Simple SEO URL (OLD version) [support thread]

[DivaVocals]

I am playing with a new 1.5 zencart on a test site (along with the latest prestashop cart). I have not yet installed ssu to see if it works with 1.5, but I just went through the ssu files and the only core file I saw thus far that was overwritten was the html_output. Perhaps that's enough to cause serious problems. But I'll take Dr. Byte's word that the ssu url mod does not work with 1.5 (if that's what he said.)

If you are referring to my posts where I quote one of DrBytes posts I NEVER SAID that DrByte said SSU is not v1.5 ready.. I said that this mod like MANY OTHERS is probably NOT v1.5 ready. Zen Cart is different, and this mod afffects core behavior that has been modified, and this add-on will need to be examined and modified in order to work with v1.5..

We have had an older prestashop cart on a very minor site this past year and I'm now seriously playing with the latest prestashop, as I want to become conversant in zencart and another cart. SEO urls come with prestashop by default as an option you can enable from it's admin, and they do rank on google. If I needed seo urls, I'd very possibly go with prestashop...which also has other nice features out of the box.

I've read enough to forget re-written urls with zencart until it becomes part of the default install, for my eventual 1.5 cart upgrade and on. And unwritten urls may very well be fine.

You do know that there is ONE SEO mod that has ALWAYS worked trouble-free (requires NONE of the constant tending to that SSU apparently requires), is WELL supported by it's author, AND is v1.5 compatible.. Ceon URI..

[SPH]

Yes, I tested CEON url about a year or so ago, I believe I "met" you on that thread.

I was highly impressed with CEON url. On a test site with just a couple of dresses/products for testing, it jumped higher in google ranking than my dynamic main site or my SSU site (the one I had at that time), and it did so rapidly. I recall posting about this. This was when I began to doubt the talk about seo urls not mattering for google ranking. I also began to think that the seo mod one uses also makes a google difference.

In fact, I have CEON installed on my main site (now using dynamic urls). I had just done a fresh re-install of zencart 1.3.9h. I knew CEON didn't rewrite products/cats already on the site. So I uploaded all my new products via Easy Populate, expecting to see rewritten urls. Nope. Apparently one has to do this in the admin, product by product. Or buy the special mod that changes prior products.

I just looked at your posts on the 1.5 thread with the guy who turned off his SEO mod on his car site and now has numerous broken links. I think this a good example of not using any seo rewriter until if and when it becomes a part of the default zencart install. Otherwise, your shop is always dependendent on mod writers to avert disaster.

I'm thinking that in the future, if I really need seo urls...if seo urls are a deal breaker...it makes sense to look at a shopping cart that comes with seo urls by default.

sph
www.prommart.com (dynamic urls although CEON has been installed)
www.fashion-mart.biz (Simple SEO URL)

www.zencart.prom-mart.com (zencart 1.5 test site)
www.prom-mart.com (PrestaShop test site)

[DivaVocals]

I knew CEON didn't rewrite products/cats already on the site. So I uploaded all my new products via Easy Populate, expecting to see rewritten urls. Nope. Apparently one has to do this in the admin, product by product. Or buy the special mod that changes prior products.

The mod you have to purchase is WELL WORTH the money as it works like a CHAMP!!! (has lots of other neat features too..) The other method is to write a DB script to upload the URIs, or create a CSV and upload the URI's to the table.

I just looked at your posts on the 1.5 thread with the guy who turned off his SEO mod on his car site and now has numerous broken links.

Sadly he has STILL not fixed the issue . I can only assume it's because he REALLY doesn't GET the disaster he has created (or he doesn't care, thinks it's no big deal, whatever).. However, all he had to to was take a little time to do some proper planning and make sure her setup his redirects BEFORE turning off the SEO.. then it woulda been NO issue..

I think this a good example of not using any seo rewriter until if and when it becomes a part of the default zencart install. Otherwise, your shop is always dependendent on mod writers to avert disaster.

I'm thinking that in the future, if I really need seo urls...if seo urls are a deal breaker...it makes sense to look at a shopping cart that comes with seo urls by default.

