Meta Tags For Your osC Shop

[♥toyicebear 206]

I have tried the Basic Meta Tags contribution as I thought this should be perfect for me. Worked fine on the product_info page but when I tried the modifications on the index page everything went wrong. The problem I think is that I have already modified the index page and the header is not more the usual "Lets see what we have here".

I have tried to figure out how to modify the contribution to my site but not succeeded. I have also tried both variants of the contribution but the result was the same.

So my question is really, is there an even more simple solution to get header tags on the index pages? Something that take advantage of the already modified header maybe.

 

 

for modified shops these 2 are the easiest: cdynamic meta tags or Meta Tag Controller Support

[Flotec 3]

Thank you for your quick reply. I tested Meta Tag Controller Support. Very simple install but I didn't like the header tags it produces. Just a list of my main categories in both keywords and description. I liked your contribution better.

I suppose I have to figure out how I could simplify your contribution.

One thing I should want to have is the title like this:

"My company name" - "category or product". That should not be to difficult, or? Could someone give me a hint?

[rumi 2]

Ive recently installed cDynamic v1.4 and Im not sure how to set the following in Step 5. You can see how I set the parameters but Im still not seeing any meta tags in my source. I have STS. Thanks to anyone who can help.

STEP 5 - Configure basic parameters

 

Set settings which are located in includes/languages/english/meta_tags.php

 

# USER SETTINGS #

#--------------------------------------------------------------------------#

# If you want to cache the results (reduce server load and boost speed)

$cache_type = 2; # number only, no ' or "

# 0 (zero) = off

# 1 = Use Chemo's osC Advanced Cache Class **REQUIRES v1.1 or higher**

# 2 = Cache to directory ** MUST specify $meta_cache_path **

 

# If using Cache Class set lifetime of cache:

$expires = '30/days'; # only valid if $cache_type = 1

 

# only valid if $cache_type = 2

# must have read-write permissions

# specified in admin/includes/reset/meta_tags.php (if you changed it) MUST HAVE READ/WRITE CHMOD to 777

$meta_cache_files_path = DIR_FS_CATALOG.'cache/'; #this should work for most

 

 

# Show Model in Title

$show_model_in_title = false; # no ' or "

# true or false

 

# Show Manufacturer in Title

$show_man_in_title = true; # no ' or "

# true or false

 

# Enter y=text to be removed from Manufacturers when using them for keywords

# enter in all lower case

$strip_man_array = array('inc.','co.','inc');

 

# Pages to use HEADING_TITLE for title

# Do not list pages w/ specific meta tags: (index.php, product_info.php, specials.php, products_new.php)

$heading_pages = array('contact_us.php', 'product_reviews.php');

 

#---------------------------------------------------------------------------#

# Define specific meta tags by entering the value between the '':

 

# For all pages using meta_tags:

define('HEAD_TITLE_TAG_ALL','my text here'); # Title

define('HEAD_DESC_TAG_ALL','text here'); # Description

define('HEAD_KEY_TAG_ALL','text here'); # Keywords

 

# For default index page (no products or categories)

define('HEAD_TITLE_TAG_INDEX','added text here'); # Title

define('HEAD_DESC_TAG_INDEX','here'); # Description

define('HEAD_KEY_TAG_INDEX','and here'); #

 

Keywords

?>

[rumi 2]

I started another topic (ended up answering my own questions) about the breadcrumb trail and meta tags. here

 

This works very well for me and I had over 400 pages index with the new meta tags in just a couple days. My sales and hits on this site have increased tremendously!

 

I also used this info: here to put a 301 header in to signal the search engines to remove the old entry in the index and replace it with the new one.

 

I've added the Google xml sitemap feed and setup google sitemaps for my site and it is doing its job well.

 

I've also updated my robots.txt file to exclude the popup image pages and some other osc pages which I didnt want shown in the search index.

 

Seems to be working very well for my vintage media site and all it took were some code changes.

