[openmind]

I'm planning some extra SEO functionality for OMC in addition to the friendly URLs and SE safe structure for the system already.

My question is a simple one. What are the specific SEO features you would expect/like to see on an eCommerce product?

[RayB]

Oh, great question!

Off the top of my head:

• Homepage links always redirect to root domain - not /index.php etc
• Canonicalisation dealt with - redirect non www to www or vice versa.
• One version of internal page urls's only, preferably with trailing "/" forced on the end
• Ability to set product or page name and url independently of each other
• Ability to set title tag for each page
• Ability to include <h1> tag on top of each page independently of page name and url, and ability to add <h2> and <h3> tags within the text editor
• Facility to add meta robots tags at page level
• "alt tag" field for images (especially if they link)
• Navigation to appear after the </body> tag in the code - keeping the content higher up the code
• Facility to add "rel=nofollow" at link level
• A 301 redirect wizard in case you need to move or change url's
• xml sitemap generator
• Abilty to easily add verification code for Webmaster Tools, Yahoo Site Explorer and Analytics

I'm bound to have forgotten a few bits, I'll add to the post if I remember any more

[openmind]

• Homepage links always redirect to root domain - not /index.php etc
• Implemented for the next release
• Canonicalisation dealt with - redirect non www to www or vice versa.
• yep can write a script to bounce a user about
• One version of internal page urls's only, preferably with trailing "/" forced on the end
• Implemented for the next release
• Ability to set product or page name and url independently of each other
• Planned and will be going in
• Ability to include <h1> tag on top of each page independently of page name and url, and ability to add <h2> and <h3> tags within the text editor
• h1 planned, h2/h3 already available
• Facility to add meta robots tags at page level
• expansion planned on this
• "alt tag" field for images (especially if they link)
• already in place
• Navigation to appear after the </body> tag in the code - keeping the content higher up the code
• by this I assume you mean the side bar, crumbtrail coding etc?
• Facility to add "rel=nofollow" at link level
• Interesting one but simple to do
• A 301 redirect wizard in case you need to move or change url's
• very interesting and could be done but would need some planning as the pages don't exist per se they are db generated.
• xml sitemap generator
• planned for next version (auto updating)
• Abilty to easily add verification code for Webmaster Tools, Yahoo site Explorer and Analytics
• already in the pipe line

Cheers Mr B

[RayB]

Originally Posted by openmind

• One version of internal page urls's only, preferably with trailing "/" forced on the end
• Elaborate a little on this?

Ok, google indexes urls, not pages - and many sites have issues with several versions of a url - so if people link to different versions you are losing link love, and potentailly have duplicate content issues.

Even a url with and without a "/" are different, then you have /index.php etc to contend with. But it can all be fixed with a .htaccess file.

To see what I mean, I used to have different urls on my site, but we fixed it. Try these:

http://www.alocalprinter.com/uk/leaflets

http://www.alocalprinter.com/uk/leaflets/index.cfm

They both redirect to:

http://www.alocalprinter.com/uk/leaflets/

So, there is one version of the url

[RayB]

Dang, nearly forgot the most important bit - ability to create a hub and spoke url structure e.g.:

/about-us/
/about-us/more-about-us/

/widgets-html-landing-page/
/widgets-html-landing-page/red-widgets-product-page/
/widgets-html-landing-page/green-widgets-products-page/

[openmind]

Originally Posted by RayB

[/list]Ok, google indexes urls, not pages - and many sites have issues with several versions of a url - so if people link to different versions you are losing link love, and potentailly have duplicate content issues.

Even a url with and without a "/" are different, then you have /index.php etc to contend with. But it can all be fixed with a .htaccess file.

To see what I mean, I used to have different urls on my site, but we fixed it. Try these:

http://www.alocalprinter.com/uk/leaflets

http://www.alocalprinter.com/uk/leaflets/index.cfm

They both redirect to:

http://www.alocalprinter.com/uk/leaflets/

So, there is one version of the url

Gotcha. Now implemented for next release

[openmind]

Originally Posted by RayB

Dang, nearly forgot the most important bit - ability to create a hub and spoke url structure e.g.:

/about-us/
/about-us/more-about-us/

/widgets-html-landing-page/
/widgets-html-landing-page/red-widgets-product-page/
/widgets-html-landing-page/green-widgets-products-page/

Already in place

[openmind]

Originally Posted by openmind

• Canonicalisation dealt with - redirect non www to www or vice versa.
• yep can write a script to bounce a user about

Right this is a minor point but the base URL i.e. with or without the www is already set in the config file and this ties in with the license so I couldn't allow people to change it on the fly.

I might be able to write a script though that if the incoming domains is missing the www and the base includes it then bounce them to the correct url. That the sort of thing you meant?

[RayB]

Sounds like you will have the PERFECT e-commerce platform from an SEO point of view then Phil!

• Navigation to appear after the </body> tag in the code - keeping the content higher up the code
• by this I assume you mean the side bar, crumbtrail coding etc?

I missed this one - but basically - yes!

Have a look at the source code for A Local Printer......

[RayB]

Originally Posted by openmind

Right this is a minor point but the base URL i.e. with or without the www is already set in the config file and this ties in with the license so I couldn't allow people to change it on the fly.

I might be able to write a script though that if the incoming domains is missing the www and the base includes it then bounce them to the correct url. That the sort of thing you meant?

Well, as long as it's set to one or t'other from the outset then it's a non-issue