How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

How do I separate the SEO meta tags (Description, Keyword tags) from the home page and category/product pages.

If I delete the SEO description/tags on the SEO Options page in General Settings, it resolves my problem of removing the home page SEO from the category and product pages, BUT it also removes my description and keyword tags from the home page.

I want SEO description/tags on the home page exclusive to that page. Is this not possible in x-cart?

Any way to resolve this? Or is this a bug in version 4.18?

Thanks.

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

It isn't a bug, it simply isn't designed that way by default. You should look at the META mods available at BCS Engineering - they allow you to set individual META tags for products, manufacturers, categories and products.

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

Thanks Balinor, I'll do that.

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

BCS Engineering does NOT have a mod available to add Description and/or Keywords to the home page. (skin1/customer/home.tpl)

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

No, the default ones you enter in General Settings handle the home page. The ones you enter in BCS's mod take care of the other pages.

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

They don't have fix for 4.1x PRODUCT meta fix, just 4.0x and below, so in order to fix the home page problem we need a hack.

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

A fix? Not sure what you mean, I use their META mods on 4.1.x all the time, there isn't a bug. You enter the keywords and description you want on the home page in General Settings/SEO options. Then, you install their mods and enter your meta data for categoreis, manufacturers, static pages and products. The home page will use the data you entered in General SEttings/SEO options, the other pages will use what you added via their mods.

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

I'm glad you found something that works for you, however that doesn't change the fact the BSC Engineering only has a PRODUCT page fix available for X-cart Versions 3.4.x, 3.5.x, 4.0.x and NOT 4.1.x.

Here's BSC's product page: http://www.bcsengineering.com/store/customer/product.php?productid=88

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

Wrong mod:

http://www.bcsengineering.com/store/customer/product.php?productid=95&cat=0&page=1

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

I don't mean to be argumentative, I just want to solve this problem once and for all. That being said, your link takes me to what I beleive is the wrong product. Here is the product description:

"This mod uses X-cart Extra Fields to be able to retrieve keywords, descriptions, and titles for products. This allows you to upload your product keywords, description and titles via csv when you import your products."

I'm not uploading or importing products via CSV. What I am attempting to do is provide each and every one of my pages with a unique meta description and keywords, including the home page.

I'll continue my search for a solution.

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

You don't need to upload them, you can enter them directly in the admin as well. Trust me, this is what you want.

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

You don't HAVE to use csv to update the fields... you could sit there in the admin and enter them one at a time -- this mod puts the input fields into the modify product page -- you can populate the fields in the manner you prefer. If you want to type them in manually in the admin - great. If you want to do these all at once as a csv import, great. There are some stores where the admin is not the copy writer or SEO expert... so it is useful to be able to take what the copy writer or SEO geek gives you, and upload all at once. It's your choice. But this IS the mod you must have for unique page titles.

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

Ok, so I purchased the software, and I'm modifying the files. I'm stumped. The software instructions says the following:

3. Upload the files named product_keywords.php, product_keywords.tpl, and product_meta.php into their appropriate directories.

No mention as to where the 'appropriate directories' are. How about a clue?

Thanks.

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

Those would be the corresponding folders to the one in the zip file you received. If it is not in a folder, that means it goes in the root directory.

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

Balinor,

I don't think so. There are six (6) files in the zip file. None of them are in directories. If I'm understanding you correctly, they should all go into the root directory. One of those files is meta.tpl. That file is not in the root directory. So I'm confused.

Can you do a search on your system and tell me what directories the following files are located, thanks. They are:

product_keywords.php, product_keywords.tpl, and product_meta.php

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

My files have always come in a zip with directories...I'm looking at one right now that that is indeed the case...are you sure you have your zip software set to uncompress it using the directories?

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

Yeah, I'm using WinZip. All "my" files are in one directory, no directory paths. It is possible BCS made a mistake when zipping my file.

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

Possibly, but I have never seen that happen. In any event, product_meta.php goes in the root, meta.tpl goes in skin1 (but you don't replace your current file, you amend it with what is in the new meta.tpl) product_keywords.tpl goes in skin1/admin/main, and product_keywords.php goes in admin.

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

Why would BCS make a different version for you than everyone else? I will wager your winzip settings do not preserve directory paths... try unzipping other archives.

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

Not trying to be smart but, do you want a screenshot? I've been using WinZip since Windows95. I'm using Vista now for this project. I have the current WinZip version 11.1 (build 7466). I've also looked at the file using Windows zip util and in WinRAR.

Once again, not trying to be smart. I just want to get the job done.

Did they spin a different version for me? Maybe. How do I know that? File name is unique to me.

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

Thank for taking the time once again balinor! Moving forward.

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

I have been reviewing my site's meta data and found the following problem that I am unable to resolve at the moment.

