Ceon URI Mapping (SEO)

[conor]

Hi,

So am I right in thinking that old pages that are linked from external sites will still be handled by the module so that they resolve to correct page???

If they have a "current URI" defined, then yes, the module will automatically redirect to the new URI, with the correct "permanent" redirection header. With links from search engines this should eventually result in the old URIs eventually stop being used, having been replaced with the new URIs.

that canonical links will be added to the site once this is installed?

That's up to how you structure things, but yes, as standard if you generate URIs for each category/subcategory/product then they'll be arranged in a hierarchy. For existing sites you'll have to update each category/product in the admin but that doesn't take long really. For new sites no work needs to be done at all for products/categories, the URIs are added as you add categories/products. You can read more in the docs, hope that helps for now.

For EZ-Pages you can enter whatever URIs you want, which allows you to struibute them into sections/subsections if desired.

BTW What's the BBC bit in the nick about?

All the best..

Conor
ceon

[simonbbc]

lol it's an old name from when you could only input three characters on the Arcade games... Stood for Bmx British Champion

but now means Simon's Best British Classics....

So if I go and install this into my www.simonbbc.com site I guess I will have a fair bit of work to do as I have a bunch of links from external sites and don't want them to be 404 when I install your module...

the only reason I am looking to move away from Sitemap XML is because I am getting duplicate headers and site crawl errors etc... in google webmaster console

[conor]

Hi,

lol it's an old name from when you could only input three characters on the Arcade games... Stood for Bmx British Champion

Ahh, get you. Do most machines not still only allow 3 characters or do I only ever end up playing classics the once in a blue moon I ever use an arcade machine? :)

So if I go and install this into my www.simonbbc.com site I guess I will have a fair bit of work to do as I have a bunch of links from external sites and don't want them to be 404 when I install your module...

You won't get any 404s.. the old links will still work and will remain the same. They'll only redirect to a new static URI if you have entered or generated a new static URI for the category/product/manufacturer/ez-page in question (or added one manually in the db in the case of "other" zen cart pages).

the only reason I am looking to move away from Sitemap XML is because I am getting duplicate headers and site crawl errors etc... in google webmaster console

I'm afraid I still have much to learn about such things so can't comment with any degree of confidence other than to say I don't see how installing the URI Mapping module could hurt as it has the "correct" form of redirection support built in and doesn't auto-generate URIs for existing URIs unless you ask it to by "updating" URIs.. basically, after its initial installation absolutely nothing on your site will have changed.. you have to go and make changes.. one of the main points behind writing the module initially was to create a module that gave the person configuring the store full control over the URIs, whereas other modules take over the format with programmitic rewrites.

Hope that helps.

All the best..

Conor
ceon

[DivaVocals]

one of the main points behind writing the module initially was to create a module that gave the person configuring the store full control over the URIs, whereas other modules take over the format with programmitic rewrites.

Hope that helps.

All the best..

Conor
ceon

And besides the fact that your module works with no real issues before or after install, I LOVE the fact that the SHOP OWNER not the program controls how the URIs are created..

[conor]

Hi,

Is there a way to change the home link on the site to direct to / rather than /index.php?main_page=index .... ? I am using the ceon uri remap, but I dont see a way to do this in there... has anyone done this. Google is showing duplicate home pages which I dont want. I only want google to see / not /index.php or /index.php?main_page=index

I have left the main_page field blank and tried using a / neither work. Is this possible?

I happened to be looking into URI issues for some of my new software (nothing to do with Zen Cart) and it brought up the subject of canonical URIs.. you might want to have a read about them (one link is http://yoast.com/wordpress/canonical/ ).

You could update your html_header.php file to check if the current page is the home page and if so output the canonical <link> tag for the page.. that should make google see / /index.php and /index.php?main_page=index as the same page, negating the problem you were having.

Just thought I'd mention it while it was fresh in my mind!

All the best..

Conor
ceon

[simonbbc]

Hi,



I happened to be looking into URI issues for some of my new software (nothing to do with Zen Cart) and it brought up the subject of canonical URIs.. you might want to have a read about them (one link is http://yoast.com/wordpress/canonical/ ).

You could update your html_header.php file to check if the current page is the home page and if so output the canonical <link> tag for the page.. that should make google see / /index.php and /index.php?main_page=index as the same page, negating the problem you were having.