 

I just thought anyone searching for all of these soultions could use a place to find them all in one post. :blush:

 

Thank you very much for this post. I have utilized the google xml sitemaps, submitted and verified my site with them, and now have a question regarding the robots text file. Ive been to google but cant locate directions on how to configure this file. I can figure that I need to create one and place it in my root directory but after that Im not sure.

Can you help me?

Thank you

[Rachael w. 1]

and now have a question regarding the robots text file. Ive been to google but cant locate directions on how to configure this file. I can figure that I need to create one and place it in my root directory but after that Im not sure.

Can you help me?

 

Here is my robots.txt file:

 

# Exclude Files From All Robots:

User-agent: *

Disallow: /catalog/admin
Disallow: /catalog/data
Disallow: /catalog/account.php
Disallow: /catalog/advanced_search.php
Disallow: /catalog/checkout_shipping.php
Disallow: /catalog/create_account.php
Disallow: /catalog/login.php
Disallow: /catalog/password_forgotten.php
Disallow: /catalog/popup_image.php
Disallow: /catalog/shopping_cart.php
Disallow: /catalog/ask_a_question.php
Disallow: /catalog/cookie_usage.php
Disallow: /catalog/popup_search_help.php 
Disallow: /catalog/imagemagic.php
Disallow: /catalog/product_reviews.php
# End robots.txt file

 

I believe spiders avoid https pages but I have some in that list anyway. Some of these pages I added because I had seen they were listed in google and I didnt realy want them there and wanted to prevent other search engines showing them too.

 

I ocassionaly review my search engine listings to see if there are pages listed I dont really want there and add them to the list. I prefer to only have my product and category pages listed but do allow my contact page and so on to be spidered.

 

Hope this helps... of course you'll have to edit that list to be what you prefer.

[rumi 2]

Here is my robots.txt file:

 

# Exclude Files From All Robots:

User-agent: *

Disallow: /catalog/admin
Disallow: /catalog/data
Disallow: /catalog/account.php
Disallow: /catalog/advanced_search.php
Disallow: /catalog/checkout_shipping.php
Disallow: /catalog/create_account.php
Disallow: /catalog/login.php
Disallow: /catalog/password_forgotten.php
Disallow: /catalog/popup_image.php
Disallow: /catalog/shopping_cart.php
Disallow: /catalog/ask_a_question.php
Disallow: /catalog/cookie_usage.php
Disallow: /catalog/popup_search_help.php 
Disallow: /catalog/imagemagic.php
Disallow: /catalog/product_reviews.php
# End robots.txt file

 

I believe spiders avoid https pages but I have some in that list anyway. Some of these pages I added because I had seen they were listed in google and I didnt realy want them there and wanted to prevent other search engines showing them too.

 

I ocassionaly review my search engine listings to see if there are pages listed I dont really want there and add them to the list. I prefer to only have my product and category pages listed but do allow my contact page and so on to be spidered.

 

Hope this helps... of course you'll have to edit that list to be what you prefer.

Thank you. So, I'll create a txt page,place it in my root directory and then add pages I dont want indexed.

I looked at your site; very nice.

[c-m 0]

I have just installed cDynamic tags, now I read Header Tags might be better.

 

Oh, the install went fine and seems to be working, but now I have a random < at the top centre of my pages.

 

any ideas?

 

you can see it here

[♥toyicebear 206]

I have just installed cDynamic tags, now I read Header Tags might be better.

 

Oh, the install went fine and seems to be working, but now I have a random < at the top centre of my pages.

 

any ideas?

 

you can see it here

 

 

You have to check your code, you probably have an open bracked in the code you pasted in

[BuckNrut 0]

You have to check your code, you probably have an open bracked in the code you pasted in

 

 

I have just ran into the same problem. a random > is at the top of every page I replaced

 

<title><?php echo TITLE; ?></title>

 

 

with

 

<?php 
# cDynamic Meta Tags
/*<title><?php echo TITLE; ?>*/
require(DIR_WS_INCLUDES . 'meta_tags.php');
#
?>

 

is it possible that the contrib may have a open bracket in one of the files?

