Meta Tag Character Limiter 1.0

I created this add-on to help keep within the recommended search engine guidelines. It limits the characters in each of the fields to a specified amount. It works with products and categories.

I plan on adding more options and looking for suggestions.

I just uploaded the files to the contribution section and am waiting for approval. I will update the post with the link as soon as it's activated.

I am curious about this mod.... What guidelines do you consider to be recommended and by whom? The only search engines guidelines I have seen on the matter from any search engine notes the quality and spam factors of the <head> information, but never any specific guidelines on the length... So I just wonder what sources you have used to determine ""recommended search engine guidelines""

http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=79812&query=meta&topic=&type=

My specific question is regarding the length of the Meta keywords which are a very common topic area here... Your limit seems quite long for common accepted best practices we are aware of which calls for 10 keywords/phrases.

~Melanie

mprough:

I am curious about this mod.... What guidelines do you consider to be recommended and by whom? The only search engines guidelines I have seen on the matter from any search engine notes the quality and spam factors of the <head> information, but never any specific guidelines on the length... So I just wonder what sources you have used to determine ""recommended search engine guidelines""

http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=79812&query=meta&topic=&type=

My specific question is regarding the length of the Meta keywords which are a very common topic area here... Your limit seems quite long for common accepted best practices we are aware of which calls for 10 keywords/phrases.

~Melanie

Hello Melanie,

I agree with you and I am making no claim to a definite size limit. There are some facts out there that helped me choose what limits to set. In my new version coming up I will be adding editable character lengths in Admin so that users can set there own sizes.

Guidelines I used personally:
http://scrubtheweb.com/abs/meta-check.html - enter url at bottom of page to see results

I also use domaintools.com to give suggestions on how I structure the keyword and titles on a given product or category.

Google only shows 60 characters of Title

Google only show up to 160 characters of Description

Google doesn't use keywords however other engines do and general consensus suggest roughly 1000 characters or less. According to the link I provided they suggest 874. You are right when you say 10 keywords or phrases but those keywords or phrases could get up to a high character count depending on what your selling, Possibly.

Anyhow I made this and I put suggests in the txt file in the download to help newbies with search engine ideas for better results. I am not claiming to be anything. Just trying to help others.

I did not like that my meta tags with standard zen-cart protocol, they were so long and unruly so I began figuring out to how to get the best results with least effort. I put a character limiter in there to help stay with in general size guidelines. I also dont include the product name, model, price or tagline automatically, instead I make them up into my own title to determine the title layout for search engines. Like I showed in the attachments.

Those are my practices and they work for me to get the best results. Just sharing.

avel

My add-on has been activated for download, here is the link:

Meta Tag Character Limiter

Hello battaryman,

I have a question.

I loaded your module. I do not know how it works since the search engines deal with it, not humans.

Apparently, I have a problem after the installation. I am not 100% sure that it is YOUR module causes it. But since the problem related to Meta Tags, it is most likely that it is your module.

When a customer goes to the Check Out page, two text lines appear at the top of the sceen, pusshing the whole template down by a width of these two line. The text uses the whole width of the screen. The text strarts with "Welcome to ..., and then contunues with all keywords Meta Tags.
See, the text:
"Welcome to EliteBra - ladies underwear online shop!" /> Welcome to EliteBra - ladies underwear online shop! - Bras Knickers, Thongs & Strings ,buy bra online,ladies knickers,bras uk,panties,lingerie,underwear,g-strings,lingerie uk,buy underwear lingerie,womens briefs,ladies underwear online,ladies briefs,online lingerie shop,shorties" />"

First, I thought that it is a SSL pages problem. In fact, not. Because, on Log In page the text does not appear (I have a dedicated SSl ceriticate).

The problem didn't exist in the beginning. It appeared after I installed a few new Add-ons, including your MetaTags limiter.

The template is SexyPink, the site - http://www.elitebralingerie.com

To check if this is caused by your module, I can unistall the module BUT you didn't explain how (you wrote that the original files included - in fact, not)

I would be very thankfull, if yoy can help.

Andrea

to the previous message:

sorry, you inded included the original files

Hello Flower,

I went to your site and made a account with the name Battery Man and I did not see your described problem. However I do not believe that the issue would be because of the meta tag limiter. It only works in the admin and only is used when you go the meta tag editor built into zencart.

But it is good to see that you are not having the problem anymore.

Cheers..
:cheers:

Hello battaryman,

sorted out -- the problem:

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=76160&page=6

Thanks.