Title and Description Changes for Better SEO v3.63

[Joeychgo]

vBulletin handles page titles and descriptions differently then I like.

For starters, the page descriptions do not change from one page to the next. So the description for each and every post and thread are the same. This does not help search engines (or adsense) figure out what a thread is about. You want the titles, descriptions and keywords to be specific to each page / thread.

vBulletin does this in the template "headinclude". We will modify this template first. Remove the following from the template:

<if condition="$show['threadinfo']">
<meta name="keywords" content="$threadinfo[title], $vboptions[keywords]" />
<meta name="description" content="<if condition="$pagenumber>1"><phrase 1="$pagenumber">$vbphrase[page_x]</phrase>-</if>$threadinfo[title] $foruminfo[title_clean]" />
<else />
<if condition="$show['foruminfo']">
<meta name="keywords" content="$foruminfo[title_clean], $vboptions[keywords]" />
<meta name="description" content="<if condition="$pagenumber>1"><phrase 1="$pagenumber">$vbphrase[page_x]</phrase>-</if>$foruminfo[description_clean]" />
<else />
<meta name="keywords" content="$vboptions[keywords]" />
<meta name="description" content="$vboptions[description]" />
</if>
</if>

This removed the description and keywords from the headinclude.

Now, lets go about putting them back in a better manner.

We have to replace them in all vital areas, meaning pages that we want search engines to index.

SO, lets start with the forumhome template.

Look for:

$headinclude
<title><phrase 1="$vboptions[bbtitle]">$vbphrase[x_powered_by_vbulletin]</phrase></title>

Now, first, move the $headinclude to below the title line, and insert this inbetween the two.

<title><phrase 1="$vboptions[bbtitle]">$vbphrase[x_powered_by_vbulletin]</phrase></title>
<meta name="keywords" content="$vboptions[keywords]" />
<meta name="description" content="$vboptions[description]" />
$headinclude

Like this you will be using the description and keywords that you set under vBulletin options. If you want to be specific to the page, you can change the areas in red below and use that:

<title> <phrase 1="$vboptions[bbtitle]">$vbphrase[x_powered_by_vbulletin]</phrase> </title>
<meta name="keywords" content="$vboptions[keywords]" />
<meta name="description" content="$vboptions[description] " />
$headinclude

Ok... Thats the forumhome. Now onto the forum display template.

In the forumdisplay you have:

$headinclude
<title>$foruminfo[title_clean]<if condition="$pagenumber>1"> - <phrase 1="$pagenumber">$vbphrase[page_x]</phrase></if> - $vboptions[bbtitle]</title>

We are going to make a similar change as we did on forumhome...

<title>$foruminfo[title_clean]<if condition="$pagenumber>1"> - <phrase 1="$pagenumber">$vbphrase[page_x]</phrase></if> - $vboptions[bbtitle]</title>
<meta name="keywords" content="$foruminfo[title] $vboptions[keywords]" />
<meta name="description" content="$foruminfo[description] $foruminfo[title]" />

$headinclude

There are 2 main changes here. First, your pulling keywords from the vBulletin options as with the forumhome, but your also adding the forum name to the keywords... Second, you have a description that is specific to each individual forum. The description you get breaks down like this:

$foruminfo[description] = the description you entered for the forum in the forum manager

$foruminfo[description] = the title of the individual forum.

If you like, you can swap these around - like
<meta name="$foruminfo[title] $foruminfo[description]" />


Ok, now onto the Showthread template:

Here again, you have this:

$headinclude
<title>$thread[title]<if condition="$pagenumber>1"> - <phrase 1="$pagenumber">$vbphrase[page_x]</phrase></if> - $vboptions[bbtitle]</title>

Change it to this: (changing the red text to something specific to your forum)

<title>$thread[title]<if condition="$pagenumber>1"> - <phrase 1="$pagenumber">$vbphrase[page_x]</phrase></if> - $foruminfo[title]</title>
<meta name="description" content="$thread[title] is discussed at vBulletin FAQ - $foruminfo[title]" />
<meta name="keywords" content="$thread[title] $vboptions[keywords]" />
$headinclude

The breakdown here is this:

You are changing the title slightly by removing the site name, and replacing it with the name of the forum that the thread is in.

You are adding the description which will now have: The Title of the thread + The red text + the title of the forum the thread is in. Lots of keywords in your description now.

You are also adding the keywords that you placed in vBulletin Options, as well as the thread title which is also in the keywords now.

I also like to do the Showthread_showpost and Memberinfo templates. These arent really important, but I like to do them anyway.