 

The contrib I installed is cDynamic_Meta_Tags v1.6

 

My site is Site

 

Please let me know if someone finds the fix :)

 

Thanks

[♥toyicebear 206]

I have just ran into the same problem. a random > is at the top of every page I replaced

 

in one of the files?

 

The contrib I installed is cDynamic_Meta_Tags v1.6

 

 

 

Thanks

 

I had a look and you seem to have fixed it yourself :thumbsup:

 

Please post where you found the open bracket so that other with the same problem can find it easily...

[BuckNrut 0]

I had a look and you seem to have fixed it yourself :thumbsup:

 

Please post where you found the open bracket so that other with the same problem can find it easily...

 

 

I didnt fix it. I just undid the code change from the index.php

 

It still has it on the conditions.php and about_us.php :)

[BuckNrut 0]

I didnt fix it. I just undid the code change from the index.php

 

It still has it on the conditions.php and about_us.php :)

 

I think I have fixed mine.

 

I went back and replaced the files with the ones in the cDynamic_Meta_Tags v1.4 contrib.

 

Hopefully someone will find the error in the v1.6 and update it.

 

I think mine is working properly now.

[cwu 0]

Hi, Nick,

 

After I installed cDynamic_Meta_Tags v1.6, I can not access my site which ask login username and password. I think it may cause by uploading Cache file that is .htaccess. what do you think. If it is would you mind send a standard. htaccess to me at ywu12003@yahoo.com.au because I lost it and I could not find it at http://oscdox.com//crossx <_< . Another question is where I should put stylsheet.css of cDMT v1.6 into ?

 

Thanks,

 

Charles

[♥toyicebear 206]

Hi, Nick,

 

After I installed cDynamic_Meta_Tags v1.6, I can not access my site which ask login username and password. I think it may cause by uploading Cache file that is .htaccess. what do you think. If it is would you mind send a standard. htaccess to me at ywu12003@yahoo.com.au because I lost it and I could not find it at http://oscdox.com//crossx <_< . Another question is where I should put stylsheet.css of cDMT v1.6 into ?

 

Thanks,

 

Charles

 

 

I have not tried the newer versions after cDMT 1.4 . (You can ofcourse change to version 1.4, which is stable and is easy to install)

[cwu 0]

Hi, Nick,

 

I think that .htaccess file in cache folder is wrong please see

AuthType Basic
AuthName "OS Commerce Administration"
AuthUserFile "/home/pcmart/.htpasswds/admin/passwd"
require valid-user

it ask login passwd when anyone goes to the site. Do you know what sort of file format of .htaccess becaue I find a .htaccess2 in my site. the code is

# $Id: .htaccess,v 1.1 2003/06/20 00:18:30 hpdl Exp $
#
# This is used with Apache WebServers
#
# For this to work, you must include the parameter 'Options' to
# the AllowOverride configuration
#
# Example:
#
# <Directory "/usr/local/apache/htdocs">
#   AllowOverride Options
# </Directory>
#
# 'All' with also work. (This configuration is in the
# apache/conf/httpd.conf file)

# The following makes adjustments to the SSL protocol for Internet
# Explorer browsers

<IfModule mod_setenvif.c>
 <IfDefine SSL>
SetEnvIf User-Agent ".*MSIE.*" \
		 nokeepalive ssl-unclean-shutdown \
		 downgrade-1.0 force-response-1.0
 </IfDefine>
</IfModule>

# If Search Engine Friendly URLs do not work, try enabling the
# following Apache configuration parameter
#
# AcceptPathInfo On

# Fix certain PHP values
# (commented out by default to prevent errors occuring on certain
# servers)
#
#<IfModule mod_php4.c>
#  php_value session.use_trans_sid 0
#  php_value register_globals 1
#</IfModule>

I think that it is original .htaccess file. I only can see it by using the file manger of OSc not smartFTP. That is a little bit strange. If I know the format of .htaccess I can just reedit it and upload.

 

Thanks,

 

Charles

[cwu 0]

I think I have fixed mine.

 

I went back and replaced the files with the ones in the cDynamic_Meta_Tags v1.4 contrib.

