Skill Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Google SEO update Overview
This is an Update regarding an earlier SEO issue discussed on the EROL:forums. This discussion took place following the Google re-indexing issue earlier this year. Our own Development Team and SEO Team have worked jointly on this update, as well as taking advice from external experts in the field of SEO.PLEASE NOTE
The feedback from many of our clients has been that their stores have now been re-indexed with no intervention/changes made by them. Some reported that after a little SEO work they were infact enjoying a higher-position on Google and other Search Engines, than they were at the start of the year. These reports have come from some of the stores owners who seemed most dramatically affected by the Google re-indexing.
Because of this feedback, we would only suggest using this particular update if you currently have no listing (indexing) at all on Google.
While we work very hard to ensure EROL is search engine friendly, EROL Software (Dreamteam Design Ltd.) can accept no responsibility for the search engine performance of your store. For a Search Engine review of your store by one of our own SEO specialists, please visit www.erolonline.co.uk/services/seo.asp
This update is currently only available to those customers using Linux based hosting.
What you need
1. Linux hosting.
To implement this update you will need to be publishing your website to a Linux based web server. We regret at this stage there is no implementation for Windows based web servers.
2. Version v4.5028.00
You will need to be running EROL v4.5028.00 or later.
Why implement this?
We would only recommend implementing this suggestion if you have been de-listed and only then after you have removed all 'black hat' search engine techniques from your store, such as same colour text as the background.
How it works
Implementing this suggestion on your store will remove the 'window.location.href' link from the [x] pages. When the page is viewed by search engine spiders a 'php include' (xinc.php) will write this code to the [x] page only if it is not Google looking at the page i.e. when a browser views the page.
How to implement
Step 1
Download and unzip the contents the file below into the root of your EROL store.
Download GoogleSeoUpdate ZIP file
Contents of .zip file:
xinc.php This with include of the javascript function to redirect the page when viewed in a browser.
.htaccess This tells the Unix based server to execute PHP in .html pages (where supported by the hosting company).
Step 2
To switch on in your version of EROL 4.5028 or above, go to Tools > View Files. Right-click on the e-setup.ini file and open in Notepad. Then paste the line of code below onto the second line (the first line is reserved for EROLs internal use):
GoogleSeoUpdate=On Save and close the e-setup.ini file. Close EROL. Re-open EROL and perform a File > Update all Pages. This will ensure that all the EROL [x] pages have the PHP include inserted.
Step 3
After the Update All Pages has finished, perform a Publish to web using Upload All and skip subfolders. The .htaccess and xinc.php files will get uploaded to your Unix server. Some Unix servers will not show hidden files such as .htaccess on the server side (the right-hand window of the EROL Publish Manager).
Finally, fully test your site.
Notes:
The implmentation process will need to be repeated when you upgrade the store or moved it to a different folder.
EROL helpdesk are unable to provide support for the implmentation of this update.
