Search Engine Safe URLs

1
Search Engine Safe URLs
presented by Ben Ellefson ben_at_elfpro.com
2
Definitions

• Static URL
• A static URL is a URL that contains no variables,
  even is the page itself is dynamic.
• (i.e. www.website.com/index.cfm)
• Dynamic URL
• A dynamic URL is a URL that contains variable
  name pairs.
• (i.e. www.website.com/index.cfm?x1)

3
The Problem

• Google and other search engines struggle to
  spider dynamic pages and do not fully index them.
  
• This can lead to significantly less visibility on
  Google and other search engines.

4
The Solution

• Trick the search engines into thinking your
  dynamic URL is a Static URL.
• This is done by reformatting the URL
• Change
• www.website.com/index.cfm?x1
• To
• www.website.com/index.cfm/x1/index.html

5
Execution

• Step 1
• Reformat your URLs
• Step 2
• Create function to extract the url scope
  variables.

6
Step 1

• Convert all ? And to /
• Convert all to
• Add full path (http//www.website.com/) to the
  beginning of all links and file paths.
• Add /index.html at the end of all links.

7
Reformatted Code

• Change
• lta hrefIndex.cfm?fuseactionCustomer.Logingt
• To
• ltcfset FullPath http//www.website.com/gt
• ltcfouputgt
• lta hrefFullPathIndex.cfm/fuseactionCustom
  er.Login/index.htmlgt
• lt/cfoutputgt

8
Step 2

• Create User Defined Function to extract the url
  scope variables.
• http//www.fusionauthority.com/Techniques/4226-Sea
  rch-Engine-Safe-SES-URLs.htm
• This function must be called in the
  Application.cfm

9
UDF Code

• function SES()
• var UrlVarsReReplaceNoCase(trim(cgi.Path_Info)
  , '.\.cfm/? ', '')
• var loopcountListLen(urlvars, '/')
• var potential""
• if (cgi.script_name EQ cgi.path_info)
• return 0
• for(i1i LTE loopcount ii1)
• potentialtrim(listgetat(UrlVars, i,
  '/'))
• if (ReFindNoCase('a-za-z0-9_.',
  potential))
• SetVariable('URL.'listfirst(potential,''
  ),listlast(potential,''))
• return 1

This function was created by Michael Dinowitz and
posted in Fusion Authority article located at
http//www.fusionauthority.com/Techniques/4226-Sea
rch-Engine-Safe-SES-URLs.htm
10
Questions?
11
Examples

• www.BeginPage.com
• A free web portal where users can fully customize
  the style and every link displayed.
• www.houndstreetbakery.com
• An e-Commerce site selling specialty dog treats.

12
Credits

• PowerPoint created and presentation by
• Ben Ellefson, ElfPro LLC
• www.elfpro.com
• ben_at_elfpro.com
• User Defined Function created by Michael
  Dinowitz and posted in Fusion Authority article
  located at http//www.fusionauthority.com/Techniqu
  es/4226-Search-Engine-Safe-SES-URLs.htm