Just thought I'd mention it while it was fresh in my mind!

All the best..

Conor
ceon

It's all starting to become alot clearer however... when I try to put the canonical code into my html_header.php file I can't ever find it in my templates directory, I only find tpl_header.php which I guess is the same file but can't insert the code without causing the site to display a pure white page....

This is my current code:

<?php
/**
* Atheme Template - tpl_header.php
*
* @package templateSystem
* @copyright Copyright 2007 iChoze Internet Solutions http://ichoze.com
* @copyright Portions Copyright 2003-2006 Zen Cart Development Team
* @copyright Portions Copyright 2003 osCommerce
* @license http://www.zen-cart.com/license/2_0.txt GNU Public License V2.0
* @version $Id: tpl_header.php 4813 2006-10-23 02:13:53Z drbyte $
*/
?>

<?php
// Display all header alerts via messageStack:
if ($messageStack->size('header') > 0) {
echo $messageStack->output('header');
}
if (isset($_GET['error_message']) && zen_not_null($_GET['error_message'])) {
echo htmlspecialchars(urldecode($_GET['error_message']));
}
if (isset($_GET['info_message']) && zen_not_null($_GET['info_message'])) {
echo htmlspecialchars($_GET['info_message']);
} else {

}
?>

<!--bof-header logo and navigation display-->
<?php
if (!isset($flag_disable_header) || !$flag_disable_header) {
?>


<div id="headerWrapper">
<!--bof-branding display-->
<div id="logoWrapper">
<div id="logo"><?php echo '<a href="' . HTTP_SERVER . DIR_WS_CATALOG . '">' . zen_image($template->get_template_dir(HEADER_LOGO_IMAGE, DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base,'images'). '/' . HEADER_LOGO_IMAGE, HEADER_ALT_TEXT) . '</a>'; ?></div>
<?php if (HEADER_SALES_TEXT != '') { ?>
<div id="taglineWrapper">
<?php
if (HEADER_SALES_TEXT != '') {
?>
<div id="tagline"><?php echo HEADER_SALES_TEXT;?></div>
<?php
}
?>
<!--bof-navigation display-->
<div id="navMainWrapper">
<div id="navMain">
<ul class="back">
<?php if ($_SESSION['customer_id']) { ?>
<li><a href="<?php echo zen_href_link(FILENAME_LOGOFF, '', 'SSL'); ?>"><?php echo HEADER_TITLE_LOGOFF; ?></a> |</li>
<li><a href="<?php echo zen_href_link(FILENAME_ACCOUNT, '', 'SSL'); ?>"><?php echo HEADER_TITLE_MY_ACCOUNT; ?></a></li>
<?php
} else {
if (STORE_STATUS == '0') {
?>
<li><a href="<?php echo zen_href_link(FILENAME_ACCOUNT, '', 'SSL'); ?>"><?php echo HEADER_TITLE_MY_ACCOUNT; ?></a> |</li>
<li><a href="<?php echo zen_href_link(FILENAME_SHIPPING, '', 'SSL'); ?>"><?php echo HEADER_TITLE_SHIPPING; ?></a></li>
<?php } } ?>

<?php if ($_SESSION['cart']->count_contents() != 0) { ?>
<li> | <a href="<?php echo zen_href_link(FILENAME_CHECKOUT_SHIPPING, '', 'SSL'); ?>"><?php echo HEADER_TITLE_CHECKOUT; ?></a></li>
<?php }?>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<!--eof-navigation display-->
</div>
<?php } // no HEADER_SALES_TEXT ?>
</div>
<br class="clearBoth" />
<!--eof-branding display-->
<!--eof-header logo and navigation display-->
</div>
<?php
if (HEADER_DROP_SWITCH == '1'){
require($template->get_template_dir('tpl_drop_menu.php',DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base,'common'). '/tpl_drop_menu.php');
}else{
require($template->get_template_dir('tpl_modules_categories_tabs.php',DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base,'templates'). '/tpl_modules_categories_tabs.php');
}?>
<div id="searchCartBarWrapper">
<div id="searchCartBar">
<div id="cartContent">
<a href="<?php echo zen_href_link(FILENAME_SHOPPING_CART, '', 'NONSSL'); ?>"><?php echo $_SESSION['cart']->count_contents() . HEADER_TITLE_CCONTENTS; ?></a>
</div>
<div id="altLinks">
<a href="<?php echo zen_href_link(FILENAME_SPECIALS, '', 'NONSSL'); ?>"><?php echo HEADER_SUB_SPECIALS;?></a> |
<a href="<?php echo zen_href_link(FILENAME_FEATURED_PRODUCTS, '', 'NONSSL'); ?>"><?php echo HEADER_SUB_FEATURED;?></a> |
<a href="<?php echo zen_href_link(FILENAME_PRODUCTS_ALL, '', 'NONSSL'); ?>"><?php echo HEADER_SUB_ALLPRODUCTS;?></a>
</div>
<?php require(DIR_WS_MODULES . 'sideboxes/search_header.php'); ?>