 

Hopefully someone will find the error in the v1.6 and update it.

 

I think mine is working properly now.

 

Hi,

 

If I use cDMTv1.4 how do I install the stylsheet.css comes with cDMT v1.4 ? Should I merge it with my current stylsheet.css ?

 

Thanks,

 

Charles

[♥toyicebear 206]

Hi,

 

If I use cDMTv1.4 how do I install the stylsheet.css comes with cDMT v1.4 ? Should I merge it with my current stylsheet.css ?

 

Thanks,

 

Charles

 

NO..the stylesheet is for the html install instructions... not to use in your site....

 

Read and follow the included instructions..

[cwu 0]

Hi, Nick,

 

I think that I have installed cDMTv1.6 successfully. When I went admin I can see D. M. T, but if I try to edit it., no value can be edited. Then I went back to .sql file. It seems one of sentence missing the right ')" say,

 'tep_cfg_select_option(array(\'0\', \'1\',\'2\'),'

Please have a look it

INSERT INTO configuration_group (configuration_group_id, configuration_group_title, configuration_group_description, sort_order, visible) VALUES (9999,'Dynamic Meta Tag','Configuration options for the Dynamic metatag',4,1);

INSERT INTO `configuration` (`configuration_id`, `configuration_title`, `configuration_key`, `configuration_value`, `configuration_description`, `configuration_group_id`, `sort_order`, `last_modified`, `date_added`, `use_function`, `set_function`) VALUES  
 ('', 'Cache options', 'D_METATAG_CACHE_OPTIONS', '0', 'Change the result cache type (reduce server load and boost speed) : 0-Off<br>1-Chemo\'s osC Advanced Cache Class (REQUIRES v1.1 or higher))<br>2-Cache to directory ', 9999, 30, '2007-02-00', '2007-02-01', NULL, 'tep_cfg_select_option(array(\'0\', \'1\',\'2\'),');

INSERT INTO `configuration` (`configuration_id`, `configuration_title`, `configuration_key`, `configuration_value`, `configuration_description`, `configuration_group_id`, `sort_order`, `last_modified`, `date_added`, `use_function`, `set_function`) VALUES  
 ('', 'Chemo Cache Class set lifetime of cache', 'D_METATAG_CHEMO_LIFETIME', '30/days', 'Original value is 30/days', 9999, 100, '2007-02-00', '2007-02-01', NULL, '');


INSERT INTO `configuration` (`configuration_id`, `configuration_title`, `configuration_key`, `configuration_value`, `configuration_description`, `configuration_group_id`, `sort_order`, `last_modified`, `date_added`, `use_function`, `set_function`) VALUES  
 ('', 'Show Model in Title ?', 'D_METATAG_SHOW_MODEL_INTITLE', 'true', 'D_METATAG_SHOW_MODEL_INTITLE', 9999, 100, '0000-00-00', '2007-02-01', NULL, 'tep_cfg_select_option(array(\'true\', \'false\'),');

INSERT INTO `configuration` (`configuration_id`, `configuration_title`, `configuration_key`, `configuration_value`, `configuration_description`, `configuration_group_id`, `sort_order`, `last_modified`, `date_added`, `use_function`, `set_function`) VALUES  
 ('', 'Show Manufacturer in Title ?', 'D_METATAG_SHOW_MANUF_INTITLE', 'true', 'D_METATAG_SHOW_MANUF_INTITLE', 9999, 100, '0000-00-00', '2007-02-01', NULL, 'tep_cfg_select_option(array(\'true\', \'false\'),');


INSERT INTO `configuration` (`configuration_id`, `configuration_title`, `configuration_key`, `configuration_value`, `configuration_description`, `configuration_group_id`, `sort_order`, `last_modified`, `date_added`, `use_function`, `set_function`) VALUES  
 ('', 'Pages to use HEADING_TITLE for title', 'D_METATAG_EXTRA_PAGES', '\'product_reviews.php\', \'contact_us.php\', \'product_reviews.php\'', 'Do not list pages with specific meta tags<br>Original  is : \'product_reviews.php\', \'contact_us.php\', \'product_reviews.php\'', 9999, 100, '2007-02-00', '2007-02-01', NULL,'tep_cfg_textarea(');

 

Thanks,

 

Charles

[cwu 0]

I am may be wrong after I check other .sql files. Are the values of DMT set to not allowed to be changed.?