With Showthread_showpost you start with:

$headinclude
<title>$vboptions[bbtitle] - $vbphrase[view_single_post] - $threadinfo[title]</title>

and change it to:

<title>$vboptions[bbtitle] - $vbphrase[view_single_post] - $threadinfo[title]</title>
<meta name="keywords" content="$thread[title] $vboptions[keywords]" />
<meta name="description" content="$thread[title] $foruminfo[title] $foruminfo[description] " />
$headinclude

and for Memberinfo you have:

$headinclude
<title>$vboptions[bbtitle] - $vbphrase[view_profile]: $userinfo[username]</title>

and Change it to

<title>$userinfo[username]'s profile on $vboptions[bbtitle]</title>
<meta name="keywords" content="$vboptions[keywords]" />
<meta name="description" content="$vboptions[description]" />
$headinclude

Thats a start. Dont be afraid to customize this a bit for your particular forum.

[chick]

Thank you very much. That is a great idea.

[Steve]

Excellent article, joeychgo. Thank you very much.

[Joeychgo]

Your quite welcome.

[Dennis B]

Thanks a lot!

[b2w]

Thanks Joey!

[friscogal]

Thanks Joey!

tanya, have you done this? is it hard?

[b2w]

tanya, have you done this? is it hard?

Yep, I did it and it was very simple. This is the site for SEO tips and help for sure. It took me about 10 mins to do.

[puertoblack2003]

thanks great tip one thing i'm curious i do you add the goggle adsence in showthread underneath the title?

[Joeychgo]

I add it after $navbar

[SaN-DeeP]

thanks for the handy tips apprecaite your efforts

[Joeychgo]

Your welcome

[Chris]

I guess I over looked this one. Thanks Joey nicely laid out.

[WoodiE55]

Joey,

Is this a mis-type on your first post?

<title>$foruminfo[title_clean]<if condition="$pagenumber>1"> - <phrase 1="$pagenumber">$vbphrase[page_x]</phrase></if> - $vboptions[bbtitle]</title>
<meta name="keywords" content="$foruminfo[title] $vboptions[keywords]" />
<meta name="$foruminfo[description] $foruminfo[title]" />
$headinclude

Shouldn't it be like this?

<title>$foruminfo[title_clean]<if condition="$pagenumber>1"> - <phrase 1="$pagenumber">$vbphrase[page_x]</phrase></if> - $vboptions[bbtitle]</title>
<meta name="keywords" content="$foruminfo[title] $vboptions[keywords]" />
<meta name="description" content="$foruminfo[description] $foruminfo[title]" />
$headinclude

Also I've made a change to the code a bit:

<meta name="description" content="$foruminfo[description] $foruminfo[title]" />
$headinclude

To this:

<meta name="description" content="$foruminfo[description_clean] $foruminfo[title]" />
$headinclude

The reason I've done this is in my forum description I've got a link to an html page on my site. Using clean at the end removes that hyper link and just shows the text. For example see this page: http://www.rcnitrotalk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=81 - notice how HPI Baja 5B is a link, using clean at the end removes that link and makes it a valid meta tag.



-Michael

[Joeychgo]

Yes - nice catch - that was a mistake on my part. Thanks.

[Chris]

Joey,

Is this a mis-type on your first post?

<title>$foruminfo[title_clean]<if condition="$pagenumber>1"> - <phrase 1="$pagenumber">$vbphrase[page_x]</phrase></if> - $vboptions[bbtitle]</title>
<meta name="keywords" content="$foruminfo[title] $vboptions[keywords]" />
<meta name="$foruminfo[description] $foruminfo[title]" />
$headinclude

Shouldn't it be like this?

<title>$foruminfo[title_clean]<if condition="$pagenumber>1"> - <phrase 1="$pagenumber">$vbphrase[page_x]</phrase></if> - $vboptions[bbtitle]</title>
<meta name="keywords" content="$foruminfo[title] $vboptions[keywords]" />
<meta name="description" content="$foruminfo[description] $foruminfo[title]" />
$headinclude

Just so others know. This change only needs to be made in the forumdisplay template. I checked the other templates and they were already correct.

[Joeychgo]

Yes - it was a single ommission... My apologies to all.

[valdeztke]

Ok I did it ... nothing spectacular happened. No fireworks, sparks, etc

[Chris]

Ok I did it ... nothing spectacular happened. No fireworks, sparks, etc

You have to give it time. You still have to do your back links. This modification is so that once the spiders get to your forum that they can tell what each thread is about.

HTHs

[valdeztke]

Backlinks?

Wow the minute I think I've learned something two new terms pop up