Simple SEO URL (OLD version) [support thread]

[SPH]

SSU is buggy, broken, unsupported, and IS likely to break one's site especially if one is running Zen Cart v1.3.9 or v1.5 not because it's a URL re-writer module, but because it's buggy, broken, and unsupported.

Diva, I agree with most of what you say. The main problem now with SSU is that it is unsupported and has not been upgraded for zencart 1.5.x. Otherwise, I have it on an under-developed 1.3.9h cart and it is working great. Although it does require a certain amount of babysitting to make sure that new products and categories are being rewritten. This involves doing a SSU cache refresh when adding products, and I've found that the fastest way to check the urls is with the google xml sitemap.

Too bad about SSU being left behind, because IMO it has some nice touches. One in particular: You can copy a product to another category and it not only retains the proper canonical url, but it does not require the addition of any p or c numbers for the copied product (I know that CEON does with copied products). So a very clean url all around.

And the no magic seo bullet aside, on that gibberish WB test we had going not long ago, I now see that in *MY* search results that my SSU entry has the top three spots (going to show dupes) as the dust has settled somewhat. Above my Ultimate SEO, CEON and Native entries. This did raise an eyebrow; but possibly a chance fluke or a single moment in time. And other cart factors may be in play.

One thing I do think is clear: these pretty url writers do not damage ranking. I think it clear that google can pick-up, index and rank them well.

The real potential harm is damage or conflict with another mod or some zencart upgrade. Case in point: SSU not being available for the 1.5.x upgrade.

I think that if Zencart came with the option to turn on pretty urls, the anti-pretty url folk would have a much harder time selling their view to have people leave them off.

Now, here is something interesting - somewhat on and somewhat off topic. Last night I re-visited Tomatocart by installing the latest stable version in a test environment. The admin is like nothing I've seen before in a cart. But looking closely, I recognize Zencart! I suppose this is because of the DNA link back to OSC. This cart, and it's nice front-end looks like a Web 2.0 version of Zencart that we've been waiting for. I've been looking to make a radical change for a new domain and have been looking closely at Prestashop (which I do consider somewhat buggy and slow), but this crazy Tomatocart seems fast and is somewhat comparable to Prestashop, IMO.

Yes, I did turn on its pretty urls...and may test further by putting up that gibberish WB test product. Otherwise, it's native urls remind me of zencart's.

Okay, enough of that.

@Fairestcape: these MicroData tags. If they will become so important do you think that they will become part of zencart, or the subject of a mod?