Are you trying to avoid having to deal with creating redirects if a client turns off friendly URLs?? What if your client says no to friendly URLs today (so you implement Zen Cart for them), then they decide later they want friendly URLs and then they change their mind later and wants to turn friendly URLs off.. Are you gonna move them from one shopping cart to the next?? Think you can do that without having to create re-directs?? Hmmmmmm..

The shopping cart that supports friendly URLS out the box (PrestaShop I presume) allows you to turn on and off friendly URLs.. and this is fine if PrestaShop's feature for turning friendly URLS handles creating those redirects for you.. (doesn't look like PrestaShop does this)

You can't control all situations or clients needs/wants.. I don't encourage clients to use URL re-writers, but if they INSIST on friendly URLs I will implement Ceon URI, and if they decided they change their mind, I'll just plan to create the proper re-directs.. I think Zen Cart is a stronger product than other competing Open Source cart frameworks.. So having to do a little extra work (like creating re-directs) is no big deal to me..

[SPH]

I don't have clients, but am seriously thinking of maybe getting in to that.

I agree: zencart seems to me to still be the best. I'm testing prestashop in case I want to do two carts, but am way more familiar with zencart. And despite Presta's built-in functions, I think zencart ultimately more powerful and useful. But I would not begin to look for clients without the new PCI compliant 1.5 zencart, or without IH and an EP that does attributes way I'm familiar with (studying EP4 some more, which I already use in conjunction with an older EP). So looking for clients is on hold, although I guess I can start a business plan.

I agree CEON URL has become the best seo mod for zencart. Just hope that one day he doesn't disappear, like Yellow on SSU. :)

IMO, seo mods are potentially the most dangerous mods for a zencart. If zencart team and CEON could only get together to make his default mod part of the zencart build, it would be much safer from update to update, imo. And CEON could still sell his updated manager.

Never looked at how do do re-directs, and never felt the need. Guess I'll have to.

Thanks!

sph
www.prommart.com
www.fashion-mart.biz

[SPH]

Are you gonna move them from one shopping cart to the next?? Think you can do that without having to create re-directs?? Hmmmmmm

From what I've read, it is theoretically possible to carry your urls from one cart or platform to another. That's if you strip out all parameters in the url, like CEON (and the apparently outdated SSU) can. Remove all category/product id's. Remove any ending file extension such as .html. Like on my seo url site here:

http://www.fashion-mart.biz/allure/e...by-allure-a538

So long as the other cart/platform can also do it, it might work.

I think this is the theory of having url's that can last forever, as platforms develop the url can always remain the same.

sph
www.prommart.com
www.fashion-mart.biz

[DivaVocals]

I do know this, but my point is that there is work to do to make this happen too.. If you transfer from one SEF add-on to another (SSU to Ceon, or Ultimate to SSU), you need to recreate your URLs, if you switch from one shopping cart framework to another, you need to re-create your URLs, if you disable your SEF add-on altogether, you need to create redirects from your pretty URLs back to their dynamic counterparts.. (what I was advising that kid to do in that other thread, and it would appear that he's not taking seriously the impact of not following this advice) Shopping cart frameworks that support pretty links are fine so long as they ALSO support creating redirects when you decide NOT to use those pretty links anymore..

From what I've read, it is theoretically possible to carry your urls from one cart or platform to another. That's if you strip out all parameters in the url, like CEON (and the apparently outdated SSU) can. Remove all category/product id's. Remove any ending file extension such as .html. Like on my seo url site here:

http://www.fashion-mart.biz/allure/e...by-allure-a538

So long as the other cart/platform can also do it, it might work.

I think this is the theory of having url's that can last forever, as platforms develop the url can always remain the same.

sph
www.prommart.com
www.fashion-mart.biz

[icemint]

Has anyone verified this module works for Zencart v1.5.0?

I recently migrated from Zencart v1.3.9h to v1.5.0. It seems everything still working except the control menu in the admin area has gone. So I'm trying to re-install the latest SSU module ssu_v3.8.3 again in my cart. Anyone knows if there is available for a newer than this?