</div>
<?php
if (EZPAGES_STATUS_HEADER == '1' or (EZPAGES_STATUS_HEADER == '2' and (strstr(EXCLUDE_ADMIN_IP_FOR_MAINTENANCE, $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'])))) {
require($template->get_template_dir('tpl_ezpages_bar_header.php',DIR_WS_TEMPLATE, $current_page_base,'templates'). '/tpl_ezpages_bar_header.php');
}?><div class="clearBoth"></div>
</div>

but here http://www.jasonjgreen.com/blog/cano...-for-zen-cart/

mentions putting this

<!– Begin SE Canonical –>
<link rel=”canonical” href= <?php
$original_url = HTTP_SERVER . $_SERVER[’REQUEST_URI’];
$split_url = explode(’?', $original_url);
$no_querystring_url = $split_url[0];
echo $no_querystring_url; ?> />
<!– End SE Canonical –>

Here

Simply copy and paste the script right after the closing title tag (</title>) of your html_header.php file (located in your Common folder of your custom template folder in your Zen Cart installation).

So I fall down at this point, am I missing the right place to drop this code or am I in the wrong file all together

Thanks for your help and I will certainly make these changes tomorrow and come back for any further help left.....

For what is a hugely important amendement to make to any site that wants to be somewhere worth while you are clearly leading the way on this topic...

Good on you

my site is www.simonbbc.com if you can see anything else wrong with some of the diag tools you would use too

[guyhancock]

Hi there.

I've installed the mod and think it is great.

The only "problem" I have is that I am using Zen for my webstore and my shop. To run the shop till I have Ollacart installed.

When this mod is enabled I get a 404 Error Page Not Found if I try to access the ollacart screens. Do I need to exclude this add-on and if so how? Ollacart is installed in a separate sub-directory ("/pos") on the shop's top level.

You can see the website at www.wargamesheaven.co.uk (mod turned off) and the Ollacart at www.wargamesheaven.co.uk/pos (though you wont get more than the login screen for that one).

Obviously when you read this and think "I need to know x,y and z about this site", let me know and I'll send you the info.

cheers
Guy

[conor]

Hi,

I've installed the mod and think it is great.

Glad you like the module!

Please read the section of the docs

Adding exceptions to the rule to prevent particular addresses (e.g. Control Panels etc.) being handled by Zen Cart

It should help you fix this.

All the best..

Conor
ceon

[guyhancock]

Conor (quick reply dude)

I had added the following line to the .htaccess
# Don't rewrite POS directory
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/pos.* [NC]

Is that (a) correct syntax and (b) right? If it is, it doesn't stop the problem.

cheers
Guy

[conor]

Hi,

Conor (quick reply dude)

I had added the following line to the .htaccess
# Don't rewrite POS directory
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/pos.* [NC]

Is that (a) correct syntax and (b) right? If it is, it doesn't stop the problem.y

If you added that before the RewriteRule bit then that opens up the /pos directory for use without any attempt to map it.

I'm afraid that if that exclusion alone doesn't work then I can't say what exact exclusions would.. it might be best to ask the makers of the other software you are using what a blanket htaccess rewrite rule (such as that used by URI mapping) needs to have excluded to let their software run.

I hope you can understand that I can't support 3rd party software here, only Zen Cart issues. I imagine you should be able to get this sorted easily enough though - good luck! :)

All the best..

Conor
ceon