• From: Herts - UK
  • Registered: 2005-09-11
  • Posts: 842

Topic: Google Indexing

I did bring this up before... but cant find the topic. sad

basically if you look at this... Googled demo.pundemo.org

You get the following underneath the main link...
24 Feb 2008 ... Skip to forum content. Powered by PunBB. Live Demo PunBB 1.3. Updated with latest revision every 6 hours. ...

The "Skip to forum content" is nearly on every result which is annoying and not ideal. Even the "Powered by PunBB" is annoying.
Anyway... Im sure someone said this will not happen upon release.
Any update on this?

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2 Reply by Paul

  • Paul
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  • Registered: 2003-08-13
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Re: Google Indexing

The skip link has to be the first item on the page otherwise its pointless. If you have a way of preventing it being indexed I would love to hear it.

  • Smartys
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Re: Google Indexing

I don't think there's a way to prevent it from being indexed: the better question is whether there's a reliable way to get Google to use the meta description tag. I think the answer might be to add more content in it.
StevenBullen: Could you edit header.php (I guess ideally from your POV via an extension) to change the meta description to append the site's description to the end of the meta description tag?

  • From: Herts - UK
  • Registered: 2005-09-11
  • Posts: 842

Re: Google Indexing

Smartys wrote:

StevenBullen: Could you edit header.php (I guess ideally from your POV via an extension) to change the meta description to append the site's description to the end of the meta description tag?

Ok will do. Will come back with results... Could be a few days, waiting for google. tongue

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  • Smartys
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Re: Google Indexing

Yeah, I would wait a week or so before making a final determination. The question is whether providing a keyword rich, relevant (as in the text is also on the page, so it's not keyword stuffing) meta description will make Google more likely to use it in place of trying to generate its own.

  • Smartys
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Re: Google Indexing

http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot. … ption.html
http://www.google.com/support/webmaster … swer=35264

Well, we'll see tongue

  • Registered: 2006-04-30
  • Posts: 382

Re: Google Indexing

Well's there's a way i can think of:
do a user agent match, if it's a google bot then don't show it. I don't know how picy google is on this small changes.
This is a 'hacked' solution not a 100% propper one.

BTW, what's that link for? is it for smaller screens or non-graphical browsers or something like that?
Sorry, couldn't find the answer by searching either

8 Reply by Paul

  • Paul
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Re: Google Indexing

Its for screenreaders and in fact anybody who has to navigate using the keyboard. It saves having to tab through and, in the case of screenreaders, listien to then main menu and other stuff when all they want to do is get at the main content. Its a requirement under the relevant accessibility guidelines.

  • From: France
  • Registered: 2004-11-06
  • Posts: 695

Re: Google Indexing

Why not set an appropriate meta description? Dynamically, based on what's on the page (thread view, forums, view, etc.)?

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  • Smartys
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Re: Google Indexing

Jérémie wrote:

Why not set an appropriate meta description? Dynamically, based on what's on the page (thread view, forums, view, etc.)?

That would be the next step (or an extension) if this works. Page title / site description would be the fallback default.
The problem of course is that we have to make assumptions about what variables are available to us for use (and I have a feeling that the code for generating the descriptions would be long).

11 Reply by Paul

  • Paul
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Re: Google Indexing

Or people could just delete or move the relevant bit of main.tpl if they really feel the need to.

  • Smartys
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Re: Google Indexing

StevenBullen: Just a quick question, are you sure PunDemo is updated to the newest revision? It seems to be missing revisions that are almost a month old.

  • From: France
  • Registered: 2004-11-06
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Re: Google Indexing

Smartys wrote:

The problem of course is that we have to make assumptions about what variables are available to us for use (and I have a feeling that the code for generating the descriptions would be long).

The output isn't buffered? You can't ?go back? to set the string after you processed the content of the page?

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  • From: Herts - UK
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Re: Google Indexing

Smartys wrote:

StevenBullen: Just a quick question, are you sure PunDemo is updated to the newest revision? It seems to be missing revisions that are almost a month old.

Correct. Its weird because I did monitor it for a few days to make sure latest updates was happening. I will take a look in the morning and fix the problem. Plus add this to it at the same time. wink

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  • Registered: 2007-03-25
  • Posts: 960

Re: Google Indexing

is there a way that the title of the topic is placed a meta description ....

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  • From: Herts - UK
  • Registered: 2005-09-11
  • Posts: 842

Re: Google Indexing

UPDATE:
big_smile big_smile big_smile big_smile big_smile big_smile
Guess what... try the same link in the first post... Googled demo.pundemo.org

Instead of

24 Feb 2008 ... Skip to forum content. Powered by PunBB. Live Demo PunBB 1.3. Updated with latest revision every 6 hours. ...

you now get

Live Demo PunBB 1.3 - Updated with latest revision every 6 hours.

This fix will be required on 1.3. wink


I only submitted a sitemap of 3 urls, I done this to point out the differences.
Index.php, Viewforum.php?id=1 and Viewtopic.php?id=1.

If you check the link above you will find what difference it makes. It does remove that annoying "Skip to forum content" which I like as well.

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  • Smartys
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Re: Google Indexing

Perfect. I'll make the change now. smile

18 Reply by MattF

  • MattF
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Re: Google Indexing

So is it the meta description tag that alters how it's listed/indexed?

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  • Smartys
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Re: Google Indexing

Google and many other search engines look at the meta description tag as a way to allow the webmaster to give input on what a good description for the page is. They may not always honor that description verbatim, but if it's good enough they'll use at least part of it.

20 Reply by MattF

  • MattF
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Re: Google Indexing

Cheers. smile I was just curious. I setup a meta description tag to mirror the topic/category/section subject/description a couple of months ago, but never got round to testing whether it made a jot of difference. I know the answer to that one now. big_smile

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  • From: Herts - UK
  • Registered: 2005-09-11
  • Posts: 842

Re: Google Indexing

Smartys wrote:

Perfect. I'll make the change now. smile

Many thanks. big_smile

Smartys wrote:

Google and many other search engines look at the meta description tag as a way to allow the webmaster to give input on what a good description for the page is. They may not always honor that description verbatim, but if it's good enough they'll use at least part of it.

Correct.

It does raise your chances if what is in the meta tag is on the page. In fact... I think it has to be on the page.

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