mmmm...Meta Tags - help/guidance needed

[woodlandsprite]

I'm in the process of populating the shop and would like some guidance on Meta Tags.
What all goes in each section?
-meta tag title (I *think* this is what goes in the title bar of the browser, yes? no? do I win a carrot?)
-meta tag keywords (okay, this one is self explanatory :) )
-meta tag description

is it possible to make metatags match for various products so I don't have to keep entering them?

And finally, are there multiple Meta_tags.php file? I took a copy, placed it in my override file and yet if I select "title/tagline" in "Mark what the product's meta tag title should include" in the preview it says "Zencart, the art of e-commerce" yet I have edited and confirmed that i have changed the metatag title & tagline and it is working just fine.

TIA

[Sermonzone]

-meta tag title - you win the prize
-meta tag keywords - two for two
-meta tag description - you must enter a description. What does your customer want to know about the product.

is it possible to make metatags match for various products so I don't have to keep entering them?

I know this can be done by copying attributes from one product to another and to a category. Not my area of expertise thought. Suggest you search on copying product attributes and see what you find.

And finally, are there multiple Meta_tags.php file?

Yes. You want to edit includes\languages\english\YOUR-TEMPLATE\meta_tags.php. Make sure your have the custom template turned on in the Admin and that you have edited the correct file and have it uploaded to the correct folder.

I took a copy, placed it in my override file and yet if I select "title/tagline" in "Mark what the product's meta tag title should include" in the preview it says "Zencart, the art of e-commerce" yet I have edited and confirmed that i have changed the metatag title & tagline and it is working just fine.

See above. Do not be surprised to discover that what you have 'edited and confirmed' is surprisingly not in the right place. Imagine my own red face when I did it.

[woodlandsprite]

-meta tag description - you must enter a description. What does your customer want to know about the product.

Thanks Bruce. Sorry to be so incredibly thick in the head, but I do have a product description written, so what does this meta tag description do?

[Sermonzone]

The product description is what you entered in the products catalog page correct? That is the 'visible' description. Meta-tags are the 'invisible,' behind the scenes things that get chewed up by search engines, allegedly. You must have all 3 meta boxes populated for the product meta-tag to work.

Perhaps you would try a one sentence version of the product description. Also, you see what other people have done by viewing the page source. Find a site with similar products and compare the visible product description with the meta-tag description.

Let me know what you find.

[woodlandsprite]

ah. well that certainly explains it :)
And you're right on - thanks again. I guess I get to put my summarizing skills to work. LOL.

[BlessIsaacola]

Is it no longer true that if there is no meta tag for a product, Zen Cart will use the product description as the default?

[borillion_star]

Hi Linda,

is html_header.php the correct place to change the order of the individual product titles and the tag line? I was wanting the store name to come first before the product name, price, model etc....my template does not seem to have one.

[Bikeforce]

Hello, my meta tag titles are not showing how I want them too. I am aware that all the meta fields need filling out and you can globally configurate them in product types and product info in the admin area. However it doesnt seem to be making any difference to my meta tags titles. All I am bothered about is for the product info pages and catgeories to show the titles I have put when defining individual meta tags.

I have taken a look at the meta_tags.php and they are pretty much on default, I have also tried creating a folder with my template name and placing it inside there.

The problem is when either globally or per product I try to define which meta tags to include in the title it makes no difference.

For example - in the title I wish to show: Meta tags - Title, everything else set to off. What I get is product name and model?

As I say I have tried doing globally and per product and nothing is working. Any suggestions appreciated.

[Ajeh]

The meta_tags.php controls the display ...

If you customize your Meta Tags, do you see a Black or Orange icon for the Meta Tags?

[Bikeforce]

The meta_tags.php controls the display ...

If you customize your Meta Tags, do you see a Black or Orange icon for the Meta Tags?

Yes I have filled all the fields out for certain products including description seperated by commas. The Meta tage symbol turns orange.

I dont get the meta tag title if i set this to on and everything else to off. I get "product name {Model}: global title (defined in meta_tags.php) "

This seems to be reverting back to some kind of default even though both globally and locally I have specified I want to only show meta title - in the product types and product info.


Meta_tag.php as follows;
"
// page title
define('TITLE', 'Bike Force');

// Site Tagline
define('SITE_TAGLINE', '');

// Custom Keywords
define('CUSTOM_KEYWORDS', '');

// Home Page Only:
define('HOME_PAGE_META_DESCRIPTION', 'Bike Force, Bicycle Parts, Bicycle Accessories');
define('HOME_PAGE_META_KEYWORDS', 'Bike Force, Bicycle Parts, Bicycle Accessories');

// NOTE: If HOME_PAGE_TITLE is left blank (default) then TITLE and SITE_TAGLINE will be used instead.
define('HOME_PAGE_TITLE', ''); // usually best left blank "........

PRODUCT INFO

PRODUCT TYPES

META TAGS FOR PRODUCT

META TITLE


What I want for title is the title I have defined in the meta tags for this product (and maybe product name but I could put this in as a title if i wanted that)

Thanks