Help! Developer claims I have to change site software because of SEO

[kaafum]

Dear Zen Cart users, I have a Zen Cart based website for some years now. It is in Dutch language. A couple of months ago I decided to hire a freelancer to do SEO for my website. He has been working on my website for some months now, but for some reason he claims that Zen Cart is not good for SEO and he even advices me to switch to Magento and ask a developer to make the switch. He claims Magento is better for SEO.

I just want to check with you guys on the forum. Here is what I highlight from his email to me:

the issue is the website core coding has been so much customized that its not allowing plugins to either install or to solve the URL structure. Not only URL structure but

- Underscores in the URLs
- Dynamic URL Extensions
- Rewrite URL Structure with keywords and keyword phrases.
- Website have more unwanted URL Rewrites.
- Website have more duplicate pages.
- Broken Links (47 Broken Links)

these above issues are also because of the customization of core Zen Cart coding.

We are right now doing SEO for a Magento website from Finland.

Within 2 months the rankings got boosted to top 40 ranks. The reason is backend is very powerful, robust and easy. Hardly we are getting errors in the webmaster tool. However for your website we have got plenty of errors. For best SEO results, Magento is non comparable.

Now what best is, please change the website to Magento (use best developers)

I really need advice here. Is this guy right? Do I need to switch in order to do SEO for my Zen Cart based website? If it can be solved within Zen Cart, how and which add on do I need to use? Is there a platform of professionals who can take this project further from here? I use 1.3.8a at the moment. Do you think this effects any of my SEO needs?

HELP!!! PS I am not a programmer, so I don't understand any coding language. I would appreciate a lot if you guys can give me an answer in plain and simple language.

Many thanks!!!

[gilby]

Dear Zen Cart users, I have a Zen Cart based website for some years now. It is in Dutch language. A couple of months ago I decided to hire a freelancer to do SEO for my website. He has been working on my website for some months now, but for some reason he claims that Zen Cart is not good for SEO and he even advices me to switch to Magento and ask a developer to make the switch. He claims Magento is better for SEO.

I just want to check with you guys on the forum. Here is what I highlight from his email to me:



I really need advice here. Is this guy right? Do I need to switch in order to do SEO for my Zen Cart based website? If it can be solved within Zen Cart, how and which add on do I need to use? Is there a platform of professionals who can take this project further from here? I use 1.3.8a at the moment. Do you think this effects any of my SEO needs?

HELP!!! PS I am not a programmer, so I don't understand any coding language. I would appreciate a lot if you guys can give me an answer in plain and simple language.

Many thanks!!!

Let me see....

You need to switch to Magenta: You will need programmers for that... I wonder if he could help?

You now need custom Magenta programming... I wonder if he could help with that?

Oh Magenta needs a much more powerful server to handle it... I wonder if he could help with that?

Oh still not getting the seo results you need after this.... You need an advanced seo services package... I wonder if he can help with that?

I suspect the answer to all these questions is yes, he can help!!!

Ooops your funds have run low because nothing has improved. Can he help with this?
No sorry he has moved on to another likely mark to sell his snake oil.

Unfortunately your initial premise was WRONG
You do NOT need pretty human readable url's for seo purposes.
Check with google for the facts.

What you DO need is to upgrade as 1.3.8a has many known vulnerabilities and is now routinely hacked.

Haven't seen your site so don't know what customisations you have
There are plenty of reliable people here who can help you if need proper help to do that.

OH, finally stay away from snake oil salesmen who offer seo services.

PS: If you really do want pretty url's then the ceon mod does that job and is easy to install

[lankeeyankee]

Absolute rubbish. We rank #1 for many search strings and in the top 10 for many many more. And we use stock zen cart dynamic urls. It could be that you do indeed have some other problems, it's hard to know without looking at your site. But you really should upgrade and in doing so you can start over with your mods and make sure that they are all running right. This forum is the perfect place to get help and there are many advanced and respected members here that offer reliable, trustworthy professional services for things that are beyond your scope or interest in doing. You might need to read through some threads to see who they are in their sig lines since the forum no longer allows any type of commercial advertising.

