HTTP_SERVER', 'http://www.orangegrovecrafts.com');
define('HTTPS_SERVER', 'https://www.orangegrovecrafts.com');
define('HTTP_CATALOG_SERVER', 'http://www.orangegrovecrafts.com');
define('HTTPS_CATALOG_SERVER', 'https://www.orangegrovecrafts.com');

// secure webserver for admin? Valid choices are 'true' or 'false' (including quotes).
define('ENABLE_SSL_ADMIN', 'false');

// secure webserver for storefront? Valid choices are 'true' or 'false' (including quotes).
define('ENABLE_SSL_CATALOG', 'false');

// NOTE: be sure to leave the trailing '/' at the end of these lines if you make changes!
// * DIR_WS_* = Webserver directories (virtual/URL)
// these paths are relative to top of your webspace ... (ie: under the public_html or httpdocs folder)
$t1 = parse_url(HTTP_SERVER);$p1 = $t1['path'];$t2 = parse_url(HTTPS_SERVER);$p2 = $t2['path'];

define('DIR_WS_ADMIN', preg_replace('#^' . str_replace('-', '\-', $p1) . '#', '', dirname($_SERVER['SCRIPT_NAME'])) . '/');
define('DIR_WS_CATALOG', '//');
define('DIR_WS_HTTPS_ADMIN', preg_replace('#^' . str_replace('-', '\-', $p2) . '#', '', dirname($_SERVER['SCRIPT_NAME'])) . '/');
define('DIR_WS_HTTPS_CATALOG', '//');

define('DIR_WS_IMAGES', 'images/');
define('DIR_WS_ICONS', DIR_WS_IMAGES . 'icons/');
define('DIR_WS_CATALOG_IMAGES', HTTP_CATALOG_SERVER . DIR_WS_CATALOG . 'images/');
define('DIR_WS_CATALOG_TEMPLATE', HTTP_CATALOG_SERVER . DIR_WS_CATALOG . 'includes/templates/');
define('DIR_WS_INCLUDES', 'includes/');
define('DIR_WS_BOXES', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'boxes/');
define('DIR_WS_FUNCTIONS', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'functions/');
define('DIR_WS_CLASSES', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'classes/');
define('DIR_WS_MODULES', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'modules/');
define('DIR_WS_LANGUAGES', DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'languages/');
define('DIR_WS_CATALOG_LANGUAGES', HTTP_CATALOG_SERVER . DIR_WS_CATALOG . 'includes/languages/');

// * DIR_FS_* = Filesystem directories (local/physical)
define('DIR_FS_ADMIN', realpath(dirname(__FILE__) . '/../') . '/');
//the following path is a COMPLETE path to your Zen Cart files. eg: /var/www/vhost/accountname/public_html/store/
define('DIR_FS_CATALOG', '/home1/orangegr/public_html/');

define('DIR_FS_CATALOG_LANGUAGES', DIR_FS_CATALOG . 'includes/languages/');
define('DIR_FS_CATALOG_IMAGES', DIR_FS_CATALOG . 'images/');
define('DIR_FS_CATALOG_MODULES', DIR_FS_CATALOG . 'includes/modules/');
define('DIR_FS_CATALOG_TEMPLATES', DIR_FS_CATALOG . 'includes/templates/');
define('DIR_FS_BACKUP', DIR_FS_ADMIN . 'backups/');
define('DIR_FS_EMAIL_TEMPLATES', DIR_FS_CATALOG . 'email/');
define('DIR_FS_DOWNLOAD', DIR_FS_CATALOG . 'download/');

// define our database connection
define('DB_TYPE', 'xxx');
define('DB_PREFIX', 'xxx');
define('DB_CHARSET', 'xxx');
define('DB_SERVER', 'xxx');
define('DB_SERVER_USERNAME', 'xxx');
define('DB_SERVER_PASSWORD', 'xxx');
define('DB_DATABASE', 'xxx');

// The next 2 "defines" are for SQL cache support.
// For SQL_CACHE_METHOD, you can select from: none, database, or file
// If you choose "file", then you need to set the DIR_FS_SQL_CACHE to a directory where your apache
// or webserver user has write privileges (chmod 666 or 777). We recommend using the "cache" folder inside the Zen Cart folder
// ie: /path/to/your/webspace/public_html/zen/cache -- leave no trailing slash
define('SQL_CACHE_METHOD', 'database');
define('DIR_FS_SQL_CACHE', '/xxx/xxx/public_html/cache');


// Define the webserver and path parameters
// Main webserver: eg-http://www.your_domain.com -
// HTTP_SERVER is your Main webserver: eg-http://www.your_domain.com
// HTTPS_SERVER is your Secure webserver: eg-https://www.your_domain.com
// HTTP_CATALOG_SERVER is your Main webserver: eg-http://www.your_domain.com
// HTTPS_CATALOG_SERVER is your Secure webserver: eg-https://www.your_domain.com
/*
* URLs for your site will be built via:
* HTTP_SERVER plus DIR_WS_ADMIN or
* HTTPS_SERVER plus DIR_WS_HTTPS_ADMIN or
* HTTP_SERVER plus DIR_WS_CATALOG or
* HTTPS_SERVER plus DIR_WS_HTTPS_CATALOG
* ...depending on your system configuration settings
*/
// EOF

[Design75]

define('DIR_WS_ADMIN', preg_replace('#^' . str_replace('-', '\-', $p1) . '#', '', dirname($_SERVER['SCRIPT_NAME'])) . '/');
  define('DIR_WS_CATALOG', '//');
  define('DIR_WS_HTTPS_ADMIN', preg_replace('#^' . str_replace('-',  '\-', $p2) . '#', '', dirname($_SERVER['SCRIPT_NAME'])) . '/');
  define('DIR_WS_HTTPS_CATALOG', '//'); 

should be

define('DIR_WS_ADMIN', preg_replace('#^' . str_replace('-', '\-', $p1) . '#', '', dirname($_SERVER['SCRIPT_NAME'])) . '/');
  define('DIR_WS_CATALOG', '/');
  define('DIR_WS_HTTPS_ADMIN', preg_replace('#^' . str_replace('-',  '\-', $p2) . '#', '', dirname($_SERVER['SCRIPT_NAME'])) . '/');
  define('DIR_WS_HTTPS_CATALOG', '/'); 

Also check the configure file on the front-end of the shop

[theorangegrove]

Thanks, managed to fix the double slash problem now, do you think that's what was stopping all my pages from being indexed as i mentioned in the 1st post.


Cheers!

[stevesh]

(can't see it since our corporate firewalls block the site

I don't see anything offensive there. Does your company block all ecommerce sites ? No Cyber Monday for you !?

[DivaVocals]

I don't see anything offensive there. Does your company block all ecommerce sites ? No Cyber Monday for you !?

Steve I WISH I could figure out what the corporate firewall considers content to be blocked.. Some sites it makes perfect sense, but other's not so much.. I assume there's some trigger word in this site that made the firewall koo koo.. But there will be a Cyber Monday for me.. Amazon is NOT blocked and if all else fails, and I just GOTTA have it, there's always my wonderful SmartPhone!! Hell half the reason I got this little "mini tablet" is so that I could avoid the corporate firewall stuff..