 

Thanks,

 

Charles

[♥toyicebear 206]

I can not comment on any version after cDMT - 1.4

 

1.4 do not use new db incerts, but uses language defines in file format.

 

So for cdmt - 1.6 problems i suggest looking through and asking guestions in the support tread for the contribution.

[cwu 0]

Thanks a lot. From what I understood including your comments

2. C-Dynamic Meta Tags

This contribution incerts meta tags automatically for your shops products and categories (and new products, specials ++), in addition it lets you add meta tags for your index page and general tags manually.

The meta tags can also be cached for shortest possible execution time, lower server load and faster page load time.

Install

Install is very easy and straight forward.

Pros:
- Very easy install
- Easy on server resources due to caching
- Creates all your meta tags automatically for any amount of categories/products.

Cons
- You can not enter your product/category meta tags manually
- The category part of the automatic meta tags function is very basic.

Conclusion

This is a very good seo tool for those who have a pre-populated shop with many categories and products or for those who fill up their products using feed import as well as it is a very easy server load which is more and more important teh larger your product/category numbers get.

Also its a good tool for those who whant to have meta tags and tittles but who do not want to manually incert them.

Last but not least if the header tags install is to much for you, then the easy install of this one will probably appeal to you.

that is all I have done. Just waiting for the outcoming.

[cwu 0]

Can I say that if I use google search engine to look for a product which is containing in my site the google can find out, which means cDMT working. Because I have tried a few products, the google find out straight away. It's amazing. Before I installed cDMTv1.6 I typed any items in my site the google could not list out.

 

Thanks,

 

Charles

[erniethemilk 0]

I've tried doing this particular contribution, and for a complete numpty like me the contribution uploaded fine, only problem I've had is I'm not sure if I have to fill in the meta tags or not :'(

 

If I look at the page source the meta tags are still blank, so I assume something somewhere is not working quite the way it should be.... :(

 

 

 

2. C-Dynamic Meta Tags

 

This contribution incerts meta tags automatically for your shops products and categories (and new products, specials ++), in addition it lets you add meta tags for your index page and general tags manually.

 

The meta tags can also be cached for shortest possible execution time, lower server load and faster page load time.

 

Install

 

Install is very easy and straight forward.

 

Pros:

- Very easy install

- Easy on server resources due to caching

- Creates all your meta tags automatically for any amount of categories/products.

 

Cons

- You can not enter your product/category meta tags manually

- The category part of the automatic meta tags function is very basic.

 

Conclusion

 

This is a very good seo tool for those who have a pre-populated shop with many categories and products or for those who fill up their products using feed import as well as it is a very easy server load which is more and more important teh larger your product/category numbers get.

 

Also its a good tool for those who whant to have meta tags and tittles but who do not want to manually incert them.

 

Last but not least if the header tags install is to much for you, then the easy install of this one will probably appeal to you.

 

Link to contrib....

 

 

In the next post i will have a closer look at some of the other meta tags contributions too.

[♥toyicebear 206]

I've tried doing this particular contribution, and for a complete numpty like me the contribution uploaded fine, only problem I've had is I'm not sure if I have to fill in the meta tags or not :'(

 

If I look at the page source the meta tags are still blank, so I assume something somewhere is not working quite the way it should be.... :(

 

 

Read the included instructions, in adition to uploading the contribution files you will also have to manually edit some of your web shop files.

[Proenski 0]

I did this for myself, if it helps

 

Adds dynamic page titles and meta info to osCommerce based on the existing breadcrumb so no extra queries.

 

Replace <title></title> with ..

 

Sounds like a pretty good and maintainable solution to me, but on which file do I need to replace the <title> tag? Or do I need to replace every single occurence on all php files??