[DivaVocals]

Dear Zen Cart users, I have a Zen Cart based website for some years now. It is in Dutch language. A couple of months ago I decided to hire a freelancer to do SEO for my website. He has been working on my website for some months now, but for some reason he claims that Zen Cart is not good for SEO and he even advices me to switch to Magento and ask a developer to make the switch. He claims Magento is better for SEO.

I just want to check with you guys on the forum. Here is what I highlight from his email to me:



I really need advice here. Is this guy right? Do I need to switch in order to do SEO for my Zen Cart based website? If it can be solved within Zen Cart, how and which add on do I need to use? Is there a platform of professionals who can take this project further from here? I use 1.3.8a at the moment. Do you think this effects any of my SEO needs?

HELP!!! PS I am not a programmer, so I don't understand any coding language. I would appreciate a lot if you guys can give me an answer in plain and simple language.

Many thanks!!!

Rubbish.. this poorly written e-mail is NONSENSE.. However as others have pointed out what you DO need to do ASAP is to UPGRADE YOUR SITE!

Let me see....

You need to switch to Magenta: You will need programmers for that... I wonder if he could help?

You now need custom Magenta programming... I wonder if he could help with that?

Oh Magenta needs a much more powerful server to handle it... I wonder if he could help with that?

Oh still not getting the seo results you need after this.... You need an advanced seo services package... I wonder if he can help with that?

I suspect the answer to all these questions is yes, he can help!!!

Ooops your funds have run low because nothing has improved. Can he help with this?
No sorry he has moved on to another likely mark to sell his snake oil.

Unfortunately your initial premise was WRONG
You do NOT need pretty human readable url's for seo purposes.
Check with google for the facts.

What you DO need is to upgrade as 1.3.8a has many known vulnerabilities and is now routinely hacked.

Haven't seen your site so don't know what customisations you have
There are plenty of reliable people here who can help you if need proper help to do that.

OH, finally stay away from snake oil salesmen who offer seo services.

PS: If you really do want pretty url's then the ceon mod does that job and is easy to install

**giggle**
**nods in agreement**

[kaafum]

Thanks all for the answers. I suspected something like this already... pfff... Ok, let's start from scratch. So I need to update my site and after that look for help here in the forum. Lesson learned. This however means that I have to re-install all mods. This means I have to pay for the add ons again? Thanks again for your answers on this last point so we can close this topic and hopefully serve others.

[gilby]

Thanks all for the answers. I suspected something like this already... pfff... Ok, let's start from scratch. So I need to update my site and after that look for help here in the forum. Lesson learned. This however means that I have to re-install all mods. This means I have to pay for the add ons again? Thanks again for your answers on this last point so we can close this topic and hopefully serve others.

If you have commercial add ons.. then you probably will have to pay for them again.
However there are hundreds of FREE add ons here that may do what you need.
What mods were you referring to?

[DivaVocals]

and depending on which commercial add ons you are using you may only have to download the newest version from the seller and you may not have to pay for them a second time. again it depends on the seller

Thanks all for the answers. I suspected something like this already... pfff... Ok, let's start from scratch. So I need to update my site and after that look for help here in the forum. Lesson learned. This however means that I have to re-install all mods. This means I have to pay for the add ons again? Thanks again for your answers on this last point so we can close this topic and hopefully serve others.

[RodG]

I have a Zen Cart based website for some years now. It is in Dutch language. A couple of months ago I decided to hire a freelancer to do SEO for my website.

SEO requires the services of an expert. A typical freelancer has far too many different interests to consider to be of much use. In many cases they'll cause you more harm than good.

This will be a good starting point:
http://www.zen-cart.com/member.php?45948-mprough

Cheers
Rod
disclaimer: I know this member via the forums only. I have no other personal or professional relationship.