The site META description and META keywords entered in admin> "SEO options"
appear on every page. I am using all of the BCS mod's to show unique descriptions and keywords but this seems impossible with the current structure.

If I leave the (SEO Options) description and keyword fields empty then the category and product pages show their own unique meta data but the home page has no meta data. Is there a way to hard code the meta description and keywords in home.tpl like you can with the title?

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

This community, and it's moderators, have simply got to quit answering so many questions with an ad for third party software. Inbox News wanted a simple thing, he wanted to know how to have meta keywords and meta description on his Index.html or home.php, whichever the case might be. He did not have to buy a third party workaround that will now create more work than needed for whst he wanted originally

Fact is.... I would like this too and I own all of the BCS Mods pertaining to the subject. Why would I want to enter manually or by CSV thousands of category and product meta tags when the question is simply...

How does a person, without using 3rd party products, insert meta keywords and meta description into home.php and it's index.html counterpart without adding them to every category and product page?

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

If you want to simply create a unique set of META tags for the home page, just open up meta.tpl and use an {if} statement to override the default code for the home page only.

However, that doesn't solve the issue of having garbage default code in your category, product and static page tags, which is why I suggested the BCS mods. If you don't want to be bothered with entering unique META data for all for all of your pages, that's fine, but it is not the correct solution if you want to fully optimize your site.

As for not posting third party mod solutions, when they are the right solution, I post them. I am not affiliated with any of the vendors, I don't get paid by them, and I'm not advertising for them. But 9 times out of 10, the correct solution to questions in this forum IS a third party solution.

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

Then simply you did not understand his question, which was...


Clearly his question was the same as mine and therefore should of been answered the same as mine. Nowhere do I see him asking to remove the trash, which I do using the BCS mod. However when you deal with thousands of products and categories you would like to have the trash without the homepage crap until you get around to changing it.

I'm not trying to start a flame... I just honestly feel like I see 3rd party products too often as the answer to questions like above. It's my opinion. I bet he could of had this done for very few support points by X-Cart.

************************************************** *****************

Now for those interested let's dig into the code and get a solution...

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

*sigh* You are so missing the point, and if you really want to use X-Cart support to answer SEO questions, when they clearly have no clue when it comes to SEO, feel free. In any event, if you simply want to show unique META data on the home page, it is a very simple use of an {if} statement in customer/home.tpl:

{if $main eq "catalog" and $current_category.category eq ""}

home page meta data here

{else}

{include file="meta.tpl" }

{/if}

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

Ryan,

With all due respect... You are so missing the point.

I see it like this.

The BCS mods have helped me many, many times and I use the MODS for products and categorys.

The point you are missing is for the purpose of the question we or I don't care what 3rd party mod fixes it or makes it better. Suggest one if you like, we/I won't mind, probably will even appreciate it. But above all else give the code answers, just like above, when known. That my friend is a complete answer with options. We/I love options, they make us warm inside.

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

I'm so sorry...I'll refrain from providing any solutions that might be construed as third party to you from now on or may in any way shape or form benefit you other than the bare minimum solution. I hate thinking outside the box anyway, it so overrated. ;)

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

Look, I be busy man, thanks to X-Cart and this community. So I am responding just this once more. Again... Did you not see

"Suggest one if you like, we/I won't mind, probably will even appreciate it. But above all else give the code answers, just like above, when known."

I'm not asking you to not suggest Ryan. I am asking you to present options up front, when available. I probably own more third part stuff than most people here. This is not an indictment of third party MODS, it is a plea for OPTIONS in the answers on this Forum.

Answer with code,template and 3rd Party options. I fail to see what is so unreasonable about that.

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

Balinor,

mind sharing where to place the {if} statement in meta.tpl? I placed an {else} after
{if $current_category.meta_descr ne "" and $config.SEO.include_meta_categories eq "Y"}, but does not remove the description/keywords from the homepage. I also played with other options, but when something works well the others stops working. Been playing with the tags for hours...:)

Your help will be appreciated.

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

It took me all afternoon to figure this out, but after reviewing my smarty ebook it became obvious. This is what worked for 4.1.8:

Your Meta Description and Meta Keywords for categories and sub-categories should be filled in.

In admin, go to General Settings >> SEO Option. Uncheck:

1. Include categories' META data into the site meta tags:
2. Include products' META data into the site meta tags:

Open meta.tpl and find lines 27 to 33. Code should be similar to this unless you made some changes:

Change:

For
(the only thing that changed here was ⌠Y■ for ⌠N■)

Add

After

Remove

Right after the recently placed

Finally, add
After

The new code should look like this:

Hope this works for you folks

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

Sorry, didn't see this post until now :(

Re: How to Separate Home Page SEO from CAT & Product pages?
 

Too late my friend :) lol. Thanks for pointing out the meta.tpl