Skip to main content
Topic: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation) (Read 10051 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)

In Elk there is this option coming from the far past of the internet, when search engines were barely able to parse static html pages and didn't know very well how to deal with "strange" urls, the "Search engine friendly URLs".

In the current implementation, the option converts the urls from something like:
Code: [Select]
http://www.ElkArte.net/community/index.php?board=1.0
to stuff like:
Code: [Select]
http://www.ElkArte.net/community/index.php/board,1.0.html

Nowadays, if you talk about "Search engine friendly URLs", people will think immediately to something like:
Code: [Select]
http://www.ElkArte.net/community/feature_discussion/

So, there are a couple of points:
1) the software delivers the wrong message, Elk is not able to have "friendly URLs" in the meaning given nowadays to this sentence, it just gives another version of the same stuff (i.e. board and topic ids in the URL),
2) to search engines there is no difference between the two forms of the URL.

I would propose to drop the option.
Of course, drop it entirely now is not a good thing, mainly because it would mean lots of index content becoming 404 and that would be bad.
So we need at least a couple of phases:
1) phase one, remove the option from the admin panel, that way it will be less easy to enable it, at the same time, the option will be deprecated (I'd say this could even be in 1.1), any website with the option already enabled would still use it,
2) phase two, implement "proper" (in the meaning of today) friendly URLs (still the previous code will work behind the scenes redirecting to the new URLs), this could be in 2.0,
3) drop the code and provide an addon for those that actually like that form of the URL (3.0 or 2.0 if we want to merge phase 2 and 3).

Opinions?

ETA: now that I finished to write, I feel we already had a similar discussion... if you find it I'll merge the two. :P
Bugs creator.
Features destroyer.
Template killer.

Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)

Reply #1

I personally feel that this is something that many users are going to want, regardless if it's core or as an add-on. So I say which ever works better for ElkArte as a whole is the best way to go. It's not like installing an add-on through the acp is hard.

Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)

Reply #2

Do they want the option removed? ???
I'm confident you mean they want "proper" friendly URLs, but I'm not 100% sure. ;)
Bugs creator.
Features destroyer.
Template killer.

Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)

Reply #3

Quote from: emanuele – Do they want the option removed? ???
I'm confident you mean they want "proper" friendly URLs, but I'm not 100% sure. ;)
I do believe people want 
Quote
http://www.ElkArte.net/community/feature_discussion/

Even though it doesn't do really anything for SEO since it will be indexed no matter what, I feel they just like the way it looks better. So having an add-on that can do this I don't think is a huge deal, it would be better for ElkArte to have it core like WBB and Xenforo does, but not something that has to be. 

Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)

Reply #4

I am ALL for having the new type SEO URL's,  such as:  http://www.ElkArte.net/community/feature_discussion/this-is-cool

It makes the URL's easy to remember for us humans too....  plus it just looks cool..... 8)

If its good enough for Wordpress, it should be good enough for Elk.... ;)
Last Edit: March 28, 2016, 06:10:32 pm by SkyNet
There will be a seminar on "time travel" two weeks ago

Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)

Reply #5

I too see many prefer search engine friendly or Type 3 url you have posted on their forums. An url without topic no. or index.php

Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)

Reply #6

Quote from: SkyNet – If its good enough for Wordpress, it should be good enough for Elk.... ;)
Note that Wordpress doesn't say a word about search engines.
Quote from: Wordpress 4.4.2WordPress offers you the ability to create a custom URL structure for your permalinks and archives. Custom URL structures can improve the aesthetics, usability, and forward-compatibility of your links. A number of tags are available, and here are some examples to get you started.
The most obvious part of that being that index.php may change.

Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)

Reply #7

I would love to stop talking about search engines here too, but... heh. :P

ETA: reading all the replies, it seems you think this is a poll about having friendly URLs or not.
Well, no, it is not.

The "point" of this topic is about deprecate the current "feature" and the procedure to follow to deprecate and removing it[1], not about implement other ways of display URLs, that's something asked tons of times and it will be at some point included.
Yes, I know this sounds boring, but 90% of the development is boring stuff!
Last Edit: March 29, 2016, 05:18:14 am by emanuele
Bugs creator.
Features destroyer.
Template killer.

Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)

Reply #8

I vote for friendly url, either as an addon or default feature in ElkArte. Friendly url gives a clean look in my opinion and clearly says what the topic is about :)

Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)

Reply #9

I never used that on SMF or elkarte, for me could be dropped and released as addon for those who are using it
sorry for my bad english

Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)

Reply #10

Quote from: emanuele – The "point" of this topic is about deprecate the current "feature"
Fine by me.

Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)

Reply #11

Seems like a great idea, could be hidden in admin in 1.0.8 really. Bad practice sure but sooner new forums can't turn it on the better less URL redirects for less forums later. All for this proposal.
Thank you,
LordRT

Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)

Reply #12

Quote from: IndianTalkZone – I vote for friendly url, either as an addon or default feature in ElkArte. Friendly url gives a clean look in my opinion and clearly says what the topic is about :)
You ignored what Ema just told you. :P
Master of Expletives: Now with improved family f@&king friendliness! :D

Sources code: making easy front end changes difficult since 1873. :P

Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)

Reply #13

Quote from: emanuele – 1) phase one, remove the option from the admin panel, that way it will be less easy to enable it, at the same time, the option will be deprecated (I'd say this could even be in 1.1), any website with the option already enabled would still use it,
2) phase two, implement "proper" (in the meaning of today) friendly URLs (still the previous code will work behind the scenes redirecting to the new URLs), this could be in 2.0,
3) drop the code and provide an addon for those that actually like that form of the URL (3.0 or 2.0 if we want to merge phase 2 and 3).

Opinions?
I don't think anyone will ever actually want 3) since it's not a useful form anyway, but 1) and 2) sound good.
Master of Expletives: Now with improved family f@&king friendliness! :D

Sources code: making easy front end changes difficult since 1873. :P

Re: Search engine friendly URLs (the current implementation)

Reply #14

Quote from: Antechinus –
Quote from: IndianTalkZone – I vote for friendly url, either as an addon or default feature in ElkArte. Friendly url gives a clean look in my opinion and clearly says what the topic is about :)
You ignored what Ema just told you. :P
I feel like I updated the message after he wrote his... though I didn't notice as well (I had this open for a while lol).
Bugs creator.
Features destroyer.
Template killer.