two simple template mods for vBulletin SEO

[Brandon Sheley]

:)1. For individual thread pages, your HTML title tag should be ONLY the title of the thread. Most people agree that the HTML title tag is one of the most important basic SEO aspects. Forum software typically uses: "Title-of-board -- title-of-thread" as the HTML title. Pare it down to just "title-of-thread". Not only does this help with targeting your page towards the most relevant keyword or keyphrase for the thread, but it helps with the "semantic" SEO aspect. When searchers see their search term as the title of your page in the SERPS, they're more likely to click on it than a page title with extraneous information.

2. Set up your postbit template so that if people don't explicitly enter a title for their thread replies, "re:title-of-thread" gets automatically inserted as the post title. This will raise the keyword density of your thread title on the page -- naturally. Nearly every time a reply post is added, the thread title is inserted one more time into the page.

If you're not explicity adding in your thread title to other templates or portions of your vBulletin pages, then the title will likely appear only twice on-page: in the navbar, and as the topic title of the first post.


This was posted at vbseo.com, and I think it's great info.. if I redo my site, this is one of the first things I'll do for SEO.. adding thread title to all post ;)

[Joeychgo]

1. For individual thread pages, your HTML title tag should be ONLY the title of the thread. Most people agree that the HTML title tag is one of the most important basic SEO aspects. Forum software typically uses: "Title-of-board -- title-of-thread" as the HTML title. Pare it down to just "title-of-thread". Not only does this help with targeting your page towards the most relevant keyword or keyphrase for the thread, but it helps with the "semantic" SEO aspect. When searchers see their search term as the title of your page in the SERPS, they're more likely to click on it than a page title with extraneous information.

One main flaw in the theory.

Have you looked at the titles your users give some threads? :D Many of them are crap from an SEO perspective.

I set mine to be the Thread Title + Forum Title, this way I know my keyword gets in there. I also use a forum title that is luring to a reader. 'vBulletin FAQ' when seen in the serps sounds quite authoritative, and entices users to click.

[Brandon Sheley]

yes, that is a very good point to think about before implementing this..
but if you site is targeted, and your users make good titles more then 50% of the time, I think it's a good idea for some webmasters :)

[icare]

2. Set up your postbit template so that if people don't explicitly enter a title for their thread replies, "re:title-of-thread" gets automatically inserted as the post title. This will raise the keyword density of your thread title on the page -- naturally. Nearly every time a reply post is added, the thread title is inserted one more time into the page.




How shoud i do this?

[Brandon Sheley]

AdminCP -> vBulletin Options -> Message Posting and Editing Options -> Automatically Quote Post / Thread Title

[icare]

thanks

[Brandon Sheley]

no problem :)